Ep 21. The Simple Past

The Simple Past is the 21st episode of season one of the educational show Learning German: A Journey through Language and Culture. In this episode, viewers will dive into the grammar concept of the simple past tense in the German language.

Hosts Emily and Max introduce the concept by explaining that the simple past tense is used to describe actions that happened in the past, and that it differs from the present perfect tense in both form and usage. They provide examples of regular and irregular verbs in the simple past tense, and discuss the different endings that are used for regular verbs depending on the verb stem.

To help viewers practice using the simple past tense, the hosts present a series of short dialogues between fictional characters. Each dialogue features a variety of regular and irregular verbs in the simple past tense, allowing viewers to hear the verbs used in context and practice conjugating them.

In addition to the grammar lesson, the hosts also provide cultural context around the simple past tense. They explain that while the simple past tense is used frequently in written German, it is less common in spoken German, and that the present perfect tense is often used instead. They also touch on the topic of dialects, explaining that some German dialects use different forms of the simple past tense.

To reinforce the concepts covered in the episode, the hosts provide several interactive quizzes throughout the show. Viewers can test their knowledge of regular and irregular verb forms, practice choosing the correct verb tense, and more.

The Simple Past episode of Learning German: A Journey through Language and Culture is an excellent resource for beginners and intermediate German learners looking to improve their grammar skills. The hosts provide clear explanations and helpful examples, and the episode’s interactive quizzes make it easy to practice and reinforce what you’ve learned.