How to Describe Photos in the GCSE German Speaking Exam For Grade 8-9
- Jens Olesen
- 3 hours ago
- 4 min read
A Step-by-Step Guide with Grade 8–9 Phrases and Examiner Tips
Describing a photo is one of the most important — and misunderstood — parts of the GCSE German speaking exam. Many students panic when they see the image, talk too little, or simply list what they can see without structure. As a result, they miss out on easy marks.
The good news?Photo description is highly predictable, trainable, and one of the best opportunities to show fluent, confident German — if you know how to do it properly.
In this guide, you’ll learn:
how examiners expect photos to be described
a clear structure that works for any photo
essential GCSE German photo description phrases
Grade 8–9 sentence builders
how to add opinions, reasons and time references
common mistakes that cost marks (and how to avoid them)
This approach works for AQA and Edexcel GCSE German and is especially important now that AQA photocard questions are given in English, meaning students must rely entirely on the quality of their spoken German.
1️⃣ What Examiners Are Looking For
When you describe a photo, examiners are not testing creativity. They are assessing whether you can:
describe what you see clearly
use a range of accurate vocabulary
structure your answers logically
speak fluently and confidently
extend answers with opinions, reasons and details
A common myth is that you need to say everything you see. You don’t.What matters is controlled, structured German, not endless detail.
2️⃣ The Golden Rule: Structure Beats Vocabulary
The biggest difference between a Grade 5–6 and a Grade 8–9 photo description is structure.
A strong photo description usually follows this order:
Overall scene (What is the photo about?)
Foreground (What is happening in the front?)
Background (What is happening behind?)
People (Who is there? What are they doing?)
Opinions & reasons
Time reference or speculation
You do not need all of these every time — but this framework keeps you calm and organised.
3️⃣ Essential Photo Description Phrases (GCSE Gold)
These phrases work in almost every photo and should be memorised.
🔹 Starting the description
Auf dem Foto sieht man …(In the photo you can see …)
Das Foto zeigt …(The photo shows …)
Es handelt sich um …(It is about …)
Example:
Auf dem Foto sieht man eine Familie in einem Park.
🔹 Foreground & background (very important)
These phrases immediately lift your grade:
Im Vordergrund sieht man …(In the foreground you can see …)
Im Hintergrund sieht man …(In the background you can see …)
In der Mitte des Fotos …(In the middle of the photo …)
Example:
Im Vordergrund sieht man zwei Jugendliche, die Fußball spielen.Im Hintergrund gibt es viele Bäume und ein paar Häuser.
🔹 Talking about people
Es gibt … (There is/are …)
Eine Person / Zwei Personen / Mehrere Leute
Sie sehen glücklich / entspannt / müde aus
Sie tragen … (They are wearing …)
Example:
Die Leute sehen glücklich aus, weil sie Zeit zusammen verbringen.
4️⃣ Verbs That Examiners Love in Photo Descriptions
Use present tense unless asked otherwise.
High-value verbs:
sitzen / stehen / gehen
sprechen / lachen / arbeiten
spielen / essen / trinken
lernen / lesen / telefonieren
Example:
Die Kinder spielen im Park und lachen viel.
5️⃣ Adding Opinions (This Is Where Top Marks Are Won)
Many students describe the photo correctly but forget to react to it.
Simple opinion starters:
Meiner Meinung nach …
Ich finde das interessant, weil …
Ich denke, dass …
Example:
Meiner Meinung nach ist die Situation sehr positiv, weil alle entspannt wirken.
Even one short opinion can significantly raise your mark.
6️⃣ Speculation & Interpretation (Grade 8–9 Feature)
To reach the top bands, you should sometimes interpret, not just describe.
Useful phrases:
Vielleicht … (Perhaps …)
Ich glaube, dass …
Es scheint, dass …
Example:
Vielleicht sind sie im Urlaub, weil sie Freizeitkleidung tragen.
This shows confidence and linguistic range — exactly what examiners reward.
7️⃣ Time References (Easy Upgrade)
Even though the photo is in the present, you can add time context:
Heute / im Moment
Am Wochenende
In der Zukunft
Normalerweise
Example:
Im Moment genießen sie das schöne Wetter.
8️⃣ A Full Grade 8–9 Model Photo Description
Here’s what a strong response might sound like:
Auf dem Foto sieht man eine Gruppe von Jugendlichen in einem Park.Im Vordergrund sitzen zwei Freunde auf einer Bank und sprechen miteinander.Im Hintergrund gibt es viele Bäume und andere Leute.Die Jugendlichen sehen glücklich und entspannt aus.Meiner Meinung nach ist die Situation sehr positiv, weil sie Zeit zusammen verbringen.Vielleicht sind sie am Wochenende dort, um sich zu erholen.
This is not long — but it is structured, accurate and confident.
9️⃣ Common Mistakes That Cost Marks
Avoid these at all costs:
❌ listing objects without verbs
❌ giving one-sentence answers
❌ forgetting articles (der / die / das)
❌ saying es ist instead of es gibt incorrectly
❌ panicking and stopping too early
❌ translating English word-for-word
Remember: calm, simple German beats ambitious but inaccurate German.
🔟 What to Do If You Go Blank
Examiners are not trying to trick you. If you panic:
go back to Vordergrund / Hintergrund
describe clothes or emotions
add a simple opinion
use a filler phrase:
Einen Moment bitte.
Ich bin mir nicht sicher, aber …
Staying calm often saves the mark.
How We Train Photo Description at Olesen Tuition
At Olesen Tuition, we teach photo description as a repeatable system, not improvisation.
Students learn:
fixed sentence starters
how to expand safely
how to adapt answers to any theme
how to avoid common grammar traps
how to sound confident even when unsure
This approach works particularly well for GCSE German speaking, including the new AQA format.
Final Advice
You don’t need perfect German to score highly in the photo description.You need:
structure
clarity
a few well-chosen phrases
confidence under pressure
Master those, and the photo description becomes one of the easiest parts of the GCSE German speaking exam.
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