Example Candidate Responses – Paper 4

TM
Cambridge IGCSE / IGCSE (9–1)
Spanish 0530 / 7160
For examination from 2021
© Cambridge University Press & Assessment 2022 v1
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Contents
Introduction........................................................................................................................................................................4
Question 1.........................................................................................................................................................................6
Example Candidate Response – high............................................................................................................................6
Example Candidate Response – middle........................................................................................................................7
Example Candidate Response – low.............................................................................................................................8

Question 2.........................................................................................................................................................................9
Example Candidate Response – high............................................................................................................................9
Example Candidate Response – middle......................................................................................................................10
Example Candidate Response – low........................................................................................................................... 11

Question 3(a)...................................................................................................................................................................13
Example Candidate Response – high..........................................................................................................................13
Example Candidate Response – middle......................................................................................................................15
Example Candidate Response – low...........................................................................................................................18

Question 3(b)...................................................................................................................................................................21
Example Candidate Response – high..........................................................................................................................21
Example Candidate Response – middle......................................................................................................................23
Example Candidate Response – low...........................................................................................................................26
 Example Candidate Responses – Paper 4

Introduction
The main aim of this booklet is to exemplify standards for those teaching Cambridge IGCSE / IGCSE (9–1) Spanish
0530 / 7160, and to show how different levels of candidates’ performance (high, middle and low) relate to the subject’s
curriculum and assessment objectives. Some question types where the answer is clear from the mark scheme, such
as short answers and multiple choice, have therefore been omitted.
In this booklet candidate responses have been chosen from the June 2021 exam series to exemplify a range of
answers.
For each question, the response is annotated with a clear explanation of where and why marks were awarded or not
awarded. This is followed by examiner comments on how the answer could have been improved. In this way, it is
possible for you to understand what candidates have done to gain their marks and what they could do to improve their
answers. There is also a list of common mistakes candidates made in their answers for each question. Please also
refer to the June 2021 Examiner Report for further detail and guidance.
The questions and mark schemes used here are available to download from the School Support Hub. These files are:

0530 June 2021 Question Paper 42

0530 June 2021 Mark Scheme 42

Past exam resources and other teaching and learning resources are available on the School Support Hub:
www.cambridgeinternational.org/support

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Example Candidate Responses – Paper 4

How to use this booklet

This booklet goes through the paper one question at a time, showing you a high-, middle- and low-level response for
each question. The candidate answers are set in a table. In the left-hand column are the candidate answers, and in
the right-hand column are the examiner comments.

Answers are by real candidates in exam conditions. Examiner comments are

These show you the types of answers for each level. alongside the answers. These
Discuss and analyse the answers with your learners in explain where and why marks
the classroom to improve their skills. were awarded. This helps you
to interpret the standard of
Cambridge exams so you can
help your learners to refine
their exam technique.

How the candidate could have improved their answer

• The candidate completed all tasks successfully. However, their lack of overall clarity due to linguistic errors
prevented them from being awarded full marks. To improve their answer, the candidate could have carefully read
through and checked for errors.
• The candidate needed to avoid making careless spelling errors, e.g. hay no ordenado since ordenado has a very
different meaning to the intended ordenador; phenomenal instead of fenomenal.

This section explains how the candidate could

have improved each answer. This helps you to
interpret the standard of Cambridge exams and
helps your learners to refine their exam technique.

Common mistakes candidates made in this question

• Some candidates did not identify the tasks correctly and gave responses which lacked a key detail. In task 2, some
candidates talked about the advantages and disadvantages of shopping in shops without explicitly mentioning
online shopping. In tasks 4 and 5 a clear reference to the future was needed, either by using a verb referring to the
future or by using the present tense with a future time phrase. Some candidates used a present tense and talked
about what they generally wore at weekends.

Often candidates were not awarded Lists the common mistakes candidates made
marks because they misread or in answering each question. This will help your
misinterpreted the questions. learners to avoid these mistakes and give them
the best chance of achieving the available marks.

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 Example Candidate Responses – Paper 4

Question 1

Example Candidate Response – high Examiner comments

1 1 Dimensions are acceptable for

the first task, which asks for the size
of the suitcase. The candidate gives
all their answers accurately and
fulfils the requirements of the tasks.

