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24 German Essay Phrases

We need to talk about your German essays.

Essay writing is a skill that you can learn in any language.

All you need is to brush up your vocabulary and follow a few simple strategies, and you’ll be well on your way to writing your first masterpiece.

This post will provide you with a list of useful German words and phrases to include in your next essay, plus the different types of German essays, a few writing strategies and even a sample essay at the end. 

German Essay Phrases

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Let’s start with the words and phrases themselves. As you’ll see, they’re grouped according to how and when you’ll use them. Let’s start off with some that will help you explain your arguments.

1. Weil (Because)

Daniel muss lernen, weil er morgen einen Test hat.

(Daniel has to study because he has a test tomorrow.)

2. Da (Because)

Daniel muss lernen, da er morgen einen Test hat.

3. Denn (Because)

Daniel muss lernen, denn er hat morgen einen Test.

(Daniel has to study because tomorrow he has a test.)

A quick note: Weil, da and denn are generally interchangeable. Keep in mind though that denn requires a different word order.

4. Damit (In order to; So that)

Lisa lernt viel, damit sie den Test besteht.

(Lisa is studying a lot in order to pass the test.)

5. Um (To; In order to)

Lisa lernt viel, um den Test zu bestehen.

(Lisa is studying a lot to pass the test.)

6. Im Grunde (Basically; Fundamentally)

Im Grunde ist Deutsch keine schwierige Sprache.

(Fundamentally, German is not a difficult language.)

7. Eigentlich (Actually)

Eigentlich ist Deutsch nicht so schwierig, wie es scheint.

(Actually, German is not as difficult as it seems.)

8. Ein Beispiel anführen  (To give an example)

Ich möchte ein Beispiel anführen .

(I would like to give an example.)

9. Dieses Beispiel zeigt, dass… (This example shows that…)

Dieses Beispiel zeigt, dass das Lernen einer Fremdsprache beim Reisen viele Vorteile hat.

(This example shows that studying a foreign language has many advantages when traveling.)

10. Erstens… zweitens… (Firstly… secondly…)

Erstens kann man sich auf Reisen besser verständigen und zweitens lernt man viele neue Leute kennen.

(Firstly, you can communicate better while traveling, and secondly, you meet many new people.)

11. Das Wichtigste ist…  (T he most important thing is…)

Das Wichtigste ist , die Angst vor der Sprache zu verlieren.

(The most important thing is to lose your fear of the language.)

12. Außer dem (Furthermore)

Außerdem kann man beim Reisen seine Sprachkenntnisse verbessern.

(Furthermore, you can improve your language knowledge while traveling.)

13. Nicht nur… sondern auch…  (Not only… but also…)

Nicht nur im Unterricht, sondern auch im Alltag kann man viel Deutsch lernen.

(Not only in class, but also in everyday life you can learn a lot of German.)

14. Obwohl (Even though)

Obwohl Anna viel lernt, hat sie Probleme mit der deutschen Grammatik.

(Even though Anna studies a lot, she has problems with German grammar.)

15. Allerdings (However)

Anna lernt gerne Deutsch, allerdings hat sie Probleme mit der Grammatik.

(Anna enjoys studying German; however, she has problems with the grammar.)

16. Trotz   (Despite)

Trotz ihrer Probleme mit der Grammatik lernt Anna gerne Deutsch.

(Despite her problems with German grammar, Anna enjoys studying German.)

17. Im Vergleich zu (In comparison to)

Im Vergleich zu Russisch ist Deutsch eine einfache Sprache.

In comparison to Russian, German is an easy language.

18. Im Gegensatz zu (In contrast to; Unlike)

Im Gegensatz zu Anna lernt Paul gerne neue Vokabeln.

Unlike Anna, Paul enjoys learning new vocabulary.

19. Meiner Meinung nach (In my opinion)

Meiner Meinung nach sollte jeder eine Fremdsprache lernen.

(In my opinion, everybody should study a foreign language.)

20. Ich bin der Ansicht, dass…  (I believe that…)

Ich bin der Ansicht, dass jeder eine Fremdsprache lernen sollte.

(I believe that everybody should study a foreign language.)

21. Ich finde es schade, dass…  (I think it’s a pity that…)

Ich finde es schade, dass die Schulen keine anderen Fremdsprachen unterrichten.

(I think it’s a pity that schools don’t teach other foreign languages.)

22. Alles in Allem (Overall)

Alles in allem ist Deutsch nicht so schwierig, wie es scheint.

(Overall, German isn’t as difficult as it seems.)

23. Im Großen und Ganzen (Overall)

Im Großen und Ganzen ist Deutsch keine schwierige Sprache.

(Overall, German isn’t a difficult language.)

24. Zusammenfassend kann man sagen, dass…  (In summary, it can be said that…)

Zusammenfassend kann man sagen, dass Sprachen beim Reisen sehr hilfreich sein können.

(In summary, it can be said that languages can be very helpful when traveling.)

Ok, let’s get a little deeper into the actual essays themselves. How do they compare to the essays that you’re probably used to writing?

• They have a similar structure to English essays. Remember how English essays have a beginning, middle and end? Good news: German essays contain those same parts. When you’re writing a German essay, you’ll want to include an opening paragraph with your argument, three supporting paragraphs that further your argument and a conclusion. German and English are often surprisingly similar, and essay structure is no exception.
• German essays are more to the point. Although German essays and English essays are structured similarly, German essays—just like German speakers—tend to be more blunt and to the point. You won’t need to dance around your conclusions or obfuscate in German: just say what you mean.
• German punctuation is different. Germans have different rules for punctuation than English speakers. For example, Germans introduce a direct quote with a colon instead of a comma. They use quotes instead of italics for the names of books, movies and newspapers. And they set off relative clauses beginning with dass (that) with a comma, unlike in American English. Understanding these differences between English and German punctuation will ensure you don’t give yourself away as a non-native speaker through punctuation marks alone!

Before you get started on your essay, make sure you know what type of essay you’re going to write. If it’s a school essay, be sure to read and understand the instructions.

Here are a few notes about the most common kinds of essays in German.

• An Erzählung  is a narrative essay that tells a story. Your teacher might give you some keywords or pictures and ask you to create a story around it. An Erlebniserzählung (“experience story”) is about a personal experience and can be written in the first person.
• An Erörterung is an argumentative essay, a writing piece meant to persuade someone to think the way you do. This writing genre requires you to investigate your topic well and provide evidence to prove your point.
• In a Nacherzählung you summarize and recount a book, a film or an article you have read, from an objective perspective. Depending on the essay instructions, you might be asked for your personal opinion in the conclusion.

Are you ready to start writing? Use these four strategies to wow your teachers and write the perfect German essay.

You should look at any new activity as an opportunity to learn and master new vocabulary . Instead of using the same words that you use in your everyday German speech, use this essay as an opportunity to introduce new words into your German lexicon.

Besides, incorporating academic words that help you craft and shape your argument can make your essay sound more professional and polished. So before you start writing, write down a list of the German words you’d like to incorporate in your essay.

As with everything else, you should look at the research portion of the essay-writing process as an opportunity to learn more about Germany—this time, about German culture, history , politics or travel .

Chances are if you’re writing your essay for a language-learning class, you’ll be assigned a topic pertaining to one of these aspects of German life, so use this as a chance to learn more about Deutschland.

For example, Deutsche Welle offers information and resources about German history. Other newspapers such as Berliner Zeitung and Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung offer another perspective on politics and daily life in Germany.

There’s nothing clunkier than an essay that doesn’t flow naturally from one point to the next. Besides, thinking about how your arguments and points interact with each other will help you organize your essay and make sure you get your point across. (Do they support each other? Counter each other? How exactly do they function to further your argument?)

Examples of transition words:

• Vorher (prior)
• zur gleichen Zeit (at the same time)
• dann (then)
• trotzdem (nevertheless)
• noch (still)

Writing an essay in English and then translating it into German often results in stilted, poorly formed sentences and unnatural constructions.

For example, remember that German word order is different from English. If you write “He didn’t read the book,” a one-to-one literal translation would be Er hat gelesen nicht das Buch . But the correct translation is actually  Er hat nicht das Buch gelesen. In this example, translating word for word leads to errors.

There’s another, less tangible reason why it’s not a good idea to write in English and translate to German. Sure, you could just remember that you need to change the word order when translating into German. But isn’t it better to adapt your brain so that German word order seems fluid and natural?

Learning to think and write off-the-cuff in German is an essential step towards fluency, and devising sentences in German, instead of sentences in translation, will help you learn to do that.

One good way to learn to think in a language is to hear it spoken in natural contexts. You can hear German spoken naturally in German language TV shows , movies and YouTube videos .

FluentU takes authentic videos—like music videos, movie trailers, news and inspiring talks—and turns them into personalized language learning lessons.

You can try FluentU for free for 2 weeks. Check out the website or download the iOS app or Android app.

P.S. Click here to take advantage of our current sale! (Expires at the end of this month.)

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Listening to German spoken at a natural speed and native accent will help get you thinking in the language in real time. This will help get you to the point where you can come up with your own sentences in German, rather than thinking in English sentences first and then translating them in your head before you speak or write. That will greatly improve your speed and fluency when writing in German.

So, simply start writing the essay in German. Look up any words you’re not sure of and double-check any grammatical constructions that you’re not familiar with. After you finish writing, ask a German-speaking friend to look over the essay to make sure it sounds natural.

Now that we’ve explored strategies and phrases for writing top-notch German essays, let’s take a look at an example.

World War I doesn’t get as much coverage in the States as World War II (where it was more directly involved). But for Europe, World War I was a devastating example of the dangers of modern technological warfare and the horrors of violence.

Let’s take a look at an example opening paragraph and outline of an essay about the effect of World War I on German government and life.

Opening paragraph:

Der Erste Weltkrieg war ein totaler Krieg, der Deutschland völlig veränderte. Dieser Krieg hat 1914 angefangen, und 1918, als der Krieg zu Ende kam, waren die deutsche Gesellschaft, Regierung und Kultur nicht mehr erkennbar. Am Anfang hat der Erste Weltkrieg altväterliche Ideen und Systeme verstärkt. Am Ende hat dieser Krieg dagegen diese altväterlichen Dinge zerstört.

(The First World War was a total war that completely changed Germany. This war began in 1914 and in 1918, when the war came to an end, German society, government and culture were no longer recognizable. At the beginning, the First World War strengthened old-fashioned ideas and systems. However, by the end, this war destroyed these old-fashioned things.)

Notice that this opening paragraph is not very different at all from the first paragraph of an English essay. You can use the same structure you’ve always used to write your German essay, leaving you free to focus on grammar and vocabulary.

Notice also the use of phrases such as Am Anfang (at the beginning) and Dagegen (however). Words like these can help you make a point and counterpoint in your opening paragraph (or anywhere in your essay, for that matter).

