This exam tips covers Exam Tips & Common Errors within The 150-word task for GCSE German. Revise The 150-word task in Writing and Translation into German for GCSE German with 10 exam-style questions and 12 flashcards. This topic appears regularly enough that it should still be part of a steady revision cycle. It is section 4 of 4 in this topic. Treat this as a marking guide for what examiners are looking for, not just a fact list.
💡 Exam Tips & Common Errors
- Open with Meiner Meinung nach — but remember: the verb comes SECOND, before the subject
- Justify every opinion with weil or da — a bare opinion without a reason is Band 2
- Use the conditional (würde + infinitive) for your future/hypothetical point — it signals top-band range
- Check your subordinate clauses: obwohl, dass, weil, wenn, da all send the verb to the END
- Vary connectives: obwohl, deshalb, trotzdem, einerseits… andererseits — not just und, aber
- Check noun capitals — every noun is capitalised in German; dropped capitals lose marks at Higher
❌ Common error: Meiner Meinung nach Sport ist wichtig.
✓ Correct: Meiner Meinung nach ist Sport wichtig.
Why it costs marks: Meiner Meinung nach is the first element in the sentence, so the finite verb (ist) must come in second position — immediately after the phrase, before the subject (Sport). Writing Meiner Meinung nach Sport ist breaks the verb-second rule, which is one of the most penalised errors in the writing mark scheme.
Practice questions for The 150-word task
Which German phrase introduces a personal opinion and is particularly appropriate at Higher tier?
Which sentence correctly uses 'obwohl' (although) with the verb in the right position?