German · C1 · Family moment
When the school changes its assessment policy in German
Pass on the school's assurances about assessment without presenting them as your own verified conclusions. Use Konjunktiv I present passive to report what is said to happen, and distinguish this from reported future actions.
What you'll learn
- Report assessment procedures using werde plus Partizip II.
- Keep the school's assurances separate from your own endorsement.
- Distinguish reported present passive processes from reported future actions by checking the verb form after werde.
- Ask how an assurance is put into practice.
German phrases for when the school changes its assessment policy
Die Schulleitung sagt, praktische Arbeit werde gleich gewichtet.
The headteacher says practical work is given equal weight.
Werde gewichtet reports an assessment practice, not a promise about the future. Schulleitung is a gender-neutral reference to the headteacher or school leadership.
Wie es heißt, werde jede Bewertung von einer zweiten Lehrkraft überprüft.
Apparently, each assessment is checked by a second teacher.
Wie es heißt presents this as something reported, rather than your own inference. Werde überprüft keeps the checking procedure attributed to that report.
Im Schreiben steht, dass auf individuelle Umstände Rücksicht genommen werde.
The letter states that individual circumstances are taken into account.
Rücksicht genommen werde reports the stated procedure. In this dass clause, the finite werde comes last.
Sie sagt, niemand werde ausschließlich anhand der Prüfungsleistung beurteilt.
She says nobody is assessed solely on exam performance.
Niemand werde beurteilt reports the assurance without asserting that it is consistently fulfilled.
Der Schule zufolge werde vorab erläutert, welche Kriterien gelten.
According to the school, the criteria are explained beforehand.
Werde erläutert reports the explanation process; der Schule zufolge explicitly identifies the source.
Es heißt, die Regelung werde in regelmäßigen Abständen überprüft.
They say the policy is reviewed at regular intervals.
The regular intervals make the recurring process clear. Werde überprüft is present passive here, not future.
Ich gebe nur ihre Zusicherung wieder; ich bestätige damit nicht, dass es tatsächlich so gehandhabt wird.
I'm reporting their assurance, not confirming that it happens.
This explicitly separates reporting from endorsement. Konjunktiv I can mark that distance, but does not itself mean that you doubt the school.
Könnten wir nachfragen, wie eine einheitliche Benotung tatsächlich sichergestellt wird?
Could we ask how consistent marking is actually ensured?
This asks about actual practice rather than repeating an assurance, so wird is appropriate here.
Hear these phrases and practise them
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Try it free for 7 daysKey words
die Schulleitung; plural: die Schulleitungen
headteacher; school leadership
A gender-neutral institutional term that can refer to the headteacher or the leadership team.
die Bewertung; plural: die Bewertungen
assessment; evaluation
Refers to the evaluation of work, rather than necessarily to the test itself.
die Lehrkraft; plural: die Lehrkräfte
teacher
A gender-neutral term commonly used in school communications.
das Kriterium; plural: die Kriterien
criterion
A standard used to judge a piece of work.
die Regelung; plural: die Regelungen
policy; rule; arrangement
Natural for an institutional policy governing assessment.
die Zusicherung; plural: die Zusicherungen
assurance
A firm statement that something is or will be the case; not evidence that it happens.
die Benotung; plural: die Benotungen
marking; grading
Einheitliche Benotung means grading according to consistent standards.
Reported present process passive
For a third-person singular subject, use werde plus Partizip II to report what is done to someone or something. The construction describes a reported process or routine; werde does not automatically signal future time.
| Use | Form | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Direct assurance | wird + Partizip II | Jede Leistung wird berücksichtigt. |
| Reported assurance | werde + Partizip II | Die Schule erklärt, jede Leistung werde berücksichtigt. |
| Person carrying out the process | werde + von … + Partizip II | Jede Bewertung werde von einer zweiten Lehrkraft überprüft. |
Placement in reported clauses
In a reported clause without dass, werde occupies the finite-verb position and the participle comes at the end. With dass, the participle precedes the clause-final werde. Both patterns attribute the procedure to the source.
| Use | Form | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Without dass | subject + werde + … + Partizip II | Die Schulleitung sagt, praktische Arbeit werde gleich gewichtet. |
| With dass | dass + subject + … + Partizip II + werde | Die Schulleitung sagt, dass praktische Arbeit gleich gewichtet werde. |
Passive process or future action?
Check the form accompanying werde. A past participle such as überprüft signals present passive in these examples. An infinitive such as überprüfen signals a reported future action. Do not translate every werde as 'will'.
| Use | Form | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Reported present passive | werde + überprüft | Die Regelung werde regelmäßig überprüft. — The policy is reportedly reviewed regularly. |
| Reported future action | werde + überprüfen | Die Schule werde die Regelung überprüfen. — The school says it will review the policy. |
More examples
Die Schule versichert, jede Leistung werde berücksichtigt. Ich gebe damit ihre Zusicherung wieder.
The school assures us that every piece of work is taken into account. I am passing on its assurance.
The passive procedure remains attributed to the school.
Im Brief steht, dass jede Bewertung von einer zweiten Lehrkraft überprüft werde.
The letter states that each assessment is checked by a second teacher.
The reported passive ends with überprüft werde in the dass clause.
Der Schule zufolge werde eine einheitliche Benotung sichergestellt. Wie wird das in der Praxis überprüft?
According to the school, consistent marking is ensured. How is that checked in practice?
Werde reports the assurance; wird asks directly about the real procedure.