Total mark awarded =

5 out of 5

How the candidate could have improved their answer

The candidate understood all the tasks and produced acceptable, correct answers.

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Example Candidate Responses – Paper 4

Example Candidate Response – middle Examiner comments

1 1 The task requires two items

contained in the suitcase. The
candidate’s answer ‘there is no
accommodation and it is very hot’
does not fulfil the task.

Total mark awarded =

3 out of 5

How the candidate could have improved their answer

• Tasks 3 and 4 required the candidate to name two items inside the suitcase. The candidate misunderstood the key
question ¿Qué hay dentro de la maleta?, confusing it with ¿Por qué..?, and wrote two inappropriate responses.
Making sure they have learnt key question words will help candidates answer these questions successfully
• A single word answer was sufficient to be awarded a mark for each task in Question 1.

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 Example Candidate Responses – Paper 4

Example Candidate Response – low Examiner comments

1 1 The stimulus for this question

asks for the size of the suitcase. The
candidate misunderstands the key
word tamaño.

2 2 The words grande and moderno

describe the suitcase but do not
provide the information asked for
in the stimulus: two items in the
suitcase. The key in the question is
Qué hay (what is there) rather than
Cómo es (what is it like).

Total mark awarded =

2 out of 5

How the candidate could have improved their answer

• The candidate did not recognise the word tamaño in task 1.
• Tasks 3 and 4 required the candidate to name two items inside the suitcase. The candidate misunderstood the
key question ¿Qué hay dentro de la maleta?, confusing it with ¿Cómo es la maleta?, and wrote two inappropriate
responses. Making sure they have learnt key question words will help candidates answer these questions
successfully.

Common mistakes candidates made in this question

• Some candidates gave inappropriate answers because they misunderstood the vocabulary in the rubric.
• Some candidates gave inappropriate answers because they misunderstood the key question words.
• Minor spelling errors were tolerated unless a different word was formed as a result of the spelling mistake (e.g.
jacketa).

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Example Candidate Responses – Paper 4

Question 2

Example Candidate Response – high Examiner comments

1 The first half of the sentence

clearly communicates a clothing
preference. The lack of clarity of
the candidate’s reason (which is
not required in the task) does not
1 invalidate their accomplishment of
the task.
2 The first reason the candidate
gives, hay no ordenado, is not
clear. However, the second reason,
gasto muchas dineros cuando
comprar ropa por Internet, is
accepted despite linguistic errors.
2 The verbs are recognisable parts of
appropriate verbs.

3 3 gasto $500 cada mes is

acceptable. (Without a currency
indicator, a number is not
acceptable.)
4 The sentence clearly
communicates what will be worn
at the weekend and the candidate
gives a reason.
4 5 The candidate’s answer meets
5 the requirements of all the tasks.
There is some lack of clarity due to
linguistic errors.

Total mark awarded =

11 out of 12

How the candidate could have improved their answer

• The candidate completed all tasks successfully. However, ambiguity due to linguistic errors prevented them from
being awarded full marks. To improve their answer, the candidate could have carefully read through and checked
for errors.
• More accurate spelling would have improved the candidate's response, e.g. hay no ordenado since ordenado has
a very different meaning to the intended ordenador; phenomenal instead of fenomenal.
• The candidate's response would have improved with more grammatical accuracy, e.g. durante sale con mis amigos
instead of cuando salgo con mis amigos or al salir con mis amigos; me odio comprar when odiar is not a reflexive
verb.
• The candidate's response would have improved with more accurate conjugation of verbs, e.g. no quiere compar
instead of no quiero comprar; cuando comprar instead of cuando compro.

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 Example Candidate Responses – Paper 4

Example Candidate Response – middle Examiner comments

1 Although preferido is clearly an

error, it is a recognisable, correct
form of the verb preferir so the
candidate accomplishes the task.
1
2 The candidate’s error in sur el
internet is ignored as the task is
more concerned with the reason,
which is communicated with es mas
2 caro. The missing accent is ignored.

