CSEC Spanish key terms

The Spanish simple past tense used for completed actions at a definite point in time, e.g. ayer llegó, comí, escribieron. Candidates must conjugate it and recognise it in listening and reading passages.

The Spanish past tense describing ongoing, habitual, or background situations in the past, e.g. vivía, solíamos ir. It contrasts with the preterite, which marks single completed events.

The compound past formed with haber plus a past participle, e.g. he hablado, ¿has visto? It links a past action to the present moment and is common in spoken Spanish in Spain.

A Spanish mood expressing wishes, doubt, emotion, or hypothetical situations, triggered by phrases like espero que, es posible que, no creo que. It is used after certain conjunctions and in polite formulas.

The verb form used for commands, instructions, and advice, e.g. hable, come, escriba, no vayas. Formal and informal forms differ, and negative commands use the subjunctive.

The verb form used for polite requests, hypotheses, and future-in-the-past statements, e.g. me gustaría, iría, podría. It often appears in conditional sentences with si plus the imperfect subjunctive.

The two Spanish copular verbs. Ser expresses identity, origin, and inherent characteristics; estar expresses location, state, and temporary conditions. Choosing correctly is a recurring exam point.

Two prepositions with distinct functions: por covers cause, exchange, duration, and movement through; para covers purpose, destination, deadline, and recipient. Errors here are frequent and heavily tested.

Pronouns replacing direct objects (lo, la, los, las) and indirect objects (me, te, le, nos, les). They precede conjugated verbs or attach to infinitives and gerunds, and combine as se lo, me la.

A verb construction combining a conjugated auxiliary with an infinitive or gerund, e.g. voy a estudiar, estoy leyendo, acabo de llegar. These express future plans, ongoing actions, or recent events.

The -ando or -iendo verb form expressing an action in progress, used with estar or in adverbial phrases, e.g. hablando, comiendo, leyendo. Irregular forms include diciendo, pidiendo, durmiendo.

The -ado or -ido verb form used to build compound tenses and passives, e.g. hablado, comido, escrito, dicho. Some participles are irregular and must be memorised.

A structure where the subject receives the action, formed with ser plus past participle plus por, e.g. fue escrito por Cervantes. Spanish also uses the passive se, e.g. se venden pisos.

The pronoun se used to make general statements without naming an agent, e.g. se habla español, aquí se come bien. It is common in signs, advertising, and instructions.

Linking words and phrases that organise discourse, such as sin embargo, por lo tanto, además, en cambio, por ejemplo. They signal contrast, cause, consequence, or addition in reading and writing tasks.

Time expressions that anchor a text, such as ayer, ahora, hace dos años, la semana que viene, entonces. They help identify which tense is required and how events are ordered.

The qualities that make a written text logical and well connected: a clear structure, consistent ideas, and appropriate linking words and pronoun reference. Both are assessed in the writing paper.

The level of formality of language, ranging from informal tú forms with friends to formal usted forms in letters, applications, or service encounters. Choosing the right register is part of communicative competence.

Polite fixed expressions used in interaction and correspondence, such as por favor, muchas gracias, le agradecería, disculpe, un saludo cordial. They open and close conversations and formal letters appropriately.

A structured letter with a greeting, body, and closing, used for applications, complaints, or requests. It requires formal address, clear paragraphing, and set phrases such as Estimado señor or Atentamente.

An email, a common writing task format. Candidates should manage subject line, greeting, purpose statement, body paragraphs, and sign-off, adapting formality to the recipient.

A short restatement of the main points of a text in the candidate's own words, without personal opinion or copied sentences. It tests comprehension and paraphrasing skills.

The central message of a paragraph or text, which the remaining sentences support or illustrate. Identifying it is essential for summary tasks and multiple-choice comprehension questions.

A conclusion drawn from clues in a text rather than stated directly, such as a speaker's attitude or the likely outcome of a situation. Exam questions often ask what is implied.

The attitude or mood conveyed by a speaker or writer, for example ironic, neutral, enthusiastic, or critical. Recognising tone helps answer questions about intention and register.

The key words in a question or text that guide scanning and listening for specific information, such as names, numbers, dates, or topic nouns. Identifying them before reading or listening saves time.

Expressing the same meaning with different words, a core skill for summaries, note-taking, and reformulation tasks. It avoids copying the original wording and shows genuine understanding.

Understanding spoken Spanish from announcements, dialogues, interviews, or messages. Candidates listen for gist and specific detail, coping with natural speed, accents, and background noise.

Taking part in a spoken exchange: greeting, asking and answering questions, turn-taking, requesting clarification, and closing politely. It is assessed in paired or examiner-led speaking tasks.

The conventions for taking, holding, and yielding the floor in conversation, using phrases like perdone, ¿puedo añadir algo?, pues mira, or ¿y tú qué opinas? Smooth turn-taking is part of oral fluency.

Filler expressions such as bueno, pues, es que, o sea, la verdad, used to gain thinking time in speech. Used sparingly they sound natural; overused they weaken performance.

A common oral task in which the candidate describes what is visible, its location, people's appearance and actions, and then speculates about context. Useful phrases include en primer plano, al fondo, parece que.

The rules for written accents in Spanish, distinguishing agudas, llanas, esdrújulas, and sobresdrújulas, plus accents marking hiatus and question words. Correct accents matter in written tasks.

An accent that distinguishes words spelled alike but with different functions, e.g. el/él, mi/mí, si/sí, mas/más, aún/aun. It is regularly tested in grammar sections.

Correct spelling, including letters with similar sounds (b/v, c/s/z, g/j, ll/y), accent placement, and punctuation conventions such as inverted question and exclamation marks.

Vocabulary grouped by topic areas likely to appear, such as family, housing, health, travel, work, environment, and media. Topic vocabulary supports all four skill areas.

Phrases used to introduce and support a viewpoint in speech and writing, such as en mi opinión, creo que, desde mi punto de vista, por un lado, sin duda. They structure argumentative tasks.