German B1.2: 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 B1.2

• Two-part connectors
• lassen, brauchen…zu & modal alternatives
• Vermutung & modal particles
• Reflexive with dative & reciprocal
• Verbs with fixed prepositions (B1 list)
• Text connectors for writing
• Speaking Redemittel
• Exam strategy: Lesen
• Exam strategy: Hören
• Exam strategy: Schreiben & Sprechen

The 3 mock exams

Each mock exam for B1.2 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 185 words

A sample from step B1.2: each word with its article and forms where it has them, its meaning in English and a pronunciation guide. The app has all 185, with examples.

die Umweltzone · Umweltzonen

low-emission zone — /OOM-velt-tsoh-nuh/

das Missverständnis · Missverständnisse

misunderstanding — /MISS-fair-shtent-niss/

die Freizeitaktivität · Freizeitaktivitäten

leisure activity — /FRAI-tsait-ak-ti-vi-teht/

geizig

stingy / mean — /GAI-tsihy/

anzeigen · zeigt an · hat angezeigt

to report (to the police) / to display — /AN-tsai-gen/

der Freiberufler · Freiberufler

freelancer — /FRAI-buh-roof-ler/

die Gemeinde · Gemeinden

municipality / community — /guh-MAIN-duh/

das Widerrufsrecht

right of withdrawal — /VEE-der-roofs-rehyt/

egoistisch

selfish — /ay-go-IS-tish/

das Muster · Muster

pattern / sample — /MOOS-ter/

wessen

whose — /VES-sen/

die Alufolie

aluminium foil — /AH-loo-foh-lyuh/

die Stellenbeschreibung · Stellenbeschreibungen

job description — /SHTEL-len-buh-shrai-boong/

die Prise · Prisen

pinch — /PREE-zuh/

zweifeln · zweifelt · hat gezweifelt

to doubt — /TSVAI-feln/

die Sitzung · Sitzungen

session / meeting — /ZIT-soong/

sich schämen · schämt sich · hat sich geschämt

to be ashamed — /zihy SHEH-men/

der Standpunkt · Standpunkte

point of view — /SHTANT-poonkt/

erziehen · erzieht · hat erzogen

to raise / to bring up — /air-TSEE-en/

rechtlich

legal / legally — /REHYT-lihy/

die Hilfsbereitschaft

helpfulness — /HILFS-buh-rait-shaft/

lebhaft

lively — /LAYP-haft/

zusagen · sagt zu · hat zugesagt

to accept / to confirm attendance — /TSOO-zah-gen/

leiden · leidet · hat gelitten

to suffer — /LAI-den/

die Ware · Waren

goods / merchandise — /VAH-ruh/

Questions, answered.