German grammar · AQA GCSE 8662
Every grammar point AQA GCSE German asks for
AQA's GCSE German specification (8662) prescribes 140 grammar structures. This is the full list, with the tier each one is examined at and the lesson on this site that teaches it. Where we only partly teach a structure, or do not teach it yet, the list says so rather than leaving it out.
Foundation candidates are assessed on the 92 Foundation structures. Higher candidates need those and the 48 marked Higher.
125
Taught
15
Partly taught
0
Not taught yet
Nouns (20)
| Structure | Tier | Status | Taught in |
|---|---|---|---|
| Compound nouns take the gender of their final element | Foundation | Taught | German Articles: Der, Die, Das and the Full Case Chart |
| Compound noun connecting letters (-e, -s/-es, -n/-en, -ens, -er) and omission of connecting letters (eg Arbeitsstunden, Schulbuch, Wohnzimmer) | Foundation | Taught | German Compound Nouns: Connecting Letters (Fugenelemente) |
| Compounds functioning as adjectives (eg dunkelgrün) or verbs (eg ausgehen) | Foundation | Taught | German Compound Nouns: Connecting Letters (Fugenelemente) |
| Feminine person nouns formed by adding -in (eg Freundin, Lehrerin, Amerikanerin) | Foundation | Taught | German Plurals: Eight Patterns and the Rules That Predict Them |
| Plural: most masculine and neuter nouns add -e, with or without umlaut | Foundation | Taught | German Plurals: Eight Patterns and the Rules That Predict Them |
| Plural: article change only, no ending, for nouns ending in -el/-en/-er | Foundation | Taught | German Plurals: Eight Patterns and the Rules That Predict Them |
| Plural: most feminine nouns add -n or -en | Foundation | Taught | German Plurals: Eight Patterns and the Rules That Predict Them |
| Plural: feminine occupation nouns ending in -in add -nen | Foundation | Taught | German Plurals: Eight Patterns and the Rules That Predict Them |
| Plural: some masculine and neuter nouns add -er, with umlaut on a/o/u | Foundation | Taught | German Plurals: Eight Patterns and the Rules That Predict Them |
| Plural: some (typically borrowed) nouns add -s | Foundation | Taught | German Plurals: Eight Patterns and the Rules That Predict Them |
| Plural: some single-syllable feminine nouns add -e, with or without umlaut | Foundation | Taught | German Plurals: Eight Patterns and the Rules That Predict Them |
| Plural: feminine and neuter nouns ending in -nis add -se | Foundation | Taught | German Plurals Beyond the Basics: -nis Nouns and Neuter -(e)n |
| Plural: some neuter nouns add (e)n | Foundation | Taught | German Plurals Beyond the Basics: -nis Nouns and Neuter -(e)n |
| Nominalisation of infinitive verbs as neuter nouns (eg schwimmen -> das Schwimmen, wandern -> das Wandern) | Foundation | Taught | German Articles: Der, Die, Das and the Full Case Chart |
| Uninflected adjectives as neuter nouns for languages (eg englisch -> das Englisch) | Foundation | Taught | German Adjectives as Nouns: die Reichen, das Gute, das Deutsch |
| Add -n to dative plural nouns | Higher | Taught | German Plurals: Eight Patterns and the Rules That Predict Them |
| Add -(e)n to pluralise weak masculine person nouns (eg der Mensch -> die Menschen, der Junge -> die Jungen) | Higher | Taught | German Plurals: Eight Patterns and the Rules That Predict Them |
| Nominative and accusative use of plural adjectival nouns (eg die Reichen) | Higher | Taught | German Adjectives as Nouns: die Reichen, das Gute, das Deutsch |
| Nominative and accusative use of abstract adjectival neuter nouns with the definite article (eg das Gute) | Higher | Taught | German Adjectives as Nouns: die Reichen, das Gute, das Deutsch |
| Abstract adjectival neuter nouns following viel, wenig, etwas or alles (eg etwas Nettes) | Higher | Taught | German Adjective Endings: Strong, Weak and Mixed in Three Tables |
Articles (5)
| Structure | Tier | Status | Taught in |
|---|---|---|---|
| Agreement of definite and indefinite articles with noun for gender and number (der, die, das, ein, eine) | Foundation | Taught | German Articles: Der, Die, Das and the Full Case Chart |
