ReadFIT Grammar GuideA2–C1

Learn the grammar you meet in ReadFIT stories.

Built from Bruce Duncan’s German grammar reference (Dartmouth) with CEFR mapping from Kapitel Zwei Berlin. Clear patterns, minimal fluff, ready for quick study or deep dives.

Narratives & NewsLevel-awareTooltip-ready

Study flow

1Skim the quick table for your level.
2Open 2–3 topic cards; read examples aloud.
3Try the practice prompts. Keep sentences short and clear.

Quick Reference

Tap a topic to jump to its card.

Verb Tenses in NarrativesA2 → B1/B2 Subordinate Clauses & Word OrderA2 → B1 Relative ClausesB1 → B2/C1 Modal Verbs & AlternativesA1/A2 → B1/B2 Passive Voice & AlternativesB1 → B2/C1 Indirect Speech (Konjunktiv I)B2 → C1 Hypotheticals & Polite Forms (Konjunktiv II)A2 (intro) → B2/C1 Separable Verbs & Infinitive ClausesA2 → B1 Adjectives, Comparatives, ParticiplesA2 → C1 Prepositions & Verb–Preposition CollocationsA2 → B2 Connectors & FlowA1/A2 → C1 Nominalization & Formal StyleB2 → C1 Reflexive VerbsA1/A2 → B1 Konjunktiv I (Reported Speech Forms)B2 → C1

Topic	CEFR	Why it matters	Core cue	Example
Verb Tenses in Narratives	A2 → B1/B2	Sequence events for stories and reports: Perfekt for spoken storytelling, Präteritum for written narrative, Plusquamperfekt for past-before-past, Futur I for intent.	Perfekt: haben/sein + Partizip II	Sie hat das Buch gelesen. → She has read the book.
Subordinate Clauses & Word Order	A2 → B1	Cause, time, condition, contrast. Subordinator sends the finite verb to the end; main clause keeps V2.	weil, dass, wenn, obwohl, während, nachdem, bevor, damit, sodass	Ich bleibe zu Hause, weil ich krank bin. → I stay home because I am ill.
Relative Clauses	B1 → B2/C1	Inline description without new sentences; relative pronoun agrees in gender/number, case set by its role.	Relative pronoun + verb-final	Das ist der Mann, der mir geholfen hat. → That is the man who helped me.
Modal Verbs & Alternatives	A1/A2 → B1/B2	Ability, obligation, intent, hearsay; modals in position 2, main verb at the end.	können, müssen, dürfen, sollen, wollen + Infinitiv	Er muss jetzt gehen. → He must leave now.
Passive Voice & Alternatives	B1 → B2/C1	Focus on action/result; common in news. Vorgangspassiv uses werden + Partizip II.	werden + Partizip II	Der Brief wird geschrieben. → The letter is being written.
Indirect Speech (Konjunktiv I)	B2 → C1	Reported speech in journalism and narrated tales; Konjunktiv I often in 3rd person.	Konjunktiv I forms; if identical to indicative, switch to Konjunktiv II or würde + Infinitiv	Er sagte, er habe keine Zeit. → He said he has no time.
Hypotheticals & Polite Forms (Konjunktiv II)	A2 (intro) → B2/C1	Unreal conditions, wishes, polite requests; würde + Infinitiv or synthetic forms.	würde + Infinitiv	Wenn ich Zeit hätte, käme ich. → If I had time, I would come.
Separable Verbs & Infinitive Clauses	A2 → B1	High-frequency verbs split in main clauses; purpose clauses explain intent.	Main clause V2: prefix to clause end (steht … auf)	Er steht um sechs Uhr auf. → He gets up at six.
Adjectives, Comparatives, Participles	A2 → C1	Descriptive power in narrative; endings, comparisons, participles as adjectives, nominalized adjectives.	Case/gender/definiteness drive endings	Ein spannender Roman. → An exciting novel.
Prepositions & Verb–Preposition Collocations	A2 → B2	Places actions in time/space; collocations change meaning and case.	Wechselpräpositionen: accusative for movement, dative for location	Er wartet auf den Bus. → He is waiting for the bus.
Connectors & Flow	A1/A2 → C1	Signals logic and keeps long sentences readable; learn clause type and inversion rules.	Coordinating (und, aber, denn) keep V2	Obwohl es kalt ist, bleiben wir draußen. → Although it is cold, we stay outside.
Nominalization & Formal Style	B2 → C1	Formal compression common in news/essays; verbs/adjectives become nouns.	-ung, -heit, -keit nouns; capitalized adjectives/participles as nouns	Nach der Zerstörung begann der Wiederaufbau. → After the destruction, rebuilding began.
Reflexive Verbs	A1/A2 → B1	Verbs where the subject acts on itself using a reflexive pronoun (sich). Very common in German for emotions, daily routines, and reciprocal actions.	sich + verb (accusative): sich freuen, sich waschen, sich setzen	Ich freue mich auf den Urlaub. → I am looking forward to the vacation.
Konjunktiv I (Reported Speech Forms)	B2 → C1	The dedicated subjunctive mood for reported speech in formal German. Distinct from Konjunktiv II (hypotheticals). Essential for journalism and academic writing.	Formation: verb stem + -e endings (er gehe, sie komme, man nehme)	Er sagte, er sei müde. → He said he was tired.

