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Year 8 - German

Who should do what? Meanings of 'sollen', 'müssen', 'dürfen'

Making plans: present and future tenses

Unit Summary

This unit revisits and consolidates the present tense, including modal verbs and two-verb structures before introducing the future tense in singular persons. It also addresses the distinction between the German 'ich will' vs the English 'I want to'.

Lesson Summary

You will learn to use 'sollen' to say who should do what and to express probability, and apply your knowledge of language to link unfamiliar vocabulary to word families.

Key Notes

  • Pronounce both letters in the sound-symbol correspondence [pf] in German.
  • The English spelling 'p' often corresponds to [pf] in German.
  • Use your existing knowledge of language to understand meanings of unfamiliar words and to identify word families.
  • Use the modal verb 'sollen' to mean 'should', 'be supposed to' in expectations or obligations, and for probability.
  • Use the modal verb 'müssen' to mean 'must' and the modal verb 'dürfen' to mean 'may', 'allowed'.

Vocabulary To Learn

  • [pf]: pronounced as in 'Apfel', 'Pferd'
  • modal verb: verb of necessity or possibility ('must', 'can', 'want') used with a 2nd verb in infinitive, which goes to the end
  • sollen: modal verb meaning 'should', 'be supposed to', 'ought to'

Common Mistakes To Avoid

  • Always use 'müssen' in negative sentences to translate the idea of 'must not' in English.

3 Quick Questions (With Answers)

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

Pronounce both letters in the sound-symbol correspondence [pf] in German. The English spelling 'p' often corresponds to [pf] in German.

2. Define this key language word and use it in context. '[pf]'

pronounced as in 'Apfel', 'Pferd'. Say or write it in a short sentence so you use the word actively.

3. Correct this common language-learning mistake.

Mistake: Always use 'müssen' in negative sentences to translate the idea of 'must not' in English. Correction: English often uses 'must not' in lieu of 'don't have to', 'not allowed to' and 'should not'. However, you should use the correct modal verb in German to express these ideas, e.g. 'du musst nicht', 'du darfst nicht', 'du sollst nicht'.

More Lessons In This Unit

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