Question 1

What is the difference between preterite and imperfect in Spanish?

Accepted Answer

The preterite is used for completed actions in the past, often with a specific time frame (e.g., 'Ayer fui al cine' – Yesterday I went to the cinema). The imperfect is used for ongoing, repeated, or descriptive past actions (e.g., 'Cuando era niño, iba al cine cada sábado' – When I was a child, I used to go to the cinema every Saturday). Think of preterite as a snapshot of a finished event, and imperfect as a background description or habit.

Question 2

How do you form the immediate future in Spanish?

Accepted Answer

The immediate future is formed with the present tense of 'ir' (to go) + 'a' + the infinitive of the main verb. For example: 'Voy a estudiar' (I am going to study), 'Vas a comer' (You are going to eat). It is used for actions that are planned or about to happen soon. Remember to always include the 'a' – it's a common mistake to leave it out.

Question 3

What is the perfect tense in Spanish and when do you use it?

Accepted Answer

The perfect tense (also called present perfect) is formed with the present tense of 'haber' + the past participle of the main verb. For example: 'He comido' (I have eaten), 'Has visto' (You have seen). It is used for actions that have happened recently or have a connection to the present, like 'Hoy he desayunado tarde' (Today I have had breakfast late). In Spain, it is often used instead of the preterite for recent events.

Question 4

Do I need to know the subjunctive for WJEC GCSE Foundation?

Accepted Answer

For Foundation tier, the subjunctive is marked (R) for recognition only. This means you do not need to produce it in your writing or speaking, but you should be able to understand it when you see or hear it in reading and listening tasks. Common phrases include 'espero que' (I hope that) or 'es importante que' (it is important that). Focus on recognising the forms, especially for common verbs like 'tener' (tenga) and 'ir' (vaya).

Question 5

How can I remember all the irregular verbs in different tenses?

Accepted Answer

Create a verb table or flashcards for the most common irregular verbs: ser, estar, ir, tener, hacer, poder, decir, and ver. Group them by tense – for example, learn the preterite of ir/ser (fui, fuiste, fue...), the future of hacer (haré, harás...), and the perfect of ver (he visto). Practise by writing sentences using each tense. Also, look for patterns: many irregulars in the future and conditional share the same irregular stem (e.g., tener → tendr-).

Question 6

What is the gerund in Spanish and how is it used?

Accepted Answer

The gerund is the equivalent of the English '-ing' form. It is formed by adding -ando to -ar verbs (hablar → hablando) and -iendo to -er/-ir verbs (comer → comiendo, vivir → viviendo). It is used with 'estar' to form the present continuous (e.g., 'Estoy hablando' – I am speaking) and can also be used on its own to mean 'by doing' or 'while doing' (e.g., 'Hablando se entiende la gente' – By speaking, people understand each other). For Foundation, you mainly need it for the present continuous.

Grammar (Foundation): Verb Tenses – present indicative, present continuous, preterite, imperfect, immediate future, future (R), perfect, conditional, pluperfect (R), gerund (R), imperative, subjunctive

Topic Overview

Key Concepts

What You Need to Demonstrate

Marking Points

Examiner Tips

Common Mistakes

Frequently Asked Questions

Before You Start

Likely Command Words

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Related Topics in WJEC GCSE Spanish

Appendix A: Prescribed Vocabulary List (organised by theme/sub-theme)

Appendix B: Grammar Requirements – Foundation Tier

Current and Future Study and Employment

Current Study – School/College Life

How to Revise Grammar (Foundation): Verb Tenses – present indicative, present continuous, preterite, imperfect, immediate future, future (R), perfect, conditional, pluperfect (R), gerund (R), imperative, subjunctive — WJEC GCSE Spanish

Examiner Tips for Grammar (Foundation): Verb Tenses – present indicative, present continuous, preterite, imperfect, immediate future, future (R), perfect, conditional, pluperfect (R), gerund (R), imperative, subjunctive

Common Mistakes in Grammar (Foundation): Verb Tenses – present indicative, present continuous, preterite, imperfect, immediate future, future (R), perfect, conditional, pluperfect (R), gerund (R), imperative, subjunctive

Key Marking Points