I. Am Anfang (at the beginning):

– Dieser Krieg hat Deutschland vereint . (This war united Germany.) – Menschen hatten ein patriotisches Gefühl. (People had a patriotic feeling.) – Menschen dachten, dass der Krieg bald zu Ende kommen würde. (People thought that the war would soon come to an end.)

Notice that these points employ words like dachten (thought). Written German often relies on Präteritum , a form of the past tense that’s rarely used in spoken Deutsch. It’s often called “literary past tense” for this reason. Check out this guide to the Präteritum to include this tense in your essay.

II. Andrerseits (on the other hand):

– Bald gab es kein Essen mehr . (Soon there was no more food.) – Menschen wurden krank und desillusioniert . (People became sick and disillusioned.) – Es gab Proteste und Unruhen. (There was protest and unrest.)

Like in an English essay, your second and third paragraphs can include supporting points or counterpoints that contribute to the overall theme of your piece. The word Andrerseits (on the other hand) is an ideal transition word to show that you’re moving into another section of your essay.

Also notice that this essay will rely on vocabulary words that the average language learner might not have come across in his or her learning. After all, who learns the words for “disillusioned” and “unrest” in their intermediate German class? But don’t be daunted by the fact that your essay might include eclectic vocabulary. Instead, use this as an opportunity for more learning.

III. zum Schluss (in conclusion):

– Der Kaiser hat abgedankt . (The Emperor abdicated.) – Eine Republik wurde geboren. (A Republic was born.) – Die alten Werte waren weg. (The old values were gone.)

Once again, abgedankt (abdicated) is an example of the literary past tense (and an example of a word that you probably haven’t come across in your previous German studies!)

IV. Schließlich (finally)

– Der Erste Weltkrieg hat Deutschland verändert . (The First World War completely changed Germany.)

Again, like in an English essay, you should use this paragraph to summarize your main point.

Feeling a bit more confident about your next German essay now?

Just make a great essay plan, write down some new words and phrases that you want to include and off you go!

By sprinkling these bits of flair into your German essays, you’re sure to make your writing better and more effective.

Enjoy writing!

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50 Useful German Essay Words and Phrases

by  fredo21  

January 9, 2019

2  Comments

Essay-writing is in itself already a difficult endeavor. Now writing an essay in a foreign language like German ---that’s on a different plane of difficulty.  

To make it easier for you, here in this article, we’ve compiled the most useful German essay phrases. Feel free to use these to add a dash of pizzazz into your essays. It will add just the right amount of flourish into your writing---enough to impress whoever comes across your work!

You can also download these phrases in PDF format by clicking the button below.

Now here’s your list!

What other German vocabulary list would you like to see featured here? Please feel free to leave a message in the comment section and we’ll try our best to accommodate your requests soon!

Once again, you can download your copy of the PDF by subscribing using the button below!

For an easier way to learn German vocabulary, check out German short stories for beginners!

A FUN AND EFFECTIVE WAY TO LEARN GERMAN

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• Practice reading and listening with 90+ minutes of audio 
• Learn 1,000+ new German vocabulary effortlessly!

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Thank you for the good writeup. It in fact was a amusement account it. Look advanced to far added agreeable from you! By the way, how can we communicate?

Asking questions are genuinely good thing if you are not understanding anything completely, except this piece of writing provides nice understanding yet.

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German Essay Phrases: 24 Useful Expressions to Write an Essay in German

As we often think in English first, translating our ideas into useful German phrases can be tricky.

This handy blog post includes 24 essential German essay phrases to help make your writing flow more smoothly and sound more natural. Whether you’re preparing for the Goethe exam, a GCSE test, or just want to improve your written German for real-life situations, these chunks and phrases will help you. Easy German has a great video on useful German expression:

From organizing your thoughts with transitions like “ zudem ” and “ außerdem “, to expressing your opinion with phrases like “ meiner Meinung nach ” and “ ich denke, dass… “, this post has you covered.

Write an essay with German essay phrases: learn how to structure your story

Goethe tests love a clear and logical format. They follow the same structure throughout the different levels. The good news is, when you’re learning a language, you can use these German essay phrases with these structures even in your real-life dialogues. Then, gradually, you can shift your focus to a more natural-sounding speaking.

First, begin with an engaging introduction to get the reader’s attention. This intro paragraph should also include a short thesis statement that outlines the central argument you’ll be taking.

In the body of your essay, organize your thoughts into separate paragraphs. Use transitional phrases like “ außerdem ” (furthermore) and “ zudem ” (moreover) to connect your paragraphs and create a flow.

After that, summarize your main points and restate your thesis. But! Avoid introducing new information. Leave the reader with a compelling final thought or even a call to action that makes your central argument stronger.

If you’re not certain enough, check the following list and learn about the must-have go-to German essay phrases now!

1. Erstens – Firstly

This German essay phrase is used to introduce the first point in your essay.

Erstens werden wir die Hauptargumente diskutieren. [Firstly, we will discuss the main arguments.]

2. Zweitens – Secondly

Normally, this phrase is there for you when you want to introduce the second point in a structured manner.

Zweitens betrachten wir einige Gegenbeispiele. [Secondly, we will look at some counterexamples.]

3. Drittens – Thirdly

Used to signal the third point for clarity in your argument.

Drittens ziehen wir eine Schlussfolgerung. [Thirdly, we will draw a conclusion.]

4. Einleitend muss man sagen… – To begin with, one has to say…

Start your essay with this phrase to introduce your key points.

Einleitend muss man sagen, dass dieses Thema komplex ist. [To begin with, one has to say that this topic is complex.]

5. Man muss … in Betracht ziehen – One needs to take … into consideration

When you want to consider a specific aspect in your discussion.

Man muss den historischen Kontext in Betracht ziehen. [One needs to take the historical context into consideration.]

6. Ein wichtiger Aspekt von X ist … – An important aspect of X is …

To highlight an important part…

Ein wichtiger Aspekt von Nachhaltigkeit ist die Ressourcenschonung. [An important aspect of sustainability is resource conservation.]

7. Man muss erwähnen, dass… – One must mention that …

Used to emphasize a point that need acknowledgement.

Man muss erwähnen, dass es verschiedene Ansichten gibt. [One must mention that there are different viewpoints.]

8. Im Vergleich zu – In comparison to…

To compare different elements in your essay.

Im Vergleich zu konventionellen Autos sind Elektrofahrzeuge umweltfreundlicher. [In comparison to conventional cars, electric vehicles are more eco-friendly.]

9. Im Gegensatz zu – In contrast to…

When you want to present an alternative viewpoint or argument.

Im Gegensatz zu optimistischen Prognosen ist die Realität ernüchternd. [In contrast to optimistic forecasts, reality is sobering.]

10. Auf der einen Seite – On the one hand

To add a new perspective.

Auf der einen Seite gibt es finanzielle Vorteile. [On the one hand, there are financial benefits.]

11. Auf der anderen Seite – On the other hand

Present an alternative viewpoint.

Auf der anderen Seite bestehen ethische Bedenken. [On the other hand, ethical concerns exist.]

12. Gleichzeitig – At the same time

When you want to show a simultaneous relationship between ideas.

Gleichzeitig müssen wir Kompromisse eingehen. [At the same time, we must make compromises.]

13. Angeblich – Supposedly

If you want to add information that is claimed but not confirmed.

Angeblich wurde der Konflikt beigelegt. [Supposedly, the conflict was resolved.]

14. Vermutlich – Presumably

Used when discussing something that is presumed but not certain.

Vermutlich wird sich die Situation verbessern. [Presumably, the situation will improve.]

15. In der Tat – In fact

To add a fact or truth in your essay.

In der Tat sind die Herausforderungen groß. [In fact, the challenges are great.]

16. Tatsächlich – Indeed

Emphasize a point or a fact.

Tatsächlich haben wir Fortschritte gemacht. [Indeed, we have made progress.]

17. Im Allgemeinen – In general

When discussing something in a general context.

Im Allgemeinen ist das System reformbedürftig. [In general, the system needs reform.]

18. Möglicherweise – Possibly

Spice your essay with a possibility or potential scenario.

Möglicherweise finden wir einen Konsens. [Possibly, we will find a consensus.]

19. Eventuell – Possibly

To suggest a potential outcome or situation.

Eventuell müssen wir unsere Strategie überdenken. [Possibly, we need to rethink our strategy.]

20. In jedem Fall / Jedenfalls – In any case

Used to emphasize a point regardless of circumstances.

In jedem Fall müssen wir handeln. [In any case, we must take action.]

21. Das Wichtigste ist – The most important thing is

If you want to highlight the most important thing in your saying.

Das Wichtigste ist, dass wir zusammenarbeiten. [The most important thing is that we cooperate.]

22. Ohne Zweifel – Without a doubt

To introduce a statement that is unquestionably trues.

Ohne Zweifel ist Bildung der Schlüssel zum Erfolg. [Without a doubt, education is the key to success.]

23. Zweifellos – Doubtless

Just as the previous one, when you want say something that is, without a doubt, true.

Zweifellos gibt es noch viel zu tun. [Doubtless, there is still a lot to be done.]

24. Verständlicherweise – Understandably

If you want to add a thing that is understandable in the given context.

Verständlicherweise sind einige Menschen besorgt. [Understandably, some people are concerned.]

Practice the most important German essay phrases

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Learn the language and more German essay words and sentences with Conversation Based Chunking

Conversation Based Chunking represents a powerful approach to learning language skills. It’s especially useful for productive purposes like essay writing.

By learning phrases and expressions used in natural discourse, students internalize vocabulary and grammar in context rather than as isolated rules. This method helps you achieve fluency and helps you develop a ‘feel’ for a an authentic patterns.

Chunking common multi-word units accelerates progress by reducing cognitive load compared to consciously constructing each sentence from individual words. Sign up now to get access to your German Conversation Based Chunking Guide.

Lukas is the founder of Effortless Conversations and the creator of the Conversation Based Chunking™ method for learning languages. He's a linguist and wrote a popular book about learning languages through "chunks". He also co-founded the language education company Spring Languages, which creates online language courses and YouTube content.

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5 Steps to Brilliant German Writing: Essential Hacks & Tips

Ever find yourself stuck in the writing maze, where every German sentence feels like a linguistic puzzle gone wrong?

You pour your thoughts onto paper, but instead of eloquence, it’s a parade of errors. Frustration kicks in as each attempt feels like a linguistic treadmill—lots of effort, but no forward momentum.

Today, I’m sharing my personal 5-step process that will not only transform your writing, but also supercharge your learning.

Get ready to unleash your creativity, embrace the power of technology and even team up with an AI language wizard to take your German writing to the next level.

Let’s dive into the secrets of becoming a German writing master!

Step 1: Brain Dump

Start by just sitting with a pencil and paper and writing as much as you can about whatever topic you chose for the day.

Write for 15 minutes non-stop.

Don’t worry about grammar and if you got every detail right.

