IB Spanish B HL cheat sheet

Paper 2 reading uses authentic text types (articles, blogs, interviews, brochures, literary prose); questions test gist, specific detail, inference, tone and text-type purpose, not translation.

Skim headings, subheadings, captions, bold text and the first/last sentence of each paragraph to establish the topic and text type before reading questions.

Question order usually follows text order for detail questions; locate the keyword in the question, then scan for its paraphrase in the text - answers rarely reuse the same word.

Inference questions ask what is implied, not stated: reject options that are literally true but do not answer the question stem, and options with absolute words like siempre, nunca, todos.

Tone and register vocabulary: irónico, sarcástico, crítico, nostálgico, humorístico, objetivo, persuasivo, informativo, reivindicativo - match to lexical signals (irony markers, evaluative adjectives, imperatives).

Vocabulary in context: use word family, prefixes/suffixes and surrounding collocations; cognate traps include actual (current, not actual), largo (long), embarazada (pregnant), éxito (success).

Text-type conventions to recognize: article (headline + byline + third person), blog (first person, informal address, comments), report (headings, passive, objective tone), letter (salutation/closing formula).

Timing: roughly 1 hour for Paper 2 reading; allocate per text by marks, and never leave an item blank - eliminate options and choose the best remaining fit.

Audio is played twice; on the first listening identify topic, speakers, setting and register; on the second confirm specific details and numbers.

Pre-read the questions during any pause and predict the answer type (number, place, reason, opinion) so you listen selectively rather than transcribing everything.

Distractors are deliberate: speakers often mention an option then correct or reject it ("bueno, en realidad...", "no, eso fue el año pasado") - wait for the final statement.

Numbers, times and dates are frequent answers; note that Spanish uses comma for decimals and punto for thousands, and veintiuno/veintiún, cien/ciento change form.

Regional variation appears: distinguishing voseo (vos tenés), seseo (casa/za), and lexical differences (carro/coche/auto, ordenador/computadora, jugo/zumo) does not change the answer.

Signposting markers cue structure: por un lado / por otro lado, sin embargo, en cambio, además, por lo tanto, en resumen, lo que sí es cierto.

Register cues: tú/vos vs usted, diminutives, colloquialisms (vale, guay, chévere, padre) indicate formality and relationship between speakers, which some items test.

Fill gaps with the exact word(s) required and check grammar agreement (gender/number) with the surrounding phrase before transferring the answer.

Task 1 requires a specified text type, audience and purpose; the three are marked, so format conventions must match the type chosen or implied by the prompt.

Formal letter: estimado/a señor/a or estimados señores, then a stated purpose, developed points, and a closing formula (atentamente / cordialmente) plus signature.

Article: title, optional subtitle/byline, introduction with a hook, body in paragraphs with a clear angle, and a concluding reflection or call to action; third person or inclusive nosotros.

Report: title, subheadings, objective and impersonal style (se observa, se detecta, cabe señalar), passive/impersonal se, bulleted or sectioned findings and recommendations.

Blog: catchy title, first-person voice, direct address to reader (tú/ustedes), informal connectives, rhetorical questions, and optional comment invitation.

Register control means consistent address form (tú vs usted), consistent formality of vocabulary, and no mixing of colloquialisms into a formal letter.

Cohesion devices to deploy: además, asimismo, sin embargo, no obstante, por consiguiente, en primer lugar, por último, en definitiva - varied, not repeated.

Word count is prescribed (commonly 250–400 words for HL task 1); going far under loses development marks, going far over wastes time and may lose organization marks.

Task 2 is an argumentative/discursive response to a statement or prompt; it must take and sustain a position, not merely describe the topic.

Structure: introduction presenting the issue and thesis, two or three body paragraphs each with one claim plus justification/example, counter-argument acknowledged and rebutted, conclusion restating the position.

Argument language: sostener que, afirmar que, cabe destacar que, si bien es cierto que..., no obstante, en consecuencia, esto se debe a que, lo que demuestra que.

Hypothetical and speculative structures raise range: si + imperfect subjunctive + conditional (si se invirtiera más, disminuiría...), es probable que + subjunctive, ojalá + subjunctive.

Avoid unsupported assertion: each claim needs a reason, example or consequence; vague intensifiers (muy, mucho, totalmente) are weaker than precise qualification.

Coherence is marked: one idea per paragraph, topic sentence first, and lexical chains (repeat key nouns via synonyms: jóvenes/adolescentes/la juventud).

Counter-argument paragraph is a range marker: concede with es cierto que / aunque, then restrict with sin embargo / ahora bien, then refute.

Keep to the prescribed word count and reserve time to proofread agreement, accents and verb tense consistency, which feed the language criterion.

The HL oral uses a literary extract from a work studied; the presentation describes the extract, situates it in the work, and analyses its themes, characters, style and authorial intent.

Presentation structure: brief contextualization, description of what happens in the extract, analysis of language and theme, link to the whole work, and a short personal response.

Literary analysis vocabulary: el narrador, el punto de vista, el personaje protagonista, el conflicto, el tema, la metáfora, el símbolo, el tono, el clímax, la estructura narrativa.

Quote or paraphrase short phrases from the extract to support interpretation; analysis means explaining effect on the reader, not retelling plot.

Discussion follows the presentation: expect questions asking you to justify interpretations, connect to other parts of the work, and relate themes to the target-language culture.

Use interaction strategies: pedir aclaración (¿podría repetir?), ganar tiempo (bueno, déjame pensar..., por decirlo así), reformulate rather than switch to English.

Ten-minute HL oral is roughly 5 minutes presentation plus 5 minutes discussion; sustained, fluent speech with self-correction outranks a memorized script.

Author and title should be named accurately; if unsure of a detail, hedge (según recuerdo, en este pasaje se sugiere) rather than invent plot facts.

Subjunctive triggers: expressions of doubt/emotion/value judgment (dudo que, es importante que, me alegra que), conjunctions of time referring to future (cuando llegue), and ojalá/quizá.

Indicative vs subjunctive decision rule: indicative for fact, belief and certainty (creo que es); subjunctive for negation of belief, doubt and unreal (no creo que sea).

Ser vs estar: ser for identity, origin, inherent characteristic, profession with article omission; estar for location, temporary state, and result of change (está cansado / es cansado).

Por vs para: por for cause, exchange, duration, movement through; para for purpose, destination, deadline, recipient, opinion (para mí).

Past tenses: pretérito indefinido for completed events, imperfecto for background/habit/description; contrast in one sentence signals interruption (leía cuando sonó).

Accents distinguish meaning and are marked: el/él, mas/más, si/sí, solo/sólo, aún/aun, este/éste; interrogatives and exclamatives always carry accents.

Agreement and articles: adjectives agree in gender and number; feminine nouns beginning with stressed a- take el (el agua, el área) but feminine adjectives (el agua fría).

Register markers: tú/vos/usted address, colloquial vs formal lexicon (conseguir/obtener, curro/empleo), and text-type conventions all count toward the language and message criteria.