Future plans (AQA GCSE Spanish): Model Answers
Your Spanish friend has just celebrated their birthday. They are writing to ask you about your school and your plans for the future. Write them a letter [16 marks]
Tu amigo español acaba de celebrar su cumpleaños. Te escribe para preguntarte sobre tu colegio y tus planes para el futuro.
Escríbele una carta. Menciona:
• qué hiciste con tu familia para celebrar tu último cumpleaños
• tus opiniones sobre tu vida en el colegio
• cómo van tus exámenes
• qué vas a hacer el setiembre que viene.
Escribe aproximadamente 90 palabras en español. Responde a todos los aspectos de la pregunta.
El año pasado fui a Velocity con mis amigos del instituto para mi cumpleaños en Febero. Velocity es un parque de trampolin y fue muy divertido. Comemos la pizza en mi casa y entronces viajamos a Widnes a Velocity. Nos divertimos pero hemos terminado los exámenes de enero y fuemos cansado. Los exámenes de enero fue mal. Odio los exámenes de inglés porque fueron muy dificil.
Voy a terminar los exámenes de junio y hay más que enero pero son más dificil. Terminé el dibujo y fue muy bien pero la geografía fue dificil.
Voy a estudiar las ciencas en el colegio porque es muy facil y divertido. En mi opinion ingles es aburrido pero mi amiga piensa es estupendo. Creo que me diverté con mis amigos a la noche en el colegio pero estudié mucho.
En setiembre voy a ir al instituto continuar mis GCSE's y entonces terminé el año con los exámenes y voy a hacer muy bien.
Examiners Commentary:
Content All aspects of the task are covered and, given that the student has exceeded the required word count by some margin, a lot of information is conveyed and plenty of opinions are expressed. Communication is mostly clear though there are some lapses, generally caused by tense usage: comemos for comimos; Nos divertimos pero hemos terminado los exámenes de enero y fuemos cansado; Odio los exámenes de inglés porque fueron muy dificil; Creo que me diverté con mis amigos a la noche en el colegio pero estudié mucho; terminé for terminaré. The piece is on the Level 4/Level 5 borderline, but given some of the rather confused messages quoted above, a mark at the top of Level 4 is the more appropriate. 8 marks.
Quality of language A variety of appropriate vocabulary is used (eg: ir/viajar; pensar/creer; divertido/estupendo) but there is also some repetition of words such as difícil and terminar. There is some use of complex sentences with subordinate clauses introduced by porque and creo que. There is correct use of past, present and future time frames though, as pointed out above, there are also lapses in verb/tense usage which confuse the intended message. Otherwise, errors are not frequent and generally minor. The style and register are appropriate. The piece exhibits characteristics of both Level 2 and Level 3 but there are too many serious errors with verbs to warrant a mark in the top band. 4 marks.
Total: 8 + 4 = 12
The English Translation:
Your Spanish friend has just celebrated their birthday. They are writing to ask you about your school and your plans for the future.
Write them a letter. Mention:
• What you did with your family to celebrate your last birthday • Your opinions about your school life • How your exams are going • What you are going to do next September.
Write approximately 90 words in Spanish. Respond to all aspects of the question.
Last year, I went to Velocity with my school friends for my birthday in February. Velocity is a trampoline park, and it was very fun. We ate pizza at my house and then travelled to Velocity in Widnes. We had a good time, but we had just finished our January exams and were tired. The January exams went badly. I hate English exams because they were very difficult.
I'm going to finish my June exams, which are more than in January, but they are harder. I finished art, and it went very well, but geography was difficult. I'm going to study sciences at school because they are easy and fun. In my opinion, English is boring, but my friend thinks it's great. I think I'll have fun with my friends in the evening at school, but I'll study a lot.
In September, I'm going to continue my GCSEs at school, and then I'll finish the year with the exams, and I'm going to do very well.