Write a Dialogue...

Exam Formats and Turn Strategy

In Section C, the dialogue appears as part (a) of one of the written options, alongside part (b) (such as a formal letter or email to an editor). Always check both parts before choosing your question. In the completion format, the dialogue between two people is already laid out on the page with the other person's lines printed in Spanish. You write only your character's responses, marked as TÚ:. Never waste time copying out the other speaker's lines. In the constructed dialogue format, you script the whole exchange, but examiners mark only your own turns. If you write the full dialogue, use the other speaker's short questions to set up the grammar and vocabulary you want to show.

Each turn is marked according to three criteria:

• Communicative intention: Every single requirement in the English cue must be expressed in your Spanish answer. Leaving out even one small detail immediately caps your mark for that turn.
• Vocabulary: Use exact, natural terms instead of literal translations from English.
• Grammatical accuracy: Verbs are decisive. Under State Examinations Commission marking schemes, a turn cannot achieve full marks (5 or 6 marks) if the verbs are incorrect, even if your vocabulary is rich.

The cue-underlining method in practice

Before writing a word, break the English prompt into numbered tasks so nothing is missed.

• Cue: Apologise for being late, explain that you missed the bus, and ask if you can meet at eight instead.
• Step 1 (Underline): (1) Apologise for being late, (2) missed the bus, (3) ask to meet at eight.
• Step 2 (Draft): Perdona el retraso [1], es que perdí el autobús [2]. ¿Quedamos mejor a las ocho? [3]

Aim for 15 to 25 words per turn. A one-line answer rarely demonstrates enough grammar for top marks, while an overlong paragraph invites careless mistakes.

Asking Questions from an English Cue

Many dialogue cues begin with 'Ask your friend...' or 'Ask the receptionist...'. If you write a statement instead of a question, you fail to fulfil the communicative intention. Every written Spanish question requires an opening question mark (¿) as well as a closing one (?), and interrogative words always carry an accent.

Core interrogatives

• ¿qué? (what)
• ¿quién? / ¿quiénes? (who)
• ¿cuándo? (when)
• ¿dónde? (where) / ¿adónde? (where to)
• ¿cómo? (how / what... like)
• ¿cuánto/a/os/as? (how much / how many)
• ¿por qué? (why)
• ¿cuál / cuáles? (which / what — choosing from a set)

Two essential question rules

• Put the verb immediately after the question word: ¿Qué vas a hacer este fin de semana? (What are you going to do this weekend?) — never place the subject pronoun between them (¿Qué tú vas a hacer? is incorrect).
• Place any required preposition before the question word, never at the end of the sentence: ¿Con quién vas? (Who are you going with?), ¿De dónde eres? (Where are you from?), ¿A qué hora sale el tren? (What time does the train leave?).

¿Qué es? versus ¿Cuál es?

Use ¿cuál es? when asking for specific personal information, choices, or numbers: ¿Cuál es tu número de teléfono? (What is your phone number?), ¿Cuál es la contraseña del wifi? (What is the Wi-Fi password?). Reserve ¿qué es? strictly for definitions: ¿Qué es una tapa? (What is a tapa?).

Managing Social Register: Tú versus Usted

Before writing each turn, decide on the appropriate registro. Use the informal register (tú / vosotros) with friends, classmates, siblings, or peers of your own age. Use the formal register (usted / ustedes) with shopkeepers, receptionists, police officers, landlords, or unfamiliar adults. Never mix registers with the same person. If you begin an interaction with usted, maintain third-person forms, formal commands, and formal pronouns right to the end.

Remember that usted and ustedes take third-person verbs: ¿Tiene usted una talla más grande? (Do you have a bigger size?) or ¿Podría ayudarme? (Could you help me?). To give a command to a friend, use the third person singular of the present indicative: ¡Habla más despacio! (Speak slower!), ¡Come algo! (Eat something!). Irregular informal commands include haz, ven, di, pon, sal, sé, ten, ve. Formal commands to usted use the present subjunctive with pronouns attached to the end: Dígame (Tell me), Espere un momento (Wait a moment), Resérvemela, por favor (Reserve it for me, please).

