Section C: Applied Grammar (40) MCQs Quiz | Class 9
This quiz is for Class IX students studying German (Code 020). It covers the Unit on Assessment Scheme (Annual Exam) with a focus on Relative pronouns: nominative, accusative, and dative, which holds 4 marks. Complete all questions, then click “Submit Quiz” to see your score and download a PDF of your answers.
Understanding German Relative Pronouns
Relative pronouns (Relativpronomen) are essential for building more complex sentences in German. They introduce a relative clause (Relativsatz), which provides more information about a noun or pronoun mentioned in the main clause. The key to using them correctly is to identify the correct gender, number, and case.
How to Choose the Correct Relative Pronoun
Follow these two simple steps:
- Gender and Number: The relative pronoun takes its gender (masculine, feminine, neuter) and number (singular, plural) from the noun it refers to in the main clause.
- Case: The case (Nominative, Accusative, Dative) of the relative pronoun depends on its grammatical function within the relative clause. Is it the subject, direct object, or indirect object in that clause?
Declension Table of Relative Pronouns
This table shows the forms of the relative pronouns. You’ll notice they are very similar to the definite articles, with the exception of the dative plural (“denen”) and the genitive forms (not covered in this quiz).
| Case | Masculine (der) | Feminine (die) | Neuter (das) | Plural (die) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nominative (Subject) | der | die | das | die |
| Accusative (Direct Object) | den | die | das | die |
| Dative (Indirect Object) | dem | der | dem | denen |
Case by Case Breakdown
- Nominative (der, die, das, die): Use when the relative pronoun is the subject of the relative clause (i.e., it is doing the action).
Example: Das ist der Mann, der das Auto kauft. (The pronoun “der” is the subject of “kauft”). - Accusative (den, die, das, die): Use when the relative pronoun is the direct object of the relative clause (i.e., it is receiving the action).
Example: Das ist der Mann, den ich sehe. (The pronoun “den” is the direct object of “sehe”; “ich” is the subject). - Dative (dem, der, dem, denen): Use when the relative pronoun is the indirect object of the relative clause, often used with verbs like helfen, danken, gefallen, gehören.
Example: Das ist der Mann, dem ich helfe. (The pronoun “dem” is the indirect object of “helfe”).
Quick Revision Checklist
- Find the noun in the main clause that the relative clause describes.
- Determine its gender and number. This sets the gender/number of your pronoun.
- Look only inside the relative clause.
- Find the verb in the relative clause.
- Ask: Who or what is doing the verb? (Nominative) Who or what is receiving the action? (Accusative) To/for whom is the action done? (Dative)
- Select the pronoun that matches the gender, number, and case.
Extra Practice Questions
- Das ist die Frau, ___ ich ein Buch gebe. (The correct answer is ‘der’ – Dative)
- Hier sind die Kinder, ___ im Garten spielen. (The correct answer is ‘die’ – Nominative)
- Wo ist der Kuchen, ___ du gebacken hast? (The correct answer is ‘den’ – Accusative)
- Ich kenne das Mädchen, ___ das rote Fahrrad gehört. (The correct answer is ‘dem’ – Dative, because of ‘gehören’)
- Das sind die Freunde, mit ___ ich ins Kino gehe. (The correct answer is ‘denen’ – Dative, because of the preposition ‘mit’)
