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Year 11 - French

On peut acheter : present tense modal verbs

Popular culture: La vie quotidienne

Unit Summary

This unit focuses on mastering the use of reflexive pronouns and verbs. It also revisits perfect and imperfect tenses, relative clauses and negation, and introduces the past participles of modal verbs. There is a further focus on avant de + infinitive and après avoir + past participle.

Lesson Summary

You will learn to use modals in the present tense to describe what we can, want and must do on a shopping trip.

Key Notes

  • To talk about what you can, know, have to, or want to do, use modal verbs: 'pouvoir', 'savoir', 'devoir', 'vouloir'.
  • Modal verbs are usually followed by an infinitive.
  • [-ill-/-ille] is pronounced as in 'fille', [-aill-/-ail] is pronounced as in 'taille'.

Vocabulary To Learn

  • modal verb: verb of necessity or possibility used with a 2nd verb in the infinitive, e.g. 'must', 'can', 'want'

Common Mistakes To Avoid

  • There is a French verb 'to can'.

3 Quick Questions (With Answers)

1. Explain what you can now say or understand in this lesson.

To talk about what you can, know, have to, or want to do, use modal verbs: 'pouvoir', 'savoir', 'devoir', 'vouloir'. Modal verbs are usually followed by an infinitive.

2. Define this key language word and use it in context. 'modal verb'

verb of necessity or possibility used with a 2nd verb in the infinitive, e.g. 'must', 'can', 'want'. Say or write it in a short sentence so you use the word actively.

3. Correct this common language-learning mistake.

Mistake: There is a French verb 'to can'. Correction: The English idea of 'can' is translated in French by the verb 'pouvoir' meaning 'to be able to'.

More Lessons In This Unit

Browse all guides in the Year 11 French guide library.