Die Umwelt: word order with questions, questions with wo-compounds
Lesson details
Learning outcome
I can use wo-compounds and the correct word order in questions in an interview to learn more about the environment.
Vocabulary and transcripts for this lessons
Key learning points
- Closed questions where the answer is yes/no are formed by inverting the subject and verb.
- Open questions, which seek more information than yes/no, start with a question word followed by the verb then subject.
- Use wo- and wor- prefixes with prepositions to ask questions. Prepositions do not stand alone at the end of a question.
- Many verbs take prepositions and require a wo-compound when asking questions.
Keywords
Closed question - question formed by inverting subject and verb where the answer is yes/no
Open question - question starting with a wh- word that has more information in the answer than yes/no
Preposition - word that is used before a noun, a noun phrase, or a pronoun, connecting it to another word
Wo-, wor- - prefix added to prepositions to ask questions
Common misconception
All questions in German invert the subject and verb. Apart from that the word order is the same as English.
Subject and verb are inverted, but word order differs from English for a verb with a preposition - 'What are you talking about?'. In German, a preposition never ends a question. Use 'wo(r)' + preposition to start the question - 'Worüber redest du?'.
Teacher tip
Wo-compounds are Higher Tier grammar only. Learning Cycle 3 includes a short pairwork activity on forming questions with wo-compounds. It can be used or adapted for this or any other theme or context.
Licence
Lesson video
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Prior knowledge starter quiz
6 Questions
Q1.Match the German words to their English meanings.
sand
toilet
reader
fire
end
writer
Q2.Match each German adjective to its English meaning.
boring
modern
average
general
Q3.Which of these prepositions is always followed by the accusative case?
Q4.Fill in the gap in the following sentence with the correct form of 'the': 'Ich spiele gern mit Leser.'
Q5.Match the prepositions to the case they use.
always dative
alwasy accusative
accusative or dative depending on if there is movement
Q6.Fill in the gap in the following sentence with the correct da-compound (e.g., 'dafür', 'darauf', 'daran') to replace the noun: 'Ich liebe die Umwelt. Ich interessiere mich .'
Assessment exit quiz
6 Questions
Q1.Which of these is an open question?
Q2.Which of these are correctly formed questions?
Q3.Fill in the gap in the following sentence with the correct wo-compound (you are asking about an inanimate thing - 'die Umwelt'): ' interessierst du dich?'
Q4.Put the words below in the correct order to form a proper German open question.
Q5.Match the demonstrative pronouns to their English meanings.
the one (e.g., Leser)
the one (e.g., Lösung)
the one (e.g., Blog)
Q6.Translate the following sentence into German, using 'davor': 'I warned him about it.' (The 'it' is referring to fire – 'das Feuer'.)
To help you plan your 11 German lesson on: Die Umwelt: word order with questions, questions with wo-compounds, download all teaching resources for free and adapt to suit your pupils' needs...
To help you plan your 11 German lesson on: Die Umwelt: word order with questions, questions with wo-compounds, 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 4 German lessons from the Lifestyle and wellbeing: Meine Welt unit, dive into the full secondary German curriculum, or learn more about lesson planning.