Lesson 6
Las relaciones.
Getting on (or not), arguments, marriage, partnerships and future plans — the higher-tier relationship language, where opinions and a second and third tense earn the marks. Work through the eight steps below: learn the words, read, listen, translate, then practise the photo card, role-play and writing exactly as they appear in the AQA exam.
Refresh your KS3 relationship words.
You met all of these in Years 7–9. Tap any word to hear it, and check the model sentence to see it in action. These are the building blocks — make sure they're solid before the new GCSE words.
Twenty new GCSE words.
Each card shows the word, its meaning, a model sentence and a tag: F on the AQA list (Foundation & Higher), H Higher only, útil not on AQA's list but very useful for speaking & writing. Tap to listen.
Read, then answer.
Two texts on the same topic — a Foundation text and a tougher Higher text. Read each one, then answer the questions in English underneath. They mark themselves: tap your answer and you'll see straight away if you're right.
Mi familia y yo — Pablo
Lo que de verdad importa
Listen, then answer.
Press play to hear the passage read aloud, as many times as you need, then answer the English questions. You can reveal the transcript afterwards to check what you heard.
🎧 Native-quality audio. Play it as many times as you need — just like the real exam, where each recording is played twice.
Mi familia y mi novio — Carmen
Una familia diferente — Marcos
Translate both ways.
First Spanish → English (reading translation), then English → Spanish (the harder direction, tested in Paper 4). Have a go on paper, then tap to reveal the model answer and compare.
Translate into English
Translate into Spanish
Describe the photo card.
In the speaking exam you get a card with two photos from one theme. You must say at least one thing about each photo, then have a conversation on the topic. Here are two photos of couples and the kind of questions you'll be asked.
- 1.¿Qué hay en las fotos? Describe a las personas y su relación. Compulsory
- 2.¿Con quién te llevas mejor y peor en tu familia? ¿Por qué?
- 3.¿Qué es lo más importante en una relación o en una pareja?
- 4.¿Te gustaría casarte o tener pareja en el futuro? ¿Por qué? (opinión + futuro)
Describing the photos — model answer
The first question is compulsory: say at least one thing about each photo. Below are two model descriptions you can adapt to whoever is in the picture — tap the speaker to hear them.
Foto A — an engaged couple. En la primera foto hay una pareja joven que parece muy enamorada. La chica lleva un anillo, así que quizás acaban de comprometerse. Están abrazados y se les ve muy felices; se nota que se quieren mucho.
In the first photo there is a young couple who seem very much in love. The girl is wearing a ring, so perhaps they have just got engaged. They are hugging and look very happy; you can tell they love each other a lot.
Foto B — a wedding. En la segunda foto se ve a una pareja el día de su boda: el novio lleva traje y la novia, un vestido blanco con un ramo de flores. Están en un lugar muy romántico, delante de un castillo. Se nota que es un día muy especial para ellos.
In the second photo you can see a couple on their wedding day: the groom is wearing a suit and the bride a white dress with a bouquet. They are in a very romantic place, in front of a castle. You can tell it's a very special day for them.
Useful vocabulary & phrases
Para empezar: en la primera / segunda foto hay… (there is) · se ve a… (you can see) · una pareja / una familia
La relación: parecen enamorados · se quieren · se llevan muy bien · están casados · celebran una boda · hay mucho cariño
Opinar (tu turno): para mí, lo más importante en una relación es… · en mi opinión, el matrimonio… · creo que enamorarse es…
El futuro: en el futuro me gustaría… · (no) quiero casarme porque… · espero tener una relación estable
Then the conversation
- Q2 — who you get on with: Me llevo mejor con mi … porque … A veces discuto con … porque …
- Q3 — what matters in a relationship: Lo más importante es la confianza, el respeto y apoyarse.
- Q4 — opinion + future (this is where Higher students score): En el futuro me gustaría casarme, aunque no tengo prisa, porque primero quiero estudiar.
- Higher tier: use several tenses — Antes discutíamos mucho… (imperfect), se separaron… (preterite), me gustaría… (conditional) — plus opinions with creo que / pienso que.
The role-play.
The instructions are in English. You must answer the prompts and ask one question (the ! bullet). Try it out loud first, then reveal the model answers.
Your Spanish exchange partner asks you about relationships in your family. Your teacher plays your exchange partner.
Model answers & tips
Write your answer.
Two tasks in the real exam style — a Foundation ~50-word task (five bullets) and a Higher ~90-word task (three bullets). Use the sentence starters (tap to drop them into the pad) and the useful vocab, then compare with a model answer.
Las relaciones
≈ 50 words · 5 bullets · 10 marksDescribe tus relaciones (con tu familia, tus amigos o tu pareja). Menciona los cinco puntos. Escribe aproximadamente 50 palabras en español.
Las relaciones y el futuro
≈ 90 words · 3 bullets · 15 marksDescribe tus relaciones y tu opinión sobre el amor y el matrimonio. Menciona los tres puntos. Escribe aproximadamente 90 palabras en español.
Foundation answers cover all the bullets with clear, accurate present-tense sentences joined by y, pero and porque, plus at least one opinion. Higher answers do all that and then reach further: more than one tense (e.g. imperfect vivía, near future voy a, conditional me gustaría), opinions with developed reasons, a wider range of connectives (aunque, sin embargo, además) and more ambitious vocabulary. The biggest single lift from Foundation to Higher is justifying opinions and using a second and third tense accurately.