The point is to try to get as much on the paper as possible in the 15 minutes you have given yourself. 

Spelling, punctuation, grammar, all of the little things your German teacher complains about, none of it matters for this step. Just write.

Start writing and don’t stop writing until the timer is up.

When you are done, your hand should hurt from writing so much and so fast.

Step 2: Transfer Your Brain Dump to a Word Processor

Type what you wrote into Microsoft Word or Google Docs or whatever you use to write things in German on a computer. Both Microsoft Word and Google Docs have the ability to spell check and grammar check in German. 

While you are typing, make a note of anything the program changes about your writing.

Did it autocorrect something for you? Did it underline it in blue or red? What changed and why? What does this tell you about the things you wrote? 

Step 3: Ask ChatGPT for Corrections

Once you have corrected any mistakes that your word processor caught, it is time to copy and paste our text into our old friend ChatGPT.

Add the following text to the top of the prompt: 

You are my German professor. The following text is an essay I submitted to your class. Read it and give feedback about it. Correct any grammar mistakes and tell me not only what was wrong, but why it was wrong and what the grammatical topic is called, so I can research it in more depth and correct these mistakes in the future.

If you want it to give this feedback in English, you might want to add a line about that to the prompt. 

Step 4: Correct Your Mistakes (Manually)

Make notes to yourself to research and study the topics that were common mistakes you made.

If you have a teacher that you can ask, ask them to help you better understand the topics that are giving you trouble. 

You can also ask ChatGPT to list some topics that you should research in more depth to avoid these errors in the future.

Step 5: Back to ChatGPT

Copy your newly created, corrected version of your writing into ChatGPT again.

This time add the following prompt to the top: 

You are my copy editor. I need you to take this rough draft and punch it up a bit. It needs to sound professional, but also upbeat. Keep the general language level the same, but make the essay more interesting and entertaining. Please explain any changes you make. 

If you told it to write the response from earlier in English, you might have to remind ChatGPT that you wanted your essay to stay in German. Sometimes leaving out little details like this can confuse it.

I like to think of ChatGPT as a hyper-intelligent 10 year old with ADHD. It can answer most of your questions, but you have to be super specific and make sure it is actually paying attention when you say stuff. You also have to repeat yourself a lot.

One Last Proofread

Now, take a look at your upgraded German essay – it’s got your style but with a touch of AI magic.

When you dive into your next German writing session, remember the ChatGPT tips to keep things smooth and sharp.

If you’re teaching yourself and relying on online tools, here’s a game plan: do this writing exercise two or three times a week.

You’ll be surprised how quickly your German writing game levels up.

And hey, if you’re into improving your German reading skills, click right here . I’m sharing three common blunders German learners face when diving into reading.

Missing this lesson might mean making those mistakes yourself. Check it out and I’ll see you there. 

Herr Antrim is a highly experienced German teacher with over 20 years of engagement with the German language. He holds a bachelor’s degree in German with teacher certification and is currently pursuing his master’s degree. Since 2009, he has been teaching German to high school students and is now the World Language Department Chair at Edwardsville High School.

In 2011, Herr Antrim launched the successful YouTube channel Learn German with Herr Antrim , which has garnered over 200,000 subscribers. Through his channel, he has collaborated with renowned German language learning YouTube channels such as Deutsch für Euch, Easy German, Get Germanized, and Lingoni German.

Herr Antrim is the author of Beginner German with Herr Antrim and Elementary German with Herr Antrim , catering to A1 and A2 learners, respectively. He is currently working on a B1 level follow-up book and a dedicated guide to mastering the German case system.

Additionally, Herr Antrim offers the Deutschlerner Club , an online course subscription that provides learners access to his comprehensive A1 and A2 courses along with weekly bonus lessons. This club is designed to give students continuous and structured learning opportunities.

With his extensive background and dedication to teaching, Herr Antrim is committed to providing high-quality German language education and resources, making him a trusted authority in the field.

Click here to learn more about Herr Antrim.

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German Writing: How to Write in German

Writing poses its own unique set of benefits and issues for German language learners. Since you have time to think and review what you want to say, there are better odds that you can learn the grammar and other aspects of German.

The most difficult skill to master when learning German is writing texts. There are quite a few problems to overcome before one can produce a readable or even enjoyable text.

Like written English, written German is more structured and formal. This means that the rules that you learned always apply, so it’s a great way of practicing what you learn in a class or after a lesson. Let me do a quick analysis of the difficulties that you will come across and then present to you what I think is an excellent tool to get started with your German writing practice: Dictations!

German Spelling of Native German Words

One of the main two problems of written language is the fact that German is spoken differently than it is written. The word ‚Vater‘ e.g. is spoken ‚farter‘. The ‚r‘ is never pronounced at the end of an unstressed syllable.

Also, in everyday communication Germans tend to ignore the second last ‚e‘  like in ‚kaufen‘ e.g. which then sounds like ‚cow-fn‘. Or the ‚ig‘ in ‚mutig‘ turns into an ‚ich‘ just because it is at the end of the syllable making it indistinguishable from the ‘ich’ in ‘glücklich’.

There are surely many more examples and the good news is that in German the gap between the spoken and the written language is much narrower than in English. But yet the differences certainly will cause you trouble. Please see also the article about how to practice listening comprehension to understand the physiological side of this issue.

Upside down

The other big challenge is the German sentence structure that often differs from the English one (or your native language’s structure). As you have already internalized your mother tongue’s patterns and melodies, you will find it hard to switch to something totally different. Let me illustrate:

Maria geht ins Kino. Gestern ging Maria ins Kino. Maria goes to the cinema. Yesterday, Maria went to the cinema. >> identical structure           >> different word order

Or the side-clauses: Ich fahre nicht in Urlaub, weil ich kein Geld habe . I don’t go on holiday, because I have no money.

and when you put the sideclause in front: Weil ich kein Geld habe , fahre ich nicht in Urlaub. Because I have no money, I don’t go on holiday.

Understand that your mind will always be tempted to use the structures that it got used to over the last twenty to forty years. It will take quite some effort from you to overcome this tendency.

das Heft – the notebook / Image via Pixabay

Dictations will help you overcome these problems

You might remember dictations from your time at a regular school. I never really liked them that much as I wasn’t really the king of orthography at that time. But later on, while learning French, I realized that writing dictations helped me to improve my writing skills. Nevertheless, it took me many years to realize why it helped me and why I should use it in my classes. A dictation has several benefits:

• You train several skills at once: vocabulary, reading, listening, writing and structuring
• They can be done on your own.
• They reveal your progress almost instantly

I won’t go into detail here as I would like you to simply try it for a few minutes a day for just one week. Then you can see for yourself if what I have experienced also is true for you.

How to do Proper Dictations

Before you start listening and writing, prepare the text that you are going to work with. That means, read it, mark the new words, write them in a list and look them up in your dictionary. Then read the text again until you get 80% of its content. You may use your vocabulary list in the beginning.

Only when you understand what you are listening to can you learn from it. That’s why I do not recommend listening to the radio as it provides too little backup for beginners to work with. When you are clear about the text, get ready for the dictation. There are a few steps that you should always follow to establish a working routine:

• Note the time when you start with the following routine.
• First listen to the whole text. Do not write anything at that stage.
• Listen a second time but this time: sentence by sentence or at least part by part. Listen as many times to a sentence (part) as you need to get a grip on what is being said. Later on you will widen your attention span automatically. Pause after what you consider a fair amount of words and write down what you have  just heard.
• When you are through with the text, take a deep breath, or take a one minute break and then listen to the text again while going over what you have written. Correct mistakes that become clear to you.
• Now take the original text and compare with your work. Mark the mistakes with a highlighter. Do not use a pencil or simple blue pen. Your mistakes have to  be clearly visible. Don’t listen to those who claim that one shouldn’t mark mistakes but the correct words. That’s nonsense. You are a smart human being and can easily differentiate. To learn from your mistakes you must notice your mistakes.
• Write the number of mistakes and the time that you needed until step 5 onto the paper.
• Write it again after several hours or better one day break.
• Repeat this routine until you are only making a few minor mistakes.

This is it. Give it one week with one text. Check this link to get to the links with the dictation material. I wish you success and would love to read about your experience with dictations in the comments.

More to come as often as I find time. Don’t forget to subscribe to our blog be up to date.

Mastering the art of German writing involves immersing yourself in the language through extensive reading. Reading not only expands your vocabulary but also acquaints you with the intricacies of German grammar structures and idiomatic phrases or expressions, which can prove challenging for learners.

While learning the German alphabet is fundamental, understanding the rules of written German (orthography, punctuation, and conventions for various formats) takes your understanding to a higher echelon. Regular reading practices play a pivotal role in achieving this. Optimal progress comes from selecting texts slightly above your current fluency level. This challenges you while ensuring steady advancement.

Diversify your reading materials, encompassing novels, newspapers, essays, academic texts, and web articles in what is considered Standard German, as well as regional varieties. A varied approach enhances your overall writing skills, exposing you to different language styles and grammatical structures in written German. This exposure will make learning German more efficient, as well as more fun.

Regular Practice

To enhance your writing skills, establish a regular writing routine. Dedicate time daily or weekly to writing in German, even if it’s just for ten minutes, for example. How long the text should be is based on your current level but also on how busy you are.

In any case, consistency is key, and the more you write, the more skilled you become at writing in German. Also, making your writing practice interesting is crucial to sustaining motivation. Explore online platforms offering writing tasks or prompts for diverse topics.

Consider maintaining a journal in German to practice regularly and track your progress over time. You can also engage in writing contests or challenges to push your boundaries and measure your skills against other learners.

The essence lies in finding topics you are interested in and enjoyable ways to express yourself in German. Whether it’s through fiction, poetry, a letter to a friend, a translation of your favorite lyrics, or simple blog posts about daily life, make it fun. Finding enjoyment in writing increases the likelihood of sticking with it in the long run.

Start Small and Move to More Advanced Topics

For those at the beginning of their German writing journey, starting with simple sentences and topics makes the experience stress-free and fun. Start simple and begin by writing about familiar or everyday subjects, such as describing your day or telling about a recent event. No need to be overly ambitious, just use phrases and grammar that align with your comfort level, gradually expanding as you gain confidence.

As your comfort and confidence grow, challenge yourself with more complex subjects, advanced German vocabulary, and intricate grammar structures. Experiment with longer sentences, varied syntax, and different tenses.

Integrate topics related to learning German into your writing practice. Explore aspects such as the German spelling reform, compare native German words to vocabulary in other Germanic languages, loan words, or expand your knowledge of German culture. Practice specific writing elements, such as formal letters or discussions on specific topics, to become adept at various writing styles, acquire academic vocabulary, and prepare for exams.

Revise Your Texts and Work on Your Weak Spots

Regularly revising your writing is crucial, especially without native speaker feedback. Identify common mistakes or weak spots in grammar or spelling and commit to improving them.

