New
New
Year 9

A new place: time-manner-place, imperfect modal verbs

Learning outcomes

I can understand and talk about past journeys using correct word order and imperfect modal verbs.

I can distinguish between [eu]/[äu] and [au].

New
New
Year 9

A new place: time-manner-place, imperfect modal verbs

Learning outcomes

I can understand and talk about past journeys using correct word order and imperfect modal verbs.

I can distinguish between [eu]/[äu] and [au].

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Lesson details

Vocabulary and transcripts for this lessons

Key learning points

  1. The sound-symbol correspondences [eu] and [äu] have the same sound, which is different from [au].
  2. Adverbs in a sentence follow the order time, manner, place (TMP); this word order applies in all tenses.
  3. Any adverb can start a sentence for emphasis. Where this occurs, use word order two (WO2) and TMP for remaining adverbs.
  4. Use imperfect modal verbs in speech and writing to say what you and others wanted, were able or had to do.

Keywords

  • Time, manner, place (TMP) - order of adverbs in a German sentence - time before manner before place, abbreviated to TMP

  • Word order two (WO2) - inverts the subject and verb in a sentence, when an adverb starts the sentence

  • Modal verb - verb of necessity or possibility (‘must’, ‘can’, ‘want’) used with a 2nd verb in infinitive, which goes to the end

  • Imperfect tense - German single-word past tense used mainly to narrate past events in writing, e.g., ‘war’, ‘hatte’, ‘gab’

Common misconception

The imperfect tense is used in written, but not usually in spoken German.

The imperfect tense forms of 'sein', 'haben' and 'es gibt' are widely used in spoken German, along with imperfect modal verbs which, combined with a 2nd (infinitive) verb, are used to say what you and others wanted, were able or had to do.


To help you plan your year 9 German lesson on: A new place: time-manner-place, imperfect modal verbs, download all teaching resources for free and adapt to suit your pupils' needs...

This lesson's context is the island of Föhr. Teachers may want to encourage pupils to find out about Germany's more than 50 islands; beaches may not be what Germany is famed for, yet they offer stunning coastlines, unique wildlife, and a different side of German culture that pupils may not know.
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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.
'Das Boot kommt __________ zehn Uhr an.'. Choose the correct missing word.

auf
aus
mit
neben
Correct answer: um

Q2.
Match the German and English.

Correct Answer:langsam,slow

slow

Correct Answer:groß,big, large

big, large

Correct Answer:klein,small

small

Correct Answer:krank,ill, sick

ill, sick

Correct Answer:neu,new

new

Correct Answer:ruhig,calm, quiet

calm, quiet

Q3.
Match the German and English.

Correct Answer:Baum (m),tree

tree

Correct Answer:Bevölkerung (f),population

population

Correct Answer:Blick (m),view, look, glance

view, look, glance

Correct Answer:Leute (pl),people

people

Correct Answer:Norden, Nord- (m),north

north

Correct Answer:Zug (m),train

train

Q4.
Order the words to say: 'a pleasant place with a strong wind'.

1 - ein
2 - angenehmer
3 - Ort
4 - mit
5 - einem
6 - starken
7 - Wind

Q5.
Write in English: 'er hatte sein eigenes Haus'.

Correct Answer: he had his own house

Q6.
Write in German: 'there was a small island'.

Correct Answer: es gab eine kleine Insel

Assessment exit quiz

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5 Questions

Q1.
Which statements are incorrect?

The imperfect tense is used in written, but not usually in spoken German.
Correct answer: Imperfect modal verbs are used in both speech and writing.
'War' is an imperfect form of 'sein'.
Correct answer: 'Es gab' is an imperfect form of 'sein'.
'Hatte' is an imperfect form of 'haben'.

Q2.
Which words are missing the sound [au]?

Correct answer: H__s
H__ser
L__te
Correct answer: B__m
B__mer

Q3.
Order the sentence according to the TMP rule.

1 - ich werde
2 - nächsten Montag
3 - mit dem Fahrrad
4 - zum Strand
5 - fahren

Q4.
Order the words below to form a sentence. Emphasise the adverb of time.

1 - letzte Woche
2 - bin
3 - ich
4 - mit Freunden
5 - im Meer
6 - geschwommen

Q5.
Write in German: 'I had to sing'.

Correct Answer: ich musste singen

Additional material

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