Typical German Mistakes
History of English: What’s English?
- Germanic + Romance = English
Members of the nuclear Family and other members of the big family
Animals and meat
Jobs and professions
Everyday language (informal register) vs. words of culture (formal register)
Vocabulary Skills
- Germanic and Romance: The language of doubles
- German “machen”
- Collocations
- Register
formal / informal
the right language in the right social situation
- False Friends
- Easily confused words:
Bringen, leihen, Platz
- Idioms
Grammar Skills
- Tenses
Simple present (70%) vs. present continuous (30%)
Rules /routines vs. Exceptions / current projects
- Prepositions
- The verb
Regular / irregular verbs
State / dynamic verbs
Link (adjective)/ action verbs (adverbs)
- Prepositions
German Bis
Period: to / until/ till
Deadline: by
Set a deadline / meet a deadline
at
Exercises
The verb | Past tense | Past participle | Ing-form | meaning |
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lie | lied | lied | lying | lügen |
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lie | lay | lain | lying | liegen |
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Lay laid laid laying legen | |||||
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Lie (lügen)
Lie (liegen)
Lay legen
Tables
Simple aspect vs. continuous aspect
Simple Present | Present Continuous |
Rules / routines | exceptions |
Statements / facts | current activities |
Permanent activities | Temporary activities |
Time-table future | Planned and arranged future activities |
No changes, rules | Changes, trends, developments |
60 / 70 % frequency | 30 % frequency |
State / dynamic verbs | Dynamic verbs |
Germanic | Romance |
(Short) mono-syllabic words | (Long) multi-syllabic words |
Spoken (informal) register | written (formal register) |
High-frequency words | cultural words |
Phrasal verbs | Prefixes /suffixed words |
Infinitive | meaning | Past simple | Past Participle | ing |
Lie | lügen | lied | lied | lying |
Lie | liegen |
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lay | legen |
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1. Number (singular vs. Plural)
2. Processes
3. Types of Decisions
Instant/spontaneous decisions | Planned decisions | Arranged decisions |
will | Going to + infinitive | Present continuous |
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4. Probabilities with will
Degree of probability | Word order | |
perhaps |
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maybe |
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I think |
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probably |
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P ossibly |
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5. Predictions
Will predictions | usage |
Going to predictions | usgae |
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Duality of simple and continuous
State Verbs
· Verbs of mind and thinking
· Verbs of possession
Have, own, belong to, want, require
Think, believe, guess, suppose
· Verbs of emotions
Like, love, hate
1. Verbs of dual function
Think, guess
Nuclear family (Germanic) mother, father...
Extended family (Romance) aunt, uncle, niece, nephew
Germanic Romance
Cow beef
Calf veal
Sheep mutton
Deer venison
Sow /swine pork
Committed to environmental issues
Commitment
Vintage car
Personal vs. Personnel
Appraisal
Oversee overlook
Overhear hear by accident
Courses of studies