Future Plans: Work: Grammar & Phonics (AQA GCSE German): Revision Note

• The grammar points werden + infinitive (future tense), möchte (I would like to), and verb-second word order are important when talking about future work plans

• Make sure you are confident with these before moving on

The conditional: würde + infinitive

Higher tier only

This grammar is only required for Higher tier.

• You already know ich möchte to express what you would like to do

• Würde + infinitive is another way to express wishes, dreams or preferences — things you would do or would like to do in an ideal situation

• Both möchte and würde gern translate into English the same way:

However, there is a subtle difference in meaning:

• Möchte suggests a real intention or plan — something you genuinely intend to do

• Würde gern expresses more of a wish or dream — something you would want in an ideal situation
  

• In everyday German the difference is small, and both forms are often used interchangeably

• Using them alongside each other is a simple way to show variety in your writing and speaking

Würd- comes from the verb werden and changes according to the subject. The infinitive always goes to the end of the sentence.

• If the sentence starts with something other than the subject, würde still comes in second position:

  • Im Sommer würde ich gern eine Stelle in einem Büro finden. - In the summer I would love to find a job in an office.

Combining wenn and würde

• Once you are confident with würde + infinitive, you can use it together with wenn (if) to build a conditional sentence — saying what you would do if a certain situation were true

• These sentences have two parts, each with a verb at the end of its clause:

  • Wenn ich die Möglichkeit hätte, würde ich im Ausland arbeiten. - If I had the opportunity, I would work abroad.

• Notice the structure:

  • The wenn clause uses hätte (the imperfect subjunctive of haben) — sending the verb to the end

  • The main clause uses würde + infinitive — with würde in second position and the infinitive at the end

  • The two clauses are separated by a comma

• Here are two more examples:

Future plans: work: phonics

• The letter v is pronounced like an English f
  verdienen
  vorbereiten
  Vorstellungsgespräch
  

• The letter w is pronounced like an English v
  Wahl
  werden
  Wissenschaftler