Essential Past Tenses and Timeframes

Nearly every Leaving Certificate dialogue requires you to report past events, discuss current feelings, and make future plans.

Pretérito Indefinido versus Pretérito Imperfecto

Use the pretérito indefinido for completed past actions that occurred at a specific time: Ayer compré una camisa nueva (Yesterday I bought a new shirt). Regular verbs take an accent on the final vowel in the yo and él/ella forms: llegué, llegó; comí, comió. High-frequency irregular preterites drop standard accents:

• ser / ir → fui, fuiste, fue, fuimos, fuisteis, fueron
• estar → estuve, estuviste, estuvo...
• tener → tuve, tuviste, tuvo...
• hacer → hice, hiciste, hizo...
• poder → pude, pudiste, pudo...
• poner → puse, pusiste, puso...
• decir → dije, dijiste, dijo...
• dar → di, diste, dio... (no accents)
• ver → vi, viste, vio... (no accents)
• haber → hubo (hubo un problema = there was a problem)

Use the pretérito imperfecto for background descriptions, past routines, weather, and physical or emotional states: Hacía mucho frío y yo estaba agotado (It was very cold and I was exhausted); La chaqueta era demasiado grande (The jacket was too big).

Connecting past, present, and future

• Recent past: use acabar de + infinitivo for actions just completed: Acabo de llegar a la estación (I have just arrived at the station).
• Future plans: use ir a + infinitivo (Voy a buscar un trabajo de verano = I am going to look for a summer job) or the simple future (Trabajaré en una cafetería).
• Softening requests: use the conditional to make polite inquiries: ¿Podría darme un recibo? (Could you give me a receipt?); Preferiría cambiarlo por otro (I would prefer to exchange it for another one).

Mastering the Present Subjunctive

The presente de subjuntivo is rewarded heavily in Higher Level written production. Examiners look for it in subordinate clauses after expressions of wishing, recommending, emotion, purpose, and negative belief.

Building the present subjunctive in three steps

1. Take the yo form of the present indicative: hablo, como, tengo, hago, salgo, digo, vengo.
2. Drop the final -o: habl-, com-, teng-, hag-, salg-, dig-, veng-.
3. Swap the vowel: -ar verbs take -e endings (hable, hables, hable, hablemos, habléis, hablen); -er and -ir verbs take -a endings (coma, comas, coma, comamos, comáis, coman; tenga, hagas, salga).

Six irregular verbs do not come from the yo stem and must be memorised:

• ser → sea
• ir → vaya
• saber → sepa
• haber → haya
• dar → dé
• estar → esté

Verbs with spelling changes keep their pronunciation: practicar → practique, llegar → llegue, empezar → empiece.

The change-of-subject rule

When the subject of both verbs is the same, use the infinitive: Quiero viajar a España (I want to travel to Spain). When the subject changes and the main verb expresses influence, desire, recommendation, or purpose, use que followed by the subjunctive:

• Mis padres quieren que estudie medicina. (My parents want me to study medicine.)
• Te recomiendo que reserves la entrada hoy. (I recommend that you book the ticket today.)
• Te llamo para que sepas la hora del tren. (I am calling you so that you know the train time.)

Belief versus doubt

Affirmative expressions of belief take the indicative: Creo que el examen es difícil (I think the exam is difficult). Negated expressions of belief or doubt trigger the subjunctive: No creo que el examen sea difícil (I don't think the exam is difficult); Dudo que tenga tiempo (I doubt that he has time).

Everyday Situational Language

Dialogue prompts draw repeatedly on standard syllabus interactions. Learning the idiomatic structures for these scenarios secures high marks for vocabulary and communicative intent.

