IGCSE Spanish Speaking Test – Photo Discussion

IGCSE Spanish Speaking Test – Photo Discussion
USING A RANGE OF TENSES
During the discussion of your photo, you will be required to use a range of tenses in response to the
examiner’s questions and in taking initiative during the conversation. The following are examples across
the tense range:
1. Questions using the present tense will generally be eliciting facts (positions in photo, description of
clothing, actions, surroundings).
Examples:
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¿Cómo va vestido tu hermano? – What is your brother wearing?
¿Quiénes son las chicas a la izquierda? – Who are the girls on the left?
¿Qué está haciendo el chico de la camisa blanca? – What is the boy with the white shirt doing?
2. However, present tense question may also elicit opinions (why do you think? why are there? what
do you think y is saying? why is x so happy?)
Depending on your photo, this will give you the opportunity to (i) answer in the present tense but also
(ii) introduce other tenses in your responses:
Examples:
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Está jugando al fútbol – He is playing football.
Habrán salido de la biblioteca – They must have come out of the library.
Estará contento porque – He’ll be happy because.
Supongo que van a ir a nadar – I suppose they are going to go and swim.
Si me acuerdo bien, acabábamos de ganar el partido – If I remember correctly, we had just
won the match.
No sé donde estaba mi papá cuando saqué esta foto – I don’t know where my dad was when I
took this photo.
Mientras mi hermano nadaba en el mar, como se puede ver, yo leía un libro – While my sister was
swimming in the sea, as you can see, I was reading a book.
Or perhaps a subjunctive:
Examples:
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No creo que vayan a clase porque llevan todos ropa de deporte – I do think they’re going to
classes because they’re all wearing sports clothes.
Es normal que estemos cansados porque – It’s normal that we’re tired because.
Or combine both:
Examples:
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Es normal que haya muchos alumnos (en esta foto) porque la saqué durante el recreo; la
mayoría llevan libros porque acaban de salir de clase. – It’s normal that there are a lot of
pupils (in this photo) because I took it during break; most are carrying books because they have
just come out of classes.
JCW
March 2013