New
New
Year 8

Plans for this weekend: present tense (future meaning), 'nach' vs 'zu' (dative)

Learning outcomes

I can use the present tense plus a future time phrase to discuss plans for the weekend, and can correctly use 'nach' or 'zu' to say where I plan to go.

I can correctly pronounce [d] according to its position in a German word.

New
New
Year 8

Plans for this weekend: present tense (future meaning), 'nach' vs 'zu' (dative)

Learning outcomes

I can use the present tense plus a future time phrase to discuss plans for the weekend, and can correctly use 'nach' or 'zu' to say where I plan to go.

I can correctly pronounce [d] according to its position in a German word.

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Lesson details

Vocabulary and transcripts for this lessons

Key learning points

  1. At the start or in the middle of German words, [d] sounds like English 'd'. At the end, it sounds like 't'.
  2. Use time phrases, e.g., 'am Montag', with the present tense to refer to future plans.
  3. Emphasis on whatever is first in the sentence. You can use inversion (word order 2) to create this emphasis.
  4. 'Nach' means 'to' with place names, continents and most countries. 'Zu' means 'to' when used with places with articles.
  5. Use zu with people, professions and events, e.g., 'Ich gehe zu Oma.'.

Keywords

  • [d] - pronounced as in 'und', 'Kinder'

  • Time phrase - word or multi-word phrase that describes when something happens, e.g., 'am Montag'

  • Nach - word meaning 'to', used with place names, continents and most countries, never followed by the definite article

  • Zu - word meaning 'to', used with places that need articles and with people, professions and events, followed by the dative case

Common misconception

You can only begin an inversion sentence (word order two) with a time phrase, nothing else.

The emphasis is on whatever comes first in the sentence when using inversion (word order 2). It is acceptable to put the object of the sentence before the verb. For example, 'Den Kaffee trinken wir heute'.


To help you plan your year 8 German lesson on: Plans for this weekend: present tense (future meaning), 'nach' vs 'zu' (dative), download all teaching resources for free and adapt to suit your pupils' needs...

Complete a class survey as a follow-up speaking activity using students' work from Task C1.
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This content is © Oak National Academy Limited (2025), licensed on Open Government Licence version 3.0 except where otherwise stated. See Oak's terms & conditions (Collection 2).

Lesson video

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Prior knowledge starter quiz

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6 Questions

Q1.
Match the German and English.
Correct Answer:wollen,to want, wanting

to want, wanting

Correct Answer:ich muss,I must, have to

I must, have to

Correct Answer:etwas,something

something

Correct Answer:mir,to me

to me

Correct Answer:bitte,please

please

Correct Answer:aber,but

but

Q2.
Which question word best fills the gap in the following sentence? '__________ kommst du nach Hause?'
Correct answer: Wann
Wie viele
Wo
Q3.
Which words are conjunctions?
Correct answer: und
Correct answer: aber
Correct answer: auch
fast
jeder, jede, jedes
Q4.
Translate into English: 'Mit wem spielst du?'
Correct Answer: Who do you play with?, Who are you playing with?
Q5.
Which letter(s) is missing from the end of these three words? 'un_', 'Kin_', 'Han_'
Correct answer: [d]
[s]
[w]
[t]
[sch]
Q6.
Put the words in the statement below into word order two, beginning with the time phrase.
1 - montags
2 - schwimme
3 - ich

Assessment exit quiz

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6 Questions

Q1.
Complete the following sentence: 'At the start or in the middle of words, [d] sounds like __________.'
Correct answer: English 'd'
English 't'
English 'b'
Q2.
Match the German and English.
Correct Answer:morgens,in the mornings

in the mornings

Correct Answer:nachmittags,in the afternoons

in the afternoons

Correct Answer:freitags,on Fridays

on Fridays

Correct Answer:am Donnerstag,on Thursday

on Thursday

Correct Answer:am Abend,in the evening

in the evening

Correct Answer:morgen,tomorrow

tomorrow

Q3.
Which statements refer to future plans?
Sonntagnachmittags wasche ich das Auto.
Correct answer: Am Wochenende geht er ins Schwimmbad.
Mittwochabends gehen wir ins Kino.
Correct answer: Morgen gibt es eine Geburtstagsparty.
Jede Woche macht mein Bruder Judo.
Q4.
Which sentences use inversion/ word order two?
Correct answer: Dienstags spielt Mia Klarinette.
Mia spielt dienstags Klarinette.
Correct answer: Klarinette spielt Mia dienstags.
Q5.
Order the sentence to place emphasis on the object.
1 - Bücher
2 - liest
3 - meine
4 - Mutter
5 - nachmittags
Q6.
Complete the gap in the following sentence with 'nach' or 'zu': 'Wir fahren am Freitag Schottland.'
Correct Answer: nach

Additional material

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