| Different functions of definite and indefinite articles, including subject (nominative), direct object (accusative) and indirect object (dative) | Foundation | Taught | German Articles: Der, Die, Das and the Full Case Chart |
| Negation with noun phrases using kein (nominative, accusative) | Foundation | Taught | German Negation: Nicht or Kein, and Where Nicht Goes |
| Use of the genitive for possession | Higher | Taught | German Possessive Pronouns: mein, dein, sein and Their Endings |
| Use of the genitive following certain prepositions (eg trotz), listening and reading only | Higher | Taught | German Prepositions: Which Case Each One Takes, in One Chart |
Determiners (9)
| Structure | Tier | Status | Taught in |
|---|---|---|---|
| Demonstrative adjective dieser, diese, dieses | Foundation | Partly taught | German Adjective Endings: Strong, Weak and Mixed in Three Tables |
| Indefinite adjective jeder, jede, jedes ('every') | Foundation | Partly taught | German Adjective Endings: Strong, Weak and Mixed in Three Tables |
| Indefinite adjective letzter, letzte, letztes ('last') | Foundation | Taught | German letzter, nächster and wenig: Last, Next and Little |
| Indefinite adjective nächster, nächste, nächstes ('next') | Foundation | Taught | German letzter, nächster and wenig: Last, Next and Little |
| Interrogative adjective welcher, welche, welches ('which') | Foundation | Taught | German Question Words: wer, was, wo, wann, warum and wie |
| Possessive adjectives mein, dein, sein, ihr, unser, euer, Ihr, ihr | Foundation | Taught | German Possessive Pronouns: mein, dein, sein and Their Endings |
| Quantifier viel in uncountable singular form | Foundation | Partly taught | German Question Words: wer, was, wo, wann, warum and wie |
| Quantifier wenig in uncountable singular form | Foundation | Taught | German letzter, nächster and wenig: Last, Next and Little |
| Quantifiers viele, wenige, alle, einige in plural forms | Foundation | Partly taught | German Adjective Endings: Strong, Weak and Mixed in Three Tables |
Pronouns (18)
| Structure | Tier | Status | Taught in |
|---|---|---|---|
| Subject pronouns ich, du, er, sie, es, man, wir, ihr, Sie, sie: agreement and position | Foundation | Taught | German Personal Pronouns: ich, mich, mir and the Formal Sie |
| Singular direct (accusative) object pronouns mich, dich, ihn, sie, es, Sie (preverbal) | Foundation | Taught | German Personal Pronouns: ich, mich, mir and the Formal Sie |
| Indefinite accusative object pronoun einen (impersonal 'one') | Foundation | Taught | German man, einen, einem and jemand: Talking About 'One' and 'Someone' |
| Singular indirect (dative) object pronouns mir, dir, ihm, ihr, ihm, Ihnen | Foundation | Taught | German Personal Pronouns: ich, mich, mir and the Formal Sie |
| Indefinite dative object pronoun einem (impersonal 'one') | Foundation | Taught | German man, einen, einem and jemand: Talking About 'One' and 'Someone' |
| Indefinite pronoun jemand ('someone') as subject and direct object | Foundation | Taught | German man, einen, einem and jemand: Talking About 'One' and 'Someone' |
| Indefinite pronoun niemand ('no one') as subject and direct object | Foundation | Partly taught | German Negation: Nicht or Kein, and Where Nicht Goes |
| Relative pronouns der, die, das, die in subject relative clauses | Foundation | Taught | German Relative Pronouns: der, die, das Do a Second Job |
| Singular and plural accusative reflexive pronouns mich, dich, sich, uns, euch, sich with verbs used reflexively and reciprocally | Foundation | Taught | German Reflexive Verbs: sich, mich, mir and When to Use Each |
| Interrogative pronoun wer, including accusative (wen) and dative (wem) questions | Foundation | Taught | German Question Words: wer, was, wo, wann, warum and wie |
| Plural direct (accusative) object pronouns uns, euch, Sie, sie | Higher | Taught | German Personal Pronouns: ich, mich, mir and the Formal Sie |
| Reflexive pronoun sich, including reflexive and reciprocal use | Higher | Taught | German Reflexive Verbs: sich, mich, mir and When to Use Each |
