Travels and places: present and imperfect modal verbs
I can talk and write about my travels using past and present modal verbs and correct time-manner-place word order.
- Year 9
Travels and places: present and imperfect modal verbs
I can talk and write about my travels using past and present modal verbs and correct time-manner-place word order.
Lesson details
Vocabulary and transcripts for this lessons
Key learning points
- Use imperfect modal verbs in speech and writing to say what you and others wanted, were able or had to do.
- Use present modal modal verbs to communicate present/future actions, e.g., Ich will in der Zukunft nach Rügen fahren.'.
- Adverbs in a sentence follow the order time, manner, place (TMP); this word order applies in all tenses.
- Details of time, manner and place often co-occur in travel sentences – word order must follow TMP in main clauses.
Keywords
Imperfect modal (verb) - single-word past verb of necessity or possibility (‘had to’, ‘was able’, ‘wanted’) used with a 2nd verb in infinitive, which goes to the end
Time, manner, place (TMP) - order of adverbs in a German sentence - time before manner before place, abbreviated to TMP
Common misconception
The only way to communicate about past events in German is by using the 2-verb perfect tense, e.g., 'Ich bin nach Deutschland gefahren. Ich habe dort einen Strandurlaub gemacht.'.
We also use the single verb imperfect tense - 'war', 'hatte' and 'es gab', and imperfect modal forms - 'musste', 'konnte', 'wollte', with a 2nd (infinitive) verb, to talk about events in the past.
Equipment
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Lesson video
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Prior knowledge starter quiz
6 Questions
Q1.Which of these words has the same vowel sound as 'Leute' does in the middle?
Q2.What is a modal verb?
Q3.Match the German modal verbs to their English meanings.
Q4.Order the words below to make a correct sentence. Start with 'ich'.
Q5.Which word in the following sentence describes the manner? 'Jeden Tag bin ich langsam in den Bus gestiegen.'
Q6.Translate the following sentence into German using an imperfect modal verb: 'I had to be on the beach.'
Assessment exit quiz
4 Questions
Q1.Match the German imperfect modal verbs to their English meanings.
