This new edition of Practising German Grammar provides you with varied and accessible exercises for developing an in-depth and practical awareness of German as it is spoken and written today.
Whether used independently or as the ideal companion to the new sixth edition of the widely acclaimed Hammer's German Grammar and Usage, this fourth edition of Practising German Grammar gives you the right tools to achieve high-level writing competence and comprehension of German.
Using lively, authentic texts from a wide range of original sources and offering a variety of new and updated exercises designed to stimulate and to give confidence, Practising German Grammar will help you to master the complexities of the German language.
Created especially for the new edition, a companion website at www.routledge.com/cw/durrell offers a wide range of exercises and quizzes on all the main areas of German, suitable for self-study and to accompany instructed grammar courses.
In German, a young lady has no sex, while a turnip has. Think what over-wrought reverence that shows for the turnip, and what callous disrespect for the girl. (Mark Twain)
1 Gender
(GGU Section 1.1)
PROJECT: Because âthingsâ are always referred to by âitâ in English, English learners of German tend to guess the gender of an unfamiliar word as neuter. Take all the simple (i.e. non-compound) nouns beginning with the letter âLâ in a dictionary or all the simple nouns in a 1000-word passage from a novel or newspaper.
âą Work out the proportion of nouns belonging to each gender.
âą From these findings, estimate what the chances are of getting a gender correct if you randomly guess that âthingsâ are neuter.
2 Gender
(GGU Section 1.1.2e)
Most nouns with the prefix Ge- are neuter, although there are about a dozen common masculines and a dozen common feminines. Identify the gender of the following nouns by supplying the correct endings for the article and adjective given.
1. d___ deutsch___ Geschichte
2. ein___ lecker___ Gericht
3. d___ schwer___ GepÀck
4. d___ zehnt___ Gebot
5. d___ hÀufig___ Gebrauch
6. ein___ akut___ Gefahr
7. ein___ fĂŒrchterlich___ GedrĂ€nge
8. ein___ jung___ Geselle
9. ein___ streng___ Gesetz
10. d___ bitter___ Geschmack
11. ein___ politisch___ GesprÀch
12. ein___ klug___ Gedanke
13. ein___ lyrisch___ Gedicht
14. ein___ fest___ GebĂŒhr
15. ein___ zierlich___ Gestalt
16. ein___ leicht___ Geburt
17. ein___ prickelnd___ GefĂŒhl
18. ein___ bescheiden___ Gewinn
3 Gender
(GGU Section 1.1.2f)
Nouns with the suffix -nis may be feminine (30%) or neuter (70%). Identify the gender of the following nouns by supplying the correct endings for the article and adjective given.
1. ein___ historisch___ Ereignis
2. d___ offiziell___ Erlaubnis
3. ein___ wichtig___ Erkenntnis
4. ein___ offen___ Bekenntnis
5. ein___ schrecklich___ Erlebnis
6. ein___ öffentlich___ Ărgernis
7. d___ dringend___ BedĂŒrfnis
8. ein___ feierlich___ BegrÀbnis
9. ein___ offen___ GestÀndnis
10. ein___ vollstÀndig___Verzeichnis
11. d___ nÀchtlich___ Finsternis
12. d___ eingehend___ Kenntnis
13. ein___ offen___ Geheimnis
14. ein___ neu___ GefÀngnis
15. ein___ freundschaftlich___ VerhÀltnis
16. ein___ alt___ Zeugnis
4 Gender
(GGU Section 1.1.1 and Table 1.2)
Many suffixes of foreign (usually French or Latin) origin in German are associated with a particular gender, although there are often exceptions. Identify the gender of the following nouns by supplying the correct endings for the article and adjective given.
