Digital Technology: Grammar & Phonics (AQA GCSE German): Revision Note
Exam code: 8662
Many of the verbs used to talk about digital technology are separable verbs
Understanding how separable verbs work in the present tense and in the perfect tense will help you use them accurately in speaking and writing
Separable verbs: present tense
Separable verbs in the present tense are a Foundation tier grammar point
Separable verbs are made up of a base verb and a prefix
In the present tense, the prefix splits off and moves to the end of the sentence or clause
For example, the verb hochladen (to upload) is made up of the prefix hoch- and the base verb laden
In a sentence, the prefix goes to the end
German | English |
|---|---|
Ich lade jeden Tag Fotos hoch. | I upload photos every day. |
Er lädt ein Video hoch. | He uploads a video. |
Wir laden Musik hoch. | We upload music. |
Here are some other separable verbs from this unit used in the same way:
Infinitive | English | Example sentence | English |
|---|---|---|---|
anrufen | to phone | Ich rufe meine Freundin an. | I phone my friend. |
ansehen | to watch | Sie sieht ein Video an. | She watches a video. |
herunterladen | to download | Er lädt die App herunter. | He downloads the app. |
hochladen | to upload | Wir laden Fotos hoch. | We upload photos. |
If you have a modal verb such as können or wollen, the separable verb stays together as one and the infinitive goes at the end:
Ich kann die App herunterladen. I can download the app.
Separable verbs: perfect tense
Separable verbs in two-verb structures - with modal verbs or in the perfect tense - are a Higher tier grammar point
Use the perfect tense to talk about what you have done or did in the past
To form the perfect tense with a separable verb, use the present tense of haben or sein and place the past participle at the end of the sentence
The past participle of a separable verb is formed by inserting ge- between the prefix and the base verb:
Infinitive | Past participle | How it is formed |
|---|---|---|
anrufen | angerufen | an + ge + rufen |
ansehen | angesehen | an + ge + sehen |
herunterladen | heruntergeladen | herunter + ge + laden |
hochladen | hochgeladen | hoch + ge + laden |
Here are some example sentences using the perfect tense:
German | English |
|---|---|
Ich habe ein Foto hochgeladen. | I uploaded a photo. |
Er hat die App heruntergeladen. | He downloaded the app. |
Wir haben ein Video angesehen. | We watched a video. |
Sie hat ihre Oma angerufen. | She phoned her grandma. |
Ich habe ein kurzes Video aufgenommen. | I recorded a short video. |
Examiner Tips and Tricks
Don't forget that ge- always goes between the prefix and the base verb — never before the prefix
A common mistake is to write gehochladet instead of the correct form hochgeladen
Also remember that irregular base verbs keep their irregular past participle: angerufen (not angerufet), angesehen (not angesieht)
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