Reading · B2 · Text 13

Schloss Versailles

33 words1 min read100% known at B2

Dann gab es hier eine Feier für den deutschen Kaiser.

Then there was a celebration here for the German Emperor.

Nach dem Ersten Welt-Krieg wurde hier der Friedens-Vertrag geschrieben.

After the First World War, the peace treaty was written here.

Weil Deutschland den Krieg verloren hatte, war der Vertrag für Deutschland schlecht.

Because Germany had lost the war, the treaty was bad for Germany.

7 words above B2

Feier

celebration, party plural: Feiern celebration; party; ceremony B2/ˈfa̯ɪɐ/

Kaiser

emperor plural: Kaiser emperor (ruler of certain monarchies; highest monarch); a common surname; nickname of Franz Beckenbauer B2/ˈkaɪ̯zər/

Ersten Welt-Krieg← der Erster Weltkrieg

First World War proper noun, usually with definite article

Friedens-Vertrag← der Friedensvertrag

peace treaty plural: Friedensverträge

verloren← verlieren

lost irregular: verliert, verlor, hat verloren to lose (something, or a game); to shed; to trail away, to fade away A2[fɛɐ̯ˈliːʁən]

Vertrag

treaty, contract plural: Verträge contract, agreement; treaty A2/fərˈtraːk/

schlecht

bad, unfavorable comparative: schlechter, superlative: am schlechtesten bad, evil, wicked (the opposite of good; immoral); bad (unskilled; of limited ability); bad (unhealthy, unwell) A1/ʃlɛçt/

Grammar in this text

Prepositional phrase with 'für' + accusative

eine Feier für den deutschen Kaiser

'für' is a preposition that always takes the accusative case. Here 'den deutschen Kaiser' is in accusative (masculine).

Subordinate clause with 'weil' + verb at the end

Weil Deutschland den Krieg verloren hatte, war der Vertrag für Deutschland schlecht.

'weil' introduces a causal subordinate clause. The conjugated verb (here 'hatte') moves to the end of the clause. Note also the past perfect tense 'verloren hatte'.

Past perfect tense (Plusquamperfekt)

Weil Deutschland den Krieg verloren hatte

The past perfect is formed with 'hatte' + past participle. It expresses an action that happened before another past action.

Passive voice with 'wurde' + past participle

wurde hier der Friedens-Vertrag geschrieben

The passive voice in simple past is formed with 'wurde' + past participle. It emphasizes the action rather than the agent.

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Same text, graded forA2 version B1 version C1 version

Text from Schloss Versailles — Klexikon, used under CC BY-SA 4.0. See sources.

Translation, glossary and grammar notes are machine-generated and inherit the same licence.