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Past Tense (Präteritum)

 German has two past tenses: Perfekt - Used mostly in spoken German. Past Tense (Präteritum) - Used mostly in written German (books, newspapers, stories, reports, and many listening passages). Ich bin nach Berlin gefahren. (I went to Berlin.) Ich fuhr nach Berlin. (I went to Berlin.) When do we use Präteritum? Stories and novels Der Mann ging nach Hause. (The man went home.) Newspapers  Die Polizei fand den Täter. (The police found the criminal.) Reports Das Unternehmen begann ein neues Projekt. (The company started a new project.) backen - buk (to bake) beginnen - begann (to begin) bleiben - blieb (to stay) bitten - bat (to ask / request) brechen - brach (to break) bringen - brachte (to bring) denken - dachte (to think) essen - aß (to eat) fahren - fuhr (to drive / travel) fallen - fiel (to fall) fangen - fing (to catch) finden - fand (to find) fliegen - flog (to fly) geben - gab (to give) gehen - ging (to go) gelten - galt (to be valid / apply) gewinnen - gewann (to win...
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Partizip II

Partizip II is the third form of a verb (like English written, eaten, gone.) It is used in: Perfekt (Ich habe gegessen.) Plusquamperfekt Passive Voice (Das Haus wird gebaut.) Adjectives (Die geschlossene Tür.) Verb Type Pattern Example Regular ge + stem + t      gelernt Irregular ge + changed stem + en      geschrieben Mixed ge + changed stem + t      gebracht -ieren           no ge      studiert Inseparable prefix           no ge      verkauft Separable prefix prefix + ge + stem      eingekauft Regular Verbs: ge + verb stem + t  arbeiten - gearbeitet (work) antworten - geantwortet (answer) baden - gebadet (bathe) brauchen - gebraucht (need) danken - gedankt (thank) duschen - geduscht (shower) glauben - geglaubt (believe) hören - gehört (hear) kochen - gekocht (cook) lachen - gelacht (laugh) leben - gelebt (live) lernen - gelernt...

German Grammar : Reflexive Clauses and Passive Voice

Relative Clause A relative clause gives extra information about a noun. Instead of making two sentences. Das ist ein Mann. Der Mann arbeitet bei Siemens. = Das ist ein Mann, der bei Siemens arbeitet. (That is a man who works at Siemens.) Formula:  Main Clause + , + Relative Pronoun + .... + Verb Ich kenne eine Frau, die in Berlin wohnt.                                               Relative Clause is in Bold.     #Story Sentences Ich habe eine Freundin, die jedes Jahr reist.  Sie möchte Länder besuchen, die eine interessante Kultur haben. Letztes Jahr hat sie ein Hotel gebucht, das direkt am Meer lag.  Der Reiseführer, den sie im Internet gefunden hat, war sehr hilfsreich. Im Hotel hat sie einen Mann kennengelernt, der aus Österreich kommt. Sie hat auch eine Familie getroffen, mit der sie viele Ausflüge gemacht hat.  S...

The Canon, Ideology and Assumptions

  Canon in English Literature: Meaning and Formation What is a Canon? A Canon is a group of literary works that are officially accepted as important and worthy of study. These texts are considered "great literature". They are taught in schools and universities. They shape what students think literature is. Writers like William Shakespeare, John Milton, and Jane Austen are traditionally part of the English literary canon. Texts outside the canon are often labelled: Popular fiction Regional literature Minority literature Third World literature Students studying English literature usually read canonical texts. As a result: They learn to value certain works more than others. Their understanding of literature is influenced by these selected texts. Their responses are shaped by what institutions decide is important. The passage argues that the canon is not neutral, it is created by people with power. Many writers from countries like India, Nigeria, and other former colonies write ...

Rajmohan's Wife

Introduction to Rajmohan's Wife Author - Bankim Chandra Chattopadhyay Genre - Social Novel, Domestic Fiction, Early Indian English Novel Setting - Rural Bengal, India Mid 19th century colonial period The story mainly unfolds within households and village surroundings, reflecting Bengali social life and family relations. Major Characters Matangini - The protagonist, courageous, virtuous, and emotionally conflicted. Wife of Rajmohan. Rajmohan - Her abusive husband. Madhav - Matangini's former lover and a wealthy landowner. Hemangini - Madhav's wife Mathur - A scheming associate involved in the conspiracy. Major Themes -  Position of women in society Marriage and domestic oppression Love vs Duty Morality and Sacrifice Social customs in colonial India Individual freedom vs social constraints Objectives/ Purpose of the Novel -  To potray the difficulties faced by women in patriarchal society. To criticize domestic violence and oppressive marriages. To explore the conflict betw...