Modal verbs and impersonal phrases
Devoir, pouvoir, savoir and vouloir with an infinitive, je voudrais, and il faut, il y a and il fait for the weather.
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Modal verbs and impersonal phrases, explained point by point
Everything the GCSE specification expects you to be able to do, and how to actually do it - the same lesson a signed-in student studies from.
Use a modal verb with an infinitive
Only the modal changes for the person, and the verb after it stays in the infinitive: je peux sortir, nous voulons manger. The modals are irregular, so learn them whole: je peux, tu peux, il peut, nous pouvons, vous pouvez, ils peuvent and je veux, tu veux, il veut, nous voulons, vous voulez, ils veulent.
Say what you must do with devoir and il faut
Devoir means must or have to, for a person: je dois, tu dois, il doit, nous devons, vous devez, ils doivent, as in je dois ranger ma chambre. Il faut with an infinitive gives a general rule, and it never changes: il faut porter un uniforme.
Use savoir for skills and pouvoir for being able or allowed
Savoir with an infinitive means to know how to, so it gives skills: je sais nager, elle sait conduire. Pouvoir is about being able or allowed at the time: je ne peux pas nager aujourd'hui. Savoir runs je sais, tu sais, il sait, nous savons, vous savez, ils savent.
Ask politely with je voudrais
Je voudrais means I would like, and it takes a noun or an infinitive: je voudrais un chocolat chaud, je voudrais réserver une table. It sounds softer than je veux, which is why it suits a shop or a role-play. For you and he or she, use tu voudrais and il voudrait.
Say there is, there was and there will be
Il y a means there is or there are, for one thing or several: il y a un parc, il y a trois cinémas. Il y avait is there was or there used to be, and il y aura is there will be: il y aura un concert samedi.
Describe the weather and say the time
Most weather takes il fait with an adjective: il fait beau, il fait chaud, il fait froid. Rain and snow have verbs of their own, il pleut and il neige, and sunshine is il y a du soleil. The time takes il est: il est huit heures.
Use the perfect of devoir, pouvoir, savoir and vouloirHigher only
J'ai dû means I had to, j'ai pu I was able to, j'ai voulu I wanted to and j'ai su I knew or found out. Each takes avoir and is followed by an infinitive: j'ai dû partir tôt, nous n'avons pas pu venir.
Use il est ... de, il vaut mieux and il manqueHigher only
Il est with an adjective and de gives a view of an action: il est difficile de trouver un stage, il est interdit de courir. Il vaut mieux means it is better to (il vaut mieux partir tôt), il vaut la peine de means it is worth (il vaut la peine de visiter le château) and il manque says what is missing: il manque une chaise.
Modal verbs and impersonal phrases key terms
The words the specification and the mark schemes use, each defined the way an examiner wants it.
- Modal verb
- A verb used with an infinitive to say what you must, can, know how to or want to do: je dois, je peux, je sais, je veux.
- devoir
- Must or to have to, with an infinitive: nous devons partir means we must leave.
- pouvoir
- To be able to, or to be allowed to: tu peux venir means you can come.
- savoir with an infinitive
- To know how to, for a skill: mon frère sait jouer de la guitare means my brother can play the guitar.
- je voudrais
- I would like, the polite way to ask for something: je voudrais deux billets.
- il faut
- You have to, or it is necessary, as a general rule, followed by an infinitive: il faut recycler.
- il y a
- There is or there are: il y a une piscine. In the past it is il y avait, and in the future il y aura.
- il fait
- The start of most weather phrases: il fait beau, il fait mauvais, il fait chaud.
- il vaut mieuxHigher only
- It is better to, followed by an infinitive: il vaut mieux travailler un peu chaque jour.
Common mistakes in Modal verbs and impersonal phrases
The slips that cost marks year after year, and what to do instead.
Changing both verbs, as in je peux vais or je veux mange.
Only the modal changes, and the second verb stays in the infinitive: je peux aller, je veux manger.
Using pouvoir for a skill, as in je peux nager to mean I can swim.
For something you have learnt to do, use savoir: je sais nager. Je peux nager means you are able or allowed to swim, perhaps just today.
Making il faut agree with a person, as in je faut.
Il faut has only one form. For a person, use devoir: je dois travailler, nous devons travailler.
Writing il fait pluie or il est froid about the weather.
Rain is il pleut and snow is il neige. Cold and heat take il fait: il fait froid, il fait chaud.
Writing il y ont before a plural, as in il y ont deux parcs.
Il y a never changes, whatever follows it: il y a deux parcs, il y a beaucoup de magasins.
Practice
Try a Modal verbs and impersonal phrases question
A GCSE-style original question from this topic. Have a go before you open the working - deciding on an answer first is what makes the working stick.
Which form of vouloir completes the sentence? Ma sœur ___ devenir médecin.
- veux
- veut
- veulent
- vouloir
Show the answer and the working
Answer: veut
The elle form of vouloir is veut, with -t: my sister wants to become a doctor.
- Ma sœur is elle.
- Vouloir in the singular: veux, veux, veut.
- So veut, then the infinitive devenir.