Relationships: Exam Skills (AQA GCSE Spanish): Revision Note

You hear some Spanish teenagers talking about relationships. What does each speaker say about their relationship?

Write P for a positive opinion.
Write N for a positive opinion.
Write P+N for a positive and negative opinion.

1. Jorge

2. María

3. Omar

4. Sarah

Answers:

1. Jorge

   P - Me llevo bien con mi abuela porque es simpática y trabajadora.

   (I get on well with my grandmother because she is nice and hard-working.)

2. María

   P+N - A veces discuto con mi prima pero es una persona alegre.

   (I sometimes argue with my cousin but she is kind.)

3. Omar

   N - Pienso que mi hermano es perezoso y muy tonto.

   (I find my brother mean and lazy.)

4. Sarah

   P+N - Mis padres son demasiado estrictos pero siempre me dan apoyo.

   (My parents are too strict but they always support me.)

Háblame de la foto.

Answer:

Here is an example answer.

En la foto, hay un grupo de tres amigos - un chico y dos chicas. Tienen el pelo negro y son jóvenes. Están en un parque. Veo árboles y hace buen tiempo. Creo que son estudiantes, porque hacen sus deberes con un ordenador, quizás después del colegio o el fin de semana, porque no llevan uniforme. Pienso que se llevan bien porque me parecen contentos.

In the photo, there is a group of three friends - one boy and two girls. They have black hair and are young. They are in a park. I see trees, and the weather is nice. I think that they are students because they are doing their homework on a computer, maybe after school or on the weekend, because they are not wearing a uniform. I think they get along well because they seem happy to me.

Use the acronym PALM to help you describe a photo - People, Action, Location, Mood. Identify the aspects of PALM in the example answer above.

Translate these sentences into English.

1. Respeto mucho a mis padres.

2. No me gusta el comportamiento de mi hermano.

3. Mis amigos siempre son comprensivos.

4. ¿Cuál es tu apellido? 

5. Asistí a una boda católica.

Answers:

1. I respect my parents a lot / very much.

   We need the preposition a in Spanish, but we don’t translate it into English.

2. I don’t like my brother’s behaviour.

   ‘The behaviour of my brother’ isn’t incorrect, but  it sounds much more natural if we don’t translate word-for-word.

3. My friends are always understanding.

   The noun amigos is plural.

4. What is your surname?

   ¿Cuál? generally means ‘which?’, but it can also mean ‘what’ - this sounds more natural here.

5. I attended a Catholic wedding.

   Asistir doesn’t mean ‘to assist’ - it’s a false friend. 

Write a short description of yourself, your family and your friends. 
Write approximately 50 words in Spanish.
You must write something about each bullet point.
Mention:

• what you look like

• your personality

• your family

• your best friend

• your opinion of pets

Answer:

Here is an example response of 52 words.

Tengo los ojos verdes y el pelo negro, y soy delgada. Soy graciosa pero un poco nerviosa. En mi familia hay mi padre, mi madrastra y mi hermano. Mi mejor amiga se llama Katie. Nos entendemos bien porque es lista y simpática. Me encantan los animales y me gustaría tener un perro.

I have green eyes and black hair, and I am slim. I am funny but a little nervous. In my family, there is my father, my stepmother, and my brother. My best friend’s name is Katie. We get along well because she is clever and nice. I love animals, and I would like to have a dog.

When completing a 50-word writing task, remember that you can just answer in the present tense. Tick off each bullet point as you cover it, and always check your work carefully once you have finished. Look at the response above to identify where each bullet point is covered.

Translate these sentences into Spanish.

1. My brother never accepts the blame.

2. There is a lot of conflict in my family.

3. She is neither understanding nor sensitive.

4. My grandparents fell in love in South America.

5. I am going to confide in my sister.

Answers:

1. Mi hermano nunca acepta la culpa.

2. Hay mucho conflicto en mi familia.

3. (Ella) no es ni comprensiva ni sensible.

   Check your adjective agreement for 'understanding'.

4. Mis abuelos se enamoraron en Sudamérica.

5. Voy a confiar en mi hermana.