Other constructions (hace/hacía, cleft sentences, comparatives, indirect speech) — Edexcel A-Level Spanish

This topic covers a range of advanced Spanish constructions that are essential for achieving high marks in the Edexcel A-Level exam. You will learn how to use 'hace' and 'hacía' to express time durations, master cleft sentences for emphasis, form comparatives and superlatives accurately, and report speech indirectly. These structures allow you to vary your sentence patterns and demonstrate a sophisticated command of Spanish grammar, which is crucial for the writing and speaking components of the exam.

Understanding these constructions is not just about memorising rules; it's about using them to communicate more precisely and naturally. For example, 'hace' and 'hacía' help you talk about how long something has been happening or had been happening, which is a common need in both written and spoken Spanish. Cleft sentences, like 'Fue en Madrid donde...', enable you to highlight specific information, making your arguments more persuasive. Comparatives and superlatives are fundamental for expressing opinions and making comparisons, while indirect speech is vital for reporting what others have said without quoting them directly. Mastering these will significantly enhance your fluency and accuracy.

These constructions are interconnected and build on your existing knowledge of tenses and sentence structure. They frequently appear in exam texts and are often tested in translation and grammar exercises. By mastering them, you will be able to tackle complex sentences with confidence, whether you are analysing a literary text, writing an essay, or engaging in a discussion. This topic is a cornerstone of advanced Spanish and will serve you well beyond the A-Level exam.

• →Use 'hace' + time + 'que' + present tense for actions that started in the past and continue: 'Hace dos años que estudio español.' Use 'hacía' + time + 'que' + imperfect tense for actions that had been happening up to a point in the past: 'Hacía dos años que estudiaba español cuando fui a España.'
• →Cleft sentences (oraciones hendidas) use 'ser' + relative clause to emphasise a specific element. For example: 'Fue Juan quien lo dijo' (It was Juan who said it) or 'Lo que necesito es tiempo' (What I need is time).
• →Comparatives: 'más/menos + adjective + que' (more/less... than), 'tan + adjective + como' (as... as). Superlatives: 'el/la/los/las + más/menos + adjective + de' (the most/least... in/of). Irregular forms: 'mejor' (better), 'peor' (worse), 'mayor' (older/bigger), 'menor' (younger/smaller).
• →Indirect speech (estilo indirecto) requires changes in tense, pronouns, and time expressions. For example, direct: 'Dijo: "Estudio español"' becomes indirect: 'Dijo que estudiaba español.' Common changes: present → imperfect, future → conditional, preterite → pluperfect.

• Accurate use of hace/hacía for time expressions
• Correct formation and application of cleft sentences for emphasis
• Precise use of comparative and superlative structures
• Correct application of rules for indirect speech

• 💡Practice converting direct speech to indirect speech to master tense shifts
• 💡Use cleft sentences in writing to add variety and emphasis
• 💡Ensure comparative structures are used with the correct conjunctions (que/de lo que)
• 💡Review the specific grammar list in Appendix 3 for all required constructions
• 💡In the translation section, pay close attention to time expressions. If you see 'for' + a duration (e.g., 'for two years'), consider whether the action is still ongoing (use 'hace...que' + present) or was ongoing in the past (use 'hacía...que' + imperfect). This distinction often carries marks.
• 💡When using cleft sentences, ensure you are emphasising the correct element. For example, to emphasise the place: 'Fue en Madrid donde nos conocimos.' To emphasise the time: 'Fue en 2020 cuando empezó la pandemia.' This shows you can manipulate sentence structure for effect.
• 💡For comparatives, remember that 'que' is used after comparatives of inequality, but 'de' is used before numbers: 'más de diez' (more than ten). Also, avoid the common error of using 'más mejor' – use 'mejor' alone.

• Incorrect tense usage with hace/hacía
• Misplacement of emphasis in cleft sentences
• Errors in comparative structures (e.g., using 'más' with 'que' incorrectly)
• Failure to adjust pronouns and tenses when converting to indirect speech
• Confusing 'hace' and 'hacía': 'Hace' is used for actions still ongoing in the present, while 'hacía' is used for actions that were ongoing up to a past moment. For example, 'Hace una hora que espero' (I have been waiting for an hour) vs. 'Hacía una hora que esperaba cuando llegó' (I had been waiting for an hour when he arrived).
• In cleft sentences, forgetting to use the correct relative pronoun: 'que' for people and things, 'quien' only for people. Also, ensure the verb after 'ser' agrees with the emphasised element: 'Fueron ellos quienes llegaron tarde.'
• In indirect speech, failing to adjust time expressions: 'ahora' becomes 'entonces', 'hoy' becomes 'aquel día', 'mañana' becomes 'al día siguiente'. Also, remember that commands in direct speech become 'que + subjunctive' in indirect speech: 'Dijo: "Ven"' → 'Dijo que viniera.'