This exam tips covers Exam Tips & Common Errors within Word order: verb-second (V2) and the verb bracket for GCSE German. Revise Word order: verb-second (V2) and the verb bracket in Core Grammar Toolkit 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
- Count to the verb — it must be the 2nd element of any main clause. If it isn't, your word order is wrong.
- After weil or dass, push the verb to the very end of the clause.
- Never copy English word order — English keeps subject-then-verb after time words (Today I go), but German inverts (Heute gehe ich).
- For two verb parts, place the changeable one second and the fixed one (infinitive, participle, prefix) last.
❌ Common error: Heute ich gehe ins Kino.
✓ Correct: Heute gehe ich ins Kino.
Why it costs marks: when a sentence starts with anything other than the subject (here Heute), German keeps the verb in second position, so the verb comes BEFORE the subject. Heute ich gehe uses English word order and is a V2 error that costs AO3 marks.
Practice questions for Word order: verb-second (V2) and the verb bracket
Which sentence correctly uses the separable verb 'aufmachen' (to open)?
Which sentence correctly uses 'weil' (because)?