- Modal verbs in french exercises. When used with infinitives, they act as auxiliary verbs or semi-auxiliaries. Common examples include "pouvoir" (to be able to), "devoir" (to have to), and "vouloir" (to want to), each playing a pivotal role in expressing capacity, obligation, or desire. Modal verbs in French Preamble: Defining modal verbs: A modal verb is a verb that qualifies an action with regard to its desirability, its necessity, its possibility or its futurity. While this is a clear and concise definition, it is an unsatisfactory definition which does not even fully account for all modal verbs in English. All exercises in this section are designed and written by Andrew Balaam. Online exercise and downloadable PDF worksheet. How to use the modal verbs Pouvoir Vouloir and Devoir in French French modal verbs, essential components of the language, are auxiliary verbs that modify the mood or tense of the main verb, providing nuances of necessity, possibility, or permission. Vouloir expresses a strong will or desire; in the present tense it has the same feeling as a command. Our exercises cover all aspects of French grammar, from verb conjugation to sentence structure and more. French grammar: Modal verbs. pvdu ixx rdo 0c7dzess ia7cf aa skwjv nmgx9 t5aa veggt