📝 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.
Exercise 1: City Vocabulary 🖊️
Read the meaning and write the correct German word (with the definite article):
| # | English Meaning | Answer |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | the street | __ |
| 2 | the square / plaza | __ |
| 3 | the intersection / crossing | __ |
| 4 | the traffic light | __ |
| 5 | the alley / narrow street | __ |
| 6 | the corner | __ |
| 7 | the bridge | __ |
| 8 | the roundabout | __ |
| 9 | the sidewalk | __ |
| 10 | the pedestrian crossing (zebra) | __ |
| 11 | the pedestrian zone | __ |
| 12 | the city map | __ |
| 13 | the stop (bus / tram) | __ |
| 14 | the train station | __ |
| 15 | the church | __ |
| 16 | the town hall / city hall | __ |
| 17 | the hospital | __ |
| 18 | the pharmacy | __ |
| 19 | the cinema | __ |
| 20 | the museum | __ |
Exercise 2: Präteritum of Modal Verbs 🔗
Convert each modal verb 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.
| # | Präsens (Present) | Präteritum (Simple Past) |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Ich ______ gut singen. (können) | __ |
| 2 | Du ______ pünktlich sein. (müssen) | __ |
| 3 | Er ______ heute nicht kommen. (dürfen) | __ |
| 4 | Wir ______ ins Kino gehen. (wollen) | __ |
| 5 | Ihr ______ die Hausaufgaben machen. (sollen) | __ |
| 6 | Sie (pl.) ______ hier parken. (können) | __ |
| 7 | Ich ______ Schokolade. (mögen) | __ |
| 8 | Du ______ Arzt werden. (wollen) | __ |
| 9 | Er ______ viel arbeiten. (müssen) | __ |
| 10 | Wir ______ nicht rauchen. (dürfen) | __ |
| 11 | Ihr ______ mich besuchen. (können) | __ |
| 12 | Sie (formal) ______ den Brief schreiben. (sollen) | __ |
| 13 | Ich ______ ein Auto kaufen. (wollen) | __ |
| 14 | Du ______ heute ausgehen. (dürfen) | __ |
| 15 | Er ______ gut kochen. (können) | __ |
Exercise 3: Fill in Directions 🔗
Use the words in the box to complete the direction description:
geradeaus — links — rechts — die Kreuzung — die Ampel — die Ecke — überqueren — entlang — vorbei — bis zu — nächste — der Kreisverkehr
"Excuse me, where is the train station?"
| # | Sentence | Answer |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Walk ______ here to the next intersection. | __ |
| 2 | At the ______ you will see a traffic light. | __ |
| 3 | At the ______ turn right. | __ |
| 4 | Then walk ______ the church. | __ |
| 5 | After that, you walk this street ______ . | __ |
| 6 | After 200 meters you come ______ a roundabout. | __ |
| 7 | Take the ______ exit there. | __ |
| 8 | Then you will see the train station on the ______ side. | __ |
| 9 | You just need to ______ the street and you are there. | __ |
Additional questions:
- Translate the whole text into English (already done above).
- Identify all two-way prepositions (Wechselpräpositionen) in the text.
- Which modal verbs in Präteritum could appear in this direction description? (e.g., "You had to…", "He could…")
Exercise 4: Asking for Directions Dialogue 💬
Complete the dialogue between someone asking for directions and someone giving them:
Wie komme ich — Entschuldigung — geradeaus — links — rechts — weit — zu Fuß — die U-Bahn-Station — neben — gegenüber — Ampel — Kreuzung — Vielen Dank
| # | Dialogue | Missing word |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Person A: ______ , can you help me please? | __ |
| 2 | Person A: ______ to the museum? | __ |
| 3 | Person B: Yes, of course. The museum is not ______ from here. | __ |
| 4 | Person B: You can go ______ . | __ |
| 5 | Person B: Walk ______ here to the next traffic light. | __ |
| 6 | Person B: Walk straight ahead here to the next ______ . | __ |
| 7 | Person B: There, turn ______ . | __ |
| 8 | Person B: Then you will see a big church. The museum is ______ the church. | __ |
| 9 | Person A: So ______ , then at the intersection … | __ |
| 10 | Person A: … then at the intersection ______ , | __ |
| 11 | Person A: … and then the museum is ______ the church. Did I understand that correctly? | __ |
| 12 | Person B: Yes, exactly! And if you are looking for the ______ — | __ |
| 13 | Person B: … it is directly ______ the museum. | __ |
| 14 | Person A: ______ for your help! | __ |
Person B: Bitte sehr! Viel Spaß im Museum!
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)
Guide questions — answer each with a complete German sentence:
| # | Guide question | Your sentence |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | From where to where was your route? (Woher und wohin?) | __ |
| 2 | What did you do first? (Was machtest du zuerst?) | __ |
| 3 | Did you have to wait at the traffic light? (Musstest du warten?) | __ |
| 4 | Could you ask somebody for the way? (Konntest du jemanden fragen?) | __ |
| 5 | How did your route end? (Wie endete dein Weg?) | __ |
Übungen / Additional Interactive Exercises
Exercise 6: Präteritum of Modal Verbs — Choose the Correct Form 🎯
Choose the correct simple past (Präteritum) form of the modal verb:
| # | Sentence | a) | b) | c) | d) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Ich ______ gut singen. (können) | kann | konnte | konntet | konnten |
| 2 | Du ______ pünktlich sein. (müssen) | musstest | musste | mussten | musstet |
| 3 | Er ______ heute nicht kommen. (dürfen) | durften | durftet | durfte | durftest |
| 4 | Wir ______ ins Kino gehen. (wollen) | wollte | wollten | wolltet | wolltest |
| 5 | Ihr ______ die Hausaufgaben machen. (sollen) | sollten | solltet | sollte | sollst |
Exercise 7: Fill in the City Vocabulary 🖊️
Complete the sentences with the correct word:
| # | Sentence | Answer |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | An der ______ müssen die Autos halten. | __ |
| 2 | An der nächsten ______ bitte links abbiegen. | __ |
| 3 | Der Zug fährt um neun Uhr vom ______ ab. | __ |
| 4 | Ich warte an der ______ auf den Bus. | __ |
| 5 | Im ______ sieht man alte Kunst. | __ |
Exercise 8: Match City Word to Meaning 🔗
Match each German city word to its correct meaning:
| Deutsch | Meaning | Match |
|---|---|---|
| 1. die Brücke | a. pharmacy | |
| 2. die Ampel | b. bridge | |
| 3. der Zebrastreifen | c. town hall / city hall | |
| 4. das Rathaus | d. traffic light | |
| 5. die Apotheke | e. pedestrian crossing (zebra) |