You can use a German grammar checker or opt for a traditional approach by printing your text and meticulously checking it, correcting mistakes as you go. Consider rewriting the edited text to reinforce correct spelling and grammar patterns.

Anyway, just try to embrace mistakes as part of the learning process. The more you practice and revise, the more errors you correct, leading to continuous improvement in your German writing skills.

Incorporating these strategies into your journey of learning German enhances your writing skills while making the process enjoyable and sustainable. Explore, express, and evolve in the rich tapestry of the German language. You can use these skills in combination with others to help you learn german fast and master your new language.

Online Tools for German Writing Practice

Here are some helpful suggestions on tools that can help you in your German writing practice.

Use Online Dictionaries, and Not Just to Correct Spelling

There are many free online German dictionaries available today. You should use one whenever writing to not just look up the spelling or meaning or translation of a word but also see an example or two of how it can be used in context.

For German learners, Leo is an excellent resource for looking up words and common phrases. It also offers the advantage of discussion forums. If you encounter a term that still perplexes you after searching, you can initiate a new discussion, and fellow members will readily assist you.

Linguee proves beneficial for intermediate to advanced German learners. Upon searching for a word, the website displays paragraphs illustrating the word’s usage, providing insights into various contexts.

Thesauruses

Beginners often find themselves using the same words repeatedly due to a limited vocabulary. As you expand your word repertoire, online thesauruses become invaluable.

Open Thesaurus stands out as one of the finest online German thesauruses. If you are tired of always using “schön” to say ”beautiful”, a quick search in the thesaurus will yield a wealth of alternatives like “hübsch” (cute), “umwerfend” (gorgeous), and “prächtig” (magnificent), accompanied by in-context usage. As we already said, seeing an example helps you see nuances in synonyms and learn how to use a word correctly.

Many basic German documents and letter styles adhere to a stylistic approach distinct from that in America. Rather than hastily drafting an important letter as you would in your home country, careful consideration is required to avoid conveying the wrong impression. Using an online template can help you navigate these nuances.

Numerous letter and email templates are available online. Depending on your specific needs, a simple Google search for terms like “German cover letter” or its equivalent in German, such as “ein Anschreiben” or “Bewerbungsschreiben,” will yield a variety of options.

If you like these ideas on how to improve your German, we have many other tips on our blog. Check out our articles on interesting and innovative ways to improve your German.

Interesting to Know: The German Kurrentschrift

From the 16th century until World War II, Germany had a distinctive style of printing and handwriting that set German apart from other European languages. The term “Fraktur” was used to describe the printed German, characterized by its “broken” appearance.

In contrast, the handwritten spelling form of German, where the letters were connected, was referred to as “Kurrent” or “running” script. While Fraktur remained relatively consistent over the centuries, various norms for Kurrent were developed, leading to different styles of handwriting.

Many older Germans today were taught to write in the “Sütterlin” Kurrent style. This style was developed by Ludwig Sütterlin, a graphic artist from Vienna (1865–1917). The Sütterlin script was based on the style of handwriting used in the old German Chancery and was taught in German schools from 1915 to 1941.

Here are some of the questions asked by those interested in improving their writing skills.

What is the German writing style?

The German writing style is characterized by a formal and precise approach. It values clarity and directness, with a tendency towards longer sentences and complex syntax. Additionally, formalities such as addressing people by their titles are common, reflecting a structured and well-organized communication style.

What writing system does German use?

The German writing system uses the Latin alphabet, like English. However, it includes a set of additional characters such as umlauts (ä, ö, ü) and the Eszett (ß). The alphabet consists of 26 letters, with certain letters having unique diacritic marks, contributing to the distinctive German pronunciation and spelling.

What is a ß in the German alphabet called?

The ß in the German alphabet is called “Eszett.” It is one of the unique letters in German representing the sharp “ss” sound. The letter is used in specific instances, especially after long vowels or diphthongs. While not every word with a double “s” uses the Eszett, it has its own rules and is an essential part of German orthography.

How can I improve my German fluency?

Improving your German language skills involves a multifaceted approach. You can learn German with the help of a tutor and by having regular conversations with native speakers. You can also watch German films, and listen to German music or podcasts to enhance your listening skills.

Also, immersing yourself in the foreign language you are studying through various activities contributes to overall fluency. Consider language exchange programs or online platforms to converse with native speakers and gain practical experience.

Summing Up: How to Write in German

So, the ”correct way” to learn German writing involves regular reading, diversified materials, and consistent practice. Starting with simple topics and progressing to advanced subjects ensures a gradual and enjoyable learning process. Revision becomes crucial to identify and rectify weak spots. And with the variety of tools available online today, you should also explore online tools like dictionaries and thesauruses to enhance your writing skills.

Useful German Essay Words and Phrases

Essay writing in German is in itself already a difficult endeavor. Now writing an essay in a foreign language like German —that’s on a different plane of difficulty.

To make it easier for you, here in this article, we’ve compiled the most useful German essay phrases. Feel free to use these to add a dash of pizzazz into your essays. It will add just the right amount of flourish into your writing—enough to impress whoever comes across your work!

German essay words

These words are very useful to start writing essays in German in academic way.

Tips for writing an essay in German

Other lessons

German Pronouns in the Nominative Case

30 German Proverbs and Idioms to Speak Like a Native

Song Sag es laut in German

Common German Grammar Mistakes

German phrases at hotel

Passive Voice in German

Quotation Marks in German

German phrases about sewing factory

Comparative and superlative

Time in German

German Prepositions

German phrases at court

Adjectives in German

Future Tense in German

Nouns and pronouns in the accusative and dative

German idioms with Haus (house)

letter S-Song in German

Job meeting phrases in German

Nouns and Articles in German Grammar

Negation in German

Possessive Pronouns in German Grammar

Tourism phrases in German

Regular verbs in present tense in German

German phrases about game Billiards

love phrases in German

German phrases at optical center

Comparative and Superlative in German

Some drinks in German / German vocabulary

The Ant with Two Faces in German

Helpful German Expressions to Organize Your Writing

Using expressions to organize ideas

Todd Warnock/Moment/Getty Images

• History & Culture
• Pronunciation & Conversation
• M.A., German Studies, McGill University
• B.A., German and French

If you feel that your German writing assignments sound choppy or stilted, try incorporating some of the following expressions to make your writing flow better. These are all variations of common phrases that we often include in our native language — often without even thinking about it.

Listing and Ordering Facts and Ideas

• First of all, first — zunächst, erstens.
• Secondly, thirdly... — zweitens, drittens...
• besides — außerdem.
• then — dann.
• incidentally — übrigens.
• further — darüber hinaus.
• above all — vor allem.
• lastly, finally — letztendlich, schließlich.

Introducing and Stating Examples

• For example — zum Beispiel (abbreviated as z.B.)
• An example, as in "I would like to give an example" — ich möchte ein Beispiel anführen.
• Referring to point/example… — dabei sei auf Punkt/Beispiel… hingewiesen
• namely — und zwar.

To Clarify a Point

• In other words — Mit anderen Worten, anders ausgedrückt.
• This signifies particularly... — Dies gilt besonders für...
• This means — Dies bedeutet.

Writing a Summary or Conclusion

• In a nutshell — Im Großen und Ganzen.
• In a word — Kurz und gut.
• In conclusion — zum Schluss.
• To conclude, one can say that… — Zusammenfassend lässt sich sagen, dass...
• German Expressions
• Expressing an Opinion in German
• How to Use German Dative Prepositions
• How to Write a Letter in German: Format and Language
• German Phrasebook: In the Classroom
• The Quick Guide on Descriptive German Adjectives
• Die Bremer Stadtmusikanten - German Reading Lesson
• German Reading Lesson - Im Kaufhaus - Department Store
• How to Express Congratulations in German
• A Guide to German Toasts
• The Many Meanings of the German Verb 'Lassen'
• Learn the Colors, and Colorful Expressions, in German
• How to Use the Subjunctive Past in German
• Johann Wolfgang von Goethe Quotations
• Doch ...and Other Tricky German Words
• How To Express 'To Prefer' in German

• Useful Links
• Learning Strategies
• German on the Web
• Essay Grading Rubrics for German 100, 101, 102
• Essay Grading Rubrics for German 221, 230, 231, 232
• Forming Sentences Quickly This is primarily intended to help you learn vocabulary, but may help you generate ideas in other contexts also.
• Essay Writing Checklist
• Advice on Using a Dictionary  Includes some practice exercises!
• German 101: Advice for Aufsatz 1 ; Advice for Aufsatz 2 ; Advice for Aufsatz 3
• Einen Aufsatz auf Deutsch schreiben Some guidelines and useful phrases for writing essays at the 232-level and above [von Kathryn Sederberg]

Umlaute, ß and Fraktur

• Umlaute und ß auf amerikanischen Computern
• Creating documents in Fraktur (an old German font – click here to see what it is)

Looking for an essay topic?

Check out the German on the Web link list, or this list of  famous German-speaking people .

Wondering how to begin/end an email or letter?

This page (auf Deutsch!) or this summary of it (auch auf Deutsch!) may be helpful!

Your guide to the best free online learning resources.

Writing : appropriate and elegant

Alpha ARD Educational Channel - Punctuation

Nancy Thuleen - Practise Writing in German

Schlaukopf.de - Spelling Rules

Mittelschulvorbereitung - Upper- and Lowercase Spelling

Mittelschulvorbereitung - Drafting German Texts

Online-lernen - Spelling and Dictations

Online Lernen - Discussions, Interpretations, and More

Orthographietrainer - Spelling Exercises and More

Mein Deutschbuch - Practise with Dictations

Deutschfoerdern.de - Interactive Exercises

Linguee - Learn Phrases in Context

YouTube: Alina Sonnenschein - Learn how to Write and Pronounce New Words

Related pages

Expand your vocabulary and strengthen it with a range of targeted exercises!

Stories, informative reports and poetry – here you can find an extensive assortment of texts in German!

Learning Courses

Step by step... learn German in well-structured lessons!

