My Family & Friends: Exam Skills (AQA GCSE German): Revision Note
Exam code: 8662
The topic of 'My family and friends' can appear in any of the exams - you might be asked to speak or write about yourself, or understand information about others
Let's use the vocabulary, grammar and phonics we have seen so far to take a closer look at some typical exam questions and how you might tackle them
My family & friends: listening
In the listening exam, there are questions where you need to answer in English using short answers
This question will help you to practise this skill
Worked Example
Answer the following questions in English.
Lena
Who does Lena live in Hamburg with? (1)
Give two details about Lena's mother. (2)
What does Lena's father enjoy doing at the weekend? (1)
How old is Lena's brother? (1)
Answers:
her family
Ich wohne mit meiner Familie in Hamburg.friendly, often helps with homework
Meine Mutter ist sehr freundlich und hilft mir oft bei den Hausaufgaben.playing football
Er spielt gern Fußball am Wochenende.ten
Er ist zehn Jahre alt.
Examiner Tips and Tricks
Remember that all answers must be written in English not in German. If you include German words, such as freundlich or Hausaufgaben, you will not be awarded any marks.
My family & friends: speaking
In part 2 of the speaking exam, you will read aloud a text and answer four unprepared questions based on the topic of the text. This task will help you to practise answering questions on the topic of 'My family and friends'.
Worked Example
Answer these questions in German.
Was für eine Person bist du?
Sag mir etwas über deine Familie.
Wie findest du Tiere?
Beschreib deinen besten Freund oder deine beste Freundin.
Answers:
Here are some example responses. You should have included a similar level of detail.
Ich bin ziemlich freundlich und lustig. Ich bin auch manchmal ein bisschen nervig, aber ich bin nicht faul.
In meiner Familie gibt es vier Personen: meine Eltern, meine kleine Schwester und ich. Meine Mutter ist sehr nett und meine Schwester ist kreativ und musikalisch.
Ich mag Tiere, besonders Hunde und Katzen. Ich habe eine graue Katze. Sie heißt Indie und ist sehr süß.
Meine beste Freundin heißt Tina. Sie ist vierzehn Jahre alt und wohnt in Berlin. Sie ist ziemlich sportlich und wir spielen oft zusammen Fußball.
Examiner Tips and Tricks
Give answers in sufficient detail - one-word answers are not enough. Aim to develop your response using at least two or three sentences.
My family & friends: reading
In the reading exam, there will be questions where you need to decide who says what. The answer could be more than one person, so it is important to read each person's text carefully. Look for synonyms, for example, instead of 'children', you may see the word for 'son' or 'daughter'.
Worked Example
Anna and Thomas are talking about their family and friends. Match the correct person with each statement.
Write A for Anna. Write T for Thomas. Write A+T for Anna and Thomas.
Anna: Ich wohne mit meinem Mann und mit meiner Tochter zusammen. Wir haben kein Haustier, weil wir keine Zeit dafür haben! Meine Mutter wohnt in England.
Thomas: Ich habe einen Sohn, der Lukas heißt, und einen Hund, der Max heißt. Wir besuchen meinen Bruder jeden Sommer, weil er in der Schweiz wohnt.
Who is married?
Who has children?
Who has a pet?
Who has a brother?
Who has family in England?
Answers:
Who is married? A
Anna lives with her husband (meinem Mann).
Who has children? A+T
Anna has a daughter (Tochter), and Thomas has a son (Sohn).
Who has a pet? T
Thomas has a dog (Hund). Anna says she does not have a pet.
Who has a brother? T
Thomas mentions his brother (Bruder).
Who has family in England? A
Anna mentions England. Thomas' brother lives in Switzerland (Schweiz).
My family & friends: writing
Foundation tier
In the Foundation writing exam, you have to write five sentences about a photo, with two marks awarded per sentence. This question will help you to practise describing a photo on the topic of 'My family and friends'.
Worked Example
What is in this photo? Write five sentences in German.
Answers:
Here are some example responses.
Es gibt vier Personen.
Es ist eine Familie.
Es gibt einen kleinen Hund.
Es gibt zwei Eltern und zwei Kinder.
Sie sind am Strand.
Examiner Tips and Tricks
The phrase es gibt (there is / there are) is very useful and can be repeated as a sentence starter. Keep your sentences short, simple and factual - they must accurately describe what is in the photo!
90-word question: Foundation and higher tier
In the writing paper, there will be one question where you need to write a 90-word response guided by bullet points. The same question will appear in both Foundation and Higher papers.
Worked Example
You are emailing your German exchange partner about your family and friends. Write approximately 90 words in German.
You must write something about each bullet point. Mention:
a description of somebody in your family
something you have done recently with a family member
something you will do soon with a friend
Answer:
Here is an example response of 85 words.
Es gibt fünf Personen in meiner Familie. Meine Mutter ist sehr nett und geduldig, aber manchmal auch ein bisschen streng, das finde ich sehr ärgerlich. Sie hat lange braune Haare und blaue Augen.
Letztes Wochenende bin ich mit meinem Vater und mit unserem Hund in den Park gegangen. Wir haben viel gespielt und das hat viel Spaß gemacht.
Nächste Woche werde ich mit meiner besten Freundin ins Kino gehen. Wir wollen einen neuen Film sehen, weil wir Komödien lieben. Ich freue mich schon sehr darauf.
Examiner Tips and Tricks
In the 90-word question, make sure you use the correct tense for each bullet point. Include a range of vocabulary and structures and ensure you respond to every bullet point.
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