| Plural indirect (dative) object pronouns uns, euch, Ihnen, ihnen | Higher | Taught | German Personal Pronouns: ich, mich, mir and the Formal Sie |
| Position of indirect and direct objects (not juxtaposed) in sentences with two nouns: dative before accusative | Higher | Taught | German Personal Pronouns: ich, mich, mir and the Formal Sie |
| Position of indirect and direct objects (not juxtaposed) with one pronoun and one noun: the pronoun comes first | Higher | Taught | German Personal Pronouns: ich, mich, mir and the Formal Sie |
| Subject and object relative clauses (word order 3) using the wh-pronoun wo | Higher | Taught | German Relative Pronouns: der, die, das Do a Second Job |
| Subject and object relative clauses (word order 3) using the wh-pronoun was | Higher | Taught | German Relative Pronouns: der, die, das Do a Second Job |
| Singular and plural dative reflexive pronouns mir, dir, sich, uns, euch, sich with verbs used reflexively and reciprocally | Higher | Partly taught | German Reflexive Verbs: sich, mich, mir and When to Use Each |
Interrogatives (2)
| Structure | Tier | Status | Taught in |
|---|---|---|---|
| Yes/no questions via subject-verb (SV) inversion word order | Foundation | Taught | German Sentence Structure: Why the Verb Always Comes Second |
| Questions with question words (was, wann, wie, wer, wo, wohin, woher, warum) followed by verb-second order | Foundation | Taught | German Question Words: wer, was, wo, wann, warum and wie |
Tenses (26)
| Structure | Tier | Status | Taught in |
|---|---|---|---|
| Present indicative weak and strong verb inflections, 1st/2nd/3rd person singular and plural | Foundation | Taught | German Verb Conjugation: The One Pattern Under Every Verb |
| Present indicative with simple (I walk) and ongoing (I am walking) functions | Foundation | Taught | German Verb Conjugation: The One Pattern Under Every Verb |
| Present + time adverb to express future meaning | Foundation | Taught | German Future Tense: werden Plus the Infinitive (and Futur II) |
| Present tense in written texts to express past meaning (historical present) | Foundation | Taught | German 'Used To': früher + Perfect Tense, and the Historical Present |
| Irregular present indicative of haben, sein, werden, wissen | Foundation | Taught | German Verb Conjugation: The One Pattern Under Every Verb |
| Haben + noun where English uses BE + adjective (+ Hunger, + Durst, + Angst, + Lust, + Schmerzen) | Foundation | Partly taught | German Negation: Nicht or Kein, and Where Nicht Goes |
| Perfect tense as equivalent of English simple past (I walked) and present perfect (I have walked) | Foundation | Taught | German Perfect Tense: haben or sein, Plus a Past Participle |
| Perfect tense + früher for habitual ('used to') meaning | Foundation | Taught | German 'Used To': früher + Perfect Tense, and the Historical Present |
| Weak verb past participle: ge- + stem + -t (eg gemacht) | Foundation | Taught | German Perfect Tense: haben or sein, Plus a Past Participle |
| Weak verb past participle with -ieren, no ge- (eg studiert) | Foundation | Taught | German Perfect Tense: haben or sein, Plus a Past Participle |
| Weak verb past participle with inseparable prefixes be-, ent-, er-, über-, ver-, no ge- (eg besucht, entdeckt, erzählt, übersetzt, versucht) | Foundation | Taught | German Perfect Tense: haben or sein, Plus a Past Participle |
| Strong verb past participle ge- + infinitive-form ending, participle identical to infinitive with inseparable prefixes (eg gegeben, gefahren; bekommen, enthalten, erfahren, gefallen, vergessen) | Foundation | Taught | German Perfect Tense: haben or sein, Plus a Past Participle |
| Strong verb past participle vowel changes ei->ie, i->u, e->o, ie->o, including with inseparable prefixes (eg geblieben, gefunden, gesprochen, geflogen) | Foundation | Taught | German Irregular Verbs: The Strong Verb Patterns That Repeat |
| Future tense: werden + infinitive as equivalent of both 'will' + verb and 'be going to' | Foundation | Taught | German Future Tense: werden Plus the Infinitive (and Futur II) |
