This deep dive covers The 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 2 of 4 in this topic. Use this deep dive to connect the idea to the wider topic before moving on to questions and flashcards.
📋 The Three Time Frames
| Time frame | How to form it | Example |
|---|---|---|
| PAST (the perfect) | helper verb (habe / bin) + past participle at the end | Letztes Wochenende habe ich Fußball gespielt. |
| PRESENT | a verb with the correct ending + a time marker | Normalerweise spiele ich am Samstag. |
| FUTURE | werde + infinitive at the end, OR present tense + future time marker | Nächstes Jahr werde ich nach Spanien fahren. |
⭐ One time marker per frame
Signal each frame clearly with a time marker — it shows the examiner exactly which frame you intend:
- Past: letztes Wochenende (last weekend), gestern (yesterday), vor einem Jahr (a year ago)
- Present: normalerweise (normally), jeden Tag (every day), heute (today)
- Future: nächstes Jahr (next year), morgen (tomorrow), nächste Woche (next week)
Cover every bullet
The task has several bullet points — AQA awards communication marks for each one addressed. A missed bullet caps your mark regardless of how well you wrote the rest. Before you start writing, read all the bullets and mentally plan one sentence per bullet. Tick each off as you go.
Connectives that develop your answer
| Connective | Meaning | Word-order note |
|---|---|---|
| weil | because | Verb to the END: weil es gesund ist |
| aber | but | No word-order change — verb stays in second position. |
| und | and | No word-order change — verb stays in second position. |
| deshalb | therefore | Adverb — counts as position 1, so verb is still second: Deshalb spiele ich Sport. |
| denn | because | Coordinating — NO word-order change (unlike weil): Ich spiele Sport, denn es ist gesund. |
Annotated model responses
Foundation — three time frames shown
Letztes Wochenende habe ich Tennis gespielt. Normalerweise spiele ich am Samstag mit meinen Freunden. Nächste Woche werde ich schwimmen.
Last weekend I played tennis. Normally I play on Saturday with my friends. Next week I will go swimming.
- Past: habe … gespielt — helper + participle ✓; time marker letztes Wochenende ✓
- Present: spiele — correct ending ✓; marker normalerweise ✓
- Future: werde … schwimmen — werde + infinitive at end ✓; marker nächste Woche ✓
Higher — connectives + developed reasons
Ich spiele gern Sport, weil es gesund ist, und nächstes Jahr werde ich einem Sportverein beitreten. Letzten Sommer habe ich an einem Tennisturnier teilgenommen, was sehr aufregend war.
I like playing sport because it is healthy, and next year I will join a sports club. Last summer I took part in a tennis tournament, which was very exciting.
- Present reason with weil — verb correctly at end ✓
- Future: werde … beitreten — separable verb, infinitive at end ✓
- Past: habe … teilgenommen — participial structure ✓; relative clause was sehr aufregend war adds sophistication ✓
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?
Which sentence correctly describes something you did in the past for the 90-word task?