AQA GCSE German (8662) · Grammar spine 4 of 10 — Cases and word order
Mini-Lesson
Cases and word order
This is the beating heart of German. Three cases (nominative, accusative, dative) show the job of each noun, while a few iron rules fix the word order: the verb comes second, the subject inverts after a fronted phrase, and extra details line up as Time – Manner – Place.
Work through each screen and answer the questions as you go — some ask you to recognise the right form, some ask you to produce it by typing. Collect ⭐ stars and press Start.
What the cases do
Three jobs, three cases
The case shows what a noun is doing in the sentence:
Nominative = the subject (who does it). Der Mann kauft ein Buch.
Accusative = the direct object (what is acted on). Der Mann kauft ein Buch.
Dative = the indirect object (to/for whom). Er gibt dem Kind das Buch.
English hides this with word order ("the man gives the child the book"). German shows it with the article endings instead — so the endings really matter.
The article grid
How "the" and "a" change
the — der/die/das
m
f
n
pl
N
der
die
das
die
A
den
die
das
die
D
dem
der
dem
den
a — ein/eine
m
f
n
N
ein
eine
ein
A
einen
eine
ein
D
einem
einer
einem
Learn the masculine column first — it changes in every case (der → den → dem). The plural dative also adds an -n to the noun: mit den Kindern.
Quick check
Name the case
?In Ich gebe dem Mann das Buch. ("I give the man the book"), what case is dem Mann?
Type it
Your turn — the dative article
1Write the dative form of the masculine article der (as in "to the man").
Hint: masculine goes der → den → ? — the dative ends in -m.
Prepositions · set 1
Prepositions that force the accusative
Five common prepositions always take the accusative — remember them together:
durch · für · gegen · ohne · umthrough · for · against · without · around
Ich gehe durch den Park. — through the park.
Das Geschenk ist für meinen Bruder. — for my brother.
Ich komme ohne meinen Freund. — without my friend.
Masculine gives it away: after these, der becomes den and ein/mein become einen/meinen.
Quick check
After "für"
?Fill the gap: Das Buch ist für ___ Freund. ("… for my friend.")
Prepositions · set 2
Prepositions that force the dative
Another group always takes the dative. Learn the chant:
aus · bei · mit · nach · seit · von · zufrom · at · with · after/to · since · from/of · to
Ich fahre mit dem Bus. — by bus.
Ich komme aus der Stadt. — from the city.
Nach der Schule spiele ich Fußball. — after school.
Contractions:zu dem → zum, zu der → zur, bei dem → beim, von dem → vom. So "to school" is zur Schule.
Sort it
Accusative or dative preposition?
Type it
Your turn — after "mit"
2Fill the gap: Ich fahre mit ___ Bus. ("… by bus" — der Bus is masculine.)
Hint: mit takes the dative; masculine dative article is dem.
Prepositions · set 3
The two-way (Wechsel) prepositions
Nine prepositions can take either case. The rule is about movement:
an · auf · hinter · in · neben · über · unter · vor · zwischenmotion (where to?) → accusative · position (where?) → dative
Ich gehe in die Stadt. — into town (movement → accusative).
Ich bin in der Stadt. — in town (position → dative).
Quick test: if you could ask wohin? ("where to?") use the accusative; if you ask wo? ("where?") use the dative.
Quick check
Motion or position?
?How do you say "I'm going into town" (movement)?
Sort it
Movement or position?
Sort each Wechsel-preposition phrase: is it movement (accusative) or position (dative)?
Movement → accusative
Position → dative
Type it
Your turn — position
3Fill the gap: Ich lerne in ___ Schule. ("I study in school" — position, die Schule is feminine.)
Hint: no movement → dative; feminine dative article is der.
The golden rule
The verb comes second
In a main clause the finite verb is always the second element. The first "slot" can be the subject, a time phrase, or a whole chunk — but the verb still follows it:
Ichfahre heute in die Stadt.
Am Wochenendespiele ich Fußball.
Count the slots, not the words: "Am Wochenende" is three words but one idea — so the verb comes right after it.
Inversion
Front something → flip the subject
If you start with anything other than the subject, the subject jumps to just after the verb. This is called inversion:
start with…
sentence
subject
Ich gehe morgen ins Kino.
time phrase
Morgen gehe ich ins Kino.
place phrase
Ins Kino gehe ich morgen.
The verb never moves from slot 2 — it's the subject and the extra phrase that swap places around it.
Quick check
Fix the word order
?Which is correct German for "Today I'm playing football"?
Ordering the details
Time – Manner – Place
When a sentence has several adverbial details, German lines them up in a fixed order: Time → Manner → Place (the "TeKaMoLo" rule):
morgen · mit dem Bus · in die StadtWHEN → HOW → WHERE
Ich fahre morgen mit dem Bus in die Stadt. — Tomorrow I'm going into town by bus.
English is freer ("by bus into town tomorrow" all work), but German keeps Time first and Place last. Remember: When–How–Where.
Quick check
Order the details
?Which order is correct for "I'm driving into town by car tomorrow"?
Game · Match
Match the preposition to its phrase
Tap a preposition on the left, then tap the phrase that uses the right case.
PREPOSITION
durch
mit
für
aus
um
zu
PHRASE
aus der Stadt
durch den Park
zur Schule
für einen Freund
um die Ecke
mit dem Auto
Type it
Your turn — inversion
4Translate "Tomorrow I'm playing football", starting with Morgen (so the subject must invert).
Two-way prepositions: movement (wohin?) → accusative; position (wo?) → dative.
Verb second, and inversion after a fronted phrase (Morgen spiele ich…).
TeKaMoLo: details go Time → Manner → Place.
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