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Übersetzen ins Deutsche — Translating into German
🔄 Übersetzen ins Deutsche — Translating into German
In the translation task you turn English sentences into German. The marks come in two parts — the key messages (did you convey the meaning?) and the grammar (is the German correct?). Get the meaning across first, then apply the gold structures: correct word order, the verb bracket, the right article, and weil sending the verb to the end.
Die zwei Bewertungsraster — The Two-Grid Rule
The translation is marked on two grids: key messages (does the German convey the meaning of the English?) and grammar (is the German structurally correct?). If a sentence conveys none of the key messages, it scores zero on both grids for that sentence. Always get the core idea across — an imperfect German sentence that
Earn the mark scheme marks
💡 Exam Tips & Common Errors
- Read the whole English sentence before you write a single word of German — understand the meaning first
- Get the key message across — an imperfect but meaningful sentence scores more than a blank
- Apply the gold structure check: V2? Verb bracket? Correct article and case? weil verb-final?
- Check every umlaut and ß: für, möchte, würde, größer, schön, Fußball, Straße
- After a modal verb, the infinitive MUST go to the end: Ich muss die Hausaufgaben machen.
- Professions after werden take NO article in German: Ich werde Arzt. (not ein Arzt)
❌ Common error: Translating "I am becoming a teacher" as Ich bekomme ein Lehrer.
✓ Correct: Ich werde Lehrer.
Why it costs marks: bekommen means "to get or receive" — it does NOT mean "to become". "To become" is werden. This false-friend trap is one of the most common translation errors at Foundation. Note also that professions after werden take no article in German (Lehrer, not ein Lehrer).