What you can and can't do: 'pouvoir' and 'savoir' singular persons
Learning outcomes
I can use the modal verbs 'pouvoir' and 'savoir' in the singular persons to say what summer activities I can do.
I can recognise, write and pronounce [ien].
What you can and can't do: 'pouvoir' and 'savoir' singular persons
Learning outcomes
I can use the modal verbs 'pouvoir' and 'savoir' in the singular persons to say what summer activities I can do.
I can recognise, write and pronounce [ien].
These resources will be removed by end of Summer Term 2025.
Switch to our new teaching resources now - designed by teachers and leading subject experts, and tested in classrooms.
These resources were created for remote use during the pandemic and are not designed for classroom teaching.
Lesson details
Vocabulary and transcripts for this lessons
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.
Keywords
[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 misconception
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'.
Equipment
Licence
Lesson video
Loading...
Some of our videos, including non-English language videos, do not have captions.
Prior knowledge starter quiz
6 Questions
in front (of)
in(side)
behind
on (top of)
under
at, to with cities, places
Assessment exit quiz
6 Questions
to help, helping
to look for, looking for
to share, sharing
to leave, leaving
to be able to
to know how to