Mi familia y mis amigos
GCSE Spanish model answers: my family and friends
Foundation, about 90 words
- tu familia
- tu mejor amigo o amiga
- una salida reciente con tu familia
- tus planes con tus amigos
Vivo con mi madre, mi padrastro y mi hermano pequeño. Me llevo bien con mi madre porque es simpática, pero mi hermano a veces es molesto. Mi mejor amigo se llama Tom. Es alto y muy divertido, y nos gustan las mismas cosas. El fin de semana pasado fui al cine con mi familia y comimos una pizza. ¡Fue genial! El verano que viene voy a ir de camping con mis amigos porque será divertido. También me gustaría ir a un concierto con ellos.
I live with my mum, my stepdad and my little brother. I get on well with my mum because she is nice, but my brother is sometimes annoying. My best friend is called Tom. He is tall and very funny, and we like the same things. Last weekend I went to the cinema with my family and we ate a pizza. It was great! Next summer I am going to go camping with my friends because it will be fun. I would also like to go to a concert with them.
- About 84 words, close to the 90 the task asks for, with every bullet point covered.
- Three time frames: 1 past-tense reference and 2 future or conditional.
- 3 opinions, most of them backed up with a reason.
- 2 connectives to link ideas and make the writing flow.
Higher, about 150 words
- tu relación con tu familia
- un momento especial con tus amigos
- la importancia de la amistad
- tu vida familiar en el futuro
En general, me llevo bien con mi familia, aunque mis padres son bastante estrictos. Lo que más me molesta es que siempre quieren saber dónde estoy, pero entiendo que se preocupan por mí. El año pasado mis amigos y yo pasamos un fin de semana en la costa. Lo habíamos organizado todo nosotros mismos y fue la primera vez que me sentí realmente independiente. Después de pasar el día en la playa, hicimos una barbacoa y hablamos hasta medianoche. En mi opinión, los amigos son esenciales porque nos aceptan tal como somos. Sin embargo, la familia sigue siendo lo más importante para mí. En el futuro me gustaría casarme y tener dos hijos, pero antes quisiera viajar y trabajar en el extranjero. Si pudiera elegir, viviría cerca de mis padres para que pudieran ver a sus nietos a menudo.
On the whole, I get on well with my family, although my parents are quite strict. What annoys me most is that they always want to know where I am, but I understand that they worry about me. Last year my friends and I spent a weekend on the coast. We had organised it all ourselves and it was the first time I felt really independent. After spending the day on the beach, we had a barbecue and talked until midnight. In my opinion, friends are essential because they accept us as we are. However, family is still the most important thing for me. In the future I would like to get married and have two children, but first I would like to travel and work abroad. If I could choose, I would live near my parents so that they could see their grandchildren often.
- About 139 words, close to the 150 the task asks for, with every bullet point covered.
- Three time frames: 2 past-tense references and 2 future or conditional.
- 4 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.
- 4 connectives to link ideas and make the writing flow.
Phrases to steal
| Me llevo bien con... | I get on well with... |
| Lo que más me molesta es que... | What annoys me most is that... |
| Después de pasar... | After spending... |
| Si pudiera elegir, viviría... | If I could choose, I would live... |
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
- Healthy living La salud
- My school Mi instituto
- Free time El tiempo libre
- 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: Identity and relationships, drill the Spanish verbs, or practise speaking on the same topic in Spanish speaking.