This exam tips covers Exam Tips & Common Errors within Present tense: sein, haben, werden and the modal verbs for GCSE German. Revise Present tense: sein, haben, werden and the modal verbs in The Core German Verbs and the Present Tense for GCSE German with 10 exam-style questions and 15 flashcards. This topic shows up very often in GCSE exams, so students should be able to explain it clearly, not just recognise the term. It is section 4 of 4 in this topic. Treat this as a marking guide for what examiners are looking for, not just a fact list.
💡 Exam Tips & Common Errors
- In writing tasks, using können / müssen / wollen correctly with an infinitive at the end = instant AO2 marks for grammatical complexity.
- werden as future: always pair it with a time marker to make the meaning clear — morgen, nächste Woche, bald.
- Use möchte in role-play tasks for polite requests — it sounds natural and examiners reward it as a mark of communicative range.
- In reading and listening, when you see or hear will in German, remember it means "wants to" — NOT "will" (future). Context and a time marker signal future meaning.
❌ Common error: Ich kann spielen Fußball.
✓ Correct: Ich kann Fußball spielen.
Why it costs marks: Modal verbs create a verb bracket (Satzklammer). The dependent infinitive must go to the END of the clause — placing it in the middle is the single most penalised word-order error in AQA German Writing. Examiners mark this as an AO3 (grammatical accuracy) error even when the meaning is clear.
Practice questions for Present tense: sein, haben, werden and the modal verbs
What is the correct ich-form of the verb 'sein' (to be)?
Complete the sentence: 'Wir ___ Freunde.' (We are friends.)