25/220 Marks
The Äußerung zum Thema section is asking you for a short, written comment on a particular theme. You can choose between writing on a topic related to the reading comprehension in Schriftliche Produktion II, or on a completely unrelated topic – it’s up to you. The most important thing to remember is that being grammatically correct will get you more points than trying to be eloquent! Short, precise sentences will do nicely.
- Time: 15 – 2o minutes.
- Length of Answer: try to write no less than 100 words, and no more than 120.
- Read options (a) and (b) carefully: you have a choice of answering either one, not both.
- Underline exactly what you are being asked in each of the 3 points. This may sound like a waste of time, but it will keep you focused and make sure you are answering exactly what is being asked.
- Write an equal amount of words for each of the 3 points. Writing a lot for one point to compensate for poor analysis of another point will not work.
- Use short, accurate sentences: You will lose points for bad grammar, so it’s best to stick to what you know. The best way to prepare for this section is to get comfortable expressing your opinion using a handful of all-purpose statements, supported by a varied vocabulary and a good understanding of German cases.
- Students who practise writing German on a regular basis build up their skills and gain higher marks. By reading new material, looking up unknown words, and expanding your understanding of idiomatic phrases you prepare yourself for every section of the German exam, not just the Äußerung zum Thema!
Use some of the following German essay phrases to improve your argument:
| German | English |
|---|---|
| Auf der einen Seite / Auf der anderen Seite | On the one hand / On the other hand |
| Auf einmal [verb] ... | All of a sudden .... |
| Auf jeden Fall / Jedenfalls [verb] ... | Anyway / In any case .... |
| Auf keinen Fall. | Absolutely not. |
| Aus meiner Sicht [verb] ... | From my point of view .... |
| Außerdem [verb] ... | Aside from that / Furthermore .... |
| Damals [verb] ... | At that time / Back then .... |
| Daraus folgt, dass ... | From that, it follows that .... |
| Das bedeutet, dass ... | That means that .... |
| Das ist eine Frage der Zeit. | It's a question of time. |
| Das kann sein, aber … | That might be so, but .... |
| Das steht in starkem Kontrast zu .... | That is in stark contrast to .... |
| Das Wesentliche daran ist ... | The most important thing is .... |
| Die Frage ist ... | The question is ... |
| Die Welt steht am Scheideweg. | The world stands at a crossroads. |
| Eine Umfrage hat ergeben, dass ... | A survey has shown that .... |
| Einerseits / Andererseits | On the one hand / On the other hand |
| Erstens / Zweitens / Drittens | Firstly / Secondly / Thirdly |
| Es kommt darauf an. | It depends. |
| Es liegt auf der Hand, dass ... | It's obvious that .... |
| Früher oder später [verb] ... | Sooner or later .... |
| Heutzutage [verb] ... | Nowadays .... |
| Ich befürchte, dass ... | I'm afraid that .... |
| Ich bezweifle, dass … | I doubt that .... |
| Ich bin da geteilter Meinung. | My opinion on it is divided. |
| Ich bin dafür. | I'm in favour (of it). |
| Ich bin dagegen. | I'm against it. |
| Ich bin der gleichen Meinung. | I'm of the same opinion. |
| Ich bin entsetzt, dass ... | I'm appalled that .... |
| Ich bin nicht überzeugt, dass ... | I'm not convinced that .... |
| Ich bin überzeugt, dass ... | I'm convinced that .... |
| Ich gebe zu, dass ... | I admit that .... |
| Ich habe das Gefühl, dass ... | I have the feeling that .... |
| Ich habe dazu nicht viel zu sagen. | I don't have much to say about that. |
| Ich habe den Eindruck, dass ... | I have the impression that .... |
| Ich habe nichts dagegen. | I've got nothing against it. |
| Ich meine / Ich finde ... | I think ..... |
| Ich möchte noch hinzufügen, dass ... | I would like to add that .... |
| Ich schlage vor, dass .... | I suggest that .... |
| Ich teile die Meinung von [name] . | I share the opinion of [name] . |
| Ich vermute, dass .... | I presume that .... |
| Im Allgemeinen [verb] ... | In general .... |
| Im großen und ganzen [verb] ... | On the whole ... |
| In Bezug auf ... | Regarding .... |
| In den letzten Jahren [verb] .... | In recent years .... |
| In letzter Zeit [verb] ... | Recently .... |
| In manchen Fällen [verb] ... | In many cases .... |
| In solchen Fällen [verb] ... | In such cases .... |
| Interessanterweise [verb] ... | Interestingly .... |
| Meiner Meinung nach [verb] ... | In my opinion .... |
| Obwohl ... | Although .... |
| Soviel ich weiß, [verb] ... | As far as I know .... |
| Trotzdem [verb] ... | Nevertheless .... |
| Viele weisen darauf hin, dass ... | Many people point to the fact that .... |
| Vor allem [verb] ... | Primarily / First and foremost .... |
| Zunächst möchte ich erwähnen ... | Firstly, I would like to say .... |
Don't be shellfish...
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