This exam tips covers Exam Tips & Common Errors within Present tense: regular (weak) verbs for GCSE German. Revise Present tense: regular (weak) verbs in The Core German Verbs and the Present Tense 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 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
- When writing, check every verb ends correctly for the person you have chosen — the er/sie/es -t ending is the most commonly dropped.
- In reading and listening, a -t on a verb could be er/sie/es or ihr — the subject (a name or pronoun) in the sentence tells you which it is.
- hören = to hear / listen to. The ö is part of the stem and never changes: ich höre, er hört — the umlaut stays in every form.
- In speaking and writing tasks, using a variety of persons (not only ich) scores higher marks for range. Try adding one sentence with er/sie, wir, or man.
❌ Common error: Er kauf ein Buch.
✓ Correct: Er kauft ein Buch.
Why it costs marks: The er/sie/es form of every regular verb always needs the -t ending. Missing the -t on er kauf- is one of the most penalised errors in AQA German Writing (AO3). Examiners report this in mark-scheme commentaries every year — it signals a fundamental gap in knowledge of the present tense.
Practice questions for Present tense: regular (weak) verbs
What is the correct er/sie/es form of the verb 'spielen' (to play)?
Complete the sentence: 'Anna ___ Tennis.'