Options at 16 (AQA GCSE Spanish): Revision Notes
Options at 16
This topic focuses on discussing your future plans after completing your GCSEs. You'll learn essential vocabulary for talking about education and career choices, plus important grammar structures for expressing your intentions and timeline.
Key vocabulary
The following vocabulary will be essential for discussing your post-GCSE options and future career plans:
| Spanish | English |
|---|---|
| el resultado | result |
| el examen | exam |
| la opción | option |
| la asignatura | subject |
| el trabajo | job |
| el fin de semana | the weekend |
| la carrera | career, university degree |
| continuar (con) | to carry on (with) |
| depender (de) | to depend (on) |
| escoger | to choose |
| preparar(se) | to prepare |
| sacar buenas/malas notas | to get good/bad grades |
| seguir estudiando | to continue studying |
| la formación profesional | vocational training |
When learning this vocabulary, try to group related words together (education terms, career terms, etc.) and practice using them in complete sentences about your own future plans.
Grammar focus: using infinitives after prepositions
In Spanish, when you want to say "after doing something" or "before doing something", you use the infinitive form of the verb (not the -ing form like in English).
Critical Grammar Rule: Always use infinitives (not -ing forms) after después de and antes de
Key structures:
- después de + infinitive = after + -ing
- antes de + infinitive = before + -ing
Example sentences
The following examples demonstrate how to use these preposition + infinitive structures correctly:
Worked Examples: Después de (after)
- Después de recibir mis notas, decidí continuar con mis estudios.
- After receiving my grades, I decided to continue with my studies.
- Después de hablar con mis padres, voy a escoger mis asignaturas.
- After talking to my parents, I'm going to choose my subjects.
Worked Examples: Antes de (before)
- No voy a tomar una decisión antes de sabre mis notas.
- I'm not going to make a decision before knowing my grades.
- Antes de elegir una carrera, quiero investigar las opciones.
- Before choosing a career, I want to research the options.
Useful phrases for discussions
When talking about your future plans, these expressions will help you sound more natural and confident in Spanish conversations:
Essential Phrases for Future Plans:
- Voy a esperar los resultados de los exámenes.
- I'm going to wait for the exam results.
- Voy a continuar con mis estudios.
- I'm going to carry on with my studies.
- La formación profesional parece ideal para mí.
- Vocational training seems ideal for me.
- Vamos a hablar de tus opciones para el año próximo.
- We're going to talk about your options for next year.
These phrases use the near future tense (voy a + infinitive) which is perfect for discussing plans and intentions.
Pronunciation tips
Correct pronunciation is crucial for being understood when discussing your future plans:
Key Pronunciation Points:
- después [des-PUES] - stress on the final syllable
- antes [AN-tes] - stress on the first syllable
- continuar [con-ti-NU-ar] - stress on the third syllable
- escoger [es-co-HER] - the 'g' makes a soft 'h' sound before 'e'
Remember that word stress in Spanish can change the meaning, so getting these patterns right is essential.
Translation practice
Test your understanding of the grammar structures and vocabulary with these translation exercises:
Translation Practice: Spanish to English
- Después de terminar el instituto, quiero estudiar en la universidad.
- Antes de decidir mi futuro, necesito hablar con el consejero.
Translation Practice: English to Spanish
- After getting my results, I will choose my subjects.
- Before starting work, I want to finish my training.
Answers:
Translation Answers:
- After finishing college, I want to study at university.
- Before deciding my future, I need to talk to the counsellor.
- Después de recibir mis resultados, voy a escoger mis asignaturas.
- Antes de empezar a trabajar, quiero terminar mi formación.
Key Points to Remember:
- Use infinitives (not -ing forms) after después de and antes de
- Learn vocabulary in meaningful chunks - group education words together
- Practice expressing your own future plans using these structures
- The verb depender is followed by the preposition de (to depend on)
- Seguir and continuar both mean "to continue" but seguir is more commonly used in spoken Spanish
- Master the near future tense (voy a + infinitive) for discussing plans