Skip to content

French vouloir pouvoir devoir worksheet with answers for French 2 (free PDF download)

  • by
Want, Can and Must: Three Key Verbs – French 2 worksheet with Zoé, the Français PDF coach

Quick answer: Vouloir (to want), pouvoir (can, may) and devoir (must, have to) are irregular French verbs. For French 2 students practising vouloir pouvoir devoir, this worksheet gives 20 problems from easy to hard: forms of vouloir, forms of pouvoir and forms of devoir. The answer key is on a separate page, and the worksheet is a free printable PDF.

This French 2 worksheet on vouloir pouvoir devoir has twenty problems, from easy to hard. The answer key is on its own page, and the lesson recaps the rules.

These 20 problems train the present tense of vouloir, pouvoir and devoir, the infinitive that follows them, polite requests and the two meanings of devoir. They move from filling in forms to reading short messages and writing your own.

The worksheet matches French 2 and ACTFL Novice High. Problems 1 to 7 are the easiest, 8 to 15 add translation and correction, and the last five ask for longer reading and writing.

Level: French 2 (high school, ACTFL Novice High) · Standards: ACTFL Novice High, WL 1.1 Interpersonal, WL 1.2 Interpretive, WL 1.3 Presentational

Vouloir pouvoir devoir: the 20 problems

Problem 1 Forms of vouloir ★★★

Complete each sentence with the correct present form of vouloir.

  1. Je ___ un sandwich au fromage.
  2. Tu ___ venir au cinéma ?
  3. Nous ___ gagner le tournoi.
  4. Les élèves ___ une pause.

Problem 2 Forms of pouvoir ★★★

Complete each sentence with the correct present form of pouvoir.

  1. Fatou ___ chanter très fort.
  2. Vous ___ entrer maintenant.
  3. Je ___ t’aider samedi.
  4. Mes cousins ___ jouer au foot.

Problem 3 Forms of devoir ★★★

Complete each sentence with the correct present form of devoir.

  1. Tu ___ ranger ta chambre.
  2. Nous ___ arriver à huit heures.
  3. Léa et Zoé ___ préparer l’exposé.
  4. On ___ éteindre son téléphone.

Problem 4 Choose the right form ★★★

Choose the correct verb form.

  1. Vous (voulez / veulent) un café ?
  2. Il (peut / peuvent) nager vite.
  3. Elles (doit / doivent) rentrer tôt.
  4. Je (veux / veut) apprendre le wolof.

Problem 5 Match the meaning ★★★

Match each sentence to its meaning: want, can or must.

  1. Nous voulons visiter Québec.
  2. Tu dois faire tes devoirs.
  3. Ils peuvent utiliser la salle.
  4. Je veux un nouveau vélo.

Problem 6 Put in order ★★★

Put the words in order to make a sentence.

  1. peux / tu / ? / venir / me / voir
  2. doivent / ils / étudier / ce soir
  3. voulons / nous / un / gâteau / acheter

Problem 7 Make it negative ★★★

Rewrite each sentence in the negative.

  1. Je peux sortir.
  2. Elle veut manger.
  3. Nous devons parler.

Problem 8 English to French ★★★

Translate into French.

  1. I want to go to the game.
  2. Can you help me, Malik?
  3. They have to study tonight.
  4. We can’t play today.

Problem 9 French to English ★★★

Translate into English.

  1. Ma sœur ne veut pas chanter devant la classe.
  2. Vous devez attendre le bus.
  3. Ils ne peuvent pas venir à la fête.

Problem 10 Group chat ★★★

Read the text messages and answer the questions in English.

Three text message bubbles in a group chat: Yanis asks who can come to the park, Camille says she has to babysit, Moussa says he can come at fiveYanisQui peut venir au parc samedi ?CamilleMoi, je dois garder mon frère.MoussaJe peux venir à 17 h !
A group chat on Friday evening.
  1. What is Yanis asking?
  2. Why can’t Camille come?
  3. When can Moussa come?

Problem 11 Be more polite ★★★

Rewrite each request so it is polite. Use je voudrais or pourriez-vous.

  1. Je veux un chocolat chaud.
  2. Vous pouvez m’aider ?
  3. Je veux une table près de la fenêtre.

Problem 12 Find and fix ★★★

Each sentence has one mistake. Rewrite it correctly.

  1. Nous voulez jouer au tennis.
  2. Elle peut parle français.
  3. Ils doit finir avant midi.
  4. Je ne veux travaille pas.

Problem 13 Duty or guess? ★★★

Does devoir express obligation or probability? Write O or P.

  1. Tu dois lire ce chapitre avant demain.
  2. Il y a de la lumière : Papa doit être à la maison.
  3. Les joueurs doivent porter un maillot bleu.
  4. Nina est très pâle. Elle doit avoir froid.

Problem 14 Club schedule ★★★

Look at the French club board. Write one sentence for each item, using pouvoir or devoir.

Board of the French club with three notes: Monday 16:00 bring a crêpe recipe, Wednesday 15:30 optional movie, Friday 17:00 all members must present a posterCercle françaislundi 16 happorter unerecette de crêpesmercredi 15 h 30film (facultatif)vendredi 17 hprésenterune affiche
Notes pinned in room 12.
  1. Monday
  2. Wednesday (the movie is optional)
  3. Friday

Problem 15 Combine ideas ★★★

Join each pair with a modal verb: say that the person wants to, can or has to do the action in brackets.

  1. Ibrahim (veut) + il apprend la guitare.
  2. Nous (devons) + nous rendons le livre.
  3. Mes parents (ne peuvent pas) + ils viennent au concert.

Problem 16 Complete the dialogue ★★★

Complete the dialogue with veux, voudrais, dois, peut or peux. Use each word once.

— Salut Awa ! Tu ___ jouer au basket avec nous ?
— Je ___ bien, mais je ___ finir mon devoir d’histoire.
— Mon frère ___ t’aider, il est très fort.
— Alors, je ___ vous demander une faveur : attendez-moi une demi-heure.

Problem 17 Longer translation ★★★

Translate into French.

  1. My teacher says that we must speak French in class, but we can ask questions in English.
  2. Could you please tell me where the library is?
  3. She isn’t answering. She must be at training with her team.

Problem 18 Reading: the trip ★★★

Read the text, then answer in English.

Adama veut passer l’été à Dakar chez sa grand-mère. Il doit d’abord économiser huit cents euros. Il peut travailler le week-end dans le café de son oncle, mais il ne peut pas travailler pendant les examens. Sa mère dit : « Tu dois aussi apprendre quelques mots de wolof ! »

  1. What does Adama want to do?
  2. How much must he save?
  3. When can’t he work?
  4. What else must he do?

Problem 19 Write an invitation ★★★

Write 4 to 5 sentences in French to invite a friend to your birthday. Say what you want to do, what he or she can bring and what you must do before the party. Use vouloir, pouvoir and devoir at least once each.

Problem 20 Write an excuse ★★★

A teammate is late for the bus and nobody knows why. Write 4 sentences in French with guesses, using devoir for probability (for example, he must be sick, she must have the wrong time). Then add one sentence with a polite request to the coach using pourriez-vous.

See the French Vouloir Pouvoir Devoir worksheet answer key

Suivez-nous