Zusammenfassen und Berichten
Chapter Overview and Objectives
Chapter 19 follows directly from the compound analysis and style work of Chapter 18. Tobias's team has been asked to summarize the feedback that colleagues gave about the new working-time arrangement and to report the findings to Frau Ecker in a short written report. This chapter teaches you to summarize written sources neutrally, distinguishing what a source says from what you think about it; to report findings and simple procedures in organized paragraphs; and to recognize, receptively, the reported-speech verb forms known as Konjunktiv I that German journalism and reports use to mark information as someone else's claim. You will also practice the difference between quoting, paraphrasing, and giving your own opinion, and you will learn to attribute information transparently rather than presenting a source's words as your own.
By the end of this chapter, you will be able to:
- Summarize a short written source in your own words, in simple, well-organized German.
- Report findings and simple procedures using appropriate connectors and cohesive paragraphing.
- Distinguish quotation, paraphrase, and your own opinion, and mark each one clearly.
- Recognize Konjunktiv I forms in reported speech and understand what they signal about a source.
- Use reporting frames such as laut, nach Angaben von, and sagen, dass to attribute information transparently.
- Revise a summary or report for clarity, cohesion, and honest attribution of sources.
Opening Scenario
Frau Ecker asks Tobias's team to collect and summarize feedback about the new working-time arrangement after its first month and to prepare a short written report for the next department meeting. Tobias gathers a handful of written comments from colleagues, reads them carefully, and has to decide what belongs in the report as a neutral summary of what people said, what belongs as a clearly marked recommendation from the team, and what should be left out because it is a single, unverified complaint. He also has to decide how to introduce a colleague's comment without pretending it is his own observation.
- Review the vocabulary and grammar focus below.
- Study the model dialogue and complete the guided practice.
- Complete the Listening, Speaking, Reading, and Writing tasks in order.
- Finish with the Practical Performance Task, which integrates all components.
Core Vocabulary
The vocabulary below supports summarizing sources, reporting findings, and distinguishing quotation, paraphrase, and opinion.
Forschung und Berichte
- die Zusammenfassung, die Zusammenfassungen — summary
- der Bericht, die Berichte — report
- das Ergebnis, die Ergebnisse — finding, result
- die Quelle, die Quellen — source
- die Angabe, die Angaben — statement, piece of information
Wiedergeben und Zitieren
- das Zitat, die Zitate — quotation
- die Paraphrase, die Paraphrasen — paraphrase
- die Meinung, die Meinungen — opinion
- zusammenfassen — to summarize
- wiedergeben — to render, to report (someone's words)
Verben des Sagens
- berichten — to report
- angeben — to state, to indicate
- behaupten — to claim, to assert
- feststellen — to determine, to note (as a finding)
- empfehlen — to recommend
Nützliche Ausdrücke
- laut (+ Dativ/Genitiv) — according to
- nach Angaben von — according to information from
- im Großen und Ganzen — on the whole
- zusammenfassend lässt sich sagen, dass ... — in summary, it can be said that ...
All active nouns above appear with article and plural, consistent with the vocabulary standard established since Volume I.
Grammar Focus: Berichten und Wiedergeben
Summarizing and reporting require language that clearly signals where information comes from. German has several everyday tools for this that do not depend on Konjunktiv I: reporting frames with prepositions, the verb sagen plus a dass-clause, and cohesive connectors that organize a report into a clear sequence of points.
Prepositional frames: laut and nach Angaben von introduce a source directly before a noun phrase, without a subordinate clause: Laut der Umfrage sind die meisten Mitarbeiter zufrieden. ("According to the survey, most employees are satisfied.") laut is most often used without an article in fixed phrases, but takes the dative when an article is present; in careful written style it may also govern the genitive.
Clausal frames: sagen, dass, berichten, dass, and angeben, dass introduce a full subordinate clause with verb-final order: Ein Kollege sagt, dass die neue Regelung gut funktioniert. ("A colleague says that the new arrangement is working well.")
Neutral verbs of finding: feststellen presents information as an observed finding rather than a personal claim: Der Bericht stellt fest, dass ... ("The report finds/notes that ..."). behaupten signals that a claim is contested or unverified and should be used carefully.
