Description with Prompts (Junior Cert Spanish): Revision Notes

Description with prompts

Understanding the task

The description with prompts task is a common writing exercise in Junior Cycle Spanish exams. You'll receive a series of bullet points or prompts (such as size, location, rooms, opinions, reasons) that guide what you need to include in your writing. Your job is to describe a person, place, or thing by addressing each prompt with one to two clear sentences.

The main goal is to cover all the given prompts using accurate, simple Spanish while including your personal opinions. You should aim for 110-160 words in total, focusing on quality rather than quantity. The register should be neutral and informal, keeping your language clear and natural.

Planning your response

Before you start writing, take time to plan your approach systematically. First, underline each prompt and jot down one to two ideas for each one. This ensures you don't miss any important points and helps you organise your thoughts.

Next, add a reason using words like "porque" (because), "ya que" (since), or "por eso" (therefore) for at least one of your prompts. This shows you can justify your opinions and adds depth to your writing.

Finally, use connectors to link your sentences smoothly. Useful connecting words include:

Spanish	English
y	and
pero	but
además	furthermore
sin embargo	however
por ejemplo	for example
finalmente	finally

Essential vocabulary and grammar

Describing people

• When describing people, you'll need several key verbs. Use "ser" for identity and character traits, such as "Mi mejor amigo es simpático y trabajador" (My best friend is friendly and hardworking).
• For physical descriptions, use "tener" for features like "Tiene el pelo castaño y los ojos verdes; tiene 15 años" (He/She has brown hair and green eyes; he/she is 15).
• To describe what someone typically wears, use "llevar": "Suele llevar sudadera y zapatillas" (He/She usually wears a hoodie and trainers).

Describing places

• When writing about places like houses, schools, or towns, "hay" is essential for saying what exists there: "En mi casa hay tres dormitorios" (In my house there are three bedrooms).
• Use "tener" to describe what a place has or contains: "Mi colegio tiene laboratorio y biblioteca" (My school has a lab and a library).
• For locations and temporary states, use "estar": "Mi barrio está cerca del centro" (My area is near the centre).
• Important location prepositions include:

Spanish	English
en	in/at
al lado de	next to
cerca de	near
lejos de	far from
entre	between
delante de	in front of
detrás de	behind

Expressing opinions and reasons

• To express likes and dislikes, use "Me gusta" or "No me gusta": "Me gusta mi habitación porque es luminosa" (I like my bedroom because it's bright).
• For intensity, distinguish between "muy" (very) with adjectives like "muy grande" (very big) and "mucho" (a lot) with verbs like "me gusta mucho" (I like it a lot).

Adjectives and agreement

• Most adjectives come after the noun they describe: "una casa grande y moderna" (a big and modern house). Remember that adjectives must agree in gender and number with the nouns they describe: "clases interesantes" (interesting classes), "profesores amables" (kind teachers).
• Useful adjective pairs include:

Spanish	English
pequeño/grande	small/big
antiguo/moderno	old/modern
tranquilo/ruidoso	quiet/noisy
bonito/feo	pretty/ugly
cómodo/incómodo	comfortable/uncomfortable

Time expressions

• If your prompts mention past or future actions, include appropriate time expressions.
• For completed past actions, use the preterite: "Ayer pinté mi habitación; fue divertido" (Yesterday I painted my room; it was fun).
• For future plans, use "ir a + infinitive": "Este fin de semana voy a ordenar el garaje" (This weekend I'm going to tidy the garage).

Useful phrases by topic

Describing a person

Spanish	English
Es alto/a y delgado/a	He/She is tall and slim
lleva gafas	wears glasses
Tiene el pelo rizado/largo	Has curly/long hair
los ojos azules	blue eyes
Es simpático/a y muy paciente	Friendly and very patient
a veces es tímido/a	sometimes shy
Le gusta la música	Likes music
no le gustan los gatos	doesn't like cats

Describing your house or room

Spanish	English
Vivo en una casa adosada	I live in a terraced house
es bastante grande	it's quite big
Hay tres dormitorios y dos baños	There are three bedrooms and two bathrooms
Está cerca del polideportivo	It's near the sports centre
Mi habitación favorita es la cocina	My favourite room is the kitchen
porque es luminosa	because it's bright

Describing your town or school

Spanish	English
En mi barrio hay parque, tiendas y una piscina	There's a park, shops and a pool in my area
Es tranquilo pero a veces ruidoso	It's calm but sometimes noisy
los fines de semana	at weekends
Lo mejor es el transporte	The best thing is the transport
lo peor es el tráfico	the worst is the traffic

Grammar checklist

Before submitting your work, verify these key grammar points:

1. Ensure you're using "ser", "estar", "tener", and "hay" correctly in context. Check that adjectives agree in gender and number with their nouns, and remember that plurals end in "-s".
2. With "gustar", use the singular form "Me gusta el parque" but the plural "Me gustan las tiendas" depending on what follows.
3. Double-check your accents on words like:

Spanish	English
fácil	easy
también	also
habitación	room
¿Dónde?	Where?
¿Qué?	What?

1. Remember that months and days are written in lowercase:

Spanish	English
junio	June
lunes	Monday

Common mistakes to avoid

Sample answers

Remember!