Wiederholung 3: Selbstständig handeln
Chapter Objectives
Chapter 15 is the Unit III assessment. It does not introduce new grammar. Instead, it asks you to bring together everything you developed in Chapters 11 through 14 — narrating past experience, expressing wishes and giving advice, describing places and routes, and explaining procedures — inside a single connected scenario. Each task in this chapter mixes systems on purpose, the way real communication does, so that you can show independent control rather than isolated drill accuracy.
By the end of this chapter, you will be able to:
- Narrate a connected past experience using the present perfect, temporal connectors, and the sentence bracket.
- State a wish, give advice, or propose a plan using Konjunktiv II formulas and infinitive constructions with zu.
- Describe a location and give directions using two-way prepositions and contracted preposition forms.
- Give and understand step-by-step instructions using imperatives, the man construction, sequence connectors, and modal verbs of necessity and permission.
- Read and listen to longer everyday texts that combine narration, advice, spatial description, and procedure.
- Complete a multi-step task that requires reading, listening, speaking, and writing in sequence.
Opening Scenario
Lukas is planning a weekend visit from an old friend, Paula, who is coming to town for the first time. Over the course of the weekend, Lukas will need to tell Paula about something that happened at work, give her advice about what to see, explain how to get from her hotel to his apartment, and walk her through a small household procedure — how to use the slightly unusual coffee machine in his kitchen. Each of these moments draws on a different system from Unit III, and together they form one connected, realistic weekend.
- Work through the review overview to remind yourself what each chapter of Unit III activated.
- Complete the listening, reading, speaking, and writing tasks in order — later tasks assume you have completed the earlier ones.
- Use the Unit III Performance Task as your final integrated assessment for this unit.
Unit III Systems Review
Before beginning the assessment tasks, review the core systems activated across Chapters 11 through 14. No new forms are introduced here — this is a consolidated reminder of what you should be ready to use independently.
Kapitel 11 — Erlebnisse erzählen
- Present perfect with common irregular participles
- Simple past of high-frequency verbs in written narrative
- Temporal connectors: zuerst, dann, später, schließlich
- Sentence bracket consolidation in narration
Kapitel 12 — Wünsche, Pläne und Ratschläge
- ich hätte gern, ich würde gern, könnte in set frames
- Modal verbs in past-related contexts (receptive)
- Infinitive constructions with zu
Kapitel 13 — Orte, Wege und Räume
- Two-way prepositions, developed
- Contracted prepositions: im, am, ins, zum, zur
- Prepositional adverbs (receptive)
- Spatial adjective phrases
Kapitel 14 — Anleitungen und Verfahren
- Imperatives for du, ihr, and Sie
- The impersonal man construction
- Sequence connectors: zuerst, dann, danach, zum Schluss
- müssen, sollen, dürfen, können in instructions
This chapter assesses these systems in combination. It does not require any grammar beyond what Chapters 11–14 activated.
Listening Assessment
Ask a partner, instructor, or text-to-speech tool to read the following script at a natural pace. Listen once for the general idea, then again for detail.
Paula kommt zu Besuch (Listening Script)
Lukas ruft Paula an, bevor sie am Samstag ankommt. "Ich habe eine gute Nachricht", sagt er. "Letzte Woche habe ich endlich mein erstes großes Projekt bei der Arbeit abgeschlossen, und mein Chef hat sich sehr gefreut." Paula gratuliert ihm und fragt, was sie am Wochenende unternehmen könnten. Lukas schlägt vor: "Du solltest unbedingt den Markt am Samstagmorgen besuchen — danach könnten wir zusammen frühstücken." Dann erklärt er ihr den Weg vom Hotel: "Geh zuerst aus dem Hotel raus und dann links. Danach gehst du über die Brücke und dann rechts in die Bahnhofstraße. Mein Haus ist zwischen der Bäckerei und dem Park, direkt gegenüber der Apotheke." Zum Schluss erinnert er sie: "Wenn du ankommst, klingle einfach unten, und ich komme runter."
Verständnisfragen
1. Was ist Lukas' gute Nachricht, und in welcher Zeitform erzählt er sie?
2. Was schlägt Lukas für Samstagmorgen vor?
3. Wo genau ist Lukas' Haus? Nenne zwei Präpositionen aus der Wegbeschreibung.
4. Find one Konjunktiv II form and one imperative form in the script.
Speaking Assessment
Aktivität: Ein Wochenende planen und erklären (Plan and Explain a Weekend)
Work with a partner. Choose one of the two role-card pairs below. One person narrates, advises, describes a route, and explains a short procedure in sequence; the other listens and responds naturally at each stage.
