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Modal Verbs: devoir, pouvoir, savoir, vouloir

FoundationHigherAQA

Understand Modal Verbs: devoir, pouvoir, savoir, vouloir for GCSE French with this free worksheet and full mark scheme — Foundation and Higher exam-style practice with worked answers for AQA GCSE French (8652). Modal verbs are followed by an infinitive and express must, can, know how to and want to.

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These worksheets and mark schemes are original, written for Virtus Academy and checked against the current AQA specification. Every worksheet comes with a full mark scheme.

Foundation

WorksheetFoundation · PDFMark SchemeFoundation · PDF

Higher

WorksheetHigher · PDFMark SchemeHigher · PDF

Topic overview

Modal verbs express ability, obligation, knowledge or desire, and all four take a direct infinitive with no preposition.

Devoir means must or to have to: je dois partir. Pouvoir means can or to be able to: je peux venir. Savoir means to know how to: je sais nager. Vouloir means to want: je veux manger.

The distinction between savoir and pouvoir is examined directly. Je sais nager means I know how to swim — I have the skill. Je peux nager means I am able to swim right now — nothing is stopping me. Someone who can swim but has a broken arm knows how but cannot at the moment.

Revision notes

The four modals

Devoir: must, to have to. Pouvoir: can, to be able to.

Savoir: to know how to. Vouloir: to want. All four are followed directly by an infinitive with no preposition between them.

Savoir versus pouvoir

Je sais nager means I know how to swim — I have learned the skill.

Je peux nager means I am able to swim now — nothing prevents it. Someone with a broken arm still knows how to swim but cannot do it at present.

No preposition

Je dois partir, je peux venir, je sais nager, je veux manger.

Nothing comes between the modal and the infinitive. Adding de or à is a straightforward error and is always wrong with these four verbs.

Key points

  • Modal verbs take a direct infinitive.
  • Devoir means must or have to.
  • Pouvoir means can or be able to.
  • Savoir means to know how to.
  • Vouloir means to want.
  • No preposition follows a modal.

Worked examples

Example 1

Translate: I must leave. [2 marks]

Working

Je dois partiruse devoir with the infinitive
No preposition comes between dois and partirexplain the structure

Example 2

Explain the difference between je sais nager and je peux nager. [2 marks]

Working

Je sais nager means I know how to swim, describing a learned skillexplain savoir
Je peux nager means I am able to swim now, describing present possibilityexplain pouvoir

Example 3

Translate: she wants to eat. [2 marks]

Working

Elle veut mangeruse vouloir with the infinitive
Manger stays in the infinitive with no prepositionexplain the structure

Common mistakes

  • Adding a preposition after a modal.

    Je veux manger, not je veux à manger.

  • Using pouvoir for a learned skill.

    Savoir is used for knowing how to do something.

  • Putting the second verb in a tense.

    It stays in the infinitive.

  • Confusing devoir with il faut.

    Devoir has a subject; il faut is impersonal.

Exam tips

  • Never add a preposition after these four verbs.
  • Use savoir for skills, pouvoir for possibility.
  • Keep the second verb in the infinitive.
  • Learn all four forms in the present tense.

Key terms

Modal verb
A verb taking a direct infinitive.
Savoir
To know how to, describing a skill.
Pouvoir
To be able to, describing possibility.
Infinitive
The unchanged verb following a modal.

Related topics

Written and reviewed against the current AQA specification. Spotted an error? Let us know.