German Essay Topics for Everyone Interested in the Language

Octoberfest, shiny cars…There are dozens of stuff we love about Germany! Here are some literary topics for German Essay writing that you may find interesting:

• Poetics and Polemics of Heine’s Bader von Lucca: The Heine Platen Conflict
• The Term and Concept of Symbolism in Literary History of German
• Rilke’s “Blaue Hortensie”: Cycling into the Eternal
• “They Wonder to Which Sex I Belong”: The Historical Roots of the Modern Lesbian Identity
• Realism in Language and Music: Kurt Weill’s Street Scene
• Brahms’ German Requiem: Conceptions of the Mass
• Causes and Consequences of Hitler Becoming Fuhrer
• Controversy, Complaint, and Criticism: Thomas Mann and the Proponents of Inner Emigration
• Conference Proposal: a Summer’s Tale, a Winter’s Dream
• Caspar David Friedrich and the Subject of Landscape by Joseph Leo Koerner
• Imagery and Allegory in Dante’s Inferno: A Virgilian Perspective
• Classification of Modern Germanic Languages and their Distribution
• The Development of the German Verb Classes
• Dramatic Irony and Meta-Drama as a Vehicle for Social Criticism in Aristophanes, Plautus, and Goethe
• Nazi-Soviet Non-Aggression Pact
• Why Was Adolf Hitler So Popular among the Germans?
• German Culture in the Past and Present: Are They Similar?
• Metafiction and the Modern German Novel
• Expression and Character in the Movements of Cesare from Wiene’s Cabinet of Dr. Caligari

If you were assigned a German essay, don’t fall into panic. Our editors know everything about thesis statement, opening paragraph, conclusion, and proving your point. Thus, it will be much easier for you to compose a well-written German essay if you ask us for editing assistance. And even though essays in a number of foreign languages are built differently than English essay, our experts know that German writing actually resembles English equivalents. Now you can breathe out freely.

Good news is that a German essay is not necessarily supposed to be written in German. If you’re assigned to write an essay about Germany and its culture, our editors know that it is structured similarly to the essays you have accomplished before. If you’re not sure you’ll be able to organize paragraphs properly and state your point of view, our specialists will check your essay and ensure your German essay contains all those features. While writing a German essay drives you crazy, they’ll ensure you included an opening paragraph with an argument, three following paragraphs with the supportive statements and relevant examples, and a conclusion that furthers and supports your argument.

AcademicHelp.net to Help You Craft an Essay to the Point

Even though the essays about Germany and typical English essays are similar in structure, German writing – just like German people – is prone to be more specific and blunt. That’s why students are not sure if their pieces are up to the existing standards. Our editors are there to find out if you say things to the point in your essay. They will help you get the things together.

Have you completed your assignment already? Our experts are available twenty-four hours a day, which means you can place your order anytime you need and get a prompt reply. We will listen to your requirements, understand what your tutor is expecting to receive from you, and find the most suitable solutions to your issue. We will check the piece from A to Z and make it up to the academic standards.

Check out the examples of the titles in German literature, politics, and art that may come handy to you. If you need help with choosing the title or writing a German essay, address our online service that works seven days a week without breaks. If you are a school graduate, college student or doing MBA, refer all your academic writing assignments to us. We will do solid research for you, provide you with a plan to follow so that you could craft a top-notch piece on your own. It is easy to be a happy student and succeed in education with our good services. Our skilled UK and US writers will share their knowledge and do it with a high level of proficiency. If you need a term paper or creative writing piece to be edited, feel free to check out a sample of work from the chosen writer or ask him/her to proofread your paper. We are sure you will be satisfied with our performance.

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German Essays on My Family: Meine Familie

Learning or Practising German Language? or your tutor asked you to write about your family, or you can say you need to write an essay on My family (Meine Familie) but you have no idea how to do that and where to start?

Well, In this blog post, I have shared some Easy Essays on My Family (Meine Familie) . All the best and keep learning.

Before Start, First we need to discuss some vocabulary related to Family.

The following list includes most of the members of your family tree. Get familiar with these words so you can recognize them:

Read Also: Easy German Essays for Beginners: 8 Examples to Practice Your Language Skills

• der Bruder (dêr brooh -der) ( brother )
• der Cousin (dêr kooh -zen) ( male cousin )
• die Cousine (dee kooh- zeen -e) ( female cousin )
• die Eltern (dee êl -tern) ( parents )
• die Frau (dee frou) ( woman/wife )
• die Geschwister (dee ge- shvis -ter) ( siblings )
• die Großeltern (dee grohs -êl-tern) ( grandparents )
• die Großmutter (dee grohs -moot-er) ( grandmother )
• der Großvater (dêr grohs -fah-ter) ( grandfather )
• der Junge (dêr yoong -e) ( boy )
• die Kinder (dee kin -der) ( children, kids )
• das Mädchen (dâs maid -Hên) ( girl )
• der Mann (dêr mân) ( man/husband )
• die Mutter (dee moot -er) ( mother )
• der Onkel (dêr on -kel) ( uncle )
• die Schwester (dee shvês -ter) ( sister )
• der Sohn (dêr zohn) ( son )
• die Tante (dee tân -te) ( aunt )
• die Tochter (dee toH -ter) ( daughter )
• der Vater (dêr fah -ter) ( father )

Use the following words for the in-laws:

• der Schwager (dêr shvah -ger) ( brother-in-law )
• die Schwägerin (dee shvai -ger-in) ( sister-in-law )
• die Schwiegereltern (dee shvee -ger-êl-tern) ( parents-in-law )
• die Schwiegermutter (dee shvee -ger-moot-er) ( mother-in-law )
• der Schwiegersohn (dêr shvee -ger-zohn) ( son-in-law )
• die Schwiegertochter (dee shvee -ger-toH-ter) ( daughter-in-law )
• der Schwiegervater (dêr shvee -ger-fah-ter) ( father-in-law )

To express the term step-, you use the prefix Stief- with the name of the relative, like in this example: Stiefbruder ( steef- brooh-der) ( step-brother ). The term for a half relative uses the prefix Halb- , so half-sister looks like this: Halbschwester ( hâlp- shvês-ter).

German-speaking children use the following terms to talk about their parents and grandparents:

• die Mama (dee mâ -mâ) ( mom )
• die Mutti (dee moot -ee) ( mommy )
• die Oma (dee oh -mâ) ( grandma )
• der Opa (der oh -pâ) ( grandpa )
• der Papa (dêr pâ -pâ) ( dad )
• der Vati (dêr fâ -tee) ( daddy )

When directly addressing their elders, children leave out the articles dee (dee) ( the ) and der (dêr) ( the ). For example, Mama! Komm her! ( mâ -mâ!! kom hêr!) ( Mom! Come here! )

Read our Complete Vocabulary: Talking about – The Family – in German

Essay One: The Average Family

Meine Familie ist eine kleine Kernfamilie, die zu einer bürgerlichen Familie gehört. Meine Familie besteht aus vier Mitgliedern, einem Vater, einer Mutter, mir und einer kleinen Schwester. Wie andere indische Familien sind wir keine große Familie. Wir leben in Berlin, aber meine Großeltern leben auf dem Land. Zusammen mit meinen Großeltern wird meine Familie eine kleine Familie. Meine Familie ist eine vollständige, positive und glückliche Familie, die mir und meiner Schwester viel Liebe, Wärme und Sicherheit schenkt. Ich fühle mich in meiner Familie so glücklich, dass es auf mich aufpasst und alle meine Bedürfnisse erfüllt. Eine glückliche Familie bietet ihren Mitgliedern die folgenden Vorteile.

Here is what the text is about (this is not a 1-to-1 translation!)

My family is a small nuclear family that belongs to a middle-class family. My family consists of four members, a father, a mother, me and a little sister. Like other Indian families, we are not a big family. We live in Berlin, Germany, but my grandparents live in the countryside. Together with my grandparents, my family becomes a little family together. My family is a complete, positive and happy family, giving me and my sister a lot of love, warmth and security. I feel so happy in my family that it takes care of me and meets all my needs. A happy family offers the following benefits to its members.

Essay Two: The Average Family

If you live with your Mum, Dad, and with your brother or sister. Then use this text to describe your family in your German essay:

Wir sind eine ganz normale Familie. Ich wohne zusammen mit meinen Eltern, meiner kleinen Schwester Lisa und unserer Katze Mick. Meine Großeltern wohnen im gleichen Dorf wie wir. Oma Francis arbeitet noch. Sie ist Krankenschwester. Die Anderen sind schon in Rente. Oma Lydia nimmt sich viel Zeit für mich und geht häufig mit mir Kleider oder Schuhe kaufen. Leider will meine kleine Schwester dann auch immer mit. Mein Vater arbeitet bei einer Bank und fährt am Wochenende gern mit seinem Motorrad. Das findet meine Mutter nicht so gut, da sie meint, dass Motorradfahren so gefährlich ist. Sie sagt, dass ich und meine Schwester auf keinen Fall mitfahren dürfen. Mein Vater versteht das nicht, aber er will sich auch nicht streiten. Nächstes Jahr wollen wir in ein größeres Haus ziehen, weil meine Eltern noch ein Baby bekommen. Ich hoffe, dass wir nicht zu weit weg ziehen, da alle meine Freunde hier in der Nähe wohnen. Meine Tante Clara, die Schwester meiner Mutter, wohnt sogar genau gegenüber. Meine Cousine Barbara kommt deshalb häufig zu Besuch.

We are a very normal family. I live with my parents, my little sister, and our cat Mick. My grandparents live in the same village where we live. Grandma Francis still works. She is a nurse. The others are already retired. Grandma Lydia spends a lot of time with me, and we often go shopping together to look for clothes or shoes. Unfortunately, my little sister wants to come with us as well. My father works in a bank and likes to ride his motorbike on the weekend. My mother does not like that because she thinks it is very dangerous. She says we are never allowed to ride with him on the bike. My father doesn’t understand why, but he doesn’t want to argue with her. Next year, we are going to move into a bigger house because my parents will have another baby. I hope we are not moving too far because all of my friends are here. My aunt Clara even lives opposite to us. Therefore, my cousin Barbara often visits us.

Example Three: A Big Family

If you have a big family, this example may help you with your German essay:

Meine Familie ist sehr groß. Ich habe zwei Schwestern, einen Bruder, drei Tanten, einen Onkel und sechs Cousins. Meine große Schwester hat lange blonde Haare und heißt Laura und eine kleine Schwester heißt Miranda und ist dunkelhaarig. Mein Bruder heißt Fred und trägt eine Brille. Ich verstehe mich gut mit meiner kleinen Schwester und meinem Bruder. Mit meiner großen Schwester streite ich mich oft um den Computer. Mein Vater arbeitet zwar viel, aber am Wochenende hilft er uns immer bei den Hausaufgaben. Meine Mutter backt gerne Torten. Ihre Schokotorten mag ich besonders gerne. In den Ferien besuchen wir häufig meine Großeltern, da sie leider so weit entfernt wohnen. Meine anderen Großeltern, die Eltern meiner Mutter wohnen eine Straße weiter. Das finde ich schön, da wir uns oft sehen können. Außerdem haben sie eine süße Perserkatze, mit der ich immer spiele. Wenn uns meine Cousins besuchen kommen, unternehmen wir meist etwas Besonderes. Letztes Wochenende waren wir alle zusammen im Zoo. Das war lustig, da mein Cousin Ben Angst vor Schlangen hatte. Ich mag meine Familie!

