AQA A-Level German (7662) Β· Grammar backbone 10 of 10 β Relative clauses, essay and translation technique
A-Level Grammar
Relative clauses & technique
The final cluster stitches the grammar together. First the relative clause β pronouns whose case comes from their role, with the verb at the end. Then the essay register and the translation traps that separate a good script from a great one.
gender β antecedent Β· case β roleDer Mann, den ich sehe, β¦ Β· Die Frau, deren Sohn β¦
Work through each screen and answer the questions β some ask you to spot the form, some to build it. Collect β and press Start.
Relative pronouns
der/die/das β with two surprises
Relative pronouns are the der/die/das forms, but the genitive is dessen/deren and the dative plural is denen:
case
maskulin
feminin
neutrum
Plural
Nominativ
der
die
das
die
Akkusativ
den
die
das
die
Dativ
dem
der
dem
denen
Genitiv
dessen
deren
dessen
deren
The golden rule: the gender/number comes from the antecedent (the noun outside), but the case comes from the pronoun's job inside the relative clause.
How it works
Verb to the end, case from the role
A relative clause is subordinate, so the finite verb goes last, framed by commas:
Der Mann, der dort steht, β¦ β subject β nominative.
Der Mann, den ich sehe, β¦ β object β accusative.
Der Mann, dem ich helfe, β¦ β helfen β dative.
Die Frau, mit der ich spreche, β¦ β after 'mit' β dative.
Also useful:wo for places (die Stadt, wo ich wohne) and was after alles/etwas/nichts (alles, was ich weiΓ).
Quick check
Case from the role
?Complete: Der Mann, ___ dort steht, ist mein Vater. ("The man who is standing there β¦")
Sort it
Choose the relative pronoun
Quick check
Accusative pronoun
?Complete: Das Buch, ___ ich lese, ist spannend. ("The book that I'm reading β¦")
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Your turn β a relative pronoun
1Fill the pronoun: Die Frau, ___ hier arbeitet, ist nett. ("The woman who works here β¦") β subject, feminine.
Hint: feminine antecedent, subject of 'arbeitet' β nominative.
Quick check
Genitive: whose
?Complete: Der Mann, ___ Auto rot ist, wohnt hier. ("The man whose car is red β¦")
Type it
Your turn β after a preposition
2Fill the pronoun: Die Frau, mit ___ ich spreche, lacht. ("The woman I'm talking to β¦") β feminine, after 'mit'.
Hint: 'mit' takes the dative; the feminine dative pronoun.
Quick check
Dative plural
?Complete: die Kinder, ___ ich helfe, β¦ ("the children I help β¦")
Essay register
Writing like a top candidate
Lift your written German with formal connectors and nominalisation:
Connectors:auΓerdem (moreover), jedoch / dennoch (however), deshalb (therefore), einerseits β¦ andererseits (on one hand β¦ on the other).
Opinion:meiner Meinung nach, es lΓ€sst sich argumentieren, dass β¦
Nominalisation:die Entwicklung, die Bedeutung, die Zunahme β noun-heavy phrasing reads as more formal.
Show range: weave in a subjunctive, a passive and a relative clause β examiners reward accurate variety.
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Your turn β a formal connector
3Fill the connector for "however": Die Idee ist gut; es gibt ___ auch Probleme.
Hint: a formal one-word "however", often placed after the verb.
Translation traps
Where marks are lost
The translation paper punishes calques. Watch these:
Word order: keep V2 and send subordinate/relative verbs to the end β don't copy English order.
Separable verbs: the prefix jumps to the end (Ich rufe dich an).
Tense mapping: "I have lived here for 3 years" β present + seit: Ich wohne seit drei Jahren hier.
False friends:bekommen = to get, also = therefore, Chef = boss, Gift = poison.
Golden habit: translate the meaning, then re-order into German syntax β never translate word-for-word.
Quick check
A false friend
?Which correctly translates "I'm getting a present"?
Sort it
False friend, or safe cognate?
Sort each German word by whether it means what it looks like.
False friend (trap)
Safe cognate
Game Β· Match
Match the false friend to its meaning
Tap a German word on the left, then its true English meaning.
GERMAN
bekommen
also
der Chef
das Gift
aktuell
sensibel
MEANING
poison
to get / receive
sensitive
so / therefore
current / up-to-date
boss
Type it
Your turn β genitive relative
4Fill the pronoun: Die Frau, ___ Sohn hier wohnt, ist Γrztin. ("The woman whose son lives here β¦") β feminine antecedent.
Hint: 'whose' with a feminine antecedent β the genitive relative pronoun.
Type it
Your turn β the tense trap
5Translate "I have lived here for three years" into German (use the present + seit).
Hint: German uses the present with 'seit' for an action still going on β not the perfect.
Recap
Your technique toolkit
Relative pronouns: der/die/das forms; genitive dessen/deren; dative plural denen. Gender from the antecedent, case from the role, verb at the end.
wo / was for places and after alles/etwas/nichts.
Essay register: connectors (jedoch, auΓerdem, deshalb), nominalisation, and a show of subjunctive/passive/relative range.
Translation traps: word order, separable verbs, tense mapping (seit + present), and false friends (bekommen, also, Chef, Gift).
That completes the ten-lesson AQA A-Level German grammar backbone. Press Finish and revisit any cluster to sharpen it.
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That's all ten clusters of the AQA A-Level German grammar backbone. Revisit any lesson to lock it in.