Year 11 - German
Ab wann darf man wählen? Present and past modal verbs
Media and technology: Die weite Welt
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This pupil-friendly study guide includes a unit summary, clear notes, common mistakes, and quick questions with answers.
Unit Summary
This unit consolidates known grammar with practice of modal verbs in present and past, reflexive verbs in two-verb structures, es gibt vs es gab and imperatives.(Sie, formal). Pupils also revise 'man' with verb to avoid the passive.
Lesson Summary
You will learn to use modal verbs in the present and the imperfect tense to discuss important issues and developments.
Key Notes
- Modal verbs express necessity or possibility. Use them with a 2nd verb in the infinitive at the end of the sentence.
- 'Dürfen' refers to permission required from another person. 'Können' refers to the ability to do something.
- The stems of modal verbs are irregular, with vowel changes in most singular forms. 'Sollen' is the exception.
- Modal verbs are mostly used in the imperfect tense when they describe past events. Remove any umlauts in the imperfect.
- [w] sounds like 'Welt', [qu] is pronounced the same as [kw] and sounds like 'bequem', and [zw] sounds like 'zwanzig'.
Vocabulary To Learn
- modal verb: verb of necessity or possibility ('must', 'can', 'want') used with a 2nd verb in the infinitive
- imperfect: single-word tense used most often for modal verbs when they describe past events; otherwise used mainly to narrate past events in writing
Common Mistakes To Avoid
- 'Können' and 'dürfen' both mean 'can' in English.
3 Quick Questions (With Answers)
1. Explain what you can now say or understand in this lesson.
Modal verbs express necessity or possibility. Use them with a 2nd verb in the infinitive at the end of the sentence. 'Dürfen' refers to permission required from another person. 'Können' refers to the ability to do something.
2. Define this key language word and use it in context. 'modal verb'
verb of necessity or possibility ('must', 'can', 'want') used with a 2nd verb in the infinitive. Say or write it in a short sentence so you use the word actively.
3. Correct this common language-learning mistake.
Mistake: 'Können' and 'dürfen' both mean 'can' in English. Correction: Whilst we often use 'can' to translate both verbs in English, they are different in meaning. 'Dürfen' refers to permission - 'may I/am I allowed to?'. 'Können' refers to the ability to do something - 'can I/am I able to?'.
More Lessons In This Unit
- Beim Arzt: word order with 'obwohl', role-play Study Guide
- Das Leben in anderen Ländern: adjectives with '-los', uses of 'man' Study Guide
- Denken Jugendliche heute global? Accusative and dative reflexive verbs Study Guide
- Eine Online-Welt. Toll, oder? Prepositional verbs, da-compounds Study Guide
- Gesundheit: read and respond to texts Study Guide
- Medizin früher und heute: 'es gibt' vs 'es gab', imperfect Study Guide
- Seien Sie sicher online! Using 'Sie' in statements, questions and the imperative Study Guide
- Was machen sie online? Revisiting vocabulary, describing pictures Study Guide
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