El tiempo libre
GCSE Spanish model answers: free time
Foundation, about 90 words
- lo que haces los fines de semana
- tu pasatiempo favorito
- lo que hiciste el fin de semana pasado
- tus planes para el próximo fin de semana
Los fines de semana juego a los videojuegos y monto en bici con mis amigos. Mi pasatiempo favorito es la música porque es relajante. Escucho música todos los días y toco el piano. El fin de semana pasado fui al centro con mi hermana. Compramos ropa y comimos un helado. Fue muy divertido. El próximo fin de semana voy a ver un partido de fútbol en el estadio con mi padre. ¡Será genial porque me encanta el fútbol! Me encanta pasar tiempo con mi familia.
At weekends I play video games and ride my bike with my friends. My favourite hobby is music because it's relaxing. I listen to music every day and I play the piano. Last weekend I went into town with my sister. We bought clothes and ate an ice cream. It was great fun. Next weekend I am going to watch a football match at the stadium with my dad. It will be great because I love football! I love spending time with my family.
- About 85 words, close to the 90 the task asks for, with every bullet point covered.
- Three time frames: 2 past-tense references and 1 future or conditional.
- 4 opinions, most of them backed up with a reason.
- 1 connectives to link ideas and make the writing flow.
Higher, about 150 words
- tus pasatiempos y por qué te gustan
- cómo han cambiado tus pasatiempos
- un espectáculo o evento reciente
- un pasatiempo que te gustaría probar
En mi tiempo libre hago natación y leo mucho, lo que me ayuda a olvidar el estrés del instituto. Cuando era más pequeño, jugaba en la calle todos los días, mientras que ahora prefiero ir al centro con mis amigos. El sábado pasado fui a ver a mi grupo favorito en concierto en Manchester. Llevábamos meses esperando ese momento y el ambiente fue increíble. Cantamos todas las canciones y volvimos a casa muy tarde. Fue una noche que nunca olvidaré. En mi opinión, es importante tener pasatiempos variados, ya que no se puede pasar toda la vida delante de una pantalla. Algún día me gustaría aprender a bucear, puesto que siempre me ha encantado el mar. Si tuviera más tiempo y dinero, me apuntaría a un club mañana mismo. Para mí, eso es la verdadera libertad.
In my free time I swim and read a lot, which helps me forget the stress of school. When I was younger I played in the street every day, whereas now I prefer going into town with my friends. Last Saturday I went to see my favourite band in concert in Manchester. We had been waiting for that moment for months and the atmosphere was incredible. We sang all the songs and got home very late. It was a night I will never forget. In my opinion it is important to have varied hobbies, since you can't spend your whole life in front of a screen. One day I would like to learn to dive, since I have always loved the sea. If I had more time and money, I would join a club tomorrow. For me, that is real freedom.
- About 136 words, close to the 150 the task asks for, with every bullet point covered.
- Three time frames: 2 past-tense references and 1 future or conditional.
- 6 opinions, most of them backed up with a reason.
- 4 complex structures, such as si clauses, the subjunctive, the pluperfect and relative pronouns, which show a wide range of language.
- 3 connectives to link ideas and make the writing flow.
Phrases to steal
| ...lo que me ayuda a olvidar... | ...which helps me forget... |
| Cuando era más pequeño, + imperfecto | When I was younger, I used to... |
| Llevábamos meses esperando... | We had been waiting for months... |
| ...mientras que ahora... | ...whereas now... |
Try it yourself
Write your own answer to one of the tasks above, then see what the checker spots. Tip: press Hide the answer first so you're not tempted to copy.
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Quick questions
How do I get a grade 9 in GCSE Spanish writing?
Answer every bullet point, write accurately, and show a wide range of language: past, present and future or conditional, opinions with reasons, and complex structures such as si clauses, the subjunctive and relative pronouns such as lo que.
Can I learn these answers by heart?
Use them as a model, not a script. Learn the phrases to steal and the structures, then write your own answer about your own life. Examiners reward language that fits the task.
More Spanish model answers
- My family and friends Mi familia y mis amigos
- Healthy living La salud
- My school Mi instituto
- Festivals and celebrations Las fiestas
- Celebrities and role models Los famosos
- Holidays Las vacaciones
- Technology and social media La tecnología
- My town and the environment Mi ciudad y el medio ambiente
Keep going
Learn the words for this topic in Spanish vocabulary: Free-time activities, drill the Spanish verbs, or practise speaking on the same topic in Spanish speaking.