Lesson 4: Expressing Opinions Politely and Hedging in Meetings and the News (Lesson 4, Level B2)
A focus on Konjunktiv I/II for reported speech and conditionality, nuanced opinions, and idiomatic expressions for workplace meetings and news contexts.
About this lesson
In Lesson 4 of the B2 German course, you will learn how to sound professional and balanced in work meetings and when discussing current events. We will practise Konjunktiv I for reported speech and Konjunktiv II for polite requests and assumptions, hedging expressions (e.g. 'nach jetzigem Stand', 'angeblich', 'mutmaßlich'), and idioms for dependency and conditionality (e.g. 'steht und fällt mit'). The material is structured around active vocabulary, sample exchanges from real meetings, exercises, and a dictation.
40 minutes
What you'll learn
- Use Konjunktiv I for reported speech in news and reports.
- Use Konjunktiv II for polite suggestions, requests, and assumptions.
- Soften statements and express nuanced opinions using hedging markers.
- Use common idioms and collocations from professional meetings.
- Structure your contribution in a work discussion: proposing, agreeing, abstaining, and deferring.