Bulgaria DZI Spanish flashcards

32 cards. Read the term and the definition here. The deck at the top of this page is optional.

Main idea question

A global comprehension item asking what the whole text is about. The correct option covers all paragraphs; options that are true but limited to one detail are distractors.

Antecedent identification

Finding what a pronoun or demonstrative refers to. The antecedent usually sits in the same or the previous sentence and must match in gender and number.

Valid inference

A conclusion that follows necessarily from stated information. If answering requires knowledge not present in the text, the option is not a valid inference.

Tone in literary texts

The narrator's or author's attitude, revealed by word choice and punctuation: irónico, nostálgico, crítico, neutro. Tone items require evidence from several phrases, not one word.

Ser versus estar

Ser expresses identity, origin, profession and inherent characteristics. Estar expresses location, temporary states and results of change, as in está cerrado or está cansado.

Preterite versus imperfect

Preterite marks completed, bounded past events. Imperfect describes background, habits and ongoing states, as in leía cuando sonó el teléfono.

Subjunctive after opinion verbs

Affirmative opinion takes indicative (creo que viene), but negated opinion, doubt or emotion takes subjunctive (no creo que venga, es posible que venga).

Por versus para

Por marks cause, exchange, duration and movement through. Para marks purpose, destination, deadline and recipient, as in para ti, para mañana.

Pronoun order and leísmo rule

Indirect object pronouns precede direct ones: me lo dio. When le or les stands before lo, la, los, las, it becomes se: se lo dije.

Masculine -ma nouns

Greek-origin nouns ending in -ma are masculine despite the final -a: el problema, el tema, el idioma, el sistema, el programa.

Second conditional pattern

Si plus imperfecto de subjuntivo in the condition, condicional simple in the result: si tuviera tiempo, viajaría más. Never use conditional after si.

Listening pre-reading strategy

Before the audio plays, read the options and predict what type of information is needed: a number, a place, a reason or an attitude.

Paraphrase distractor rule

In listening items, an option repeating a literal word from the audio is often wrong; the correct answer usually rephrases the idea in different words.

Number discrimination in audio

Spanish pairs like dieciséis and sesenta, or doscientos and dos mil, are easily confused. Note stress and the -cientos ending while listening.

Discourse markers signalling answers

Expressions such as es que, la verdad es que, por eso and en cambio often introduce the clause carrying the answer or a contrast.

Speaker attribution

Separating what each participant says in a dialogue. Questions about intentions require tracking who wants what, not just the topic.

Formal email opening

Estimado señor or Estimada señora plus surname, followed by a purpose statement such as Me pongo en contacto para solicitar información.

Formal email closing

Atentamente or Recibe un cordial saludo for formal contexts; Un saludo or Hasta pronto for informal ones. The closing must match the opening register.

Essay paragraph structure

Introduction with thesis, body paragraphs each holding one argument plus example, and a conclusion restating the position without introducing new data.

Cohesion connectors in writing

Use varied linkers by function: addition (además), contrast (sin embargo), cause (ya que), consequence (por lo tanto), summary (en definitiva).

Accent on past tenses

First and third person singular preterite of -ar verbs carries a written accent: hablé, habló, llegó. Omitting it changes tense or person.

Opinion phrases with indicative

Expressions like en mi opinión, a mi juicio, cabe destacar que take the indicative because they assert rather than doubt: en mi opinión, es necesario.

Monologue speaking frame

A fixed structure for oral tasks: introduce the topic, give two reasons with examples, state a personal opinion, then conclude briefly.

Buying time fillers

Natural expressions such as bueno, pues, es decir or déjame pensar keep speech flowing while planning the next sentence, avoiding silence or language switching.

Circumlocution repair strategy

When a word is missing, describe it instead of stopping: es una especie de, es algo que sirve para, es como un. Fluency is preserved.

Polite requests with conditional

The conditional softens requests in formal interaction: ¿Podría repetir?, Me gustaría saber si es posible. Pair it with usted throughout.

Describing images orally

Structure: foreground and background, people and actions with estar plus gerundio, then speculation using puede ser que plus subjunctive.

Spanish vowel stability

Spanish has five clean vowels without diphthong glides. Keeping them short and pure prevents the main intelligibility problem for learners.

Self-correction markers

Phrases like digo, mejor dicho or perdón let a speaker repair an error mid-sentence; this demonstrates grammatical control rather than failure.

Interactive answer pattern

In oral interaction, answer the question directly first, then add one reason or example. A single-word reply fails the interaction criterion.

Guided task prompt coverage

In guided writing, each bullet of the prompt requires one developed idea. Missing a bullet costs more than a minor grammar error.

Register choice tú versus usted

Select tú for friends, peers and informal notes; usted for institutions, complaints and unknown recipients. Verb forms and pronouns must stay consistent.