| Imperfect/simple past of haben and sein | Foundation | Taught | German Perfect Tense: haben or sein, Plus a Past Participle |
| Present tense with seit, as equivalent of 'have been -ing' for a stretch of time | Higher | Taught | German Prepositions: Which Case Each One Takes, in One Chart |
| Imperfect/simple past for written narrative use in 1st, 2nd, 3rd persons singular and plural, for weak and highly frequent strong verbs | Higher | Taught | German Irregular Verbs: The Strong Verb Patterns That Repeat |
| Imperative in 2nd person singular and plural, formal and informal, for weak and strong verbs | Higher | Taught | German Imperative: du, ihr, Sie Commands (and sei, seid, seien Sie) |
| Imperative of sein (sei, seid, seien Sie) | Higher | Taught | German Imperative: du, ihr, Sie Commands (and sei, seid, seien Sie) |
| Infinitive constructions ohne...zu and statt...zu | Higher | Taught | German zu + Infinitive: um zu, ohne zu, statt zu Explained |
| Infinitive construction um...zu | Higher | Taught | German zu + Infinitive: um zu, ohne zu, statt zu Explained |
| Verbs with zu + infinitive (eg beginnen, hoffen, versuchen) | Higher | Taught | German zu + Infinitive: um zu, ohne zu, statt zu Explained |
| Konjunktiv 2 hätte (haben) in conditional clauses | Higher | Taught | Konjunktiv 2 in German: Would, Could and Should Have |
| Konjunktiv 2 wäre (sein) in conditional clauses | Higher | Taught | Konjunktiv 2 in German: Would, Could and Should Have |
| Konjunktiv 2 würde + infinitive in conditional clauses | Higher | Taught | Konjunktiv 2 in German: Would, Could and Should Have |
| Konjunktiv 2 sollte + infinitive | Higher | Taught | Konjunktiv 2 in German: Would, Could and Should Have |
Verb constructions (3)
| Structure | Tier | Status | Taught in |
|---|---|---|---|
| Es gibt ('there is/are') | Foundation | Taught | German Personal Pronouns: ich, mich, mir and the Formal Sie |
| Es gab ('there was/were') | Foundation | Partly taught | German Irregular Verbs: The Strong Verb Patterns That Repeat |
| Passive voice avoidance structure man + active verb | Higher | Taught | German Passive Voice: werden Plus a Participle, Again |
Modals (5)
| Structure | Tier | Status | Taught in |
|---|---|---|---|
| Present modals in all persons (dürfen, können, mögen, müssen, sollen, wollen) + infinitive | Foundation | Taught | German Modal Verbs: All Six Conjugated as One Block |
| Conditional möcht- in all persons + noun | Foundation | Partly taught | German Modal Verbs: All Six Conjugated as One Block |
| Conditional möcht- in all persons + infinitive | Foundation | Taught | German Modal Verbs: All Six Conjugated as One Block |
| Imperfect/simple past modals in 1st, 2nd, 3rd persons singular only | Foundation | Partly taught | German Modal Verbs: All Six Conjugated as One Block |
| Imperfect modals in all persons + infinitive | Higher | Partly taught | German Modal Verbs: All Six Conjugated as One Block |
Reflexive verbs (2)
| Structure | Tier | Status | Taught in |
|---|---|---|---|
| All persons of verbs with accusative reflexive pronouns | Foundation | Taught | German Reflexive Verbs: sich, mich, mir and When to Use Each |
| All persons of verbs with dative reflexive pronouns | Higher | Partly taught | German Reflexive Verbs: sich, mich, mir and When to Use Each |
Word order (7)
| Structure | Tier | Status | Taught in |
|---|---|---|---|
| Main clause word order 2 (verb-second inversion) | Foundation | Taught | German Sentence Structure: Why the Verb Always Comes Second |
| Two-verb rule: second verb goes to the end of the main clause | Foundation | Taught | German Sentence Structure: Why the Verb Always Comes Second |
| Word order 3: subordinate clauses (including subject relative clauses) in single-verb structures | Foundation | Taught | German Conjunctions: weil, dass, wenn and the Verb That Goes Last |
| Main clause word order with separable verbs in the present tense | Foundation | Taught | German Sentence Structure: Why the Verb Always Comes Second |
| Word order 3: subordinate clauses (including subject relative clauses) in two-verb structures | Higher | Taught | German Conjunctions: weil, dass, wenn and the Verb That Goes Last |