3 3 Despite linguistic inaccuracies,

we can understand how much is
spent. However, the candidate does
not indicate how frequently the
money is spent so the task is not
communicated.
4
4 The candidate attempts to say
how much money they spend when
they go shopping. However, the
spelling of the number is incorrect
5
and they do not refer to how
6 frequently the money is spent, so
7
does not fully accomplish the task.
5 Despite the spelling error in
zapados, the sentence clearly
communicates what will be worn
next weekend.
6 es muy calor is an inappropriate
verb so the candidate does not
successfully complete the task.
7 The candidate’s answer
communicates three of the five
tasks. Their answer lacks clarity and
detail and the vocabulary is limited,
but they attempt to link words and
phrases.
Total mark awarded =
7 out of 12

How the candidate could have improved their answer

• The candidate successfully completed three of the five tasks, but their answer needed to be clearer and include
more detail.
• The candidate needed to address the whole question. Task 3 asked ¿Cuánto dinero gastas en ropa cada mes?
and although it was clear how much money was spent on clothes, they needed to indicate how frequently they
spent money.
• The candidate needed to check for grammatical inaccuracies, e.g. preferido instead of prefiero.
• This candidate could have improved their response by using hace when they described the weather.
• The candidate linked words and phrases with a repetitive use of y and porque. To improve their answer, they could
have used a greater range of simple connectors.

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Example Candidate Responses – Paper 4

Example Candidate Response – low Examiner comments

1 me prefiero is accepted as
1 communicating the preference.
Although the candidate misspells
plantalones, it does communicate
and camiseta is clear.
2 The candidate does not
successfully complete this task as
expencivo and cuoletivado do not
communicate.
2
3 The task asks how much is
spent on clothes each month.
3 The candidate does not clearly
4 communicate the amount spent and
they do not indicate how often it is
spent.
4 me llevar es is not a clear
indicator of the future and the
candidate does not include a future
5 6
time reference.
5 The candidate’s first reason es
muy hace color is not acceptable
due to linguistic errors. However,
their second reason es me favorito
color is accepted.
6 The candidate completes two
of the tasks and the meaning is
not always clear. The candidate’s
vocabulary is basic and contains
anglicisms.

Total mark awarded =

4 out of 12

How the candidate could have improved their answer

• The candidate was only able to successfully complete tasks 1 and 5 because the meaning in their answer was
rarely clear.
• The candidate’s vocabulary was basic with intrusive anglicisms, e.g. in task 2 expencivo and cualetiva. The
candidate needed to avoid using made up words which impeded understanding.
• The candidate may have been able to correct spelling errors by checking their answers, e.g. mall and plantalones.
• Task 4 asked what the candidate would wear next weekend. Me llevar es plantalone was not a clear indicator of
the future. The candidate could have recognised the clue in el próximo fin de semana and copied this phrase into
the answer to clarify the future intention.
• Careful reading of the question would have shown the candidate that llevar and preferir were not reflexive verbs.
Me was repeatedly used incorrectly, e.g. me llevar and me prefiero. Despite the correct use of the possessive
adjective in mi opinion, the candidate did not apply this to me ropa and me favorito color.

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 Example Candidate Responses – Paper 4

Common mistakes candidates made in this question

• Some candidates did not identify the tasks correctly and gave responses which lacked a key detail. In task 2, some
candidates talked about the advantages and disadvantages of shopping in shops without explicitly mentioning
online shopping. In tasks 4 and 5 a clear reference to the future was needed, either by using a verb referring to the
future or by using the present tense with a future time phrase. Some candidates used a present tense and talked
about what they generally wore at weekends.
• Candidates who tried to use a weather expression as the reason for what would be worn next weekend were
unable to formulate such expressions and used es calor rather than hace calor.
• Some candidates were unable to conjugate verbs. Tasks asked questions in the second person, using the regular
verb endings as or es. Some candidates were unable to answer these in the first person. Come candidates relied
upon infinitives or offered inappropriate tenses and spellings of verbs.
• Some candidates did not apply gender agreements when they used nouns and adjectives.

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Example Candidate Responses – Paper 4

Question 3(a)

Example Candidate Response – high Examiner comments

1 The candidate makes a clear

statement of the place visited,
including extra details to describe
1 the place.
2 Although the candidate’s first
attempt to describe a problem
(entendíamos muy el metro) is not
clear, the following clause does
2 communicate the need to ask about
places.
3 The candidate achieves the
third task with a clear statement of
3
preference for a means of transport
with several extra details.
4 The candidate correctly uses
4
a compound form of an impersonal
verb.