Now, the same story in English:

My family is very big. I have got two sisters, one brother, three aunts, one uncle, and six cousins. My older sister has long blond hair, and her name is Laura. My little sister is called Miranda and has dark hair. My brother’s name is Fred and wears glasses. I get along well with my little sister and my brother. But I argue a lot with my older sister about the computer. Although my father works a lot, he always helps us with homework on the weekend. My mother likes to bake cakes. I especially like her chocolate cake. During the holidays, we often visit my grandparents because they live so far from us. My other grandparents, the parents of my mother, live on the street next to ours. I like that because that way we can see each other a lot. In addition to that, they have a cute Persian cat I always play with. When my cousins visit us, we always do something special together. Last weekend, we went to the zoo together. That was fun because my cousin Ben was afraid of the snake. I like my family!

Read Also:  Learn German Numbers (Deutsche Zählen) and Pronunciation 1 to 999999

Essay Four: A Small Family

If you are living with only one parent, check out this text:

Meine Familie ist sehr klein. Ich lebe zusammen mit meiner Mutter und meinem Bruder. Tanten oder Onkel habe ich nicht. Meinen Vater sehe ich nur in den Sommerferien, da er weit weg wohnt. Meine Oma wohnt gleich nebenan. Sie kūmmert sich nachmittags um mich und meinen Bruder, wenn meine Mutter arbeiten muss. Meine Oma ist schon in Rente. Sie hat frūher mal bei der Post gearbeitet. Mein Opa und meine anderen Großeltern sind leider schon gestorben. Mein Bruder heißt Patrick und ist sehr gut in der Schule. Er ist sehr groß und schlank und hat blonde Locken. Meine Freundin findet ihn sūß. Das verstehe ich gar nicht. Ich mag es aber nicht, wenn er laut Musik hört und es gerade meine Lieblingssendung im Fernsehen gibt. Dafūr geht er immer mit unserem Hund Gassi, so dass ich das nicht tun muss. Ich wūnschte, ich hätte noch eine Schwester, die mir helfen könnte, meine Haare zu frisieren, oder mit der ich die Kleider tauschen könnte. Ich hoffe nur, dass meine Mutter nicht noch mal heiratet.

In English:

My family is very small. I live with my mother and my brother. I have no aunts or uncles. I only see my father during the summer holiday because he lives far away. My grandma lives next door. She looks after me and my brother when my mother has to work. My grandma is already retired. She used to work at a post office. My grandpa and my other grandparents are already dead. My brother’s name is Patrick, and he is doing very well at school. He is very tall and slim and has curly blond hair. My friend thinks he is cute. I cannot understand that at all. But I do not like it when he listens to loud music when my favorite tv show is on. On the other hand, he always walks the dog so that I don’t need to do that. I wish I had a sister who would help me style my hair or who I could swap clothes with. I do hope that my mother is not going to marry again.

Read Also: Easy Sentences you need for Introduce yourself in German

Essay Five: Living with Grandparents

Do you live with your grandparents? Then check out this example if it suits you:

Ich wohne bei meinen Großeltern, da meine Eltern gestorben sind, als ich noch ein Baby war. Wir wohnen in einem großen Haus, und ich habe ein riesiges Zimmer mit meinem eigenen Balkon. Im Sommer mache ich dort immer meine Hausaufgaben. Meine Großeltern sind ganz lieb zu mir. Mein Opa hilft mir immer, mein Fahrrad zu reparieren und meine Oma lädt meine Freunde oft zum Essen ein. Ich habe auch noch einen Onkel, der manchmal am Wochenende vorbeikommt und Architekt ist. Momentan arbeitet er jedoch in Japan für drei Monate. Wir passen solange auf seinen Hund auf, und er hat mir versprochen, mir eine Überraschung aus Japan mitzubringen. Eine Frau hat mein Onkel nicht. Meine Oma sagt immer, er sei mit seiner Arbeit verheiratet. Dann gibt es noch Tante Miriam, die eigentlich keine richtige Tante ist, sondern die beste Freundin meiner Oma. Die beiden kennen sich aber schon so lange, dass sie inzwischen auch zur Familie gehört. Tante Miriam hat viele Enkelkinder und manchmal treffen wir uns alle zusammen im Park. Dann machen wir ein großes Picknick und haben ganz viel Spaß.

And here is what the text is about (Remember, this isn’t a 1-to-1 translation!):

I live with my grandparents because my parents died when I was a baby. We live in a big house, and I have a huge room with my own balcony. In the summertime, I do my homework there. My grandparents are very nice to me. My grandpa always helps me repair my bike, and my grandma often invites my friends for dinner. I also have an uncle who comes around for the weekend from time to time, and he is an architect. At the moment, he is working in Japan for three months, and we are looking after his dog. But he promised me to bring a surprise back from Japan. My uncle has no wife. My grandma always says he is married to his job. Then there is aunt Miriam who is not a real aunt actually but the best friend of my grandma. Since they have known each other for such a long time, she became a member of our family. Aunt Miriam has lots of grandchildren, and sometimes we all meet in the park. Then we have a great picnic and much fun!

If you have any doubt or have some suggestions for us, or even if we missed something to mention in My Family (Meine Familie), Let us know by writing in a comment box. Thanks for reading and sharing with your friends.

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“How I Spent My Summer” in German

• by Deutsch mit Leo
• 5 minute read

How to write an essay “How I spent the summer” in German or just talk about a vacation, what words you may need and what basic rules you should keep in mind – in our today’s article, which will be useful not only for schoolchildren and students, but also for those who return for German courses after the summer break .

So the three summer months have come to an end, many of us are returning to school / university / courses (underline as necessary). In the meantime, we have prepared for you an article designed to simplify life at first.

Today we will talk about how you could spend the summer and repeat the vocabulary on this topic.

Top 5 things to keep in mind!

1.  First of all, the Germans call this period  der Sommer  (summer) or   die Sommerferien  (summer holidays). 

2.  Since we are writing about what has already happened, we will use the past tense or the perfect past (   Präteritum or Perfekt – when to use what  ).  Präteritum , and this is the second form of the verb, is correct in writing and emphasizes the descriptive character.  Perfect , on the other hand , is used more in colloquial speech, and in writing it conveys the shade of a story or conversation.

3.  There is also an important grammatical feature worth remembering:  wenn and als temporary conjunctions  – “ when “.  Wenn  tells us about “when” that happens regularly, several times, every time.  Als  tells about a one-time event in the past.

4.  The essay format involves writing a related text, expressing opinions and wishes, as well as a touch of sincerity, so when you start writing, stock up on a set of cliché expressions and introductory words, a la “  Ich hoffe, dass…  “, “  Ich denke, …  “,”  Hoffentlich “, etc.

5.  It is also necessary to remember the grammatical difference between the questions “  where?  ” and “  Where?  “. “Where?” – WO?  – requires after itself strictly Dativ, and  “Where?” – WOHIN?  – supplemented in  Akkusativ .

Having discussed the main points of writing an essay, let’s move on to the necessary vocabulary.

The most basic:

der Sommer  – summer die Sommerferien  (Pl.) – summer holidays der Urlaub  – holiday die Reise  – trip im Sommer  – summer

When can I go on vacation / holiday:

im Sommer / Herbst / Winter / Frühling  – summer, autumn, winter, spring in den Ferien  – holidays am Wochenende  – weekends letzten Sommer / Monat  – last summer / last month letzte Woche  – last week

letztes Jahr  – last year im letzten Urlaub  – last vacation in den letzten Ferien  – last vacation vor einem Monat  – a month ago vor einer Woche  – a week ago 

How long can you be on vacation / on a trip / on a holiday:

einen Tag  – one day drei Tage  – three days einen Monat  – one month zwei Monate  – two months eine Woche  – a week drei Wochen  – within three weeks  

IMPORTANT!  Intervals require Akkusativ.

Where to spend your holidays / stay ( Wo = Dativ ):

Ich machte Urlaub…  – I was on holiday… Ich war… in Urlaub.  – I was … on holiday in der Stadt  – in the city auf dem Land  – in the village in den Bergen  – in the mountains

am See  – on the lake am Meer    – on the sea im Ausland  – abroad im Ferienlager / Trainingslager  – in the summer / sports camp auf dem Campingplatz  – at the campsite

in der Jugendherberge  – at the student hostel im Hotel  – at the hotel

Where can you go on vacation ( Wohin = Akkusativ ):

Ich bin nach / in … gefahren  – I went to … Ich fuhr / flog / reiste nach … / in …  – I went, flew, traveled to … in die Stadt  – to the city aufs Land  – to the village in die Berge  – to the mountains

zum See  – at the lake an das Meer  – at the sea ins Ausland  – abroad in das Ferienlager / Trainingslager  – at the summer / sports camp auf den Campingplatz  – at the campsite

in die Jugendherberge  – at the student hostel ins Hotel  – at the hotel

What can you ride with :

mit dem Auto  – by car mit dem Zug  – by train mit dem Flugzeug  – by plane mit dem Schiff  – by ship zu Fuß  – on foot 

IMPORTANT  : With transport (to ride something), the construction  mit + Dativ is always used

Common verbs of motion and their three forms:

fahren – fuhr – (ist) gefahren  – ride fliegen  –  flog – (ist)   geflogen    –  fly gehen – ging – (ist)  gegangen  – walk / go 

The full list of irregular verbs can be found here

An example essay:

Die Schüler gehen im Sommer nicht zur Schule. Sie haben 3 Monate lang Sommerferien. Die Kinder müssen nicht früh aufstehen, keine Hausaufgaben machen und nichts für die Schule vorbereiten. Deshalb liebt jeder den Sommerurlaub.

Students don’t go to school in the summer. They have a summer vacation that lasts for 3 months. Children don’t have to get up early, do homework, or prepare anything for school. That’s why everyone loves summer vacation.

Ich mag die Sommerferien sehr, weil ich dann viel freie Zeit habe. An hellen Sommermorgen liege ich nie lange im Bett. Nach dem Aufstehen frühstücke ich schön. Dann spiele ich draußen mit meinen Freunden. Und wenn es draußen regnet, spiele ich am Computer oder gehe ins Fitnessstudio. Manchmal gehe ich nachmittags mit meinen Freunden ins Kino oder spiele Basketball im Garten.

I really like summer vacations because of the amount of free time. On bright summer mornings I never lie in bed for a long time. After I get up, I have a delicious breakfast. Then I play outside with my friends. And if it’s raining outside, I play on the computer or go to the gym. Sometimes in the afternoon I go to the movies with my friends or play basketball in the yard.

Jeden Sommer fahre ich aufs Land, um meine Verwandten zu besuchen. Ich helfe im Garten oder kümmere mich um die Hühner und Enten. Im Dorf gehen mein Vater und ich oft fischen. Ich gehe morgens gerne an den Strand, wenn es nicht zu heiß ist. Ich schwimme, sonne mich und spiele mit meinen Freunden am Flussufer.

Every summer I go to the countryside to visit my relatives. I help in the garden or look after the chickens and ducks. In the village, my dad and I often go fishing. I really like going to the beach in the mornings, when it’s not so hot yet. I swim, sunbathe and play with my friends on the riverbank.

