📝 Lektion 10 Exercises: Durch die Stadt (Through the City)

🎯 Goal: Learn city and direction vocabulary, use the Präteritum (simple past) of modal verbs, fill in directions, write a dialogue asking for directions, and describe a route through the city.

💡 Tip: In German, Präteritum is used more for narration and formal writing than everyday conversation. Modal verbs in Präteritum: können → konnte, müssen → musste, dürfen → durfte, sollen → sollte, wollen → wollte, mögen → mochte. Note: Modal verbs lose their Umlaut in Präteritum.

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Exercise 1: City Vocabulary 🖊️

Match the German word with its English meaning:

German Word	English Meaning
1. die Straße	a. the square / plaza
2. der Platz	b. the traffic light
3. die Kreuzung	c. the alley / narrow street
4. die Ampel	d. the street
5. die Gasse	e. the corner
6. die Ecke	f. the intersection / crossing
7. die Brücke	g. the bridge
8. der Kreisverkehr	h. the roundabout
9. der Gehweg / der Bürgersteig	i. the sidewalk
10. der Zebrastreifen	j. the pedestrian crossing (zebra)
11. die Fußgängerzone	k. the pedestrian zone
12. der Stadtplan	l. the city map
13. die Haltestelle	m. the stop (bus / tram)
14. der Bahnhof	n. the train station
15. die Kirche	o. the church
16. das Rathaus	p. the town hall / city hall
17. das Krankenhaus	q. the hospital
18. die Apotheke	r. the pharmacy
19. das Kino	s. the cinema
20. das Museum	t. the museum

✅ Solution:

1-d, 2-a, 3-f, 4-b, 5-c, 6-e, 7-g, 8-h, 9-i, 10-j, 11-k, 12-l, 13-m, 14-n, 15-o, 16-p, 17-q, 18-r, 19-s, 20-t

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Exercise 2: Präteritum of Modal Verbs 🔗

Convert each sentence from the present tense (Präsens) to the simple past (Präteritum):

Example: - Ich kann Deutsch sprechen. → Ich konnte Deutsch sprechen. - Er muss arbeiten. → Er musste arbeiten.

Sentences:

#	Präsens (Present)	Präteritum (Simple Past)
1	Ich kann gut singen.
2	Du musst pünktlich sein.
3	Er darf heute nicht kommen.
4	Wir wollen ins Kino gehen.
5	Ihr sollt die Hausaufgaben machen.
6	Sie (pl.) können hier parken.
7	Ich mag Schokolade.
8	Du willst Arzt werden.
9	Er muss viel arbeiten.
10	Wir dürfen nicht rauchen.
11	Ihr könnt mich besuchen.
12	Sie (formal) sollen den Brief schreiben.
13	Ich will ein Auto kaufen.
14	Du darfst heute ausgehen.
15	Er kann gut kochen.

✅ Solution:

#	Präteritum
1	Ich konnte gut singen.
2	Du musstest pünktlich sein.
3	Er durfte heute nicht kommen.
4	Wir wollten ins Kino gehen.
5	Ihr solltet die Hausaufgaben machen.
6	Sie konnten hier parken.
7	Ich mochte Schokolade.
8	Du wolltest Arzt werden.
9	Er musste viel arbeiten.
10	Wir durften nicht rauchen.
11	Ihr konntet mich besuchen.
12	Sie sollten den Brief schreiben.
13	Ich wollte ein Auto kaufen.
14	Du durftest heute ausgehen.
15	Er konnte gut kochen.