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 Example Candidate Responses – Paper 4

Example Candidate Response – high, continued Examiner comments

5 The candidate gives a clear and

correct statement of why one should
travel, including a further detail.
6 The candidate makes a clear
and correct statement of who they
will travel with next, with an extra
5 detail.
7 The candidate communicates
all five tasks clearly with many extra
details. The piece is fully relevant.
8 The candidate includes a wide
variety of tenses, conjunctions and
6
vocabulary. Their structures are a
mixture of simple and more complex
7 8 9
and are mainly successful.
9 There are only occasional
lapses in communication with few
errors.

Mark awarded for Task

Completion = 10 out of 10
Mark awarded for Range =
9 out of 10
Mark awarded for Accuracy =
7 out of 8
Total mark awarded =
26 out of 28

How the candidate could have improved their answer

• The candidate completed all 5 tasks fully and included many additional details including opinions, reactions and
explanations. They communicated well and the piece was fully relevant.
• The candidate used extended, well-linked sentences with a variety of conjunctions, e.g. ya que, aunque, cuando
and donde.
• The candidate successfully used a wide range of tenses, including the subjunctive and present perfect. There was
a mix of simple structure and more complex features, e.g. a compound form of an impersonal verb, siempre me ha
gustado.., the correct use and placement of an object pronoun and an appropriate formation of a construction with
a verb requiring a preposition, te ayuda a entender nuevas cosas,the correct use of para in para pasarmelo mejor.
To improve their answer, the candidate could have included more examples of verbs in each tense, a negative
such as nunca/nada and an appropriate idiomatic expression.
• The candidate gave good examples of more complex vocabulary, e.g. precioso, chulísimo and peligroso.
• There were occasional lapses in communication caused by spelling errors, e.g. entar for entrar and because the
candidate omitted or included accents incorrectly, e.g. pasarmelo and chulisimo, fuí.

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Example Candidate Responses – Paper 4

Example Candidate Response – middle Examiner comments

1 1 Although the candidate’s first

attempt to describe the place they
visited does not communicate (hizo),
the second part of the sentence is
clear and accurate.
2 2 The candidate’s errors in
the majority of verbs used in the
first paragraph contribute to a
lack of clarity and relevance in
communication.

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 Example Candidate Responses – Paper 4

Example Candidate Response – middle, continued Examiner comments

3 The second task asks the

candidate to describe a problem
during the trip. They answer the task
3
at the second attempt with estuve
muy estresado.
4 4 The final sentence of the
second paragraph creates
ambiguity.
5 The candidate makes a clear
and correct statement of preference
for a type of transport.
5
6 The candidate makes a clear
statement about why it is good to
travel abroad. The omission of para
before the infinitive does not affect
communication.
7 The candidate says who the
next trip will be with. The missing
6 accent on ire does not affect
communication.
8 All five tasks are communicated,
7 although the candidate makes some
linguistic errors so their meaning is
not always clear.
9 The candidate attempts and
has some success with three
8 different tenses. They use a range
9 of straightforward connectors to join
10 clauses and their vocabulary is also
straightforward. Their structures are
mainly simple and the candidate
attempts to use infinitive phrases.
10 Although the candidate includes
some correct spelling in their
answer, the errors they introduce
in the verbs frequently impede
communication.

Mark awarded for Task

Completion =
9 out of 10
Mark awarded for Range =
5 out of 10
Mark awarded for Accuracy =
4 out of 8
Total mark awarded =
18 out of 28

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Example Candidate Responses – Paper 4

