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      Activities in school: 'poder', 'puedes'

      Lesson details

      Learning outcome

      I can talk about activities in school using the verb 'poder'.

      Vocabulary and transcripts for this lessons

      Key learning points

      1. The SSC [a] is as in 'casa', [e] as in 'elfante', [i] in 'idea', [o] as in 'dos' and [u] as in 'universo'.
      2. 'Poder' means 'to be able to'. 'Puedo' means 'I can', 'puedes' means 'you can' and 'puede' means 'she, he , it can.'
      3. The verb 'poder' is followed by an infinitive.

      Keywords

      • Modal verb - verb of necessity or possibility used with a 2nd verb in the infinitive, e.g., must, can, want

      • Poder - modal verb that means to be able to/can, with singular forms 'puedo' - 'I can', 'puedes' - you can, 'puede'- she, he, it can

      Common misconception

      A sentence such as 'puedo participo' is correct and it means 'I can participate'. Both verbs are in the 'I' form.

      The sentence 'Puedo participo' is not correct because the verb 'poder' is always followed by an infinitive. To say 'I can participate' we must say 'Puedo participar.'

      Teacher tip

      To make activity A2 more interactive, the teacher might want to ask students to write their answers on mini whiteboards. They will enjoy it and the teacher will be able to check the understanding of the whole class.

      Licence

      This content is © Oak National Academy Limited (2025), licensed on Open Government Licence version 3.0
      except where otherwise stated. See Oak's terms & conditions
      (Collection 2).

      Lesson video

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      Prior knowledge starter quiz

      6 Questions

      Q1.
      Match the English to the Spanish.

      Correct Answer:homework,los deberes

      los deberes

      Correct Answer:sport,el deporte

      el deporte

      Correct Answer:male classmate,el compañero

      el compañero

      Correct Answer:drawing,el dibujo

      el dibujo

      Correct Answer:team,el equipo

      el equipo

      Correct Answer:job,el trabajo

      el trabajo

      Q2.
      What is the meaning of 'para' in this sentence?: 'Llevo un regalo para una amiga.'

      from
      Correct answer: for
      of
      with

      Q3.
      How would you say 'at night' in Spanish?

      por la mañana
      por la tarde
      Correct answer: por la noche

      Q4.
      Choose the right verb to fill in the gap: 'Poder a la profesora es importante.'

      Correct answer: preguntar
      pregunto
      preguntas
      pregunta

      Q5.
      Match the Spanish to the English.

      Correct Answer:poder,to be able to/ can

      to be able to/ can

      Correct Answer:preguntar,to ask, asking

      to ask, asking

      Correct Answer:pedir,to ask for, asking for

      to ask for, asking for

      Correct Answer:jugar,to play, playing

      to play, playing

      Correct Answer:cambiar,to change, changing

      to change, changing

      Correct Answer:trabajar,to work, working

      to work, working

      Q6.
      Translate into Spanish: 'She can prepare food.'

      Correct Answer: Puede preparar comida. , Puede preparar la comida.

      5 Questions

      Q1.
      Complete the definition of a modal verb: 'A modal verb is a verb of necessity or used with a 2nd verb in the infinitive.'

      Correct Answer: possibility

      Q2.
      Match the different forms of the verb 'poder'.

      Correct Answer:poder,to be able to/can

      to be able to/can

      Correct Answer:puedo,I can/I am able to

      I can/I am able to

      Correct Answer:puedes,you can/you are able to

      you can/you are able to

      Correct Answer:puede,she, he, it can/she, he, it is able to

      she, he, it can/she, he, it is able to

      Q3.
      Complete this question: '¿ ir al baño?' You want to say 'Can I go to the toilet?'

      Correct Answer: Puedo, puedo

      Q4.
      Translate into Spanish: 'Can she use the phone?'

      Correct Answer: ¿Puede usar el teléfono?

      Q5.
      Translate into Spanish: 'You can buy a newspaper.'

      Correct Answer: Puedes comprar un periódico.

      To help you plan your 7 Spanish lesson on: Activities in school: 'poder', 'puedes', download all teaching resources for free and adapt to suit your pupils' needs...