| Word order 3 with separable verbs in single-verb structures | Higher | Taught | German Conjunctions: weil, dass, wenn and the Verb That Goes Last |
| Word order 3 with separable verbs in two-verb structures | Higher | Taught | German Separable Verbs with Modals and werden: Word Order |
Negation (3)
| Structure | Tier | Status | Taught in |
|---|---|---|---|
| Verbal negation with nicht, nie, nichts across main clauses (single- and two-verb structures) and subordinate clauses, and with postnominal adjectives | Foundation | Taught | German Negation: Nicht or Kein, and Where Nicht Goes |
| Syntax of sentence negation with nicht | Higher | Taught | German Negation: Nicht or Kein, and Where Nicht Goes |
| Syntax of element negation with nicht, including use of sondern | Higher | Taught | German Negation: Nicht or Kein, and Where Nicht Goes |
Adjectives (11)
| Structure | Tier | Status | Taught in |
|---|---|---|---|
| Prenominal adjective endings after the definite article (weak declension), singular and plural, nominative/accusative/dative | Foundation | Taught | German Adjective Endings: Strong, Weak and Mixed in Three Tables |
| Prenominal adjective endings after the indefinite article (mixed declension), singular and plural, nominative/accusative/dative | Foundation | Taught | German Adjective Endings: Strong, Weak and Mixed in Three Tables |
| Prenominal adjective endings with no article at all (strong declension), plural only, nominative/accusative/dative | Foundation | Taught | German Adjective Endings: Strong, Weak and Mixed in Three Tables |
| Postnominal use of uninflected adjectives as a verbal complement (eg Der Mann ist alt) | Foundation | Taught | German Adjective Endings: Strong, Weak and Mixed in Three Tables |
| Comparative postnominal adjective structures with als | Foundation | Taught | German Superlative and Comparative: -er, am -sten and Umlauts |
| Comparative postnominal adjective structures with so...wie | Foundation | Taught | German Superlative and Comparative: -er, am -sten and Umlauts |
| Irregular comparative adjectives besser, höher, mehr | Foundation | Taught | German Superlative and Comparative: -er, am -sten and Umlauts |
| Regular pre- and postnominal superlative adjective structures | Higher | Taught | German Superlative and Comparative: -er, am -sten and Umlauts |
| Irregular superlative adjectives beste, höchste, meiste, nächste (am besten, am höchsten, am liebsten, am meisten, am nächsten) | Higher | Taught | German Superlative and Comparative: -er, am -sten and Umlauts |
| Spelling changes in superlative adjectives (add -e after -d, -t, -s, -ß, -sch, -x, -z) | Higher | Taught | German Superlative and Comparative: -er, am -sten and Umlauts |
| Comparative adjective spelling changes are credit-bearing (eg teuer -> teurer, dunkel -> dunkler, groß -> größer) | Higher | Taught | German Superlative and Comparative: -er, am -sten and Umlauts |
Adverbs (7)
| Structure | Tier | Status | Taught in |
|---|---|---|---|
| Position of adverbs of time | Foundation | Taught | German Sentence Structure: Why the Verb Always Comes Second |
| Position of adverbs of manner | Foundation | Partly taught | German Negation: Nicht or Kein, and Where Nicht Goes |
| Position of adverbs of place | Foundation | Taught | German Sentence Structure: Why the Verb Always Comes Second |
| Verb + gern to express liking | Foundation | Taught | German Sentence Structure: Why the Verb Always Comes Second |
| Verb + lieber to express preference | Foundation | Taught | German Superlative and Comparative: -er, am -sten and Umlauts |
| Comparative adverb structures, including irregulars besser, höher, lieber, mehr | Foundation | Taught | German Superlative and Comparative: -er, am -sten and Umlauts |
| Regular superlative adverb structures, and common irregulars | Higher | Taught | German Superlative and Comparative: -er, am -sten and Umlauts |
Prepositions (12)
| Structure | Tier | Status | Taught in |
|---|---|---|---|