Modal Verb Conjugation Table in Präteritum:

Verb	ich	du	er/sie/es	wir	ihr	sie/Sie
können	konnte	konntest	konnte	konnten	konntet	konnten
müssen	musste	musstest	musste	mussten	musstet	mussten
dürfen	durfte	durftest	durfte	durften	durftet	durften
sollen	sollte	solltest	sollte	sollten	solltet	sollten
wollen	wollte	wolltest	wollte	wollten	wolltet	wollten
mögen	mochte	mochtest	mochte	mochten	mochtet	mochten

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Exercise 3: Fill in Directions 🔗

Use the words in the box to complete the direction description:

straight ahead	left	right	intersection	traffic light	corner
cross	along	past	up to	next	roundabout

Text:

"Excuse me, where is the train station?" "Walk (1) __ here (2) _ the (3) __ (4) _. There you'll see a (5) __. Then turn (6) _. Walk (7) __ the church. After 200 meters you'll reach a (8) _. Take the (9) __ exit. Then you'll see the train station on the (10) __ side. You just need to (11) _____ the street and you're there."

Additional questions:

1. Translate the whole text into English (already done above).
2. Identify all two-way prepositions (Wechselpräpositionen) in the text.
3. Which modal verbs in Präteritum could appear in this direction description? (e.g., "You had to…", "He could…")

✅ Solution:

1. straight ahead
2. to
3. next
4. intersection (so: "up to the next intersection")
5. traffic light
6. left
7. past
8. roundabout
9. first (or "second" / "third" — depending on the route)
10. left (or "right" — depending on direction)
11. cross

Grammar Notes: - "vorbei" = "past" (going by something) - "entlang" = "along" (can come before or after the noun) - "bis zu" = "up to" (used with distant places) - "überqueren" = "to cross" (inseparable prefix verb)

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Exercise 4: Asking for Directions Dialogue 💬

Complete the dialogue between someone asking for directions and someone giving them:

How do I get	Excuse me	straight ahead	left / right	far	on foot
the subway station	next to	opposite	traffic light	intersection	Thank you very much

Dialogue:

Person A: (1) __, can you help me please? (2) __ to the museum?

Person B: Yes, of course. The museum isn't (3) __ from here. You can go (4) __.

Person A: Good. And exactly how?

Person B: Walk (5) __ here to the next (6) _. There, turn (7) __. Then you'll see a big church. The museum is (8) _ the church.

Person A: So (9) __, then at the intersection (10) __ and then the museum is (11) _____ the church. Did I understand that correctly?

Person B: Yes, exactly! And if you're looking for the (12) __ — it's directly (13) __ the museum.

Person A: (14) _____ for your help!

Person B: You're welcome! Have fun at the museum!

✅ Solution:

1. Excuse me
2. How do I get
3. far
4. on foot
5. straight ahead
6. traffic light / intersection
7. left / right (either works depending on location)
8. opposite / next to
9. straight ahead
10. left / right (same direction as above)
11. opposite / next to
12. subway station
13. next to / opposite
14. Thank you very much

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Exercise 5: Describe a City Route ✍️

Write a description of a route through a city of your choice. Write 8-10 sentences describing the way from point A to point B. Use:

• Modal verbs in Präteritum (konnte, musste, wollte, sollte)
• Direction words (left, right, straight ahead)
• Places in the city (church, train station, museum, traffic light, intersection)

Model Answer:

My Way Through Berlin

Last week I wanted to go from the main train station to the Brandenburg Gate. I had to use the city map because I didn't know the way.

First, I walked straight ahead out of the station. After 200 meters I came to a big intersection with a traffic light. There I had to turn left. I walked past the church and then over the bridge. After the bridge I saw a big square — the Pariser Platz. I could already see the Brandenburg Gate!

I still had to cross the street, but there was no pedestrian crossing. So I went to the next traffic light. Finally, I was at the Brandenburg Gate. It was very impressive! I could see many tourists and wanted to take a photo. Unfortunately, I wasn't allowed to use flash photography.

The walk only took 20 minutes. I should walk through the city more often — it's fun!

✅ Solution: (The model above serves as a sample — students should write their own description.)

Useful Sequence Words for Describing Routes:

Word	Meaning
zuerst	first / firstly
dann	then
danach	after that
schließlich	finally
nach + Dativ	after (something)
vor + Dativ	before (something)
endlich	at last

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