- Laut den Rückmeldungen ist die Regelung im Großen und Ganzen positiv aufgenommen worden. According to the feedback, the arrangement has been received positively on the whole. laut + dative noun phrase, passive perfect
- Ein Kollege gibt an, dass die festen Bürotage die Zusammenarbeit im Team verbessert haben. A colleague states that the fixed office days have improved teamwork. angeben + dass-clause, verb-final
- Der Bericht stellt fest, dass zwei Abteilungen noch Fragen zur Anwendung haben. The report notes that two departments still have questions about the application. feststellen + dass-clause, neutral framing
Error: *Die Regelung ist perfekt und sollte nie geändert werden. (presented as the writer's own summary sentence, when it is actually one colleague's unmarked opinion copied from a comment)
Correction: Ein Kollege findet die Regelung sehr gelungen und möchte, dass sie unverändert bleibt; andere Rückmeldungen sind zurückhaltender. — attribute a strong or one-sided opinion to its source and, where relevant, note that other feedback differs, instead of presenting a single view as the general finding.
Konjunktiv I: Rezeptives Erkennen
Formal reports, news articles, and academic writing often mark reported speech with a special verb form called Konjunktiv I, rather than with dass or quotation marks alone. At this level, you only need to recognize Konjunktiv I when reading; you are not expected to produce it.
What it looks like: Konjunktiv I typically changes the verb ending, most noticeably in the third person singular: er/sie/es habe (from haben), er/sie/es sei (from sein), er/sie/es könne (from können), er/sie/es arbeite (from arbeiten).
What it signals: Konjunktiv I tells the reader that the writer is reporting someone else's statement, not asserting it as established fact. A journalist writing der Sprecher sagte, die Regelung sei ein Erfolg is reporting the spokesperson's claim without endorsing it.
Where you meet it: Konjunktiv I appears mainly in news reporting, some academic writing, and formal minutes. It is uncommon in everyday spoken German, where dass-clauses with the ordinary indicative are far more usual. This chapter treats Konjunktiv I as a recognition skill for reading, not a production target.
- Der Bericht schreibt, die Mitarbeiterzufriedenheit habe sich verbessert. The report writes that employee satisfaction has improved (according to the report). habe = Konjunktiv I of haben, third person singular; receptive only
- Die Abteilungsleitung erklärte, die neue Regelung sei noch in der Testphase. The department management explained that the new arrangement is still in a trial phase (as they stated). sei = Konjunktiv I of sein; marks the claim as the department's own statement
This chapter does not require you to conjugate or produce Konjunktiv I. When you write your own summaries and reports, continue to use the reporting frames and dass-clauses practiced above; recognizing Konjunktiv I will help you read authentic reports and news texts accurately.
Model Dialogue
Setting: Tobias and a teammate, Frau Weiss, plan the short report before writing it. Context: colleague to colleague, informal spoken register used to plan a formal written text.
Guided Practice
For each sentence, decide whether it represents a summary of general feedback, a single individual's opinion, or the writing team's own recommendation. Then rewrite each as a properly attributed sentence using a reporting frame from this chapter.
- "Die Regelung funktioniert gut." (gesagt von mehreren Kollegen in den Rückmeldungen)
- "Ich finde die festen Bürotage unnötig." (gesagt von einem einzelnen Kollegen)
- "Wir sollten die Regelung nach drei Monaten noch einmal überprüfen." (Empfehlung des Teams von Tobias)
- "Die Kundenbetreuung hat unter der neuen Regelung nicht gelitten." (laut dem Bericht der Abteilungsleitung)
Model answers appear in the Answer Key.
Listening Practice
Ask a partner, instructor, or text-to-speech tool to read the following short passage aloud. Listen once for the overall content, then again for reporting frames and attributed opinions.
Kurzbericht — Listening Script
Laut den Rückmeldungen aus den Teams wird die neue Arbeitszeitregelung im Großen und Ganzen positiv bewertet. Die meisten Kolleginnen und Kollegen geben an, dass die festen Bürotage die Zusammenarbeit verbessert haben. Ein Kollege findet die Regelung dagegen unpraktisch, weil sie seinen Arbeitsablauf erschwert. Zusammenfassend lässt sich sagen, dass die Regelung insgesamt gut angenommen wurde, auch wenn einzelne Anpassungen sinnvoll sein könnten.
Verständnisfragen
1. Wie wird die Regelung laut den meisten Rückmeldungen bewertet?
2. Was sagt der eine Kollege, der die Regelung kritisch sieht?
3. Identify each reporting frame in the passage (for example, laut, angeben, dass) and what it introduces.
Speaking Practice: Ergebnisse präsentieren
Aufgabe: Ein Ergebnis kurz vorstellen
Work with a partner. One of you presents a short finding from the Reading Practice notice below aloud, using a reporting frame to attribute it clearly. The other listens and then restates the finding in their own words, checking that the attribution stayed accurate.