A2 → B1/B2

Verb Tenses in Narratives

Sequence events for stories and reports: Perfekt for spoken storytelling, Präteritum for written narrative, Plusquamperfekt for past-before-past, Futur I for intent.

Study focus

Patterns

Perfekt: haben/sein + Partizip II
Präteritum: simple past forms, esp. common verbs and modals
Plusquamperfekt: hatte/war + Partizip II for past-before-past
Futur I: wird + Infinitiv (or present + time adverb)

Pitfalls

Wrong auxiliary (sein vs. haben)
Using Futur I where present + time adverb is natural

Examples

Sie hat das Buch gelesen.

She has read the book.

Er ging nach Hause.

He went home.

Er war gegangen, bevor sie kam.

He had left before she arrived.

Practice

Rewrite a short anecdote in Perfekt, then in Präteritum; compare tone.

Tip: Keep sentences short. Read aloud to hear the word order.

A2 → B1

Subordinate Clauses & Word Order

Cause, time, condition, contrast. Subordinator sends the finite verb to the end; main clause keeps V2.

Study focus

Patterns

weil, dass, wenn, obwohl, während, nachdem, bevor, damit, sodass
Verb-final in the subclause; comma between clauses

Pitfalls

Verb position errors
Mixing wenn vs. als for single past events
Missing commas

Examples

Ich bleibe zu Hause, weil ich krank bin.

I stay home because I am ill.

Als er ankam, regnete es.

When he arrived, it was raining.

Nachdem sie gegessen hatten, gingen sie spazieren.

After they ate, they went for a walk.

Practice

Join two simple sentences with weil and obwohl; keep verbs at the end in the subclauses.

Tip: Keep sentences short. Read aloud to hear the word order.

B1 → B2/C1

Relative Clauses

Inline description without new sentences; relative pronoun agrees in gender/number, case set by its role.

Study focus

Patterns

Relative pronoun + verb-final
Comma separates the clause
Preposition sticks to the pronoun

Pitfalls

Wrong case on pronoun
Dropping the preposition
Missing comma

Examples

Das ist der Mann, der mir geholfen hat.

That is the man who helped me.

Das Haus, in dem sie wohnt, ist alt.

The house she lives in is old.

Practice

Describe a person and place using a relative clause with a preposition (in dem/auf dem/mit der).

Tip: Keep sentences short. Read aloud to hear the word order.

B1 → B2/C1

Passive Voice & Alternatives

Focus on action/result; common in news. Vorgangspassiv uses werden + Partizip II.

Study focus

Patterns

werden + Partizip II
Agent optional with von/durch
Alternatives: reflexive or man

Pitfalls

Using sein instead of werden for action passive
Overusing passive where reflexive/man is smoother

Examples

Der Brief wird geschrieben.

The letter is being written.

Das Fenster wurde geöffnet.

