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Practice exercises to reorder German sentences visualisation

Practice exercises to reorder German sentences

Mastering German Sentence Structure: Your Essential Guide: Practice exercises to reorder German sentences
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Here are various practice exercises to reorder German sentences that can help improve understanding of German sentence structure and word order:

  • Reordering jumbled words to form correct sentences, e.g., “Er ins geht Kino” becomes “Er geht ins Kino.”
  • Constructing questions from given words, e.g., “Warum du gekommen bist hier?” reordered to “Warum bist du hier gekommen?”
  • Combining sentences using conjunctions like “bevor,” “nachdem,” and forming complex sentences.
  • Placing verbs in the correct form and position according to German syntax, especially the verb-second (V2) rule.
  • Exercises focusing on rearranging main clause and subordinate clause sentences.
  • Practicing placement of adverbial phrases (time, manner, place) in correct order.
  • Filling blanks in sentences by choosing the right word order and conjugation.

Example exercises include:

  1. Reorder words into correct question form:

    • Er-ins-geht-Kino. → Er geht ins Kino.
    • Fußball-gespielt-haben-wir. → Wir haben Fußball gespielt.

  2. Put sentences in correct order:

    • Mein Freund gestern Tennis gespielt hat. → Mein Freund hat gestern Tennis gespielt.
    • Warum du gekommen bist hier? → Warum bist du hier gekommen?

  3. Combine two clauses with conjunctions:

    • Ich weiß. Viele Menschen leben in London. (dass) → Ich weiß, dass viele Menschen in London leben.

  4. Practice verb placement in questions and statements, e.g.,

    • Wann (beginnen) der Film? → Wann beginnt der Film?
    • Gestern hat er Tennis gespielt.

  5. Set sentences with correct adverbial phrase order:

    • Hans ist am Montag aus Langeweile mit der Straßenbahn in die Stadt gefahren (time-reason-manner-place).

These exercises target learners at A2/B1 levels and can be found in various online resources for interactive practice. They are designed to reinforce the core word order principles in German sentences such as verb-second position, the positioning of time/manner/place information, and forming coherent subordinate clauses. 1, 2, 3, 5, 7

If desired, specific example sentences or interactive exercises can be shared or created.

References

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