Reference
Grammar kit
14 places where German gets into your English. Each one has typical errors, corrections and a rule to remember.
Common mistakes
German has articles too, but English uses them differently. Article mistakes are among the most common ones in texts by Austrian students.
✗ TYPICAL ERROR
The school is very important for young people.✓ CORRECT
School is very important for young people.General concept → no article
✗ TYPICAL ERROR
I go to the school every day.✓ CORRECT
I go to school every day.Institution used for its purpose → no article
✗ TYPICAL ERROR
The life is complicated.✓ CORRECT
Life is complicated.Abstract concept → no article
✗ TYPICAL ERROR
She plays the football.✓ CORRECT
She plays football. (BUT: She plays the piano.)Sports → no article; instruments → the
Rule · Use "the" when both you and the reader know which specific one. Use "a/an" when introducing something new. Use no article for abstract concepts, general plurals, sports, meals, and institutions (school, church, hospital).
German and English prepositions rarely match 1:1. Don't translate them one by one; learn the English combinations as chunks.
✗ TYPICAL ERROR
I am good in English.✓ CORRECT
I am good at English.good at – not "in"
✗ TYPICAL ERROR
I am interested for this topic.✓ CORRECT
I am interested in this topic.interested in
✗ TYPICAL ERROR
It depends from the weather.✓ CORRECT
It depends on the weather.depends on
✗ TYPICAL ERROR
We discussed about the problem.✓ CORRECT
We discussed the problem.discuss is transitive – no preposition
✗ TYPICAL ERROR
In the one hand…✓ CORRECT
On the one hand…on the one hand / on the other hand
Rule · Learn each preposition together with its word, as a fixed chunk. When in doubt, check: "interested IN", "depend ON", "result IN/FROM", "consist OF", "insist ON".
Words that look like German words but mean something completely different.
| You write… | You think it means… | It actually means… | Use instead |
|---|---|---|---|
| become | bekommen (to get) | werden (to turn into) | get / receive |
| sensible | sensibel (sensitive) | vernünftig (reasonable) | sensitive |
| actually | aktuell (current) | tatsächlich (in fact) | currently / at the moment |
| eventually | eventuell (maybe) | schließlich (in the end) | possibly / perhaps |
| sympathetic | sympathisch (likeable) | mitfühlend (compassionate) | likeable / nice |
| handy | Handy (mobile phone) | praktisch (useful) | mobile phone / cell phone |
| gymnasium | Gymnasium (school type) | Turnhalle (sports hall) | grammar school / secondary school |
| chef | Chef (boss) | Koch/Köchin (cook) | boss / manager |
| fabric | Fabrik (factory) | Stoff (cloth, material) | factory / plant |
German uses "seit" for both. English distinguishes between a point in time and a period of time.
✗ TYPICAL ERROR
I have been living here since five years.✓ CORRECT
I have been living here for five years.Period of time → for
✗ TYPICAL ERROR
I have been living here for 2019.✓ CORRECT
I have been living here since 2019.Point in time → since
✗ TYPICAL ERROR
I study English since I am six.✓ CORRECT
I have been studying English since I was six.main clause present perfect, since-clause past simple
Rule · FOR + period (for three years, for a long time, for ages). SINCE + point in time (since 2019, since Monday, since I was young). The since-clause names the starting point (past simple); the main clause is usually present perfect: I have lived here since I was ten.
Conditionals are a quick way to show range. If you only ever use "If … will …", your grammar looks like B1.
✗ TYPICAL ERROR
If schools will ban phones, students will be angry.✓ CORRECT
If schools banned phones, students would be angry.Hypothetical – use past + would
✗ TYPICAL ERROR
If I would have more time, I read more.✓ CORRECT
If I had more time, I would read more.No "would" in the if-clause
✗ TYPICAL ERROR
Unless you won't study, you'll fail.✓ CORRECT
Unless you study, you'll fail.Unless = if not – no negative needed
Rule · In formal argument writing, use the 2nd conditional (If + past simple, would + infinitive) for hypothetical situations. This shows B2 range. You can also use "were to" for more formal hypotheticals: "If the government were to act now…"
The passive voice is expected in formal writing (reports, articles, e-mails). Many Austrian students avoid it, so practise it. Note: the sentences on the left are not wrong; they are just the less formal version.