Apologising, giving excuses, and reacting

• Apologising: Lo siento muchísimo, es que perdí el autobús. (I am very sorry, the thing is that I missed the bus — es que... is the natural way to introduce an excuse.)
• Delay: Perdona el retraso, se me olvidó por completo. (Sorry for being late, I completely forgot.) Formal: Perdone el retraso.
• Shifting blame: No fue culpa mía, el tren llegó con media hora de retraso. (It was not my fault, the train arrived half an hour late.)
• Accepting an apology: No te preocupes, no pasa nada. (Don't worry, it's fine.)
• Conversational reactions: ¡Qué buena noticia! (What great news!), ¡Qué lástima! / ¡Qué pena! (What a shame!), ¡Qué rollo! (What a pain!).

Making arrangements with quedar

To arrange a meeting, Spanish uses the verb quedar. Do not confuse quedar (to arrange to meet) with conocer (to meet someone for the first time) or encontrarse con (to bump into someone):

• ¿Quedamos a las ocho delante del cine? (Shall we meet at eight in front of the cinema?)
• Quedamos en la plaza mayor, ¿te parece bien? (Let's meet in the main square, does that suit you?)
• ¿Te apetece salir a tomar algo? (Do you fancy going out for a drink?)
• Accepting: ¡Vale, genial! Allí nos vemos. (Fine, great! See you there.)
• Rescheduling: Lo siento, el sábado trabajo. ¿Podemos dejarlo para el domingo? (Sorry, I'm working on Saturday. Can we leave it until Sunday?)

Shopping and services

In Spanish commercial transactions, requests are expressed directly and politely using quiero, quisiera, or me gustaría:

• Sizes: use la talla for clothing (¿Tiene una talla más grande?), el número for footwear (Calzo el número 42), and el tamaño for physical dimensions.
• Fit: Me queda pequeño / grande (It is too small / big on me); Te queda muy bien (It suits you).
• Changing items: Quiero cambiar esta camisa porque me queda estrecha. (I want to exchange this shirt because it is too tight on me.)
• Refunds: Si no tiene esa talla, preferiría que me devolviera el dinero. (If you do not have that size, I would prefer you to refund my money.)
• Payment: ¿Puedo pagar con tarjeta de crédito o tiene que ser en metálico? (Can I pay by credit card or does it have to be in cash?).

Ninety-Second Turn-Checking Routine

Before leaving a completed turn, carry out this five-point routine:

1. Check the prompt elements: Re-read the English cue. Tick off every individual instruction against your Spanish text to ensure zero omissions.
2. Check your verbs: Circle each verb. Check that the tense matches the timeframe (preterite for single completed actions, imperfect for background descriptions) and that the personal ending agrees with the subject.
3. Inspect the register: Confirm that you have kept the same form of address throughout (tú with te/tu/comes; usted with le/su/come). If writing a formal turn, ensure commands use the subjunctive.
4. Verify opening punctuation: Check that every question begins with ¿ and ends with ?, and every exclamation begins with ¡ and ends with !.
5. Check written accents: Verify accents on question words (¿qué, cuándo, dónde, cómo, cuál?), regular preterites (compré / compró, comí / comió; note compro = I buy vs compró = he/she bought), and ensure you have written the letter ñ correctly (año, mañana, español).

Key terms

Intención comunicativa

The communicative requirement set out in the English prompt that must be completely conveyed in Spanish to score full marks on a turn.

Registro

The level of social formality used: informal ('tú' / 'vosotros') for peers and friends; formal ('usted' / 'ustedes') for officials, clerks, and strangers.

Pretérito indefinido

The preterite tense, used to report completed actions and events that took place at a definite past moment.

Pretérito imperfecto

The imperfect tense, used for past descriptions, states of mind, weather, and habitual past actions.

Presente de subjuntivo

The subjunctive mood, required in subordinate clauses following expressions of wish, doubt, influence, or purpose when the subject changes.

Quedar

The standard Spanish verb used to arrange to meet someone, distinct from 'conocer' (to meet for the first time) and 'encontrarse con' (to bump into).

Marcadores discursivos

Discourse markers and conversational fillers (e.g. 'bueno', 'la verdad es que', 'por lo tanto') that give rhythm and flow to spoken dialogue.

La talla / El número

Specific nouns for sizing: 'la talla' denotes clothing size, whereas 'el número' denotes shoe size.