Activities in class (AQA GCSE Spanish): Revision Notes
Activities in class
Introduction
Learning to talk about classroom activities is essential for describing your school experience in Spanish. This topic covers the vocabulary you need to discuss what happens during lessons, from practical work to group discussions, as well as important grammar points like possessive pronouns.
When someone asks "¿Qué haces en las clases de...?" (What do you do in ... classes?), you'll need specific vocabulary to respond effectively. This is one of the most common questions you'll encounter when discussing your school experience in Spanish.
Essential classroom vocabulary
When someone asks "¿Qué haces en las clases de...?" (What do you do in ... classes?), you'll need these key terms to respond effectively:
Physical and practical activities
- actividad física - physical activity
- hacer ejercicios - to do exercises
- hacer deporte(s) - to do sport(s)
- usar el ordenador - to use the computer
Communication activities
- escuchar - to listen
- hablar - to talk, speak
- escribir - to write
- leer - to read
- explicar - to explain
- discutir - to discuss
- contestar preguntas - to answer questions
Learning activities
- estudiar - to study
- aprender - to learn
- buscar información - to look for information
- resolver problemas - to solve problems
- trabajar en grupos - to work in groups
- trabajar con un compañero - to work with a classmate
Assessment activities
- el concurso - quiz, competition
- los deberes - homework
- ayudar - to help
- pintar - to paint
Building Your Response: Try to use 2-3 activities in your answer to make it more natural. For example: "En la clase de ciencias hacemos experimentos, trabajamos en grupos y contestamos preguntas."
Possessive pronouns
Possessive pronouns are words that replace nouns to show ownership, similar to "mine" or "theirs" in English. They're particularly useful when discussing classroom materials and belongings.
Possessive pronouns table
| English | Singular Masculine | Singular Feminine | Plural Masculine | Plural Feminine |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| mine | el mío | la mía | los míos | las mías |
| yours | el tuyo | la tuya | los tuyos | las tuyas |
| his/hers | el suyo | la suya | los suyos | las suyas |
| ours | el nuestro | la nuestra | los nuestros | las nuestras |
| yours (plural) | el vuestro | la vuestra | los vuestros | las vuestras |
| theirs | el suyo | la suya | los suyos | las suyas |
Important grammar rule
Critical Grammar Point: These pronouns must agree with the noun they replace, not with the person who owns the item. This is a common mistake that students make!
Examples:
- "Tengo mi libro. ¿Dónde está el tuyo?" (I have my book. Where is yours?)
- "¿De quién son estos libros? Son míos." (Whose are these books? They are mine.)
Special Rule: Remember to leave out the article (el, la, los, las) after the verb "ser" (to be).
Grammar and pronunciation tips
Expressing "good fun"
When you want to say something was "good fun," remember that "fun" translates to the adjective "divertido." Since it's an adjective, you need to add "muy" in front of it:
Key Phrase to Remember: Es muy divertido - It's good fun/very fun
This is different from English where we say "good fun" - in Spanish, you must use "muy" + "divertido" to express this concept.
Useful classroom phrases
- La profesora me ayuda si tengo un problema - The teacher helps me if I have a problem
- Hacemos muchas actividades interesantes - We do many interesting activities
- A veces trabajamos en grupos - Sometimes we work in groups
Example sentences
Here are some practical examples to help you use this vocabulary in context:
Worked Example: Using Classroom Vocabulary
Spanish to English:
- "En la clase de ciencias hacemos experimentos prácticos" → In science class we do practical experiments
- "Mi libro está aquí pero ¿dónde está el tuyo?" → My book is here but where is yours?
English to Spanish:
- "We solve problems using computers" → Resolvemos problemas utilizando los ordenadores
- "The teacher explains things well" → El profesor explica bien las cosas
Translation practice
Try translating these sentences to test your understanding:
Spanish to English:
- En nuestras clases los profesores explican las cosas.
- Después trabajamos en grupos para resolver problemas.
English to Spanish:
- We do exercises and answer questions in the textbook.
- Yesterday we watched a video in history class.
Answers:
- In our classes the teachers explain things.
- Afterwards we work in groups to solve problems.
- Hacemos ejercicios y contestamos preguntas en el libro de texto.
- Ayer vimos un vídeo en la clase de historia.
Key Points to Remember:
- Classroom activity vocabulary helps you describe your school experience in detail
- Possessive pronouns agree with the item being owned, not the owner
- Use "muy divertido" to say something is good fun
- Practice using both vocabulary and grammar together in complete sentences
- Don't forget to use the correct article (el, la, los, las) with possessive pronouns, except after "ser"
- When answering "¿Qué haces en las clases de...?", try to include 2-3 different activities for a more natural response