Unit 3 of 5

Unit 3: Grammar and Structure

Study guide for CLEP CLEP German LanguageUnit 3: Grammar and Structure. Practice questions, key concepts, and exam tips.

38

Practice Questions

13

Flashcards

4

Key Topics

Key Concepts to Study

noun cases (Nominativ, Akkusativ, Dativ, Genitiv)
verb conjugation and tenses (Präsens, Perfekt, Präteritum)
word order (V2, subordinate clauses)
prepositions with case (Wechselpräpositionen)

Sample Practice Questions

Try these 5 questions from this unit. Sign up for full access to all 38.

Q1MEDIUM

Lena und ich gehen jeden Tag ins Kino. Wir sehen uns einen Film an. Lena und ich _______ den Film immer zusammen an.

A) seh
B) sieht
C) sehen
D) sehen wir
Show Answer

Answer: DThe correct answer is D) sehen wir, because the subject of the sentence is 'Lena und ich' (we), which is a plural subject and requires the plural form of the verb 'sehen' in the present tense. The verb must also be in the first person plural form to match the subject. A) seh is incorrect because it is not a complete verb form. B) sieht is incorrect because it is the third person singular form of the verb. C) sehen is incorrect because, although it is the plural form of the verb, it does not match the subject-verb agreement for 'Lena und ich' as the subject.

Q2EASY

In German, which of the following articles is used for a masculine noun?

A) die
B) der
C) das
D) eine
Show Answer

Answer: BThe correct answer is 'der' because it is the definite article used for masculine nouns in German. 'Die' is used for feminine nouns, 'das' is used for neuter nouns, and 'eine' is the indefinite article for feminine nouns.

Q3MEDIUM

While shopping, Anna buys a book and gives it to her friend. Which of the following sentences correctly uses the dative case to indicate the indirect object?

A) Anna gibt das Buch ihrem Freund.
B) Anna gibt dem Freund das Buch.
C) Anna gibt das Buch zu ihrem Freund.
D) Anna gibt ihrem Freund das Buches.
Show Answer

Answer: BThe correct answer is B because in German, the dative case is used to indicate the indirect object, and the correct word order is subject-verb-indirect object-direct object. Option B correctly uses the dative case 'dem Freund' to indicate the indirect object. Options A, C, and D are incorrect because they do not correctly use the dative case or word order.

Q4MEDIUM

In a sentence with a subordinate clause, where does the verb typically appear in German?

A) At the end of the subordinate clause
B) At the beginning of the main clause
C) At the beginning of the subordinate clause
D) In the middle of the main clause
Show Answer

Answer: AIn German, the verb typically appears at the end of a subordinate clause, which is a key aspect of the language's clause structure. This is because German uses a system of verb final positioning in subordinate clauses to indicate the relationship between the main and subordinate clauses. The other options are incorrect because the verb does not typically appear at the beginning of the main clause (B), the beginning of the subordinate clause (C), or in the middle of the main clause (D).

Q5HARD

In the sentence 'Ich denke, dass er morgen kommt.', what is the function of 'dass'?

A) Subjunktionspronomen, introducing a subordinate clause
B) Konjunktionsadverb, modifying the verb 'denke'
C) Relativpronomen, describing the subject 'er'
D) Interrogativpronomen, questioning the subject 'er'
Show Answer

Answer: AThe correct answer is A) Subjunktionspronomen, introducing a subordinate clause, because 'dass' is a subordinating conjunction that introduces the subordinate clause 'er morgen kommt'. The other options are incorrect because 'dass' is not a conjunctive adverb (B), a relative pronoun (C), or an interrogative pronoun (D) in this context.

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Study Tips for Unit 3: Grammar and Structure

  • Focus on understanding concepts, not memorizing facts — CLEP tests application
  • Practice with timed questions to build exam-day speed
  • Review explanations for wrong answers — they reveal common misconceptions
  • Use flashcards for key terms, practice questions for deeper understanding

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