KS3 · French · Year 7

What you can and can't do: 'pouvoir' and 'savoir' singular persons

Summer activities: modal verbs in two-verb structures

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Your learning goal

I can use the modal verbs 'pouvoir' and 'savoir' in the singular persons to say what summer activities I can do.

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What you can and can't do: 'pouvoir' and 'savoir' singular persons: 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.

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What you’ll learn

I can use the modal verbs 'pouvoir' and 'savoir' in the singular persons to say what summer activities I can do.

Key learning points

[ien] sounds like 'bien'
Use 'pouvoir' to talk about ability or permission; use 'savoir' to talk about skills or things you have learned to do.
'Pouvoir' changes to 'peux' in the first and second persons singular and 'peut' in the 3rd person singular.
'Savoir' changes to 'sais' in the first and second persons singular and 'sait' in the 3rd person singular.
If modal verbs are followed by another verb it must be in the infinitive form.

Words to know

[ien]: pronounced as in 'bien'
modal verbs: verb of necessity or possibility used with a 2nd verb in infinitive e.g., must, can, want
pouvoir: modal verb meaning 'to be able to, can'
savoir: modal verb meaning 'to know how to, can'

Common mistakes

There is one verb for 'can' in French like in English.

The verb for 'can' changes depending on whether you need specific skills/knowledge to be able to do it. If not, use 'pouvoir', if it does, use 'savoir'.

For parents, carers and teachers

If students are familiar with the jigsaw piece activity B1 then it might be a good opportunity to do the activity a number of times, improving speed each time. You could set it up as a class or partner competition.