Unit 7 — Being a Friend

Track E · Klasse 7 · Niveau E

Template: Activate → Input → Practise → Produce → Reflect.
Niveau: E. class test (“Klassenarbeit”) at Niveau E.

Learning objectives Link to heading

  • I can listen to a short conversation about a friendship problem and identify what each speaker is doing in the exchange (asking, reassuring, advising).
  • I can use first-conditional if-clauses to give and respond to advice.
  • I can hold a 2-minute conversation about a small friendship misunderstanding.

Bildungsplan alignment Link to heading

  • 3.2.1 Themen — peer relationships, friendship.
  • 3.2.3.1 Hör-/Hörsehverstehen — short dialogue.
  • 3.2.3.3 Sprechen – an Gesprächen teilnehmen — give and receive advice.
  • 3.2.3.5 Schreiben — short narrative.
  • 3.2.3.8 Grammatik — first conditional; adjective + preposition.

(Source: https://www.bildungsplaene-bw.de/,Lde/LS/BP2016BW/ALLG/SEK1/E1)

Lead-in story Link to heading

Ben sat down beside Aisha at lunch and pushed his tray away without eating. “I think Marius hates me,” he said. Aisha put down her sandwich. “Did you ask him?” “No.” “Then technically you have invented a person who hates you. Maybe try the real one first.” Ben rolled his eyes, but he also smiled — which is what Aisha was waiting for.

1. Activate Link to heading

Pair brainstorm. With your partner, write three things on sticky notes:

  • one thing a good friend does,
  • one thing a good friend does not do,
  • one thing you wish friends would do more.

Stick them on the board. Read three notes from people you do not know.

2. Input Link to heading

Listening — Two Best Friends Link to heading

Listen with closed books.

Ben. Aisha, can I tell you something without you laughing?
Aisha. Probably not. But I’ll try.
Ben. I think Marius is mad at me. He didn’t talk to me at lunch.
Aisha. Did you ask him why?
Ben. No. I just decided he hates me now.
Aisha. Ben. Sometimes people just have a bad lunch. Go ask him tomorrow before you spend the whole evening building a theory.
Ben. That sounds annoyingly sensible.
Aisha. I am annoyingly sensible. That’s why you tell me things.

Language focus — first conditional Link to heading

Use the first conditional to talk about real future possibilities and their results.

  • If + present simple, will + base verb.
  • If you ask him, you will find out the truth.
  • If we don’t talk, the problem will get worse.

Comma rule: when if comes first, write a comma. When if is in the middle, no comma.

  • If you ask him, you will find out.
  • You will find out if you ask him.

Language focus — adjective + preposition Link to heading

Many English adjectives are followed by a fixed preposition. They need to be learned together, like a single word.

  • afraid of, good at, bad at, interested in, worried about, excited about, proud of, jealous of, sorry for, annoyed by/with.
L1 trap. German Angst vor maps to English afraid of (not before). German gut in maps to English good at. Memorise the pair, not the preposition alone.

3. Practise Link to heading

Niveau G — controlled Link to heading

A. First conditional gap-fill.

  1. If you __________ (ask) him, he __________ (tell) you.
  2. If we __________ (apologise), they __________ (be) happy.
  3. If I __________ (not / call) her, she __________ (be) sad.

B. Adjective + preposition. Insert the missing preposition.

  1. Ben is afraid __________ asking the wrong question.
  2. Aisha is good __________ giving advice.

Niveau M — productive Link to heading

C. Build advice with if. A friend tells you the situation; you give one if-sentence in reply.

  1. “I lost my best friend’s umbrella.” → ___
  2. “My partner forgot my birthday.” → ___
  3. “I said something mean by accident.” → ___

D. Adjective + preposition free-build. Make one true sentence about yourself with each of: interested in, proud of, worried about.

Answer key

Niveau G

A. 1. ask / will tell. 2. apologise / will be. 3. don’t call / will be.
B. 4. of, 5. at.

Niveau M

  1. Sample: If you tell them the truth right away, they will probably understand.\
  2. Sample: If you mention it once and then move on, they will feel bad enough.\
  3. Sample: If you apologise quickly and clearly, the friendship will survive.
    D. Open answers; check the right preposition.

4. Produce Link to heading

Pair speaking — The Wise One. Each pair takes one of these prompts and runs a 2-minute conversation. One person describes a small friendship problem; the other gives advice using at least three if-clauses and at least one adjective + preposition.

  • My friend keeps cancelling at the last minute.
  • Someone in my group chat shared a private message.
  • My oldest friend is suddenly hanging out with a new group.

Swap roles after two minutes.

Strong moves: real eye contact, specific advice (not just “talk to them”), and a single exchange of disagreement (“Yeah but …”) before resolution.

5. Reflect Link to heading

  • I can pick out who is asking, reassuring, and advising in a short dialogue.
  • I can give advice with a first-conditional if-clause.
  • I know three adjective+preposition combinations.

