KS3 · German · Year 8
Future plans: future tense 'werden' + infinitive vs 'planen' + 'zu' + infinitive
Making plans: present and future tenses
Learn it. Recall it. Make it stick.
IllumED Slides
IllumED · 1/10
Your learning goal
I can form different two-verb structures to discuss future plans, and can broaden my vocabulary by spotting connections between German nouns and verbs.
1 of 10
Future plans: future tense 'werden' + infinitive vs 'planen' + 'zu' + infinitive: slides adapted from the imported teaching text; recall questions created from its keywords, learning points and common mistakes. Self-check practice, with no automatic grading or XP. Answers stay on this page and are cleared when you leave.
Original teaching resources
The original illustrated PowerPoint is available as well as the IllumED text slides. It retains the publisher’s design and credits.
Download original PowerPoint ↓What you’ll learn
I can form different two-verb structures to discuss future plans, and can broaden my vocabulary by spotting connections between German nouns and verbs.
Key learning points
- In two-verb structures, the 2nd verb is in the infinitive, at the end of the sentence.
- In two-verb structures, most verbs add 'zu' before the infinitive verb.
- A comma separates the verb phrases in two-verb structures, e.g., 'Ich plane, Gemüse zu essen'.
- Future tense sentences with 'werden', like modal sentences, do not require 'zu' before the infinitive.
Words to know
- two-verb structure
- a sentence made up of two verb phrases
- zu
- preposition meaning 'to', used before the infinitive in most two-verb structures
- werden
- auxiliary verb meaning 'to become', used to form the future tense
- stem
- part of a verb that appears in all forms; often appears in nouns created from verbs
Common mistakes
Always add 'zu' before the infinitive in two-verb structures.
Some verbs, like 'werden' and modal verbs, do not require 'zu' before the infinitive in two-verb structures.
For parents, carers and teachers
- The first two explanation slides in LC2 lend themselves to a mini-whiteboard writing activity.