German B1.1: the words, the grammar and the mock exams

What B1 means

At B1 you understand the main points of clear, standard language about familiar things at work, school or in your free time. You can deal with most situations while travelling, and describe experiences, events, hopes and plans, with short reasons.

These are the levels of the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFR), which the Goethe-Zertifikat and telc exams follow. Each step's words and grammar are Sogda's selection for its level.

The 10 grammar topics of B1.1

• Konjunktiv II past & irreal conditions
• Passive (past) & Zustandspassiv
• n-Deklination
• Relative clauses with prepositions & wo
• Adjective declension (full) & participles as adjectives
• um…zu, ohne…zu, (an)statt…zu, damit
• Indirect speech (recognition)
• Genitive prepositions
• Word formation & nominalisation
• Formal letters & emails

The 3 mock exams

Each mock exam for B1.1 has 40 questions and two tasks, 48 points in all, with a result for each section. Like the real exams, they test listening, writing and speaking, plus vocabulary and grammar; there's no reading-comprehension part. They're generated from the step's words and grammar, not official Goethe or telc papers.

• Vocabulary: 10 questions
• Reverse (from the meaning to German): 8 questions
• Articles: 6 questions
• Word forms: 4 questions
• Gap fill: 6 questions
• Grammar: 4 questions
• Listening: 2 questions
• Writing: a text of at least 100 words
• Speaking: up to 90 seconds

25 of the 194 words

A sample from step B1.1: each word with its article and forms where it has them, its meaning in English and a pronunciation guide. The app has all 194, with examples.

der Eigentümer · Eigentümer

owner — /AI-gen-tew-mer/

die Toleranz

tolerance — /to-luh-RANTS/

die Nachzahlung · Nachzahlungen

additional payment / back payment — /NAHKH-tsah-loong/

der Blutdruck

blood pressure — /BLOOT-drook/

die Ummeldung · Ummeldungen

re-registration (change of address) — /OOM-mel-doong/

entlassen · entlässt · hat entlassen

to dismiss / to lay off — /ent-LAS-sen/

das Bußgeld · Bußgelder

fine — /BOOSS-gelt/

die Zwischenmiete · Zwischenmieten

sublet / interim rental — /TSVISH-en-mee-tuh/

die Einweihungsparty · Einweihungspartys

housewarming party — /AIN-vai-oongss-par-tee/

der Sachbearbeiter · Sachbearbeiter

case worker / clerk — /ZAKH-buh-ar-bai-ter/

die Police · Policen

insurance policy — /po-LEE-suh/

die Krise · Krisen

crisis — /KREE-zuh/

die Demonstration · Demonstrationen

demonstration — /day-mon-stra-TSYOHN/

die Übergabe · Übergaben

handover — /EW-ber-gah-buh/

die Verwaltung · Verwaltungen

administration — /fair-VAL-toong/

die Gehaltsabrechnung · Gehaltsabrechnungen

payslip — /guh-HALTS-ap-rehy-noong/

sich übergeben · übergibt sich · hat sich übergeben

to vomit — /zihy ew-ber-GAY-ben/

die Bearbeitung · Bearbeitungen

processing — /buh-AR-bai-toong/

das Lernziel · Lernziele

learning goal — /LAIRN-tseel/

die Steuererklärung · Steuererklärungen

tax return — /SHTOY-er-air-kleh-roong/

die Haftpflichtversicherung · Haftpflichtversicherungen

liability insurance — /HAFT-pflihyt-fair-zihy-uh-roong/

das Stipendium · Stipendien

scholarship — /shti-PEN-dyoom/

die Angabe · Angaben

information / detail (given) — /AN-gah-buh/

fällig

due — /FEL-lihy/

die Globalisierung

globalisation — /glo-ba-li-ZEE-roong/

Questions, answered.