Partner A — Gastgeber/Gastgeberin (Host)
Tell your partner about something that happened to you recently (present perfect or simple past), give them advice about what to do this weekend (Konjunktiv II or modal verb), describe the route to your home (two-way prepositions), and explain one household procedure (imperative or man, plus a modal of necessity or permission).
- Use at least one temporal connector in your narration.
- Use at least one contracted preposition in your directions.
Partner B — Besucher/Besucherin (Visitor)
Listen to each part of the explanation and respond naturally: react to the story, ask a follow-up question about the advice, confirm the directions in your own words, and ask one clarifying question about the procedure.
- Use at least one question with a two-way preposition.
- Use Muss ich...? or Darf ich...? at least once.
Bewertungshinweise — Speaking Criteria
- Clear narration of a past event with at least one temporal connector.
- At least one correctly formed piece of advice or wish (Konjunktiv II or modal).
- A route description using at least one two-way preposition and one contracted form.
- A short procedure using an imperative or man-construction and a modal of necessity or permission.
- Natural, connected responses from the listening partner throughout.
Solo alternative: Write both sides of the exchange yourself, then read the exchange aloud, taking each role in turn.
Reading Assessment
Read the following message, then answer the questions that follow.
Eine Nachricht von Paula (Message)
Hallo Lukas, danke für die genaue Wegbeschreibung — ich bin gut angekommen! Ich habe deine Nachricht gelesen und bin zuerst zur Brücke gegangen, dann rechts in die Bahnhofstraße, und ich habe dein Haus sofort zwischen der Bäckerei und dem Park gefunden. Übrigens: Ich habe unterwegs ein kleines Problem gehabt. Mein Koffer war schwer, und ich musste zweimal anhalten. Nächstes Mal sollte ich wirklich leichter packen! Kannst du mir noch sagen, wie die Kaffeemaschine in deiner Küche funktioniert? Ich möchte dir morgen früh gern einen Kaffee machen, bevor du aufwachst. Man muss sie bestimmt erst einschalten, oder? Bis gleich, Paula
Verständnisfragen
1. Wie ist Paula zu Lukas' Haus gekommen? Beschreibe den Weg in eigenen Worten.
2. Welches Problem hatte Paula unterwegs, und welchen Ratschlag gibt sie sich selbst?
3. Was möchte Paula am nächsten Morgen tun, und wonach fragt sie?
4. Finde im Text: ein Verb im Perfekt, eine Präposition mit Wechselpräposition-Bedeutung, und einen Konjunktiv-II-Ausdruck.
Writing Assessment — Reply and Instructions
This task asks you to write a reply to Paula that combines narration, spatial reference, and a short procedure — the core writing skills of Unit III.
- Reply to Paula's message. Briefly react to what she wrote (2–3 sentences), using at least one present perfect or simple past verb form.
- Give her the coffee machine instructions. Write four to six steps using at least one imperative or man-sentence, at least three sequence connectors, and at least one modal verb of necessity or permission.
- Add a short piece of advice or a wish for the rest of the weekend. Use at least one Konjunktiv II formula (ich würde gern, wir könnten, du solltest) or an infinitive construction with zu.
- Revise using the checklist below.
Checkliste — Editing Checklist:
- Narration uses correct present perfect or simple past forms.
- At least one two-way preposition or contracted form appears correctly.
- Instructions are logically ordered and connected with sequence words.
- The man construction or an imperative is used at least once and formed correctly.
- At least one modal verb and one Konjunktiv II or zu-infinitive expression appear.
- All nouns are capitalized; umlauts and ß are used correctly.
Culture and Communication
Real conversations rarely stay inside one grammatical system for long. A single visit with a friend can move from storytelling to advice-giving to precise directions to a small procedural explanation within a few minutes, often shifting address form along the way depending on who else is present or overhearing. Unit III has prepared you to make these shifts smoothly rather than treating each system as a separate, isolated skill.
Norms around inviting a guest into one's home, offering food or coffee, and giving directions vary across DACH households, cities, and generations. The scenario in this chapter reflects one common style of casual hosting between friends, not a fixed standard that applies to every household or region.
Common Mistakes to Recheck
Error: *Ich gehe in dem Park. (intended: motion into the park)
Correction: Ich gehe in den Park. Motion toward a destination takes the accusative; being located somewhere takes the dative — Ich bin im Park (dative) versus Ich gehe in den Park (accusative).
