Grammar Specifications of the AATG National German Exam
Prepared in January 2003 by the Chair of the AATG Testing Commission:
Eckhard Kuhn-Osius, German Department, Hunter College, CUNY
EXAMINATION LEVEL 2
Article and case
formation and use of definite article in N, A
use of D after preposition
formation and use of indefinite article in N, A
use of D after preposition
ein-words
Adjectives
predicative
comparison: as appropriate for beginners (cont. at level 3)
endings in very common formulas such as "guten Tag", "liebe/r Tante/Onkel"
Numbers
cardinal numbers
some ordinal numbers, but no adjective endings
Adverbs
time expressions: as appropriate for beginners (continued at level 3 and 4)
Nouns
plurals: as appropriate for beginners (continued at levels 3 and 4)
genders: natural gender, agent nouns in -er, common fem. endings, "Mädchen"
Pronouns
personal pronouns in N, A
"er, sie" reference to inanimate objects
indefinite pronouns: "man" [no "einen, einem"] and forms identical to article
demonstrative in N, A
interrogative in N
Verbs
present tense: all personal endings, vowel change
modal auxiliaries: present [includes "möchte"]
imperatives without vowel change
pres. perf. (wk., str., mix.): as appropriate for beginners (cont. at levels 3 and 4)
"hatte, war" as vocabulary items and for basic manipulation tense
auxiliaries: "haben/ sein"
dative verbs: "helfen, danken, gefallen"
reflexive verbs as appropriate for beginners (cont. at 3 & 4)
impersonal verbs: weather expressions, "es gibt"
infinitives without "zu" with modal verbs
past participles should be understood in comprehension as appropriate for level
Prepositions
dative prepositions as appropriate
accusative prepositions as appropriate
meaning recognition of common mixed prepositions
Conjunctions
"und, oder, aber, daß, weil" (including word order)
Word order
main clause and simple dependent clause
Verb-noun combinations: (e.g. Foto machen) [will be rare]
Idioms (e.g. im Stich lassen) [will be rare]
Use of correct word (e.g. "verbringen" with time spans, "guten Appetit" with food, etc.) as appropriate
EXAMINATION LEVEL 3
Article and case
definite articles in Dative (as indirect object) and Genitive
indefinite articles in Dative (as indirect object) and Genitive der-words
Adjectives
comparison: complete
Adverb
in 1st position
time expressions: as appropriate for this level
meaning of some adverbs of place and manner (order of adverbs not tested)
some differentiation of location vs. motion spatial adverbs (also in level 4)
Flavoring particles: "denn, doch, mal"
Nouns
plurals: as appropriate for this level (also at levels 2 and 4)
genders: as appropriate for this level
Pronouns
personal pronouns in Dative
relative pronouns in Nominative
interrogative pronouns in Acc., Dat.
demonstrative pronouns in Dat.
Verbs
pres. perf. (wk., str., mix.): as appropriate for this level (also at levels 2 and 4)
modal auxiliaries: simple past
simple past: comprehension only, exc. very common forms (e.g. "war, hatte" some modals)
imperatives with vowel change
future tense
separable and insep. prefixes (including word order)
conditions contrary to fact: recognition of "hätte, wäre, würde"
past participles should be understood in comprehension as appropriate for level
impersonal verbs: as appropriate for this level (also at levels 2 and 4)
dative verbs: as appropriate for this level (also at 2 & 4)
reflexive verbs: as appropriate for this level (also at 2 and 4)
Prepositions
dative prepositions and accusative prepositions (all common ones)
mixed prepositions (continued in 4)
prepositional compounds: "da-" compounds active; "wo-" compounds recognition
Conjunctions and word order:
conjunctions as appropriate for this level (also at levels 2 and 4)
main clause: inversion dependent clause placement of noun and pronoun objects
Verb-noun combinations
Idioms (e.g. im Stich lassen) [will be rare]
Use of correct word (e.g. "Foto machen") [will be rare]
EXAMINATION LEVEL 4
Adjectives
weak endings
strong endings
attributive vs. adverbial use
used as nouns
Flavoring particles: "wohl"
Time expressions as appropriate for level (also in 2 & 3)
Nouns
n-nouns (weak nouns)
genders
Pronouns
possessive pronouns (within reason)
interrogative pronouns in Genitive
relative pronouns in Accusative, Dative, Genitive
indefinite pronouns
Verbs
pres. perf. (wk., str., mix.): as appropriate for this level (also at levels 2 and 3)
simple past, active knowledge
infinitives with "zu" (no "brauchen")
past participles: should be understood in reading
present participles: should be understood in reading
modal auxiliaries: perfect tenses, double infinitive (within reason)
passive voice: (present, past, pres. perf.)
Conditions contrary to fact
present subjunctive: active use of "hätte, wäre, würde" and frequent modals
past subjunctive (basic construction)
subjunctive wishes
indirect discourse: recognition
impersonal verbs as appropriate for this level (also in 3)
dative verbs as appropriate for this level (also in 3)
reflexive verbs as appropriate for this level (also in 2 and 3)
Prepositions
mixed prepositions (also in 3)
verbs with certain prepositions (list to be proposed)
Conjunctions and word order: all (within reason)
Verb-noun combinations: (e.g. "Foto machen, Rede halten") as appropriate for this level
Idioms (e.g. "im Stich lassen") as appropriate for this level
Use of correct word (e.g. "verbringen" with time spans, "Reise machen" etc.) as appropriate for this level