Ergebnisse zum Vorstellen
- die allgemeine Zufriedenheit mit der Regelung
- die Meinung des einzelnen Kollegen
- die Empfehlung des Teams
- die Angabe zur Kundenbetreuung
Sprecher/in A und B — Präsentieren
Speaker A presents a finding using a reporting frame (laut ..., ... gibt an, dass ...). Speaker B restates it in their own words and confirms whether it is a general finding, an individual opinion, or a recommendation.
Bewertungshinweise — Speaking Criteria
- Clear use of at least one reporting frame.
- Accurate distinction between general finding, individual opinion, and recommendation.
- A restatement that reflects the original finding without distortion.
- Comprehensible, natural pronunciation and pacing.
Solo alternative: Record yourself presenting each finding aloud with a reporting frame, then restate it in your own words.
Reading Practice
Kurzbericht an die Abteilungsleitung
Betreff: Rückmeldungen zur neuen Arbeitszeitregelung nach dem ersten Monat
Laut den insgesamt zehn Rückmeldungen aus den Teams wird die neue Arbeitszeitregelung im Großen und Ganzen positiv bewertet. Acht Kolleginnen und Kollegen geben an, dass die zwei festen Bürotage die Zusammenarbeit im Team verbessert haben, und mehrere erwähnen, dass die flexible Gestaltung der übrigen Tage ihnen mehr Freiheit bei der Planung gibt. Ein Kollege findet die Regelung dagegen unpraktisch, weil sie seinen Arbeitsablauf mit externen Kundenterminen erschwert; diese Rückmeldung bleibt bisher eine Einzelmeinung. Nach Angaben der Abteilungsleitungen hat die Kundenbetreuung unter der neuen Regelung nicht gelitten. Das Team empfiehlt, die Regelung nach drei weiteren Monaten erneut zu überprüfen und dabei besonders auf Kolleginnen und Kollegen mit häufigen Kundenterminen zu achten.
Verständnisfragen
1. Wie viele Rückmeldungen bewerten die Regelung laut dem Bericht positiv?
2. Warum findet ein Kollege die Regelung unpraktisch?
3. Find one sentence that reports a general finding, one that reports a single opinion, and one that gives the team's own recommendation. Identify the reporting frame or marker in each.
Writing Workshop
Using the notice from Reading Practice as your source, write a short summary report of three to five sentences. Your report should include one sentence summarizing the general finding, one sentence that clearly attributes the individual opinion, and one sentence giving your own brief recommendation, clearly marked as such.
- Identify the general finding in the source and summarize it in your own words using a reporting frame.
- Identify the individual opinion and attribute it clearly, without presenting it as a general result.
- Add one brief recommendation of your own, marked with a phrase such as wir empfehlen, dass ... or zusammenfassend lässt sich sagen, dass ....
- Check that no sentence copies the source's wording closely; restate each point in your own words.
- Review your report against the checklist below.
Revision checklist:
- Is the general finding clearly distinguished from any individual opinion?
- Is every piece of information attributed to its source rather than presented as the writer's own observation?
- Is the recommendation clearly marked as the writer's own view?
- Are reporting frames and connectors used naturally, and is capitalization and case marking correct?
Culture and Communication
Workplace and academic reports in German-speaking contexts, as elsewhere, are expected to distinguish clearly between what a source states, what a single individual believes, and what the writer concludes or recommends. Blurring these categories, even unintentionally, can misrepresent the underlying feedback or research and undermine trust in the report.
Konjunktiv I for reported speech is especially common in German-language newspapers and news broadcasts across the DACH region, though its frequency and strictness vary by publication, genre, and country. Everyday workplace reports, like the one in this chapter, more often rely on reporting frames and dass-clauses instead.
Common Mistakes to Avoid
Error: *Die Regelung ist unpraktisch. (stated as a general summary conclusion, based on only one colleague's comment)
Correction: Ein Kollege findet die Regelung unpraktisch; die übrigen Rückmeldungen sind überwiegend positiv. — attribute an individual view to its source and note how it relates to the broader feedback.
Error: Reproducing a colleague's written comment sentence for sentence as if it were the report's own summary.
Correction: Restate the point in different words, using a reporting frame such as laut or ... gibt an, dass ... to show that it comes from a source rather than from the writer.
Error: *Die Regelung funktioniert gut und sollte unbedingt beibehalten werden. (mixing a reported finding with the writer's own recommendation in one unmarked sentence)
Correction: Laut den Rückmeldungen funktioniert die Regelung gut. Das Team empfiehlt, sie beizubehalten. — separate the reported finding from the writer's own recommendation into two clearly marked sentences.