How the candidate could have improved their answer

• The candidate accomplished all the tasks for Communication. To be awarded 10 marks, they could have ensured a
greater accuracy in the extra details they gave, particularly in the first two paragraphs where errors in the verbs
contributed to the lack of clarity and relevance in communication.
• For Range, the candidate attempted three different tenses with some success. They included some correct verbs in
the present tense and irregular verbs in the preterite tense. To improve their answer, they could have used
accurate regular preterite verb endings and accents on the future tense verb endings. The candidate could have
included other basic tenses, e.g. imperfect. They could have attempted more complex language, e.g. compound
tenses.
• The candidate used five basic connectors (y, pero, cuando, porque and también) but could have used a greater
range (e.g. ya que, mientras que, aunque).
• Structures were mainly straightforward clauses. The candidate made some successful attempts to include infinitive
phrases and they could have included para, e.g. es ‘importante viajar a otros paises aprender...’.
• The candidate could have included comparatives when describing the place visited (task 1) or the preferred
transport (task 3) and a clause with si (si es posible) in the final task.
• For Accuracy, despite using some correct spelling, the candidate introduced some errors in their verbs which
impeded communication, e.g. pedi econtrar in paragraph two and dentro de una niña in the same paragraph did
not communicate.

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 Example Candidate Responses – Paper 4

Example Candidate Response – low Examiner comments

1 1 The candidate gives a simple

description (es en muy bonita) of the
place visited which is sufficient for
the communication of the task.

2 2 The candidate’s language is

not clear enough to communicate a
3 problem during the trip. The subject
and verb must be accurate to
achieve communication in this task.
3 This is a clear statement of
the preferred form of transport.
The me is ignored in assessing
communication.

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Example Candidate Responses – Paper 4

Example Candidate Response – low, continued Examiner comments

4 The candidate’s language fails

4 to communicate a reason for visiting
other countries.
5 The candidate’s sentence
communicates their preference for
traveling with friends, but the task
asks about a future journey, which
they do not address.
5
6 The piece communicates two of
the five tasks, but is often irrelevant
6 or ambiguous. The candidate’s
language and vocabulary are very
basic, often repeated and they form
very few sentences. Their grammar
is rarely accurate and errors cause
communication to be delayed
throughout.

Mark awarded for Task

Completion = 4 out of 10
Mark awarded for Range =
2 out of 10
Mark awarded for Accuracy =
2 out of 8
Total mark awarded =
8 out of 28

How the candidate could have improved their answer

• The candidate achieved two tasks for Communication using simple language in the present tense, even if they
were not fully correct. In task 1, a simple description was sufficient for completion of the task, es en muy bonita. In
task 3, me prefiero usar en coche was a clear statement of the preferred form of transport.
• In task 2, the candidate’s language was not clear enough to communicate a problem in the trip. To achieve
communication, the key verb needed to be accurate in any appropriate past tense.
• In task 4, the candidate’s language failed to communicate a reason for visiting other countries, Otros paises viajar
es importante tu hace divertido. The candidate could have copied the statement from the rubric and supplied a
simple reason, e.g. Es importante viajar a otros países porque es divertido.
• In task 5, the candidate communicated their preference for travelling with friends, but the task asked about a future
journey which they did not address. The candidate could have made use of the rubric to formulate an answer by
manipulating the verb from second to first person, e.g. they needed to identify which tense was needed for each
task and used some simple examples, e.g. voy a hacer mi próximo viaje con amigos.
• For Range, the candidate’s language was very basic and repetitive. There were examples of simple linking words,
y, porque and pero, but very few of their sentences were correctly formed. The candidate needed to work on
writing simple sentences with connectives.
• The candidate could have improved their accuracy by learning key verbs such as ir, tener and hacer in the basic
tenses and manipulating the verb from the rubric.

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 Example Candidate Responses – Paper 4

Common mistakes candidates made in this question

• The specific tasks set were not always addressed.
• Candidates did not always identify or respond with the time frame required to complete a task.
• Sufficient information and extra detail relating to each task was not always included by candidates.
• In task 5, many candidates did not know conmigo and contigo.
• The verb ‘to go’ was often conjugated incorrectly. Some candidates used fuemos for fuimos and some mixed up fui
and fue.
• Nouns ending in ción were sometimes spelt incorrectly as tion.
• Words given in the rubric were often copied incorrectly or without accents.
Some candidates:
• copied the second person verb from the rubric into their answer without changing it into the first-person verb
required for most tasks.
• used Gustar followed by another conjugated verb (me gusta como – I like to eat) or with a subject pronoun (yo
gusta).
• used the tú rather than yo verb forms in responses, merely copying the verb from the rubric.

