Tips for the Language Elements (Sprachbausteine)

What Are the Sprachbausteine?

The Sprachbausteine (Language Elements) section tests your grammar and vocabulary in context. You read short texts with gaps and choose the correct word or phrase to complete each one. This section is worth 30 points and shares the 90-minute time block with Reading Comprehension.

It has two parts:

• Part 1 (Cloze Multiple Choice): A text with 10 gaps. For each gap, you choose from three options (a, b, c).
• Part 2 (Cloze Word Bank): A text with 10 gaps. You choose from a word bank of 15 words — five words are distractors.

Time Strategy

You share 90 minutes with Reading Comprehension. A common mistake is spending too long on Reading and rushing through Sprachbausteine. Plan roughly 20–25 minutes for this section:

• Part 1: about 10–12 minutes
• Part 2: about 8–10 minutes
• Final check: 2–3 minutes

The Sprachbausteine often feel quicker than Reading because the texts are shorter and the task is more mechanical. Use that to your advantage.

Part 1: Cloze Multiple Choice

How It Works

You see a semi-formal or formal text (often a letter or email) with 10 numbered gaps. Each gap has three answer options. Only one is grammatically and contextually correct.

What Is Tested

The questions almost always test these grammar categories:

1. Prepositions — für, an, über, mit, bei, auf, nach, zu, von, aus
2. Conjunctions and connectors — weil, obwohl, deshalb, trotzdem, damit, dass, wenn, als, ob
3. Verb forms — tense (Präsens, Perfekt, Präteritum), Konjunktiv II (würde, könnte, hätte)
4. Pronouns — relative pronouns (der, die, das, dem, den), reflexive pronouns (sich, mich, mir)
5. Articles and cases — Nominativ, Akkusativ, Dativ after prepositions or verbs

Strategy

1. Read the full text first without looking at the gaps. Understand the overall meaning.
2. Read the sentence around each gap carefully. Often the words before and after the gap determine the answer.
3. Try each option mentally in the gap. Does it sound right? Does the grammar work?
4. Look for grammatical signals:
5. A preposition before the gap? → The answer must be in the correct case.
6. A conjunction? → Check if the word order matches (verb at the end for weil, dass, obwohl, etc.).
7. A verb gap? → Check the subject for correct conjugation and tense.

Example Pattern

Ich freue mich ___ Ihren Besuch.

Options: a) für — b) auf — c) über

The correct answer is b) auf, because sich freuen auf means "to look forward to." Knowing common verb-preposition combinations is essential.

Part 2: Cloze Word Bank

How It Works

You see a text (usually informal — a personal letter or email) with 10 gaps. Below the text is a word bank of 15 words labeled a–o. You assign one word to each gap. Five words are not used.

What Is Tested

The word bank typically contains a mix of:

• Prepositions (in, an, für, mit, von)
• Conjunctions (und, aber, weil, dass, wenn)
• Pronouns (ich, mich, mir, sich, es, die)
• Verb parts (haben, sein, werden, gemacht, gegangen)
• Articles (der, die, das, den, dem, einen, einem)
• Adverbs (schon, noch, sehr, auch, gern)

Strategy

1. Start with the easiest gaps — some gaps are obvious from context (e.g., a greeting, a common phrase). Fill those in first and cross them off the word bank.
2. Read each sentence completely before choosing. The gap might need a word that connects to the next sentence too.
3. Use grammar to eliminate options:
4. If the gap comes after a Wechselpräposition with location meaning → Dativ article needed
5. If the sentence needs a verb in Perfekt → look for a past participle and the matching auxiliary (haben/sein)
6. Check leftover words at the end — if you have 5 unused words and they feel random, you are likely on the right track. If a leftover word seems like it should fit somewhere, re-check your answers.

Common Traps

• Similar-looking words: The word bank may contain both den and dem — you need to know the correct case.
• Verb pairs: You might see both haben and sein — choose the right auxiliary for Perfekt (Ich bin gegangen vs. Ich habe gemacht).
• Preposition confusion: an, auf, in can look interchangeable but are fixed by the verb or context.

Grammar Patterns Worth Memorizing

These come up in Sprachbausteine again and again:

Verb + Preposition Combinations

Verb	Preposition	Example
sich freuen auf	auf + Akk.	Ich freue mich auf den Urlaub.
sich freuen über	über + Akk.	Ich freue mich über das Geschenk.
sich interessieren für	für + Akk.	Ich interessiere mich für den Kurs.
sich bewerben um	um + Akk.	Ich bewerbe mich um die Stelle.
sich erkundigen nach	nach + Dat.	Ich erkundige mich nach dem Preis.
teilnehmen an	an + Dat.	Ich nehme am Kurs teil.
sich beschweren über	über + Akk.	Ich beschwere mich über den Service.
bitten um	um + Akk.	Ich bitte Sie um Hilfe.
achten auf	auf + Akk.	Achten Sie auf die Uhrzeit.
abhängen von	von + Dat.	Das hängt vom Wetter ab.

Conjunctions and Word Order

Type	Examples	Verb Position
Main clause connectors	deshalb, trotzdem, dann, also	Verb comes second (inversion)
Subordinating conjunctions	weil, dass, obwohl, wenn, als, ob, damit	Verb goes to the end
Two-part connectors	nicht nur ... sondern auch, entweder ... oder	Normal word order in each clause

Adjective Endings After Articles

If a gap requires an adjective, remember:

• After der/die/das (definite) → mostly -e or -en
• After ein/eine/einen (indefinite) → depends on case and gender
• Without article → adjective takes the article's ending

Final Tips

• Do not leave any gap empty — even a guess gives you a chance at 1.5 points per correct answer.
• Read your completed text one final time — does it flow naturally? If a sentence sounds awkward, reconsider that gap.
• Practice with real exam texts — the patterns repeat. After 5–10 practice tests, you will recognize the most common question types instantly.

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