The window was opened.

Das Fenster öffnet sich.

The window opens (itself).

Practice

Convert two active sentences to passive, then to a reflexive/man alternative.

Tip: Keep sentences short. Read aloud to hear the word order.

B2 → C1

Indirect Speech (Konjunktiv I)

Reported speech in journalism and narrated tales; Konjunktiv I often in 3rd person.

Study focus

Patterns

Konjunktiv I forms; if identical to indicative, switch to Konjunktiv II or würde + Infinitiv

Pitfalls

Using indicative in formal news
Switching forms mid-report

Examples

Er sagte, er habe keine Zeit.

He said he has no time.

Sie berichtet, er sei angekommen.

She reports he has arrived.

Practice

Report three quotes in indirect speech; use würde + Infinitiv when forms collide with indicative.

Tip: Keep sentences short. Read aloud to hear the word order.

A2 (intro) → B2/C1

Hypotheticals & Polite Forms (Konjunktiv II)

Unreal conditions, wishes, polite requests; würde + Infinitiv or synthetic forms.

Study focus

Patterns

würde + Infinitiv
wäre, hätte, könnte, müsste, sollte
Past unreal: hätte/wäre + Partizip II

Pitfalls

Mixing real vs. unreal conditions
Wrong auxiliary in past unreal

Examples

Wenn ich Zeit hätte, käme ich.

If I had time, I would come.

Ich hätte gern einen Kaffee.

I would like a coffee.

Wäre er früher gekommen, hätte er sie getroffen.

Had he come earlier, he would have met her.

Practice

Write one present-unreal and one past-unreal conditional about your day.

Tip: Keep sentences short. Read aloud to hear the word order.

A2 → B1

Separable Verbs & Infinitive Clauses

High-frequency verbs split in main clauses; purpose clauses explain intent.

Study focus

Patterns

Main clause V2: prefix to clause end (steht … auf)
Subclauses keep joined (aufstehen)
zu-/um…zu + Infinitiv for purpose

Pitfalls

Dropping the prefix
Forgetting zu in infinitive clauses

Examples

Er steht um sechs Uhr auf.

He gets up at six.

Sie versucht, früh aufzustehen.

She tries to get up early.

Er lernt, um Arzt zu werden.

He studies to become a doctor.

Practice

Turn two main clauses with separable verbs into subclauses (dass er aufsteht…).

Tip: Keep sentences short. Read aloud to hear the word order.

A2 → C1

Adjectives, Comparatives, Participles

Descriptive power in narrative; endings, comparisons, participles as adjectives, nominalized adjectives.

Study focus

Patterns

Case/gender/definiteness drive endings
Comparative -er; superlative am -sten or -ste before nouns
Participles as adjectives (lachendes Kind); nominalized adjectives (das Unbekannte)

Pitfalls

Endings after ein-words
Adjective vs. adverb confusion
Commas with long participial phrases

Examples

Ein spannender Roman.

An exciting novel.

Der zweite Teil war besser.

The second part was better.

Vor ihm stand ein lachendes Kind.

A laughing child stood before him.

Das Unbekannte machte ihr Angst.

The unknown scared her.

Practice

Describe a scene using one comparative and one participial adjective.

Tip: Keep sentences short. Read aloud to hear the word order.

A2 → B2

Prepositions & Verb–Preposition Collocations

Places actions in time/space; collocations change meaning and case.

Study focus

Patterns

Wechselpräpositionen: accusative for movement, dative for location
Common collocations fix preposition + case (warten auf + Akk., teilnehmen an + Dat.)
Genitive prepositions appear by B2 (trotz, während as prep.)

Pitfalls

Wrong case with two-way prepositions
Literal translation of collocations

Examples

Er wartet auf den Bus.

He is waiting for the bus.

Sie interessiert sich für Musik.

She is interested in music.

Nach dem Essen gehen wir spazieren.

After eating we go for a walk.

Trotz des Regens spielen sie.

Despite the rain they play.

Practice

Make three verb+prep pairs with the correct case and use them in sentences.

Tip: Keep sentences short. Read aloud to hear the word order.

