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Die 90-Wörter-Aufgabe — Three Time Frames
✍️ 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.
The Three Time Frames
Signal each frame clearly with a time marker — it shows the examiner exactly which frame you intend:
Earn the mark scheme marks
💡 Exam Tips & Common Errors
- Read all the bullets before you write anything — plan one sentence per bullet first
- Deliberately include one past, one present, and one future sentence — do not leave any frame out
- Signal each frame with a time marker: letztes Wochenende / normalerweise / nächstes Jahr
- Use weil to give a reason — it shows grammatical awareness and lifts your accuracy mark
- Check your past participle endings: gespielt, gemacht, gegessen — the ge- prefix and the correct ending must both be present
❌ Common error: Writing the entire response in the present tense — Ich spiele Tennis. Ich schwimme. Ich mache Sport.
✓ Correct: Include a past sentence (Letztes Wochenende habe ich Tennis gespielt.) and a future sentence (Nächste Woche werde ich schwimmen.) alongside the present.
Why it costs marks: The 90-word task explicitly rewards three time frames. Writing only in the present tense means you cannot access the higher accuracy mark bands — you must show you can handle past and future forms as well.