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Example Candidate Responses – Paper 4

Question 3(b)

Example Candidate Response – high Examiner comments

1 The candidate gives a clear

statement of where the party took
place. The verb makes it clear that
the candidate organised the party.
The missing accent on the preterit
1
verb is ignored for communication
and the possibility that the verb ends
ze rather than ce is tolerated, as it
does not affect the pronunciation
of the word. They also give further
2 details.
2 The candidate addresses
the second task with a correctly
3
conjugated verb in a compound past
tense and adds an extra detail.
3 The candidate expresses a
clear preference for a type of party
music and adds extra details.

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 Example Candidate Responses – Paper 4

Example Candidate Response – high, continued Examiner comments

4 The candidate answers the fifth

4 task in full detail using appropriate
verbs in the future. The missing
accents do not affect communication
since the meaning is clearly in the
future.
5 The candidate only addresses
four of the five tasks, but the clarity
of their communication, the many
5 extra details and the full relevance
still give this piece access to the
6 highest level for Communication.
7 6 The candidate’s answer
shows a very wide range of
tenses, structures, vocabulary and
conjunctions which shows they
are fully at ease with the language
and are able to produce a well-
constructed passage of relevant
material, meeting the criteria
detailed in the top level for Range.
7 The candidate makes some
errors, particularly with accents, but
they meet the requirements of the
highest level for Accuracy.

Mark awarded for Task

Completion = 9 out of 10
Mark awarded for Range =
9 out of 10
Mark awarded for Accuracy =
7 out of 8
Total mark awarded =
25 out of 28

How the candidate could have improved their answer

• The candidate only completed four of the five tasks. However, the clarity of the communication, the extra
details and full relevance ensured they were able to access the highest band. To be awarded full marks for
Communication, the candidate needed to address task 4.
• There was a wide range of vocabulary, tenses and structures for the top band in Range, including past perfect,
past continuous and subjunctive. To improve their answer, the candidate could have attempted some extended
sentences using a wider range of conjunctions and connectors. They could have also used other complex
structures such as comparisons, adverbs, negatives and idioms to increase the range.
• To be awarded full marks for Accuracy, the candidate needed to include accents in their answer.

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Example Candidate Responses – Paper 4

Example Candidate Response – middle Examiner comments

1 1 For the first task, the candidate

gives a correct phrase to say where
the party was held. However,
the use of organizaste leads to
confusion about who organised the
party, so the task is not completed
2
successfully.

3 2 The candidate’s first attempt

to say what was done at the
party is not correct (comidamos).
However, their second attempt is
clear and correct (escuchamos de
la música - the de is considered a
minor error which does not impede
communication). The candidate
achieves task 2.
3 The candidate uses the wrong
verb in this answer (yo gusta) and
does not achieve the task. Their
second attempt to describe the
music would be an extra detail in an
achieved task, but does not address
the music that the candidate prefers
and contains an error in the verb.

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 Example Candidate Responses – Paper 4

Example Candidate Response – middle, continued Examiner comments

4 4 The fourth task is clear and

correct. Porque los amigos son
relajantes y muy divertidos answers
the task and provides an extra
5 detail.
5 Despite minor errors in a
complex structure, the candidate
successfully addresses the fifth task
6
with extra detail. For communication
7
es / está are counted as
8 interchangeable.
6 The candidate succeeds with
three of the five tasks although there
is some irrelevance in their answer
due to errors. They offer opinions
and justifications.
7 The candidate attempts three
basic tenses, often successfully
and they link clauses with simple
linking words. Their structures
and vocabulary are mainly
straightforward with only one
attempt at a complex structure.
8 Some sections of the piece are
more accurate than others, but there
is often a delay in communication
caused by errors.

Mark awarded for Task

Completion = 6 out of 10
Mark awarded for Range =
5 out of 10
Mark awarded for Accuracy =
4 out of 8
Total mark awarded =
15 out of 28

How the candidate could have improved their answer

• The candidate successfully completed three tasks. In task 1, although it was clear where the party was held, the
incorrect verb organizaste led to confusion about who organised the party so they could not be awarded the marks.
To improve their answer, the candidate needed to manipulate the verb to the first person, organicé or use a verb for
location, e.g. estar or tener lugar. Similarly, in task 3 the candidate needed to change the te gusta in the question to
me gusta.
• For Range, the candidate included some correct examples of three basic tenses, preterite, present and future with
ir a. They only included one correct verb in the preterite, escuchamos, and did not attempt to include other basic
tenses such as imperfect or conditional. To improve their answer, the candidate needed to demonstrate a sounder
knowledge of these tenses and attempt more complex tenses.

