Choose exam board for KS4 Computer Science (GCSE)
Choose exam board for KS4 English
Choose exam board for KS4 French
Choose exam board for KS4 Geography
Choose exam board for KS4 German
Choose exam board for KS4 History
Choose tier for KS4 Maths
Choose exam board for KS4 Music
Choose exam board for KS4 Physical education (GCSE)
Choose exam board for KS4 Religious education (GCSE)
Choose exam board for KS4 Spanish

      Improve your lifestyle: modal 2-verb structures and pronoun 'man'

      Lesson details

      Learning outcome

      I can differentiate between uses of 'können' and 'dürfen' to express 'can', and discuss healthy lifestyles with others using modal verbs and 'man'.

      Vocabulary and transcripts for this lessons

      Key learning points

      1. [r] is consonantal at the start of a syllable, after a consonant or a short vowel, e.g., 'reden'. It is a rolling sound.
      2. [r] is vocalic after a long vowel and in '-er', e.g., 'Markt', 'aber'. It often sounds barely there.
      3. Translate 'can' as in ability with 'können', but use 'dürfen' for permission, i.e., 'may I ... ?'.
      4. 'Man' is a pronoun used to refer to people in general and is often translated as 'you' or 'one'.

      Keywords

      • [r] - pronounced as in 'reden' or 'Uhr'

      • Können - modal verb meaning 'to be able to, can', used with a 2nd verb in the infinitive, which comes at the end of the sentence

      • Dürfen - modal verb meaning 'to be allowed to, may', used with a 2nd verb in the infinitive, which comes at the end of the sentence

      • Man - 3rd person singular subject pronoun meaning 'you' or 'one', used to refer to people in general

      Common misconception

      Always use 'können' to translate 'can' into German.

      'Can' is often used with two different meanings in English - ability or permission. Use 'können' to express ability (e.g., 'Kannst du schwimmen?') and 'dürfen' to express permission (e.g., 'Darfst du schwimmen?').

      Teacher tip

      Give students more independence in Task D2 by providing them with their own dice to roll.

      Equipment

      6-sided dice (optional) for Task D2.

      Licence

      This content is © Oak National Academy Limited (2026), licensed on Open Government Licence version 3.0
      except where otherwise stated. See Oak's terms & conditions
      (Collection 2).

      Lesson video

      Loading...

      Some of our videos, including non-English language videos, do not have captions.

      Prior knowledge starter quiz

      6 Questions

      Q1.
      Match the German and English.

      Correct Answer:Kino (nt),cinema
      Correct Answer:Klassenzimmer (nt),classroom
      Correct Answer:Konzert (nt),concert
      Correct Answer:Krankenhaus (nt),hospital
      Correct Answer:Geschäft (nt),shop
      Correct Answer:Stadt (f),town, city

      Q2.
      Match the German and English.

      Correct Answer:Hut (m),hat
      Correct Answer:Keks (m),biscuit
      Correct Answer:Leute (pl),people
      Correct Answer:Lied (nt),song
      Correct Answer:Ort (m),place
      Correct Answer:Obst (nt),fruit

      Q3.
      Match the German and English.

      Correct Answer:benutzen,to use, using
      Correct Answer:bekommen,to get, receive
      Correct Answer:lesen,to read, reading
      Correct Answer:nehmen,to take, taking
      Correct Answer:reden,to talk, talking
      Correct Answer:springen,to jump, jumping

      Q4.
      Which of these pronoun means 'you' (in general)?

      du
      Correct answer: man
      ihr
      Sie

      Q5.
      Sort the words below into the correct order to form the following sentence: 'Can you play a computer game?'

      1 - kannst
      2 - du
      3 - ein
      4 - Computerspiel
      5 - spielen
      6 - ?

      Q6.
      Translate the following sentence into English: 'Ich weiß nichts über den Film.'

      Correct Answer: I know nothing about the film.

      6 Questions

      Q1.
      Which of these words includes a vocal [r] sound?

      Beruf
      hören
      Correct answer: Schwester
      sprechen
      trinken

      Q2.
      There are two sets of opposites below. Which word does not have an opposite below?

      gesund
      glücklich
      krank
      Correct answer: ruhig
      traurig

      Q3.
      Match the German and English.

      Correct Answer:dürfen,to be allowed, may
      Correct Answer:darfst,you are allowed, may
      Correct Answer:müssen,to have to, must
      Correct Answer:musst,you have to, must
      Correct Answer:wollen,to want
      Correct Answer:willst,you want

      Q4.
      Which of these sentences mean 'I can't cook.'?

      Correct answer: Ich darf nicht kochen.
      Ich muss nicht kochen.
      Ich will nicht kochen.
      Correct answer: Ich kann nicht kochen.
      Ich koche nicht.

      Q5.
      Translate the following sentence into English: 'Er kann die Karten nicht kaufen.'

      Correct Answer: He cannot buy the tickets., He can't buy the tickets.

      Q6.
      Translate the following sentence into German: 'May I speak?'

      Correct Answer: Darf ich sprechen?

      To help you plan your 7 German lesson on: Improve your lifestyle: modal 2-verb structures and pronoun 'man', download all teaching resources for free and adapt to suit your pupils' needs...