Wenn mein Großvater nicht zu beschäftigt ist, gehen wir in den Wald, um Pilze zu sammeln. Abends genieße ich es, am Feuer zu sitzen und Spieße zu kochen, und ich schlafe auch sehr gerne im Zelt.

When my grandfather is not very busy, we go to the woods to pick mushrooms. In the evenings I really like to sit by the fire and cook kebabs, also I very willingly sleep in a tent.

Für mich dauern die Sommerferien nie zu lange. Aber ich freue mich immer, wenn die Schule wieder anfängt und ich alle meine Freunde sehen kann.

For me the summer vacations never last too long. Despite this, I am always happy when school starts again and I can see all my friends.

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NYT Modern Love essayist navigates her grief with support from Walpole writing group

Writing can be a lonely activity, and you could say the same thing about processing grief. But Tina Hedin of Keene found community in a local writing group. It’s there that she started working on an essay about her grief after her daughter’s death. That essay recently appeared in the New York Times’ Modern Love section.

NHPR's Morning Edition host Rick Ganley spoke with Hedin about how writing can connect people who are grieving.

Your essay's called "We Didn't Know It Was the Last Time." Can you tell us about the essay for listeners who have not read that yet?

I think of it as an essay where the past and the present are happening at the same time. In my own experience of grief, that's a state that I find myself in a lot – where I'm in the present, but memories of the past are triggered by some little event and come rushing back.

And that's what happened the day that I'm describing in the story. I was at the gym. I saw a young woman there who reminded me of my daughter. It was Christmas season. I saw a picture on my phone that day taken of my daughter, and it took me back so vividly to the last days that we were together with her, and I describe that in my story.

And the experience of writing about that made me reflect on a more universal experience. Often we don't get a chance to know when something is the last time, when it's the last time we're with our loved one. Or we do something that we think is ordinary, and then in retrospect, it's incredibly precious and special because it will never happen again.

Writing isn't your job professionally, but you belong to a Walpole writing group. How did that help you navigate your grief after your daughter Kiki died?

I didn't expect to share the things that I was writing initially, but I did have a place to share them with my group. And as the months went by and I did get feedback from others, I realized that sharing my writing with other people who have experienced grief could give others what I got from reading.

Initially, after Kiki died, I was just desperate to find writing by others who had gone through the loss of a child, who were experiencing that kind of grief, and I was in hopes of feeling a connection, feeling not alone in this terrible experience.

What's been the response from readers to your essay? The New York Times obviously has a huge reach.

It's been pretty mind blowing for me. I woke up at 3 a.m. in the morning that it came out, too excited to sleep. And I went online, and I saw that I already had emails from Switzerland, and Dubai and the Netherlands – people around the world that had read it. At this point, I'm still trying to work my way through them.

Many of them are from parents who have lost a child. Many of them are from people experiencing grief and loss. Our grief is universal. Each loss is unique and precious to that person. And I really do feel honored that so many people have taken the time to reach out, especially considering that that was my hope in writing in the first place – was to connect with other people.

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Exclusive-German economic advisers to cut 2024 growth forecast, sources say

By Holger Hansen

BERLIN (Reuters) - The German Council of Economic Experts expects 0.2% gross domestic product growth this year, according to sources who have seen a draft document that will be presented on Wednesday.

For 2025, the economic experts forecast 0.9% growth, sources said on Tuesday.

In its autumn forecast published in November 2023, the panel of experts forecast growth of 0.7% for 2024.

The German economy shrank by 0.2% last year, the weakest performance among big euro zone economies, as high energy costs, lacklustre global orders and record high interest rates took their toll.

At the start of this year, Germany skirted a recession, growing by 0.2% in the first quarter from the previous three-month period in adjusted terms. In the last quarter of 2023, the economy shrank 0.5%.

The economic experts are somewhat less optimistic for 2024 than the German government, which expects 0.3% GDP growth this year and 1.0% in 2025.

Private consumption is expected to contribute significant growth momentum as real wages are expected to rise in a resilient labour market.

Inflation is likely to be at 2.4% this year, falling to 2.1% in 2025. Inflation was at 5.9% last year, hitting private consumption.

As inflation eases, it can be assumed that the first interest rate cuts by the European Central Bank will take place over the course of the year, improving financing conditions in areas such as construction.

(Reporting by Holger Hansen, writing by Maria Martinez, Editing by Kirsti Knolle, Madeline Chambers and Nick Macfie)

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When Prison and Mental Illness Amount to a Death Sentence

The downward spiral of one inmate, Markus Johnson, shows the larger failures of the nation’s prisons to care for the mentally ill.

Supported by

By Glenn Thrush

Photographs by Carlos Javier Ortiz

Glenn Thrush spent more than a year reporting this article, interviewing close to 50 people and reviewing court-obtained body-camera footage and more than 1,500 pages of documents.

• Published May 5, 2024 Updated May 7, 2024

Markus Johnson slumped naked against the wall of his cell, skin flecked with pepper spray, his face a mask of puzzlement, exhaustion and resignation. Four men in black tactical gear pinned him, his face to the concrete, to cuff his hands behind his back.

He did not resist. He couldn’t. He was so gravely dehydrated he would be dead by their next shift change.

Listen to this article with reporter commentary

“I didn’t do anything,” Mr. Johnson moaned as they pressed a shield between his shoulders.

It was 1:19 p.m. on Sept. 6, 2019, in the Danville Correctional Center, a medium-security prison a few hours south of Chicago. Mr. Johnson, 21 and serving a short sentence for gun possession, was in the throes of a mental collapse that had gone largely untreated, but hardly unwatched.

He had entered in good health, with hopes of using the time to gain work skills. But for the previous three weeks, Mr. Johnson, who suffered from bipolar disorder and schizophrenia, had refused to eat or take his medication. Most dangerous of all, he had stealthily stopped drinking water, hastening the physical collapse that often accompanies full-scale mental crises.

Mr. Johnson’s horrific downward spiral, which has not been previously reported, represents the larger failures of the nation’s prisons to care for the mentally ill. Many seriously ill people receive no treatment . For those who do, the outcome is often determined by the vigilance and commitment of individual supervisors and frontline staff, which vary greatly from system to system, prison to prison, and even shift to shift.

The country’s jails and prisons have become its largest provider of inpatient mental health treatment, with 10 times as many seriously mentally ill people now held behind bars as in hospitals. Estimating the population of incarcerated people with major psychological problems is difficult, but the number is likely 200,000 to 300,000, experts say.

Many of these institutions remain ill-equipped to handle such a task, and the burden often falls on prison staff and health care personnel who struggle with the dual roles of jailer and caregiver in a high-stress, dangerous, often dehumanizing environment.

In 2021, Joshua McLemore , a 29-year-old with schizophrenia held for weeks in an isolation cell in Jackson County, Ind., died of organ failure resulting from a “refusal to eat or drink,” according to an autopsy. In April, New York City agreed to pay $28 million to settle a lawsuit filed by the family of Nicholas Feliciano, a young man with a history of mental illness who suffered severe brain damage after attempting to hang himself on Rikers Island — as correctional officers stood by.

Mr. Johnson’s mother has filed a wrongful-death suit against the state and Wexford Health Sources, a for-profit health care contractor in Illinois prisons. The New York Times reviewed more than 1,500 pages of reports, along with depositions taken from those involved. Together, they reveal a cascade of missteps, missed opportunities, potential breaches of protocol and, at times, lapses in common sense.

Prison officials and Wexford staff took few steps to intervene even after it became clear that Mr. Johnson, who had been hospitalized repeatedly for similar episodes and recovered, had refused to take medication. Most notably, they did not transfer him to a state prison facility that provides more intensive mental health treatment than is available at regular prisons, records show.

The quality of medical care was also questionable, said Mr. Johnson’s lawyers, Sarah Grady and Howard Kaplan, a married legal team in Chicago. Mr. Johnson lost 50 to 60 pounds during three weeks in solitary confinement, but officials did not initiate interventions like intravenous feedings or transfer him to a non-prison hospital.

And they did not take the most basic step — dialing 911 — until it was too late.

There have been many attempts to improve the quality of mental health treatment in jails and prisons by putting care on par with punishment — including a major effort in Chicago . But improvements have proved difficult to enact and harder to sustain, hampered by funding and staffing shortages.

Lawyers representing the state corrections department, Wexford and staff members who worked at Danville declined to comment on Mr. Johnson’s death, citing the unresolved litigation. In their interviews with state police investigators, and in depositions, employees defended their professionalism and adherence to procedure, while citing problems with high staff turnover, difficult work conditions, limited resources and shortcomings of co-workers.

But some expressed a sense of resignation about the fate of Mr. Johnson and others like him.

Prisoners have “much better chances in a hospital, but that’s not their situation,” said a senior member of Wexford’s health care team in a deposition.

“I didn’t put them in prison,” he added. “They are in there for a reason.”

Markus Mison Johnson was born on March 1, 1998, to a mother who believed she was not capable of caring for him.

Days after his birth, he was taken in by Lisa Barker Johnson, a foster mother in her 30s who lived in Zion, Ill., a working-class city halfway between Chicago and Milwaukee. Markus eventually became one of four children she adopted from different families.

The Johnson house is a lively split level, with nieces, nephews, grandchildren and neighbors’ children, family keepsakes, video screens and juice boxes. Ms. Johnson sits at its center on a kitchen chair, chin resting on her hand as children wander over to share their thoughts, or to tug on her T-shirt to ask her to be their bathroom buddy.

From the start, her bond with Markus was particularly powerful, in part because the two looked so much alike, with distinctive dimpled smiles. Many neighbors assumed he was her biological son. The middle name she chose for him was intended to convey that message.

“Mison is short for ‘my son,’” she said standing over his modest footstone grave last summer.

He was happy at home. School was different. His grades were good, but he was intensely shy and was diagnosed with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder in elementary school.

That was around the time the bullying began. His sisters were fierce defenders, but they could only do so much. He did the best he could, developing a quick, taunting tongue.

These experiences filled him with a powerful yearning to fit in.

It was not to be.

When he was around 15, he called 911 in a panic, telling the dispatcher he saw two men standing near the small park next to his house threatening to abduct children playing there. The officers who responded found nothing out of the ordinary, and rang the Johnsons’ doorbell.

He later told his mother he had heard a voice telling him to “protect the kids.”

He was hospitalized for the first time at 16, and given medications that stabilized him for stretches of time. But the crises would strike every six months or so, often triggered by his decision to stop taking his medication.

His family became adept at reading signs he was “getting sick.” He would put on his tan Timberlands and a heavy winter coat, no matter the season, and perch on the edge of his bed as if bracing for battle. Sometimes, he would cook his own food, paranoid that someone might poison him.

He graduated six months early, on the dean’s list, but was rudderless, and hanging out with younger boys, often paying their way.

His mother pointed out the perils of buying friendship.

“I don’t care,” he said. “At least I’ll be popular for a minute.”

