Higher level

GCSE
structures

1. Tener structures:
Tener ganas de + infinitive - To want to / To feel like
Tengo ganas de ir a Espaa - I want to go to Spain / I feel like going to
Spain
Tener suerte - To be luky
Tuve suerte porque hizo sol - I was lucky because it was sunny
Tener sueo - To be tired / sleepy

Tuve sueo as que me acost - I was tired so I went to bed

Tener miedo a / de - To be afraid to / of
Tengo miedo de viajar en avin - Im afraid of travelling by plane
2. Make sure you include at least 3 justifications in each paragraph using different forms
of because
Fui a Espaa porque me gusta la cocina - I went to Spain because I like the food
Hay mucha contaminacin debido a las fbricas Theres a lot of pollution due to the
factories.

Prefiero las pelculas de accin ya que son ms emocionantes I prefer action movies
because theyre more exciting.

Creo que Espaa es el mejor pas del mundo dado que la cocina es muy buena.
I think that Spain is the best country in the world because the food is so good.

3. Decid + infinitive - I decided to

Decid llevar una vida sana. I decided to carry a healthy lifestyle
4. Sin + infinitive > without + -ing
Sin perder un momento - without wasting any time
5. Antes de + infinitve > before + -ing
Antes de llegar
before arriving
Antes de comer
before eating
6. Al + infinitive > on + -ing
Al llegar
on arriving
Al verle on seeing him
Al comer sano
when eating healthy
7. Despus de + infinitive > after + -ing
Despus de comer - after eating
Despus de hacer mis deberes after doing my homewrok

8. Exclamations
Qu buena idea!
What a good idea!
Qu desastre!
What a disaster!
Qu lstima! What a shame!
Qu horror! How hideous!
Qu guay!
How cool!
Qu rollo!
What a drag!
9. Tan/ tanto/a/s (so) instead of muy
Tan importante
- so important
Tantos coches - so many cars
Tanta contaminacin so much pollution
10. A pesar de que + conjugated verb / a pesar de + infinitive > Despite
A pesar de que no tengo dinero - Despite the fact that I have no Money
11. Acabar de + infinitive > to have just done something
Acabo de comprar una bicicleta - I have just bought a bike
12. Estar a punto de + infinitive > to be about to do something
Estaba a punto de hacer mis debers - I was just about to do my
homework
13. Comparatives

 Ms guapo que
- more handsome than
Menos fuerte que
- less strong than
Tan inteligente como - as intelligent as
No es tan bonita como - not as pretty as
Riqusima
- really tasty
14. Superlatives
La ms bonita
- the prettiest
El ms desagradable - the most unpleasant
El mejor
the best
15. Negatives
No voy nunca I never go
Nadie me dij nada Nobody told me anything
Ni estudio ni trabajo I dont study nor work
16. A subjunctive (this is an A Level structure but you may get extra marks)
Ojal pudiese + infinitive
- If only I could + verb (without to)
Si tuviese dinero + conditional
- If I had money
Si fuese rico + conditional
- If I were rich
Si pudiese elegir + conditional
If I could choose
Haga lo que haga
no matter what I do
17. Desde hace > since
Vivo aqu desde hace 15 aos - I have lived here for 15 years
18. Hace + time > time + ago
Hace dos aos two years ago
19. Use fancy connectives
que
who / which / that
si
if
mientras (que)
while / whereas
cuando
when
puesto que
since
as que
therefore, so
por lo tanto
therefore, so
sobre todo
above all
especialmente
especially
principalmente
mainly
no obstante however
an as
however
de todas formas
anyway
incluso
even; including
tampoco
neither; either
de hecho
in fact
afortunadamente
fortunately
desafortunadamente - unfortunately
lo bueno es que - the good thing is that
lo malo es que - the bad thing is that
por un lado
- on one hand
por otro lado
- on the other hand
segn
according to
al fin y al cabo
after all
de pronto
all of a sudden
de repente
all of a sudden

