Summary:
Is this the right course for me?
Do you have a working knowledge of German, but want to improve? Allow this book to come to your rescue and eliminate basic errors and slips of the pen. Each one of 50 top tips for improving your spoken and written German is presented and analysed across a whole double page, with explanations as to where and why people sometimes go wrong. The tips are grouped into grammar, spelling, false friends, pronunciation and cultural faux pas sections. There's even free downloadable audio content available to help you with your pronunciation.
Polish your German with this brand new series from Teach Yourself - the No. 1 brand in language learning. 50 ways to improve your German touches all essential bases and is divided into easily digestible.
Learn effortlessly with a new easy-to-read page design and interactive features:
Only got a minute?
A 60-second introduction to German to get you started.
Only got five minutes?
Get to grips with German and its common pitfalls even if you're short of time.
Only got ten minutes?
Use your free time wisely to learn something about the German language.
Insights
Instant help with common problems and quick tips for success, based on Sieglinde Klövekorn-Ward's many years of experience.
Test yourself
Tests online to keep track of your progress.
Articles
Extra information to keep you motivated.
Summaries
Quick refreshers to help you remember the key facts.
Grammar
Easy-to-follow building blocks to give you a clear understanding.
Pronunciation
Don't sound like a tourist - polish your pronunciation before you go.
Audio
Downloadable audio support online to help with key areas - iPod/MP3 compatible.
Short, snappy sections focusing on simple tips to perfect your German Simple, accessible explanations - Free audio download to help with pronunciation
Expert authors teach at the University of Surrey
Table of Contents:
 Meet the author
Only got a minute?
Only got five minutes?
Only got ten minutes?
How to use this book
Sounding right
We will sound you out!
Don’t forget the capitals or the umlauts!
Getting the structure right
A very important date
The trouble with males and females: masculine nouns
The problem with males and females: feminine nouns
The need for neutrality – neuter nouns
The gender of compound nouns – what’s the problem?
Plurals – why can’t I just add an -s?
The magimix of mein, dein, sein
All change: vowel changes after du and er, sie, es
The perfect tense: ‘I have gone’ or ‘I am gone’?
Separable verbs: no need to make the divorce acrimonious
Don’t muddle the modals: müssen, sollen, mögen, dürfen
Are the Germans nutcases? Or: who or whom do you love?
Prepositions that always take the dative
Prepositions that always take the accusative
Cases and prepositions – motion or no motion? That is the question!
Zum, zur, im, am … zum Kuckuck! Whatever next?
Da + prepositions: dafür, damit
Der alte Apfelbaum: adjective endings after der, die, das
Ein neuer Computer: adjective endings after ein, eine, ein
Gute Laune: adjective endings when there is no article
The present continuous: are you sitting comfortably?
Let’s twist again! When does the verb stand in second place?
Das kann ich! Word order with modal verbs
Gestern wollten wir ein Fußballspiel sehen. Modal verbs in past tenses
The position of direct and indirect objects
Where to put nicht, nie and auch
Word order after dass, weil, wann or wenn
Word order: saying when, where, how and why
Wie or wer? Wo or was?
Choosing the right words
Introducing yourself: The name is Blonde, J. Blonde
Greeting people: names and titles are important
Polite beginnings: Wie geht es Ihnen?
Polite beginnings: Entschuldigen Sie (mich)!
‘I am a doughnut!’ Really?
And where do you come from?
Ja and aber – two necessary evils
Denn, doch and einmal – more necessary evils
Erst and nur – only two words
The use and misuse of haben
I’d like another one, please – no, NOT ein anderes!
For breakfast, the Germans have no appetite for für
Eins or ein?
Rock around the clock
Doctor, doctor!
Du, Sie, sie, ihr, Sie, sie, plus dieser and jeder
How shall I put this? Plus a little help with machen
Es gibt and other uses of es
Say what you mean and mean what you say: nouns and adjectives
Say what you mean and mean what you say: verbs
Get your skates on: going by car, plane, etc.
‘When’, ‘if’ and als
Increase your word power – live in style!
Want to know a few secrets?
Glossary of grammatical terms
or, The Hitchhiker’s Guide to Grammatical Gobbledygook
Index
About the Author(s):
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