Zion’s inviting green grid of Bible-named streets belies the reality that it is a rough, unforgiving place to grow up. Family members say Markus wanted desperately to prove he was tough, and emulated his younger, reckless group of friends.

Like many of them, he obtained a pistol. He used it to hold up a convenience store clerk for $425 in January 2017, according to police records. He cut a plea deal for two years of probation, and never explained to his family what had made him do it.

But he kept getting into violent confrontations. In late July 2018, he was arrested in a neighbor’s garage with a handgun he later admitted was his. He was still on probation for the robbery, and his public defender negotiated a plea deal that would send him to state prison until January 2020.

An inpatient mental health system

Around 40 percent of the about 1.8 million people in local, state and federal jails and prison suffer from at least one mental illness, and many of these people have concurrent issues with substance abuse, according to recent Justice Department estimates.

Psychological problems, often exacerbated by drug use, often lead to significant medical problems resulting from a lack of hygiene or access to good health care.

“When you suffer depression in the outside world, it’s hard to concentrate, you have reduced energy, your sleep is disrupted, you have a very gloomy outlook, so you stop taking care of yourself,” said Robert L. Trestman , a Virginia Tech medical school professor who has worked on state prison mental health reforms.

The paradox is that prison is often the only place where sick people have access to even minimal care.

But the harsh work environment, remote location of many prisons, and low pay have led to severe shortages of corrections staff and the unwillingness of doctors, nurses and counselors to work with the incarcerated mentally ill.

In the early 2000s, prisoners’ rights lawyers filed a class-action lawsuit against Illinois claiming “deliberate indifference” to the plight of about 5,000 mentally ill prisoners locked in segregated units and denied treatment and medication.

In 2014, the parties reached a settlement that included minimum staffing mandates, revamped screening protocols, restrictions on the use of solitary confinement and the allocation of about $100 million to double capacity in the system’s specialized mental health units.

Yet within six months of the deal, Pablo Stewart, an independent monitor chosen to oversee its enforcement, declared the system to be in a state of emergency.

Over the years, some significant improvements have been made. But Dr. Stewart’s final report , drafted in 2022, gave the system failing marks for its medication and staffing policies and reliance on solitary confinement “crisis watch” cells.

Ms. Grady, one of Mr. Johnson’s lawyers, cited an additional problem: a lack of coordination between corrections staff and Wexford’s professionals, beyond dutifully filling out dozens of mandated status reports.

“Markus Johnson was basically documented to death,” she said.

‘I’m just trying to keep my head up’

Mr. Johnson was not exactly looking forward to prison. But he saw it as an opportunity to learn a trade so he could start a family when he got out.

On Dec. 18, 2018, he arrived at a processing center in Joliet, where he sat for an intake interview. He was coherent and cooperative, well-groomed and maintained eye contact. He was taking his medication, not suicidal and had a hearty appetite. He was listed as 5 feet 6 inches tall and 256 pounds.

Mr. Johnson described his mood as “go with the flow.”

A few days later, after arriving in Danville, he offered a less settled assessment during a telehealth visit with a Wexford psychiatrist, Dr. Nitin Thapar. Mr. Johnson admitted to being plagued by feelings of worthlessness, hopelessness and “constant uncontrollable worrying” that affected his sleep.

He told Dr. Thapar he had heard voices in the past — but not now — telling him he was a failure, and warning that people were out to get him.

At the time he was incarcerated, the basic options for mentally ill people in Illinois prisons included placement in the general population or transfer to a special residential treatment program at the Dixon Correctional Center, west of Chicago. Mr. Johnson seemed out of immediate danger, so he was assigned to a standard two-man cell in the prison’s general population, with regular mental health counseling and medication.

Things started off well enough. “I’m just trying to keep my head up,” he wrote to his mother. “Every day I learn to be stronger & stronger.”

But his daily phone calls back home hinted at friction with other inmates. And there was not much for him to do after being turned down for a janitorial training program.

Then, in the spring of 2019, his grandmother died, sending him into a deep hole.

Dr. Thapar prescribed a new drug used to treat major depressive disorders. Its most common side effect is weight gain. Mr. Johnson stopped taking it.

On July 4, he told Dr. Thapar matter-of-factly during a telehealth check-in that he was no longer taking any of his medications. “I’ve been feeling normal, I guess,” he said. “I feel like I don’t need the medication anymore.”

Dr. Thapar said he thought that was a mistake, but accepted the decision and removed Mr. Johnson from his regular mental health caseload — instructing him to “reach out” if he needed help, records show.

The pace of calls back home slackened. Mr. Johnson spent more time in bed, and became more surly. At a group-therapy session, he sat stone silent, after showing up late.

By early August, he was telling guards he had stopped eating.

At some point, no one knows when, he had intermittently stopped drinking fluids.

‘I’m having a breakdown’

Then came the crash.

On Aug. 12, Mr. Johnson got into a fight with his older cellmate.

He was taken to a one-man disciplinary cell. A few hours later, Wexford’s on-site mental health counselor, Melanie Easton, was shocked by his disoriented condition. Mr. Johnson stared blankly, then burst into tears when asked if he had “suffered a loss in the previous six months.”

He was so unresponsive to her questions she could not finish the evaluation.

Ms. Easton ordered that he be moved to a 9-foot by 8-foot crisis cell — solitary confinement with enhanced monitoring. At this moment, a supervisor could have ticked the box for “residential treatment” on a form to transfer him to Dixon. That did not happen, according to records and depositions.

Around this time, he asked to be placed back on his medication but nothing seems to have come of it, records show.

By mid-August, he said he was visualizing “people that were not there,” according to case notes. At first, he was acting more aggressively, once flicking water at a guard through a hole in his cell door. But his energy ebbed, and he gradually migrated downward — from standing to bunk to floor.

“I’m having a breakdown,” he confided to a Wexford employee.

At the time, inmates in Illinois were required to declare an official hunger strike before prison officials would initiate protocols, including blood testing or forced feedings. But when a guard asked Mr. Johnson why he would not eat, he said he was “fasting,” as opposed to starving himself, and no action seems to have been taken.

‘Tell me this is OK!’

Lt. Matthew Morrison, one of the few people at Danville to take a personal interest in Mr. Johnson, reported seeing a white rind around his mouth in early September. He told other staff members the cell gave off “a death smell,” according to a deposition.

On Sept. 5, they moved Mr. Johnson to one of six cells adjacent to the prison’s small, bare-bones infirmary. Prison officials finally placed him on the official hunger strike protocol without his consent.

Mr. Morrison, in his deposition, said he was troubled by the inaction of the Wexford staff, and the lack of urgency exhibited by the medical director, Dr. Justin Young.

On Sept. 5, Mr. Morrison approached Dr. Young to express his concerns, and the doctor agreed to order blood and urine tests. But Dr. Young lived in Chicago, and was on site at the prison about four times a week, according to Mr. Kaplan. Friday, Sept. 6, 2019, was not one of those days.

Mr. Morrison arrived at work that morning, expecting to find Mr. Johnson’s testing underway. A Wexford nurse told him Dr. Young believed the tests could wait.

Mr. Morrison, stunned, asked her to call Dr. Young.

“He’s good till Monday,” Dr. Young responded, according to Mr. Morrison.

“Come on, come on, look at this guy! You tell me this is OK!” the officer responded.

Eventually, Justin Duprey, a licensed nurse practitioner and the most senior Wexford employee on duty that day, authorized the test himself.

Mr. Morrison, thinking he had averted a disaster, entered the cell and implored Mr. Johnson into taking the tests. He refused.

So prison officials obtained approval to remove him forcibly from his cell.

‘Oh, my God’

What happened next is documented in video taken from cameras held by officers on the extraction team and obtained by The Times through a court order.

Mr. Johnson is scarcely recognizable as the neatly groomed 21-year-old captured in a cellphone picture a few months earlier. His skin is ashen, eyes fixed on the middle distance. He might be 40. Or 60.

At first, he places his hands forward through the hole in his cell door to be cuffed. This is against procedure, the officers shout. His hands must be in back.

He will not, or cannot, comply. He wanders to the rear of his cell and falls hard. Two blasts of pepper spray barely elicit a reaction. The leader of the tactical team later said he found it unusual and unnerving.

The next video is in the medical unit. A shield is pressed to his chest. He is in agony, begging for them to stop, as two nurses attempt to insert a catheter.

Then they move him, half-conscious and limp, onto a wheelchair for the blood draw.

For the next 20 minutes, the Wexford nurse performing the procedure, Angelica Wachtor, jabs hands and arms to find a vessel that will hold shape. She winces with each puncture, tries to comfort him, and grows increasingly rattled.

“Oh, my God,” she mutters, and asks why help is not on the way.

She did not request assistance or discuss calling 911, records indicate.

“Can you please stop — it’s burning real bad,” Mr. Johnson said.

Soon after, a member of the tactical team reminds Ms. Wachtor to take Mr. Johnson’s vitals before taking him back to his cell. She would later tell Dr. Young she had been unable to able to obtain his blood pressure.

“You good?” one of the team members asks as they are preparing to leave.

“Yeah, I’ll have to be,” she replies in the recording.

Officers lifted him back onto his bunk, leaving him unconscious and naked except for a covering draped over his groin. His expressionless face is visible through the window on the cell door as it closes.

‘Cardiac arrest.’

Mr. Duprey, the nurse practitioner, had been sitting inside his office after corrections staff ordered him to shelter for his own protection, he said. When he emerged, he found Ms. Wachtor sobbing, and after a delay, he was let into the cell. Finding no pulse, Mr. Duprey asked a prison employee to call 911 so Mr. Johnson could be taken to a local emergency room.

The Wexford staff initiated CPR. It did not work.

At 3:38 p.m., the paramedics declared Markus Mison Johnson dead.

Afterward, a senior official at Danville called the Johnson family to say he had died of “cardiac arrest.”

Lisa Johnson pressed for more information, but none was initially forthcoming. She would soon receive a box hastily crammed with his possessions: uneaten snacks, notebooks, an inspirational memoir by a man who had served 20 years at Leavenworth.

Later, Shiping Bao, the coroner who examined his body, determined Mr. Johnson had died of severe dehydration. He told the state police it “was one of the driest bodies he had ever seen.”

For a long time, Ms. Johnson blamed herself. She says that her biggest mistake was assuming that the state, with all its resources, would provide a level of care comparable to what she had been able to provide her son.

She had stopped accepting foster care children while she was raising Markus and his siblings. But as the months dragged on, she decided her once-boisterous house had become oppressively still, and let local agencies know she was available again.

“It is good to have children around,” she said. “It was too quiet around here.”

Read by Glenn Thrush

Audio produced by Jack D’Isidoro .

Glenn Thrush covers the Department of Justice. He joined The Times in 2017 after working for Politico, Newsday, Bloomberg News, The New York Daily News, The Birmingham Post-Herald and City Limits. More about Glenn Thrush

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