One sentence in your notebook: What is one thing I want to do differently as a friend this month?

Exam example Link to heading

class test ("Klassenarbeit") — Niveau E (45 minutes)
Materials allowed. A monolingual dictionary (Niveau M only).
Time. 45 minutes.
Total. 60 points.

Task 1 — Listening (12 BE) Link to heading

The teacher reads aloud the dialogue Two Best Friends. Answer in full sentences.

Ben. Aisha, can I tell you something without you laughing?
Aisha. Probably not. But I’ll try.
Ben. I think Marius is mad at me. He didn’t talk to me at lunch.
Aisha. Did you ask him why?
Ben. No. I just decided he hates me now.
Aisha. Ben. Sometimes people just have a bad lunch. Go ask him tomorrow before you spend the whole evening building a theory.
Ben. That sounds annoyingly sensible.
Aisha. I am annoyingly sensible. That’s why you tell me things.

  1. What does Ben think Marius did? (2)
  2. Did Ben ask Marius why? (2)
  3. What does Aisha advise him to do? (3)
  4. What does Aisha mean when she calls herself “annoyingly sensible”? (5)

Task 2 — Use of English (15 BE) Link to heading

A. If-clauses Type 1 (8 BE). Complete.

  1. If you __________ (ask) him, you __________ (find) out the truth.
  2. If we __________ (not / talk), the problem __________ (get) worse.
  3. If she __________ (text) me first, I __________ (be) happy.
  4. If they __________ (apologise), we __________ (forgive) them.

B. Adjective + preposition (7 BE). Insert the missing preposition.

  1. Ben is afraid __________ asking the wrong question.
  2. Aisha is good __________ giving sensible advice.
  3. They are excited __________ the school trip.
  4. Marius is annoyed __________ a small thing.

Task 3 — Mediation (10 BE) Link to heading

Your German cousin sends you this WhatsApp message:

“Lena hat heute beim Mittagessen nicht mit mir geredet. Ich glaube, sie ist sauer auf mich, aber ich weiß nicht warum. Was soll ich tun?”

Write three sentences in English to your English-speaking friend explaining the situation and giving simple advice. Do not translate every word.

Task 4 — Writing (23 BE) Link to heading

Write 100–120 words about a small misunderstanding between you and a friend (real or imagined) and how it was resolved. Use:

  • at least two if-clauses,
  • at least one adjective + preposition combination,
  • one direct quote (a single line of speech).
Expected answer key — class test ("Klassenarbeit")

Task 1 (12 BE).\

  1. He thinks Marius didn’t talk to him at lunch and is angry. (2)
  2. No, he just decided Marius hates him. (2)
  3. She tells him to ask Marius the next day, before building a theory. (3)
  4. Sample: She is direct, gives unwelcome but useful advice, and both of them know it; the joke makes it easier for Ben to accept her advice. (5)

Task 2 (15 BE).
A. 1. ask / will find. 2. don’t talk / will get. 3. texts / will be. 4. apologise / will forgive.
B. 5. of, 6. at, 7. about, 8. by/about/at (accept any reasonable).

Task 3 (10 BE). Sample: “Lena didn’t talk to me at lunch today. I think she’s annoyed with me, but I don’t know why. What should I do?” — Or, advisor voice: “Just ask her tomorrow before you imagine the worst.” Award for: gist (4), addressee-fit (2), correct grammar (4).

Task 4 (23 BE). Inhalt 12 / Sprache 11.

Rubric — grading scale (Notenschlüssel)
Punkte (von 60)Note
56–601
30–394

Downloads Link to heading

**Slide deck timing.** 45 minutes total.
  • Title + Lead-in (4 min). Open on Aisha’s invented person who hates you line. Ask: have you ever invented a hostile version of someone in your head?
  • Activate (5 min). Sticky-note pair brainstorm; read three from the wall.
  • Input — listening + grammar (15 min). Read Two Best Friends twice. Brief board map: if + present simple, will + base verb. Adjective+preposition list with three German contrasts.
  • Practise (8 min). Niveau split.
  • Produce (10 min). Pair speaking; circulate and prompt.
  • Reflect (3 min).

Differentiation. Niveau G: provide a printed if-clause frame (If + you + ___, you + will + ___). Above Niveau M: require one unless-clause in the speaking turn.

Pastoral note. Friendship problems can quickly become real. Keep prompts low-stakes; if a learner shares something heavier, take it offline.

Common pitfalls Link to heading

  • If you will ask him → ✗ / If you ask him → ✓ (no will in the if-clause).
  • afraid for → ✗ / afraid of → ✓.
  • good in maths → ✗ / good at maths → ✓.
  • Comma trap: If you ask him you will find out. → ✗ — comma required when if-clause comes first.

Further reading / listening Link to heading

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