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Example Candidate Responses – Paper 4

• The candidate’s link words, vocabulary and structures were straightforward but they did not attempt more complex
material. They could have included a wider variety of connectors and other language features such as negatives,
comparatives and object pronouns. A broader range of activities at the party would have added breadth to the
candidate’s vocabulary.
• Some sections of the candidate’s answer were more correct than others, but inaccuracies such as genermalmente
for generalmente ,yo gusta escuchar and por no pasado todo mi tiempo all impeded communication. The
candidate needed to carefully read through their response to correct some of these errors.

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 Example Candidate Responses – Paper 4

Example Candidate Response – low Examiner comments

1 1 The candidate attempts to say

that the party was in Madrid, but, to
achieve communication they need to
include a correct subject and verb.
2
2 In response to the task ‘What
did you do at the party?’ the
candidate attempts to say what
food was eaten, but the error in the
verb (person and tense) does not
communicate clearly.

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Example Candidate Responses – Paper 4

Example Candidate Response – low, continued Examiner comments

3 The third task asks the

candidate to give a general
comment about their preferred party
3 music. The candidate’s response
refers only to this party and does not
address the task clearly.
4 The candidate does not address
the fourth task and the fifth asks the
candidate what the next event will
4 be. Their answer gives only a place
and continues in the past tense
which adds confusion.
5 The candidate attempts four
of the five tasks without success.
Some of the response is not
relevant to the tasks.
5 6 The candidate attempts two
tenses but with little success. The
6
structures and vocabulary are basic
7 and only a few phrases are used
successfully.
7 The candidate’s errors in
grammar delay and often prevent
communication in their answer.

Mark awarded for Task

Completion = 2 out of 10
Mark awarded for Range =
3 out of 10
Mark awarded for Accuracy =
2 out of 8
Total mark awarded =
7 out of 28

How the candidate could have improved their answer

• The candidate attempted four of the five tasks but without success as communication was impeded by verb error
and some of their answer was irrelevant to the tasks.
• In tasks 1 and 2, the candidate could have said where they went to the party and what they did, using preterite
verbs in the first person to give an appropriate response such as fui a Madrid and en la fiesta comí tapas/ escuché
música.
• Task 3 asked for a general comment about the candidate’s preferred type of music at parties, but their response
referred to the specific party and the meaning was unclear. The candidate should have looked carefully at the
rubric to identify that the question was in the present tense and not the past tense about the end of year party.
• The candidate did not address task 4, but they could have recognised the por qué of the question and attempted to
give a reason.
• In task 5, the candidate did not identify the use of the future tense supported by el próximo evento in the rubric and
responded with the present followed by the past tense. The candidate needed to learn key time phrases, which
would have helped them attempt an answer using the correct tense.

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 Example Candidate Responses – Paper 4

• The range of vocabulary, tenses, connectors and structures in the candidate’s answer was very limited. To improve
both range and accuracy, the candidate should have learnt and applied key verbs in the first person in the present,
past and future tenses. If they had learnt some basic connectors and opinion phrases, this could have improved
their answer.

Common mistakes candidates made in this question

• The rubric was not always read carefully or was misunderstood so the tasks were not always addressed correctly.
• Tasks were sometimes addressed too briefly without enough detail included.
• Errors of subject, tense and verb conjugation often impeded communication.
• Nouns ending in ción were sometimes spelt incorrectly as tion.
• Words given in the rubric were often copied incorrectly.
• Accents were sometimes used inaccurately or omitted.
Some candidates:
• were unable to identify the tense required to respond to a task or to use any tense other than the present.
• copied the second person verb from the rubric into their answer, without changing it into the first-person verb
required for most tasks.
• gave irrelevant answers.
• used Gustar followed by another conjugated verb (me gusta como – I like to eat) or with a subject pronoun (yo
gusta).

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