This exam tips covers Exam Tips & Common Errors within The short writing task: photo and sentences for GCSE German. Revise The short writing task: photo and sentences 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 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
- Use a set opener — it buys you a confident first sentence even under pressure
- Work through the four elements in order: who → where → what → opinion
- Add one opinion with Ich finde… weil… — this is worth accuracy marks
- Keep it simple: four short correct sentences beat two long incorrect ones
- If you cannot remember a word, describe around it: cannot recall der Baum, die Bäume? Write etwas Grünes (something green)
❌ Common error: Ich finde das Foto schön, weil es ist sonnig.
✓ Correct: Ich finde das Foto schön, weil es sonnig ist.
Why it costs marks: After weil, the finite verb is pushed to the very end of the clause — weil es sonnig ist. Keeping the English word order (weil es ist sonnig) places the verb in the wrong position and is penalised under AO3 (accuracy of language).
Practice questions for The short writing task: photo and sentences
Which German phrase is the most natural way to open a photo description?
A student writes: 'Ich finde das toll, weil das Wetter ist schön.' What is wrong with this sentence?