INFORMAL / SPOKEN
They collected the data through surveys.REPORT STYLE
The data was collected through surveys.Passive removes agent – formal and concise
INFORMAL / SPOKEN
People have made some improvements.REPORT STYLE
Some improvements have been made.Impersonal passive – typical in reports
INFORMAL / SPOKEN
Somebody should do something about the waste.REPORT STYLE
Too much waste is being produced, and this needs to be addressed.Passive shifts focus to what matters – and drops the vague "somebody"
Rule · Use the passive when: (1) who did something is unknown or unimportant, (2) you want to sound objective (reports), (3) you want to vary your sentence structures. Try to use it two or three times in a text.
German word order is flexible; English word order is strict. German sentence structure translated word for word is easy to spot.
✗ TYPICAL ERROR
Yesterday went my family to Salzburg.✓ CORRECT
Yesterday, my family went to Salzburg.No verb-second rule in English – subject before verb
✗ TYPICAL ERROR
I like very much football.✓ CORRECT
I like football very much.Don't separate verb and object
✗ TYPICAL ERROR
I go every day to school.✓ CORRECT
I go to school every day.Place before time
Rule · English follows Subject–Verb–Object, then manner–place–time ("She sang beautifully at the concert last night"). Adverbs of frequency (always, often, never) go before the main verb but after "be": "He is always late."
German requires a comma before every "dass". English does not, but Austrian students sprinkle commas everywhere anyway.
✗ TYPICAL ERROR
I think, that school uniforms are unnecessary.✓ CORRECT
I think that school uniforms are unnecessary.Never a comma before "that"
✗ TYPICAL ERROR
She said, that she would help.✓ CORRECT
She said (that) she would help.Reported speech – no comma
✗ TYPICAL ERROR
If we act now we can still change things.✓ CORRECT
If we act now, we can still change things.Use a comma after an if-clause at the start of a sentence
Rule · No comma before "that". Use a comma: after an introductory clause ("However, …", "If we act now, …"), between items in a list, and before "but/and" joining two complete sentences. When in doubt, leave it out.
"Informations" does not exist. A small group of nouns is always singular in English, even though the German words have plurals.
✗ TYPICAL ERROR
The teacher gave us many informations.✓ CORRECT
The teacher gave us a lot of information.information – never plural
✗ TYPICAL ERROR
He gave me some good advices.✓ CORRECT
He gave me some good advice. / a piece of adviceadvice – uncountable
✗ TYPICAL ERROR
The news are depressing.✓ CORRECT
The news is depressing.news + singular verb
Rule · Always singular: information, advice, news, homework, furniture, knowledge, research, evidence, progress, traffic, money. To count them: "a piece of advice", "three items of furniture".
German "machen" covers both. English splits the territory, and the combinations are fixed.
✗ TYPICAL ERROR
I did a mistake in the test.✓ CORRECT
I made a mistake in the test.make a mistake
✗ TYPICAL ERROR
We have to make our homework.✓ CORRECT
We have to do our homework.do homework
✗ TYPICAL ERROR
Scientists made research on this topic.✓ CORRECT
Scientists did research on this topic.do research
Rule · MAKE = create or produce: make a decision, make progress, make an effort, make money, make a difference. DO = activity or work: do homework, do research, do your best, do damage. Learn them as chunks.
German adjectives and adverbs often look the same ("gut"). English usually adds -ly. If you forget it, it counts as an accuracy error.
✗ TYPICAL ERROR
He drives very careful.✓ CORRECT
He drives very carefully.Modifying a verb → adverb
✗ TYPICAL ERROR
She speaks English very good.✓ CORRECT
She speaks English very well.good → well
✗ TYPICAL ERROR
The team played surprisingly bad.✓ CORRECT
The team played surprisingly badly.bad → badly
Rule · Adverbs describe verbs – add -ly (careful → carefully). good → well. Exception: after sense verbs (look, sound, feel, taste, seem) use the adjective: "This sounds good", "That seems fair".
German "wenn" covers all three. English makes you choose, and the choice changes the meaning.