| Verb + preposition combinations that change the verb's meaning (eg warten 'to wait' vs warten auf 'to wait for') | Foundation | Taught | German Prepositions: Which Case Each One Takes, in One Chart |
| Fixed case with accusative prepositions bis, durch, für, ohne | Foundation | Taught | German Prepositions: Which Case Each One Takes, in One Chart |
| Fixed case with dative prepositions aus, bei, mit, nach, von, zu | Foundation | Taught | German Prepositions: Which Case Each One Takes, in One Chart |
| Fixed case with dual-case (two-way) prepositions an, auf, in | Foundation | Taught | German Prepositions: Which Case Each One Takes, in One Chart |
| Contracted forms of an, bei, in, von, zu with the definite article (ans, am, beim, ins, im, vom, zum, zur) | Foundation | Partly taught | German Prepositions: Which Case Each One Takes, in One Chart |
| Da(r)- compounds standing in for a preposition + pronoun referring to a thing (darauf, damit, dafür, davon) | Foundation | Taught | German Da-Compounds: darauf, damit, dafür, davon Explained |
| Fixed case with accusative prepositions gegen, um | Higher | Taught | German Prepositions: Which Case Each One Takes, in One Chart |
| Fixed case with dative preposition seit | Higher | Taught | German Prepositions: Which Case Each One Takes, in One Chart |
| Fixed case with dative preposition laut | Higher | Taught | German laut and bei/am + Infinitive: Two Higher-Tier Prepositions |
| Fixed case with dual-case (two-way) prepositions zwischen, über, unter, hinter, vor, neben | Higher | Taught | German Prepositions: Which Case Each One Takes, in One Chart |
| Use of bei or am + nominalised verb infinitive for 'while/when doing something' (eg Beim Essen trinke ich nie) | Higher | Taught | German laut and bei/am + Infinitive: Two Higher-Tier Prepositions |
| Use of listed prepositions in da(r)- and wo(r)- compounds in main clauses (eg Sie steht daneben, Worauf wartest du?) | Higher | Partly taught | German Question Words: wer, was, wo, wann, warum and wie |
Morphology (reading only) (10)
| Structure | Tier | Status | Taught in |
|---|---|---|---|
| Prefix Lieblings- + noun to mean 'favourite' | Foundation | Taught | German Word Building: Prefixes and Suffixes for Reading |
| Prefix Haupt- + noun to mean 'main' | Foundation | Taught | German Word Building: Prefixes and Suffixes for Reading |
| Prefix un- + adjective for 'the opposite' (eg unmöglich, unglücklich) | Foundation | Taught | German Word Building: Prefixes and Suffixes for Reading |
| Suffix -te (1-19) and -ste (20-) to change cardinals into ordinals (eg zweite, zwanzigste) | Foundation | Taught | German Word Building: Prefixes and Suffixes for Reading |
| Suffix -ung + verb stem to form a noun (eg lösen -> die Lösung) | Foundation | Taught | German Word Building: Prefixes and Suffixes for Reading |
| Suffix -er + verb stem (-en verbs) to form a male agent noun (eg besuchen -> der Besucher) | Foundation | Taught | German Word Building: Prefixes and Suffixes for Reading |
| Suffix -s on nouns for days and times of day to form adverbs (eg Montag -> montags) | Foundation | Taught | German Word Building: Prefixes and Suffixes for Reading |
| Suffix -chen, -lein to create nouns meaning 'little' or implying endearment (eg Häuschen, Kätzchen, Brüderchen) | Higher | Taught | German Word Building: Prefixes and Suffixes for Reading |
| Suffix -heit or -keit + adjective/adverb to create a noun meaning '-ty' or '-ness' (eg Krankheit, Notwendigkeit) | Higher | Taught | German Word Building: Prefixes and Suffixes for Reading |
| Suffix -los + noun to create an adjective meaning '-less' or 'without' | Higher | Taught | German Word Building: Prefixes and Suffixes for Reading |
Learn it in the order the specification sets it
The GCSE German course teaches the specification's words and this grammar, Foundation before Higher, with short drills that remember what you already know.
Prescribed structures taken from the AQA GCSE German (8662) specification. Coverage checked against each lesson by hand, last on 2026-09-27. "Partly taught" means a structure appears in a lesson but is not taught there as a rule of its own. Kilo Lingo is not affiliated with or endorsed by AQA.