al menos
por lo menos en vez de
en lugar de
-

at least
at least
instead of
instead of

20. Use connectives to make your writing flow:

a. To establish order:
primero - first
en primer lugar
in the first place
para empezar
to begin with
luego / despus
then; after
ms tarde
later on
a continuacin
following; continuing with
en segundo lugar
in the second place
en tercer lugar
in the third place
antes
before
por ltimo
finally
finalmente
finally
para terminar / finalizar to finish off
b. To establish time:
ayer
yesterday
anteayer
the day before yesterday
antes de ayer
the day before yesterday
el da anterior
the day before
el ao pasado
last year
hoy
today
hoy en da
nowadays
en la actualidad
currently
maana
tomorrow
el prximo ao
next year
el ao que viene
next year
por la maana / tarde / noche in the morning / afternoon / evening
el lunes / el martes
on Monday / on Tuesday
los mircoles
on Wednesdays
c. To establish frequency:
siempre
always
casi siempre
almost always
normalmente
usually; normally
generalmente
usually; generally
cada dos por tres
very often
otra vez
again
a veces
sometimes
algunas veces
sometimes
de vez en cuando
from time to time
rara vez
seldom
raramente
rarely; seldom
apenas
barley; hardley
casi nunca
almost never
nunca
never

jams
never
por primera vez
for the first time
por segunda vez
for the second time
por ltima vez
for the last time
d. To specify amount:
mucho
a lot
muy
very
ms
more
poco
a little
menos
less
tan / tanto
so much
bastante
quite
demasiado
too much / many
aproximadamente approximately
casi
almost
todo
every; all
nada
nothing
todo el mundo
everybody
un montn de
lots of
a duras penas
hardley; barely (with difficulty)
a toda costa
at all costs
21. Para + infinitive > in order to
Para ver a mi amigo
In order to see my friend
Para estar sano debes hacer deporte In order to be healthy you should do sports
22. Pronouns
Me acompa
he came with me
Lo odio
I hate it
La compadezco
I pity her
No lo comprendo
I dont understand it

23. Use complex opinions

a. Creo que I think that
b. Pienso que I think that
c. Opino que I think that
d. En mi opinin in my opinion
e. (No) Estoy de acuerdo con I (dont) agree
f. Desde mi punto de vista from my point of view
g. (Yo) dira que I would say that
h. Para m for me
i. A mi modo de ver from my point of view
j. Yo que t + conditional If I were you
k. Me da rabia (que + pres. subjunc.) It makes me angry that
l. No soporto (que + pres. subjunc.) I cant stand that
m. Me chifla it drives me crazy (in a good way) Me chifla el chocolate.
n. Me parece (que) It seems to me (that)
o. A mi parecer It seems to me
p. Considero que I consider that
q. Me importa un pepino / rbano (que + pres. subjunc.) I dont give a flying monkey
r. Para ser sincere/a to be honest
s. Me gustara + infinitive I would like

t. Preferira + infinitive I would prefer

u. Lo que ms me gusta es (que + verb) what I like the most is
v. Lo que menos me gusta es (que + verb) what I like the least is
24. Idiomatic expressions and phrases (most verbs are in the infinitive form, remember to
conjugate them)

a.
b.
c.
d.
e.
f.
g.
h.
i.
j.
k.
l.

No hay mal que por bien no venga - Every cloud has a silver lining
En un abrir y cerrar de ojos in the blink of an eye
Estar hasta las narices / coronilla de que to be fed up with
Ser coser y cantar to be easy
Ser la leche / bomba to be awesome
Ser pan comido to be very easy
Alucinar en colores to be very surprised about something
Estar loco como una cabra to be as mad as a hatter
Estar en el quinto pino to be very far away
Ser tiquismiquis to be very fussy
Tener fuerza de voluntad to have will power
Llover a cntaros to rain cats and dogs