✗ TYPICAL ERROR
When I won the lottery, I would travel the world.✓ CORRECT
If I won the lottery, I would travel the world.Hypothetical → if
✗ TYPICAL ERROR
If I finish school next year, I will study in Vienna.✓ CORRECT
When I finish school next year, I will study in Vienna.Certain to happen → when
✗ TYPICAL ERROR
I don't know if or not he will come.✓ CORRECT
I don't know whether or not he will come."or not" → whether
Rule · WHEN = it will definitely happen ("When I turn 18…"). IF = it might happen ("If it rains…"). WHETHER = a choice between alternatives, required before "or not" and after prepositions.
German "bis" covers both; English separates deadlines from durations. This mistake is very common in formal e-mails.
✗ TYPICAL ERROR
Please send me the information until Friday.✓ CORRECT
Please send me the information by Friday.Deadline → by
✗ TYPICAL ERROR
I will stay in London by Sunday.✓ CORRECT
I will stay in London until Sunday.Continuing state → until
✗ TYPICAL ERROR
The report must be handed in until 8 May.✓ CORRECT
The report must be handed in by 8 May.Deadline → by
Rule · BY = a deadline – the action is completed at (or before) that point: "Reply by Friday." UNTIL = an action or state continues up to that point: "I will wait until Friday."
German "der/die/das" maps onto several English words, and the comma rules are different too.
✗ TYPICAL ERROR
The students which protested were right.✓ CORRECT
The students who protested were right.People → who
✗ TYPICAL ERROR
The book who I read was brilliant.✓ CORRECT
The book which/that I read was brilliant.Things → which/that
✗ TYPICAL ERROR
My best friend, that lives in Graz, is visiting.✓ CORRECT
My best friend, who lives in Graz, is visiting.Never "that" after a comma
Rule · WHO = people, WHICH = things, THAT = both (but only without commas), WHOSE = possession ("the author whose article I read"). Relative clauses are an easy way to show B2 range.
B2 linking words: learn new ones
| Function | B1 (don’t rely on these) | B2 (use these) |
|---|---|---|
| Adding | and, also | Furthermore · Moreover · In addition · What is more · Not only… but also |
| Contrasting | but | However · Nevertheless · On the other hand · Nonetheless · Although · Despite |
| Cause | because | Since · As · Due to the fact that · Owing to |
| Result | so | Therefore · Consequently · As a result · Thus · Hence |
| Example | like | For instance · For example · Take for example · A case in point is |
| Concession | but | Admittedly · Although · Even though · While · Despite the fact that |
| Conclusion | to finish | To sum up · Taking everything into account · All things considered · On balance |
Which text type does what?
| Feature | Essay | Article | Report | Blog | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Contractions? | No | Depends | No | Yes | Depends |
| Personal examples? | Sparingly | Yes | No | Yes | Depends |
| Rhetorical questions? | Intro only | Yes, many | No | Yes | No |
| Section headings? | No | No | Yes | No | No |
| Recommendations? | If the task asks | Optional | Yes | Optional | Depends |
| Address reader? | Rarely | Yes | No | Yes | Yes |
| Emotional language? | No | Yes | No | Yes | Measured |
| Title? | Yes | Yes – catchy | Subject + headings | Post: yes / Comment: no | Subject line |
Task operators: what the verbs in a task ask for
discuss
Look at a topic from different angles. Present arguments for and against, weigh them up.
“There are strong arguments both for and against… On the one hand…”
evaluate
Examine something and judge its quality or value. Is it good/bad, effective or not – and why?
“While this approach has certain merits, it fails to address…”
argue (for/against)
Take a clear position and support it. Stronger than "discuss" – you are not neutral.
“I firmly believe that… The most convincing reason for this is…”
analyse
Break something down into its parts or causes. How and why does it work (or not)?
“The main factors contributing to this are… A closer look reveals that…”
compare
Point out similarities and differences between two or more things.
“While X tends to…, Y is more likely to… Both share…”
describe
Give a clear picture of something – facts, features, what happened.
“The first thing visitors notice is… The programme consists of…”
suggest / recommend
Propose ideas or solutions. What should be done?
“I would recommend that… One possible solution would be to…”
explain
Make something clear. Say how or why something happens.
“The reason for this is that… This can be explained by the fact that…”
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