How I Studied Grammar
I believed grammar was one of the two main pillars I needed to master, along with building a large vocabulary, to achieve the level of eloquence I aimed for. Reflecting on my experience learning English, memorizing a list of grammar rules and internalizing them through ample examples helped me back then. Over time, the memorization aspect faded, but the rules stuck. This time, I approached German by working through the required grammar list for the B2/C1 levels and building on top of it.
Gradual Build-Up: Digesting as You Go
As I mentioned earlier, gendered nouns were a foreign concept for me. Initially, learning the gender of nouns in isolation (e.g., der, die, das) seemed manageable since nouns were mostly used as the subject of a sentence. However, things became more complex when I had to deal with changes in definite and indefinite articles based on grammatical cases (Nominative, Accusative, Dative, Genitive), as well as adjective conjugations in different contexts, or even when no articles were used. It felt like the complexity just kept piling up.
In the end, it's not just about knowing the gender of a noun—you also need to understand its case (role in the sentence) and how to correctly change its articles, plus adjust adjective endings accordingly. Every grammatical rule from earlier lessons combines into this intricate puzzle. I realized that in my previous attempts, I struggled to naturally remember and apply these rules, largely because I didn’t fully understand why they existed in the first place.
My Approach
This time, I tried a few different strategies, which, in retrospect, were highly effective.
Immediate Practice
I started solving exercises immediately after being introduced (or reintroduced) to new concepts. This was a simple change of habit, really. I used to be a serial procrastinator, often completing homework right before the next class. But this time, I made sure to tackle it right after the lesson, while the material was still fresh. After three hours of intense class time (or 3.5 with breaks), sitting down for another half hour to two hours was initially tough. But eventually, it became routine, and by the end of the course, it didn’t feel so demanding anymore.
This approach helped me stay motivated and saved time since I didn’t have to re-learn concepts later.
Building a Mental or Physical Mind-Map
I began mentally connecting the dots between different grammatical rules. For instance, concepts like the Nominative, Accusative, Dative, and Genitive cases are often introduced with little explanation. In my experience, learning German through Korean at first made this even more confusing, as these cases were sometimes referred to simply by numbers (e.g., Nominative = first case, Genitive = second case, and so on). It was up to me to make sense of their roles: Nominative (subject), Accusative (direct object), Dative (indirect object), and Genitive (possessive). (A quick look at an English dictionary or a simple Google search could clarify these terms.) Understanding these distinctions helped me differentiate what I needed to memorize from what I could logically deduce.
Once I understood the foundational concepts, it became easier to build on them. For example, after learning how articles change based on case, learning how adjective endings change in each case became much more logical. This basic understanding is critical for mastering complex sentence structures, such as relative clauses and prepositions that require specific cases.
Clarifying Complex Grammar
Rules I applied this method when learning difficult concepts like the passive voice or the subjunctive II (Konjunktiv II). Even though these two grammatical forms have distinct purposes, they become confusing when tenses (e.g., future tense) are added. I think it is because werden is used as an auxiliary verb in both passive voice and future tense, making it tricky to differentiate.
To address this, I took the time to map out a list of rules for each concept. Once I organized these rules visually, it cleared up most of my confusion. Surprisingly, the process of untangling these rules was more fun than it sounds!
Here are some exmaples:
- Future I: werde (to be conjugated) + infinitive
- Vorgangspassiv Future I: werden (t.b.c) + Partizip II + werden
- Vorgangspassiv Present: werden (t.b.c) + Partizip II
- Vorgangspassiv Perfekt: haben, sein (t.b.c) + Partizip II + worden
- Vorgangspassiv Past: wurde (t.b.c)+ Partizip II
- Konjunktiv II Present: würde (t.b.c) + infinitive
- Konjunktiv II Past: hätte, wäre (t.b.c) + Partizip II
- Konjunktiv II Past with modal verbs: hätte (t.b.c) + Modalverb infinitive + main Verb infinitive
Tracking Recurring Mistakes
In addition to studying rules, I kept a running list of grammatical concepts that I consistently got wrong in my speaking and writing exercises. This allowed me to focus on specific weak points. For example, I initially found it confusing that werden can change to either worden or geworden depending on its meaning. To avoid confusion, I made notes like these to remind myself of tricky details:
- werden as a passive auxiliary verb changes to worden in the participle form.
- werden meaning to become changes to geworden in the participle form.
This tracking method helped me stay organized and made the preparation for exams less stressful since I could focus on concepts I struggled with the most.
Noticing Patterns During Input Exercises
As I read and listened to German content, I began to spot the grammar patterns I had learned. Seeing these structures used in real contexts reinforced my understanding and made grammar feel more tangible. This recognition kept me motivated and made grammar feel more engaging. It became fun to see how these rules played out in action in everyday language.