A1/A2 → C1

Connectors & Flow

Signals logic and keeps long sentences readable; learn clause type and inversion rules.

Study focus

Patterns

Coordinating (und, aber, denn) keep V2
Subordinating (weil, obwohl, damit, wenn) send verb to end
Adverbial connectors (trotzdem, daher, inzwischen) trigger inversion
Two-part connectors: je… desto; nicht nur… sondern auch

Pitfalls

Forgetting inversion after adverbials
Mismatching two-part connectors

Examples

Obwohl es kalt ist, bleiben wir draußen.

Although it is cold, we stay outside.

Er arbeitet viel, damit er reisen kann.

He works a lot so he can travel.

Je länger er wartete, desto ungeduldiger wurde er.

The longer he waited, the more impatient he became.

Practice

Write one sentence with trotzdem + inversion, and one with je… desto.

Tip: Keep sentences short. Read aloud to hear the word order.

B2 → C1

Nominalization & Formal Style

Formal compression common in news/essays; verbs/adjectives become nouns.

Study focus

Patterns

-ung, -heit, -keit nouns; capitalized adjectives/participles as nouns
Unpack dense noun phrases into clauses when reading

Pitfalls

Dense noun clusters reduce readability
Overuse makes prose heavy

Examples

Nach der Zerstörung begann der Wiederaufbau.

After the destruction, rebuilding began.

Practice

Take a sentence with two verbs and rewrite it using one nominalization.

Tip: Keep sentences short. Read aloud to hear the word order.

A1/A2 → B1

Reflexive Verbs

Verbs where the subject acts on itself using a reflexive pronoun (sich). Very common in German for emotions, daily routines, and reciprocal actions.

Study focus

Patterns

sich + verb (accusative): sich freuen, sich waschen, sich setzen
sich + verb (dative): sich etwas vorstellen, sich etwas wünschen
Reflexive pronoun changes with person: mich/mir, dich/dir, sich, uns, euch, sich

Pitfalls

Forgetting the reflexive pronoun
Mixing accusative and dative reflexive pronouns
Some verbs are reflexive in German but not in English (sich erinnern = to remember)

Examples

Ich freue mich auf den Urlaub.

I am looking forward to the vacation.

Er interessiert sich für Musik.

He is interested in music.

Wir erinnern uns an den Sommer.

We remember the summer.

Practice

Describe your morning routine using three reflexive verbs (sich waschen, sich anziehen, sich setzen).

Tip: Keep sentences short. Read aloud to hear the word order.

B2 → C1

Konjunktiv I (Reported Speech Forms)

The dedicated subjunctive mood for reported speech in formal German. Distinct from Konjunktiv II (hypotheticals). Essential for journalism and academic writing.

Study focus

Patterns

Formation: verb stem + -e endings (er gehe, sie komme, man nehme)
sein is irregular: ich sei, er sei, wir seien
If K1 = indicative, substitute K2 (er habe → er hätte) or würde + Infinitiv
Common in 3rd person: er sei, sie habe, man könne

Pitfalls

Confusing K1 with K2 (sei vs. wäre)
Using indicative instead of K1 in formal contexts
K1 identical to indicative in 1st person plural (wir haben = wir haben)

Examples

Er sagte, er sei müde.

He said he was tired.

Die Zeitung berichtet, man habe das Problem gelöst.

The newspaper reports that the problem has been solved.

Sie erklärte, sie könne nicht kommen.

She explained that she could not come.

Practice

Take a quote from a news article and rewrite it in indirect speech using Konjunktiv I.

Tip: Keep sentences short. Read aloud to hear the word order.

How to study with this page

Start at your CEFR band and pick two topics.
Read the German examples aloud; note verb position and endings.
Do the practice prompts; keep them concise and clear.
After a ReadFIT story, return here: find a matching structure and compare.

Citations

Bruce Duncan, German Grammar (Dartmouth German Studies online reference) — table and explanations adapted.
Kapitel Zwei Berlin CEFR grammar outline — level mapping for each topic.

Source links available on the Dartmouth German Studies site and Kapitel Zwei course outline.