People and things: relative clauses to define who, which, that
I can understand relative clauses that identify and add information about people and things.
People and things: relative clauses to define who, which, that
I can understand relative clauses that identify and add information about people and things.
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Lesson details
Vocabulary and transcripts for this lessons
Key learning points
- Relative clauses add information about the noun in the main clause, without starting another sentence.
- English uses relative pronouns ‘who’, ‘that’, ‘which’, while German uses the definite article that matches the noun.
- In German the relative pronoun kicks the verb to the end of the relative clause; this is called word order three (WO3).
- Use indefinite pronouns 'jemand' ('someone') or 'niemand' ('no one') instead of a noun when the exact person is unknown.
- When using 'jemand' or 'niemand' in subject relative clauses, use the relative pronoun 'der' as for masculine nouns.
Keywords
Relative clause - adds information about the noun in the main clause
Relative pronoun - pronoun that introduces a relative clause, e.g., ‘who’, ‘that’, ‘which’ - in German words 'der', 'die', 'das' are used
Word order three (WO3) - the verb is sent to the end of the sentence or clause
Common misconception
The word for 'who' in German is 'wer'.
We use 'wer' to ask or report a question: 'Wer ist das?', 'Ich weiß nicht, wer das ist.' But in sentences like 'that is someone, who ...' we use a relative pronoun - 'der', 'die', 'das' - which matches the gender of noun it refers to.
To help you plan your year 9 German lesson on: People and things: relative clauses to define who, which, that, download all teaching resources for free and adapt to suit your pupils' needs...
To help you plan your year 9 German lesson on: People and things: relative clauses to define who, which, that, download all teaching resources for free and adapt to suit your pupils' needs.
The starter quiz will activate and check your pupils' prior knowledge, with versions available both with and without answers in PDF format.
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Prior knowledge starter quiz
6 Questions
Q1.Which phrase would you use to address group of friends?
Q2.Match the German and English.
to attract, put on
to serve, serving
to feel, feeling
to hold, stop, keep
to name, naming
to wash, washing
Q3.Match the German and English.
bed
service
end
number
grandmother
chair
Q4.Order the words to say: 'We are expecting the guest at 7 o'clock.'
Q5.Write in English: 'das Feuer ist zu heiß'.
Q6.Write in German: 'she collects the wood'.
Assessment exit quiz
4 Questions
Q1.Match up the sentence halves.
die hier arbeitet.
das interessant ist.
der sehr freundlich ist.
wer eine Katze hat.