General vocabulary: Opinions
This topic covers the essential vocabulary required to express, justify, and discuss opinions, feelings, and attitudes in German, applicable across all themes.
Topic Overview
This topic covers essential German vocabulary and phrases for expressing opinions, a key skill for AQA GCSE German. You will learn how to state likes, dislikes, preferences, and justifications across various themes such as school, hobbies, holidays, and future plans. Mastering opinion phrases allows you to move beyond simple factual statements and demonstrate higher-level thinking, which is crucial for achieving top marks in speaking and writing exams.
Opinions are a core component of the AQA GCSE German specification, appearing in all three themes: Identity and Culture, Local/National/International Areas of Interest, and Current/Future Study and Employment. Being able to express and justify opinions shows the examiner that you can manipulate language creatively and engage in more complex communication. This topic also forms the foundation for discursive writing and debate, preparing you for A-level study.
In your exams, you will be expected to give opinions spontaneously in the speaking test and to structure arguments in writing. This topic provides the building blocks: from simple phrases like 'Ich mag' (I like) to more sophisticated structures like 'Meiner Meinung nach' (in my opinion) and 'Ich bin der Ansicht, dass' (I am of the view that). Practice using a range of opinion phrases with different verbs and tenses to boost your confidence and fluency.
Key Concepts
Core ideas you must understand for this topic
- →Core opinion verbs: mögen (to like), lieben (to love), hassen (to hate), bevorzugen (to prefer), finden (to find/think).
- →Common opinion phrases: Ich denke, dass... (I think that...), Meiner Meinung nach... (in my opinion), Ich glaube, dass... (I believe that...), Es gefällt mir (I like it).
- →Justifying opinions with weil (because) and da (since) to give reasons, e.g., 'Ich mag Fußball, weil es Spaß macht.'
- →Expressing degrees of opinion: sehr (very), ziemlich (quite), ein bisschen (a bit), überhaupt nicht (not at all).
- →Using adjectives to describe opinions: interessant, langweilig, toll, schrecklich, wichtig, nützlich.
What You Need to Demonstrate
Key skills and knowledge for this topic
- Ability to express an opinion clearly
- Ability to justify an opinion
- Use of a range of opinion-related verbs (e.g., glauben, meinen, denken)
- Use of adjectives to describe feelings or attitudes (e.g., amüsant, deprimiert, nützlich)
- Correct use of phrases like 'es gefällt mir' or 'ich habe keine Ahnung'
Marking Points
Key points examiners look for in your answers
- Ability to express an opinion clearly
- Ability to justify an opinion
- Use of a range of opinion-related verbs (e.g., glauben, meinen, denken)
- Use of adjectives to describe feelings or attitudes (e.g., amüsant, deprimiert, nützlich)
- Correct use of phrases like 'es gefällt mir' or 'ich habe keine Ahnung'
Examiner Tips
Expert advice for maximising your marks
- 💡Learn opinion phrases in chunks to improve fluency
- 💡Practice justifying opinions using 'weil' or 'da' to access higher marks
- 💡Use a variety of intensifiers (e.g., 'wirklich', 'völlig') to add depth to your opinions
- 💡Ensure you can express both positive and negative opinions to show range
- 💡Always justify your opinion with at least one reason. A simple 'Ich mag Fußball' is basic; adding 'weil es spannend ist' shows higher-level thinking and gains more marks.
- 💡Use a range of opinion phrases across your speaking and writing. In the speaking test, try to use at least three different phrases to show variety. For example, start with 'Ich finde...', then 'Meiner Meinung nach...', and later 'Ich bin überzeugt, dass...'.
- 💡In writing, structure your paragraphs: state your opinion, give a reason, and then add a contrasting view or further detail. This demonstrates the ability to develop an argument, which is rewarded in the higher mark bands.
Common Mistakes
Pitfalls to avoid in your exam answers
- Confusing 'meinen' (to think/opine) with 'denken' (to think/process)
- Incorrect word order after opinion phrases
- Overusing simple adjectives like 'gut' or 'schlecht' instead of more descriptive vocabulary
- Misusing 'es gefällt mir' (requires dative object) versus 'ich mag' (requires accusative object)
- Confusing 'mögen' with 'möchten': 'mögen' means 'to like', while 'möchten' means 'would like' (polite request). For example, 'Ich mag Schokolade' (I like chocolate) vs. 'Ich möchte Schokolade' (I would like chocolate).
- Forgetting word order after 'weil': 'weil' sends the conjugated verb to the end of the clause. E.g., 'Ich mag Sport, weil er gesund ist.' NOT '...weil er ist gesund.'
- Overusing 'ich denke' without variation: Using the same phrase repeatedly sounds repetitive. Mix it up with 'meiner Meinung nach', 'ich finde', 'ich glaube', etc.
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions students ask about this topic
Before You Start
Prior knowledge that will help with this topic
- •Basic German sentence structure (subject-verb-object) and knowledge of present tense verb conjugations.
- •Familiarity with common adjectives (e.g., gut, schlecht, interessant, langweilig) to describe opinions.
- •Understanding of subordinate clauses introduced by 'weil' and 'dass' (word order changes).
Key Terminology
Essential terms to know
- Expressing personal preferences and dislikes - Award marks for the correct use of 'meiner Meinung nach' (in my opinion) with V2 word order and 'ich halte ... für' (I consider ... to be).
- Justifying viewpoints with causal links - Credit responses that employ 'weil' (because) and 'da' (since) with correct subordinate clause word order (verb-final).
- Debating and contrasting perspectives - Candidates must demonstrate the ability to use 'einerseits... andererseits' (on one hand... on the other hand) to structure balanced arguments.
Likely Command Words
How questions on this topic are typically asked
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