This introduction covers Die 90-Wörter-Aufgabe — Three Time Frames within The 90-word task: three time frames, every bullet for GCSE German. Revise The 90-word task: three time frames, every bullet in Writing and Translation into German for GCSE German with 10 exam-style questions and 15 flashcards. This topic shows up very often in GCSE exams, so students should be able to explain it clearly, not just recognise the term. It is section 1 of 4 in this topic. Use this introduction to connect the idea to the wider topic before moving on to questions and flashcards.

✍️ Die 90-Wörter-Aufgabe — Three Time Frames

The 90-word task gives you a set of bullet points to respond to — your job is to answer all of them in well-structured German. Two things win the marks: cover EVERY bullet (a missed bullet caps your score immediately), and show you can write in THREE TIME FRAMES — past, present, and future. Hit both and you reach the top band for communication and accuracy.

Practice questions for The 90-word task: three time frames, every bullet

How many different time frames must you include in the AQA 90-word writing task to access the full range of marks?

A. One — focus on the present tense only.
B. Two — past and present.
C. Three — past, present, and future.
D. Four — past, present, future, and conditional.

1 markfoundation

Which sentence correctly describes something you did in the past for the 90-word task?

A. Letzte Woche habe ich Fußball gespielt.
B. Letzte Woche ich habe Fußball gespielt.
C. Letzte Woche spielte ich Fußball.
D. Letzte Woche ich spielte Fußball.

1 markfoundation

Quick recall flashcards

deshalb...

Therefore / That is why... deshalb is an adverb that starts the second clause — it triggers V2, so the verb comes immediately after it: • Ich liebe Musik. Deshalb spiele ich Gitarre. (I love music. That is why I play guitar.) • Das Wetter war schlecht. Deshalb sind wir zu Hause geblieben. (The weather was bad. That is why we stayed at home.) Use deshalb to show cause and effect — it adds variety to your connectives.

weil... / denn...

Both mean because — but they work differently: weil = subordinating conjunction → verb goes to the END: • Ich mag Sport, weil er gesund ist. (I like sport because it is healthy.) denn = coordinating conjunction → verb stays SECOND (like und/aber): • Ich mag Sport, denn er ist gesund. (I like sport because it is healthy.) Tip: use weil when you want to show you can handle subordinate-clause word order (more marks for accuracy); use denn if you are unsure.

The Three Time Frames

Die 90-Wörter-Aufgabe — Three Time Frames