Chapter Summary
Chapter 19 developed the skills needed to summarize sources and report findings responsibly: using reporting frames such as laut, nach Angaben von, and sagen/angeben, dass to attribute information clearly; distinguishing quotation, paraphrase, and opinion from your own conclusions; recognizing Konjunktiv I as a marker of reported speech in formal texts; and organizing a short report into cohesive, well-attributed paragraphs. You practiced reading and writing a workplace summary report and learned to separate general findings from individual opinions and from your own recommendations. These skills prepare you for Chapter 20, the volume's capstone project, which integrates narrative, explanation, argument, formal communication, and mediation.
Chapter Review
Before moving to Chapter 20, confirm that you can:
- summarize a short written source neutrally, in your own words;
- use reporting frames such as laut, nach Angaben von, and sagen/angeben, dass;
- distinguish and clearly mark quotation, paraphrase, and opinion;
- recognize Konjunktiv I forms in reported speech when reading; and
- organize a short report into cohesive paragraphs with clear attribution.
Practical Performance Task
Kapitel 19 — Praktische Aufgabe
Einen kurzen Bericht schreiben und vorstellen — Writing and Presenting a Short Report
Complete a connected sequence of tasks that builds and demonstrates control of summarizing, attribution, and reporting.
1. Quelle lesen
Read the Reading Practice notice carefully and identify its general finding, individual opinion, and any recommendation.
2. Bericht schreiben
Write a short summary report of three to five sentences, following the Writing Workshop steps and checklist.
3. Ergebnis vorstellen
Present one finding from your report aloud to a partner or in a recording, using a reporting frame.
4. Bericht überprüfen
Check your written report against the revision checklist for clear attribution and paraphrase.
Component 1 — Written performance: Complete the Writing Workshop summary report.
Component 2 — Spoken performance: Complete the Speaking Practice presentation task with a partner, or record a solo alternative.
| Criterion | What to look for |
|---|---|
| Neutral summary | General finding is stated accurately and without distortion |
| Clear attribution | Individual opinions and sources are clearly marked, not blended with the writer's own voice |
| Recommendation marking | Any recommendation is clearly identified as the writer's own view |
| Paraphrase quality | Source wording is restated in the writer's own words, not copied closely |
| Spoken clarity | The presentation is clear, direct, and appropriately paced |
Answer Key
Guided Practice — Model Answers
- General finding: Laut mehreren Rückmeldungen funktioniert die Regelung gut.
- Individual opinion: Ein Kollege gibt an, dass er die festen Bürotage für unnötig hält.
- Team recommendation: Das Team empfiehlt, die Regelung nach drei Monaten erneut zu überprüfen.
- Reported finding: Laut dem Bericht der Abteilungsleitung hat die Kundenbetreuung unter der neuen Regelung nicht gelitten.
Listening Practice — Comprehension Questions
- Die Regelung wird im Großen und Ganzen positiv bewertet.
- Er findet, dass die Regelung seinen Arbeitsablauf erschwert.
- Laut den Rückmeldungen ... (introduces the general finding); ... geben an, dass ... (introduces the majority view); Ein Kollege findet ... (introduces the individual opinion); Zusammenfassend lässt sich sagen, dass ... (introduces the overall conclusion).
Reading Practice — Comprehension Questions
- Acht von zehn Rückmeldungen bewerten die Regelung positiv.
- Weil sie seinen Arbeitsablauf mit externen Kundenterminen erschwert.
- General finding: Laut den insgesamt zehn Rückmeldungen ... wird die neue Arbeitszeitregelung im Großen und Ganzen positiv bewertet. Individual opinion: Ein Kollege findet die Regelung dagegen unpraktisch ...; diese Rückmeldung bleibt bisher eine Einzelmeinung. Recommendation: Das Team empfiehlt, die Regelung nach drei weiteren Monaten erneut zu überprüfen ...
Speaking Practice and Writing Workshop
Open production. Evaluate using the performance task criteria table above, with particular attention to clear attribution and accurate paraphrase.
Practical Performance Task
Open production across both components. Evaluate holistically using the performance task criteria table: neutral summary, clear attribution, recommendation marking, paraphrase quality, and spoken clarity.
Looking Ahead
Was Sie nach Kapitel 19 können — What you can do after Chapter 19
You can now summarize a written source neutrally, attribute findings and opinions transparently, recognize Konjunktiv I in reported speech, and organize a short report into cohesive, well-attributed paragraphs. These skills prepare you for Chapter 20, the volume's capstone project, which asks you to integrate narrative, explanation, argument, formal communication, and mediation into a complete B2-level portfolio.