Edexcel A-Level German (9GN0) · Grammar backbone 5 of 10 — Modal verbs & infinitive constructions
A-Level Grammar
Modal verbs & infinitives
Modals let you say what you can, must, want, may, should and like to do — and they behave differently from ordinary verbs. Alongside them sit the infinitive constructions: the bare infinitive, zu+infinitive, and the purpose-clauses um…zu, ohne…zu, anstatt…zu.
Ich kann gut schwimmen. · Ich versuche, es zu lernen.modal + bare infinitive · verb + zu + infinitive
Work through each screen and answer the questions. Collect ⭐ and press Start.
The six modals
Meaning & conjugation
The six modals are irregular in the present: no ending in the ich/er forms and a vowel change in the singular (except sollen):
modal
meaning
ich / er
können
can, to be able to
kann
müssen
must, to have to
muss
dürfen
may, to be allowed to
darf
wollen
to want to
will
sollen
to be supposed to / ought
soll
mögen
to like (möchte = would like)
mag
False friend:will means "wants to", not "will" (future is werden). And bekommen means "to receive", not "to become".
Modal + infinitive
The infinitive goes to the end
A modal sits in position 2 and pushes the bare infinitive (no zu) to the very end of the clause:
Ich kann gut schwimmen. — I can swim well.
Wir müssen jetzt gehen. — we have to go now.
Du darfst hier nicht rauchen. — you may not smoke here.
Never insert zu after a modal: *"Ich kann zu schwimmen" is wrong. The same bare-infinitive rule applies after werden, lassen, sehen, hören and gehen.
Quick check
Modal word order
?Which is correct for "I can swim well"?
Type it
Your turn — present of können
1Write the ich-form present of können (can).
Hint: no ending in the ich-form, and the vowel changes (ö → a).
Modals in the past
Präteritum & the double infinitive
In the past, modals are almost always used in the Präteritum (even in speech): konnte, musste, durfte, wollte, sollte, mochte — no umlaut, weak -te- endings.
In the perfect with a dependent infinitive, German uses a double infinitive: haben + main infinitive + modal infinitive, with the modal last:
Er hat gestern arbeiten müssen. — he had to work yesterday.
Ich habe nicht kommen können. — I couldn't come.
In practice the Präteritum (Er musste arbeiten) is far commoner than the double-infinitive perfect — but you must recognise and be able to build the double infinitive.
Quick check
The double infinitive
?Complete: Er hat gestern arbeiten ___. ("He had to work yesterday." — müssen.)
Type it
Your turn — Präteritum of müssen
2Write the ich-form Präteritum of müssen (to have to).
Hint: modal Präteritum drops the umlaut and adds -te.
zu + infinitive
When you DO need zu
Most ordinary verbs and expressions take a comma and zu + infinitive at the end:
After verbs: versuchen, hoffen, beginnen, vergessen, aufhören, sich freuen — Ich versuche, Deutsch zu lernen.
After expressions: Es ist wichtig / Lust haben / die Absicht haben — Es ist wichtig, gesund zu essen.
Separable verbs take zu in the middle: aufstehen → aufzustehen, anrufen → anzurufen.
The dividing line: modals / werden / lassen = bare infinitive; ordinary verbs = zu + infinitive.
Quick check
zu after versuchen
?Which is correct for "I'm trying to learn German"?
Type it
Your turn — separable + zu
3Insert zu into the separable verb aufstehen (to get up) to make the zu-infinitive.
Hint: zu slots between the prefix and the stem: auf + zu + stehen.
Sort it
Choose the infinitive form
um / ohne / anstatt … zu
Purpose & contrast
Three constructions frame a zu-infinitive — used when the subject is the same in both parts:
um … zu = "in order to": Ich lerne viel, um die Prüfung zu bestehen.
ohne … zu = "without …-ing": Er ging, ohne etwas zu sagen.
anstatt / statt … zu = "instead of …-ing": Sie spielt, anstattzu lernen.
Different subjects? Use damit instead of um…zu: Ich spare Geld, damit meine Tochter studieren kann.
Quick check
In order to
?Complete: Ich lerne viel, ___ die Prüfung zu bestehen. ("…in order to pass the exam.")
Quick check
No zu after a modal
?Which is correct for "I must go home"?
Type it
Your turn — a modal sentence
4Translate "I want to go home" into German (modal wollen + nach Hause gehen).
Hint: wollen (ich → will) + bare infinitive gehen at the end.
Type it
Your turn — a double infinitive
5Translate "He had to come" into German — perfect with a double infinitive (kommen + müssen).
Hint: haben + main infinitive + modal infinitive, modal last: hat … kommen müssen.
Sort it
zu, or bare infinitive?
Sort each verb by whether the following infinitive needs zu.
+ zu + Infinitiv
bloßer Infinitiv (kein zu)
Game · Match
Match the modal to its meaning
Tap a modal on the left, then its meaning on the right.
MODAL
können
müssen
dürfen
wollen
sollen
mögen
MEANING
to want to
to be able to (can)
to like
to have to (must)
to be supposed to
to be allowed to (may)
Recap
Your modal & infinitive toolkit
Six modals:können, müssen, dürfen, wollen, sollen, mögen — irregular present, bare infinitive at the end.
Past: Präteritum (konnte, musste…) in speech; perfect = double infinitive (hat kommen müssen).
zu + infinitive: after ordinary verbs/expressions; separable → aufzustehen.
um/ohne/anstatt…zu: same subject; different subject → damit.
No zu after modals, werden, lassen, sehen/hören.
Cluster 6 tackles prepositions and cases — accusative, dative, two-way and genitive prepositions. Press Finish.
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You've mastered modals and infinitive constructions for Edexcel A-Level German. 🎉