German B1 grammar

The complete B1 grammar list

• All four cases in use — nominative, accusative, dative and genitive, including case after prepositions
• Tenses — Präsens, Perfekt, Präteritum (especially sein, haben and modal verbs), Plusquamperfekt and Futur I
• Subordinate clauses — weil, dass, wenn, ob, als, bevor, nachdem, während, damit, um … zu
• Relative clauses in all cases — der, die, das, dem, denen, mit dem, für die
• The passive — Präsens and Präteritum passive, plus the alternative with man
• Konjunktiv II — polite requests, advice with sollte, wishes and hypothetical situations with würde
• Verbs with prepositions — warten auf, sich freuen über, bitten um — and the questions woher/worauf
• Adjective declension — after der, ein and without an article
• Two-part connectors — nicht nur … sondern auch, je … desto, weder … noch
• Indirect questions — Wissen Sie, wo … / Könnten Sie mir sagen, ob …

What B1 examiners actually check

In the writing and speaking parts, grammar is scored on two things: range and accuracy. Range means you use subordinate clauses, relative clauses and some Konjunktiv II rather than only main clauses. Accuracy means word order and endings are mostly right — verb in final position after weil, correct case endings, correct adjective endings.

Occasional mistakes do not fail you at B1. What fails candidates is avoiding the structures entirely, or getting the word order wrong in every subordinate clause.

The three structures to drill first

If your time is limited, prioritise these — they appear in almost every B1 exam task.

• Subordinate clause word order — the conjugated verb goes to the end: Ich lerne Deutsch, weil ich in Deutschland arbeiten möchte.
• Case after two-way prepositions — in die Stadt fahren (accusative, movement) versus in der Stadt wohnen (dative, position).
• Perfekt versus Präteritum — spoken German uses the Perfekt (ich habe gemacht), written formal German often the Präteritum (ich machte), and sein/haben choice for the Perfekt must be automatic.

How to practise B1 grammar effectively

Grammar exercises with a single right answer build accuracy, but B1 also needs production: writing your own sentences with a target structure and getting them corrected. Alternate the two — a focused exercise on relative clauses, then a short paragraph where you must use three of them. Immediate, specific feedback is what turns a rule you know into a structure you use.

How Deutschtrainer trains B1 grammar

Deutschtrainer's grammar programme works through the B1 list topic by topic: a short explanation, focused exercises, then writing and speaking tasks where the AI grades both accuracy and range. Mistakes are collected per structure, so if your subordinate-clause word order slips, that is what you practise next. Grammar lessons include audio, so you hear correct German as well as read it.

Frequently asked questions

What grammar is on the German B1 exam?

All four cases, the main tenses, subordinate and relative clauses, the passive, Konjunktiv II, verbs and adjectives with fixed prepositions, adjective declension and two-part connectors.

Is B1 grammar hard?

The list is long but each structure is manageable. The challenge is using several structures accurately at once in writing and speaking, which is why production practice with feedback matters more than exercises alone.

Do I need Konjunktiv II for B1?

Yes. Polite requests (Ich hätte gern …, Könnten Sie …), advice with sollte and simple hypotheticals with würde appear in both the writing and speaking parts.

What is the most common B1 grammar mistake?

Word order in subordinate clauses — putting the conjugated verb in second position instead of at the end after weil, dass or wenn.