Describing a photo
A few sentences in German about what a photo shows (Foundation).
Learn
Describing a photo, explained point by point
Everything the GCSE specification expects you to be able to do, and how to actually do it - the same lesson a signed-in student studies from.
Know how the photo task is set and marked
Question 1 of the Foundation writing paper asks for sentences in German about a photo: five for 10 marks with AQA, four for 8 with Edexcel. Each sentence earns up to 2 marks: 2 if a relevant message is clearly communicated, 1 if it is relevant but a little ambiguous, and 0 if it is not relevant or cannot be understood.
Write about what you can see in the photo
Every sentence needs to be about the photo: who is there, where they are, what they are doing, what they are wearing and what the weather is like. Eine Familie ist am Strand is relevant. A sentence about your own weekend is not, however good its German.
Use es gibt and the present tense
The photo shows what is happening now, so write in the present. Es gibt (there is, there are) takes the accusative: Es gibt einen Hund, Es gibt zwei Kinder. Use ist and sind for what something is like or where it is: Der Park ist groß, Die Kinder sind im Wasser.
Say where people and things are
Position words make clear sentences easy: links (on the left), rechts (on the right), in der Mitte (in the middle), im Hintergrund (in the background), vor dem Haus (in front of the house). Start with one and the verb comes next: Links steht ein Baum.
Describe people, clothes and the weather
Er trägt ein blaues T-Shirt means he is wearing a blue T-shirt, and Sie hat lange Haare means she has long hair. Es ist sonnig and es ist warm cover the weather, and Sie sind glücklich says how people feel. Give adjectives before a noun their ending: ein roter Ball, eine große Stadt.
Keep each sentence short, complete and accurate
Four or five sentences of five to eight words each is plenty. Every sentence needs a verb, in second place: Ein großer Hund is not a sentence, but Es gibt einen großen Hund is. Check that each verb matches who is doing it: das Kind spielt, die Kinder spielen.
Describing a photo key terms
The words the specification and the mark schemes use, each defined the way an examiner wants it.
- es gibt
- There is or there are, with the accusative: Es gibt einen Hund.
- auf dem Foto
- In the photo: a natural start, with the verb next: Auf dem Foto sehe ich eine Familie.
- tragen
- To wear: er trägt means he is wearing.
- links, rechts, in der Mitte
- On the left, on the right, in the middle: for placing people and things in the photo.
- Relevant
- About the photo. A sentence earns its marks only if it says something about what the photo shows.
- Adjective ending
- The ending an adjective takes before a noun: ein blauer Himmel, eine kleine Katze.
Common mistakes in Describing a photo
The slips that cost marks year after year, and what to do instead.
Writing about yourself instead of the photo.
A sentence only earns its marks if it is relevant to the photo. Keep to who is there, where they are, what they are doing, what they are wearing and the weather.
Writing a phrase with no verb, such as ein schöner Strand.
A sentence needs a verb: Es gibt einen schönen Strand, Der Strand ist schön.
Putting the verb third after a position word, as in Links ein Mann steht.
The verb comes second: Links steht ein Mann.
Leaving es gibt with a nominative, as in Es gibt ein Hund.
Es gibt takes the accusative: Es gibt einen Hund.
Writing long, ambitious sentences that lose their meaning.
Each sentence is marked on how clearly it communicates. Short, accurate sentences with words you know are the surest way to the marks.