Then and now: comparatives and plurals
Lesson details
Learning outcome
I can form the comparative, and the plural forms of borrowed words, in the context of a German song.
Vocabulary and transcripts for this lessons
Key learning points
- Final [e] is not silent. It is a short [e] sound, as in 'Liebe'. Final [er] is a longer sound, as in 'lieber'.
- Add '-er' to adjectives or adverbs to form the comparative. There are some exceptions, e.g., 'gut - besser'.
- Use 'als' to mean 'than', e.g. 'besser als'. Where two things are the same, use 'so ... wie', e.g.. 'so gut wie',
- Plural rule 5: some nouns add '–s'. They may end in in –a, -i,-o,-u-or –y and are usually 'borrowed' words.
- Make adjectives into plural nouns by capitalising the adjective and adding -en.
Keywords
Final [e] - pronounced as in 'Liebe'
Final [er] - pronounced as in 'lieber'
Comparative - a form of adjective or adverb used to compare people, things or ideas
Plural rule five - add '–s'; these words are typically borrowed from other languages and may end in –a, -i,-o,-u-or –y
Common misconception
Final [e] is a long vowel sound in German.
Final [e] is a short [e] sound, as in 'Liebe'. Final [er] is a longer sound, as in 'lieber'.
Teacher tip
The song 'Früher' by the Wise Guys and accompanying videos are available online. Students may find it interesting to watch and listen.
Licence
Lesson video
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Prior knowledge starter quiz
6 Questions
Q1.What does 'früher' mean?
Q2.Which sentence correctly uses 'noch nicht'?
Q3.Match each German word to its meaning in English.
old
young
rich
poor
Q4.Put the words below in the correct order to make a sentence. Start with 'ich'.
Q5.Fill in the gap in the following sentence: 'Der Rock ist als das Kleid.' (The skirt is cheaper than the dress.)
Q6.Translate the following sentence into German using the perfect tense: 'I listened to music yesterday.' (Start with 'ich'.)
Assessment exit quiz
4 Questions
Q1.How is the final -e in 'Liebe' pronounced in German?
Q2.Which sentence means 'The dress is as old as the skirt.'?
Q3.Order the words to say: 'The work is easier than the sport.'.
Q4.Fill in the gap in the following sentence: 'Die arbeiten in der Bank.' (The rich work in the bank.)
To help you plan your 8 German lesson on: Then and now: comparatives and plurals, download all teaching resources for free and adapt to suit your pupils' needs...
To help you plan your 8 German lesson on: Then and now: comparatives and plurals, 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.
We use learning cycles to break down learning into key concepts or ideas linked to the learning outcome. Each learning cycle features explanations with checks for understanding and practice tasks with feedback. All of this is found in our slide decks, ready for you to download and edit. The practice tasks are also available as printable worksheets and some lessons have additional materials with extra material you might need for teaching the lesson.
The assessment exit quiz will test your pupils' understanding of the key learning points.
Our video is a tool for planning, showing how other teachers might teach the lesson, offering helpful tips, modelled explanations and inspiration for your own delivery in the classroom. Plus, you can set it as homework or revision for pupils and keep their learning on track by sharing an online pupil version of this lesson.
Explore more key stage 3 German lessons from the Then and now: imperfect tense and comparatives unit, dive into the full secondary German curriculum, or learn more about lesson planning.