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Year 7

Where are you and where are you going? 'In' and 'auf' (accusative and dative)

Learning outcomes

I can use the prepositions ‘in’ and ‘auf’ to ask and answer questions about the movement or the location of someone or something.

I can correctly distinguish [st] from [sch].

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New
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Year 7

Where are you and where are you going? 'In' and 'auf' (accusative and dative)

Learning outcomes

I can use the prepositions ‘in’ and ‘auf’ to ask and answer questions about the movement or the location of someone or something.

I can correctly distinguish [st] from [sch].

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Lesson details

Vocabulary and transcripts for this lessons

Key learning points

  1. [st] is pronounced as in ‘stark’. At the start of a word, it sounds like ‘sht’.
  2. Use 'in' (into) and 'auf' (onto, to) with accusative definite articles to describe movement towards something/someone.
  3. Use 'in' (in) and 'auf' (on, at) with dative definite articles to describe the location of something or someone.
  4. Accusative definite articles are ‘den’ (m), ‘die’ (f), ‘das’ (nt) and dative forms are ‘dem’ (m), ‘der’ (f), ‘dem’ (nt).
  5. 'Auf' can also mean 'to' or 'at', especially when referring to events or open spaces.

Keywords

  • [st] - pronounced as in ‘stark’

  • In - preposition meaning ‘in’ or ‘into’

  • Auf - preposition meaning ‘on’ or ‘onto’

  • Accusative case - used with prepositions to indicate movement towards someone or something

  • Dative case - used with prepositions to indicate the location of someone or something

Common misconception

'Auf' always means 'on' or 'onto'.

'Auf' sometimes means ‘at’ or ‘to’, especially with events or open spaces.


To help you plan your year 7 german lesson on: Where are you and where are you going? 'In' and 'auf' (accusative and dative), download all teaching resources for free and adapt to suit your pupils' needs...

Alternative use of Task B3: students listen to the audio and read along. Teacher pauses the audio before the gaps. Students and teacher summarise the meaning of what has come before, as a class. Students propose a sensible word (or phrase) which could come next, and write it down. Check responses.
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This content is © Oak National Academy Limited (2025), licensed on Open Government Licence version 3.0 except where otherwise stated. See Oak's terms & conditions (Collection 2).

Lesson video

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6 Questions

Q1.
At the start of a word, [st] sounds like the English ...
'sp'.
'sch'.
Correct answer: 'sht'.
'st'.
Q2.
Match the definite articles with their cases.
Correct Answer:masculine accusative,den
tick

den

Correct Answer:masculine or neuter dative,dem
tick

dem

Correct Answer:feminine accusative,die
tick

die

Correct Answer:feminine dative,der
tick

der

Correct Answer:neuter accusative,das
tick

das

Q3.
Which case is used to express movement towards something or someone?
Correct answer: accusative
dative
either
neither
Q4.
Which case is used to express the location of something or someone?
accusative
Correct answer: dative
either
neither
Q5.
Fill in the gap in the following sentence with the correct definite article: 'Mia lernt in __________ Bibliothek.'
Correct answer: der
die
dem
das
den
Q6.
Translate the following sentence into English: 'Wir tanzen ins Café.'
Correct Answer: We dance into the café., We dance into the cafe., We are dancing into the café., We are dancing into the cafe.

6 Questions

Q1.
Choose the correct sound: 'Ich esse mit Freunden ein ____ück Pizza.'
Sch
Sp
Correct answer: St
S
Q2.
Match the German and English.
Correct Answer:Geschäft (nt),shop, business
tick

shop, business

Correct Answer:angenehm,pleasant
tick

pleasant

Correct Answer:Kino (nt),cinema
tick

cinema

Correct Answer:fallen,to fall, falling
tick

to fall, falling

Correct Answer:springen,to jump, jumping
tick

to jump, jumping

Correct Answer:Straße (f),street
tick

street

Q3.
What are the possible meanings of 'auf' with the accusative case?
Correct answer: onto
Correct answer: to
on
at
in
Q4.
Choose the correct definite article to complete the following sentence: 'Ich bin auf __________ Party.' ('I am at the party.')
Correct answer: der
die
das
den
dem
Q5.
Choose the correct definite article to complete the following sentence: 'Wir gehen auf __________ Konzert.' ('We go to the concert.')
der
die
Correct answer: das
den
dem
Q6.
Translate the following sentence into German: 'She is now going into the cinema.' Use word order 1.
Correct Answer: Sie geht jetzt ins Kino., Sie geht jetzt in das Kino.

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