KS3 · German · Year 9
German musicians: present tense open questions, word order
Modern lives and tall tales: present tense
Learn it. Recall it. Make it stick.
IllumED Slides
IllumED · 1/9
Your learning goal
I can ask and answer open questions about German musicians using flexible word order, and I can complete extended activities describing a favourite person in the present tense.
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German musicians: present tense open questions, word order: slides adapted from the imported teaching text; recall questions created from its keywords, learning points and common mistakes. Self-check practice, with no automatic grading or XP. Answers stay on this page and are cleared when you leave.
Original teaching resources
The original illustrated PowerPoint is available as well as the IllumED text slides. It retains the publisher’s design and credits.
Download original PowerPoint ↓What you’ll learn
I can ask and answer open questions about German musicians using flexible word order, and I can complete extended activities describing a favourite person in the present tense.
Key learning points
- Open questions start with a question word (e.g., 'wo', 'wie', 'warum') and use verb-subject word order.
- It’s important to be very confident with question words to understand information and ask questions.
- German sentences can start with any other element (other than the subject) to emphasise it and then the verb second.
- Present tense verbs plus the adverb 'gern' (gladly) say what we like doing. As all adverbs, it can start a sentence.
Words to know
- open question
- question starting with a wh- word that has more information in the answer than yes/no
- word order two (WO2)
- inverts the subject and verb in a sentence; any element can appear at the start of a German sentence to trigger this inversion
- gern
- adverb meaning 'gladly', 'like to'
Common mistakes
German and English word order are the same.
English mostly uses subject-verb word order and time phrases appear most naturally at the end of phrases. German word order is much more variable. Any element (subject, object, time-manner-location adverb) can start a German sentence.
For parents, carers and teachers
- The German music scene is well worth exploring further. Teachers may want to direct students to find out more about one of the singers or bands featured in this lesson or steer them towards their own favourite German-speaking musicians.