Deutsche Ecke

2024 Neujahrsvorsätze!

2024 New Year’s Resolutions

New Year’s Eve may seem a long time ago already, but for our Year 6s it has been a vehicle for learning about modal verbs since the beginning of Term 1. For those of us needing to brush up on our grammar terms, modal verbs include the following: must, shall, will, should, would, can, could, may and might. 

When we make New Year’s resolutions, we often use verbs like this to express obligation: I should do more exercise; I must improve my grades; I canbe friendlier towards people. Our Year 6s have been learning how modal verbs are used in a sentence and we have been using an analogy to help us remember. It goes like this: 

Modal verbs are basically bullies! They barge their way into sentences and frighten the life out of the other verbs so much, that the main verb scurries to the end of the sentence and tries to look inconspicuous in its most plain form - the infinitive. 

Now at the conclusion of our learning, we have been converting all our fabulous New Year’s resolutions into memes. Students have been encouraged to add humour to their resolutions with some funny pictures. See if you can work out what some of these resolutions are using the pictures and some of the English versions here: 

I must clean my room. 

I should save more money. 

I should play tennis. 

I should be friendlier. 

I must play more sport and be more active.

I must eat less chocolate.

I should swim more often. 

I must be more hardworking. 

I must fulfill my dreams.

I should improve my grades. 

I can spend less time on my phone. 

I must explore nature.

We look forward to sharing these memes with our pen pals in Austria as we now begin writing our overseas letters. If your child is in Year 6, be sure to ask them about their German learning and what they can explain about modal verbs. Maybe they have made a New Year’s resolution you would like to know about – like tidying their room!

Frau Chesterman & Frau Edwards