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What's the difference between the German cases?

The case system in English is not really used anymore so it's a common for difficulty for native English learners of German to get their heads round it! In German there are 4 cases which change articles (the...
LA
Answered by Lydia A. German tutor
2428 Views

Why do masculine nouns sometimes change to den instead of der when there isn't a preposition?

Whether the noun begins with den or der depends on the case it is in (and the rule works in the same way for the articles ein/mein/etc). The case is determined by the role the noun is playing in a particular...
MK
Answered by Martha K. German tutor
3976 Views

There are three words for 'it' in German - er/sie/es. Which one should I use?

That's right, German has three words for English 'it'! But don't worry, there's a rule which lets you pick the right one! German nouns have grammatical gender and can be masculine (der), feminine (die), or n...
AB
Answered by Ashley B. German tutor
6682 Views

How do I close-read a prose passage in German?

Here are the steps you need to follow when you are writing about a prose passage in German: 1) When close-reading the passage the first time: Get a first impression of the text ans underline any words which ...
LS
2306 Views

When should I use the accusative case?

The accusative is used for the direct object of a sentence. The direct object is the word (normally a noun) that receives the action of the verb. Example:Der Hund frisst den Toast - The dog eats the toastHer...
TB
Answered by Tom B. German tutor
2475 Views