Error: *Zuerst schaltest du die Maschine ein, dann drücken Sie die Taste.
Correction: Keep one consistent address form throughout a single explanation: either du forms or Sie forms, not a mix — Zuerst schaltest du die Maschine ein, dann drückst du die Taste.
Error: *Ich möchte gestern ins Kino gegangen.
Correction: Konjunktiv II wish forms describe present or future wishes and hypotheticals, not completed past events — use the present perfect instead: Ich bin gestern ins Kino gegangen. Save ich hätte gern or ich würde gern for wishes and plans.
Chapter Summary
Chapter 15 reviewed and integrated the systems developed across Unit III: narrating past experiences with the present perfect, simple past, and temporal connectors; expressing wishes, plans, and advice with Konjunktiv II formulas and infinitive constructions with zu; describing places and routes with two-way prepositions and contracted forms; and giving instructions with imperatives, the man construction, sequence connectors, and modal verbs. You practiced listening to and reading connected everyday texts that combine these systems, and you produced a spoken and written response that moved naturally between narration, advice, spatial description, and procedure. These integrated skills prepare you for Unit IV, which turns to opinions, comparisons, culture, rules, and the Volume II capstone project.
Unit III Performance Task
Kapitel 15 — Unit III Performance Task
Ein Wochenendbesuch — A Weekend Visit
Complete an integrated task that draws on everything practiced in Chapters 11 through 15.
1. Erzählen
Narrate a recent event (real or invented) in 3–4 connected sentences using present perfect or simple past and at least one temporal connector.
2. Beraten
Give a friend advice or state a wish about a weekend plan using Konjunktiv II or a zu-infinitive construction.
3. Den Weg beschreiben
Describe a short route from one place to another using at least one two-way preposition and one contracted form.
4. Erklären
Explain a short procedure in four to six steps using imperatives or man, sequence connectors, and a modal of necessity or permission.
Component 1 — Spoken performance: Perform the Speaking Assessment task with a partner, or record both sides of the exchange as a solo alternative.
Component 2 — Written performance: Complete the Writing Assessment task, producing a reply message that covers narration, a short procedure, and advice or a wish.
| Criterion | What to look for |
|---|---|
| Task completion | All four tracks — narration, advice, route, procedure — appear clearly in speech and writing |
| Narrative accuracy | Correct present perfect or simple past forms with at least one temporal connector |
| Advisory forms | At least one accurate Konjunktiv II expression or zu-infinitive construction |
| Spatial accuracy | Correct case use with at least one two-way preposition and one contracted form |
| Procedural accuracy | Correctly formed imperative or man-construction, sequence connectors, and a modal of necessity or permission |
| Address consistency | One consistent address form maintained within each stretch of explanation |
Answer Key
Listening — Comprehension Questions
- Lukas hat letzte Woche sein erstes großes Projekt bei der Arbeit abgeschlossen; er erzählt es im Perfekt ("habe... abgeschlossen").
- Er schlägt vor, den Markt zu besuchen und danach zusammen zu frühstücken.
- Lukas' Haus ist zwischen der Bäckerei und dem Park, gegenüber der Apotheke. Sample prepositions: "zwischen", "gegenüber".
- Sample: Konjunktiv II — "könnten wir zusammen frühstücken"; imperative — "Geh zuerst aus dem Hotel raus".
Reading — Comprehension Questions
- Open response; accept a natural retelling that mentions the bridge, the right turn onto Bahnhofstraße, and the location between the bakery and the park.
- Ihr Koffer war schwer, und sie musste zweimal anhalten; sie rät sich selbst, nächstes Mal leichter zu packen.
- Sie möchte Lukas morgens einen Kaffee machen und fragt, wie die Kaffeemaschine funktioniert.
- Sample: Perfekt — "ich bin... gegangen" / "ich habe... gefunden"; Wechselpräposition — "zwischen der Bäckerei und dem Park"; Konjunktiv II — "Ich möchte... gern".
Writing and Speaking
Open production. Evaluate using the Unit III Performance Task criteria table above: task completion across all four tracks, narrative accuracy, advisory forms, spatial accuracy, procedural accuracy, and consistent address form. Accept any natural, accurate response that meets these criteria.
Looking Ahead
Was Sie nach Kapitel 15 können — What you can do after Chapter 15
You can now narrate a connected past experience, give advice and state wishes, describe places and routes with precision, and explain a procedure — and you can move naturally between these systems within a single conversation or message, maintaining a consistent address form throughout.