ES.W6 Theme 2.1/2.3: Where I live and the environment - Writing

AQA 8692 · Calculators not allowed · about 45 minutes

Total Marks

Name: _______________________________ Date: ____ / ____ / ______

Question 1 is the Foundation tier task: write approximately 90 words in Spanish. Question 2 is the Higher tier task: write approximately 150 words in Spanish. Answer the question that matches your tier, or attempt both for practice. Question 3 is a short structured writing task: answer each bullet point with a short response in Spanish. Question 4 asks you to translate five sentences into Spanish.

Foundation tier. You are writing a message for a Spanish pen pal about your town and the environment. Write approximately 90 words in Spanish. You must include the following points:

- cómo es el pueblo o la ciudad donde vives
- qué problemas medioambientales hay en tu zona
- una opinión sobre el reciclaje
- algo que haces tú para proteger el medio ambiente

(Total for Question 1 is 20 marks)

Higher tier. You are writing an article for a Spanish environmental magazine about your local area and the environment. Write approximately 150 words in Spanish. You must include the following points:

- cómo es la zona donde vives actualmente
- cómo ha cambiado el medio ambiente en tu zona en los últimos años
- qué planes tienes para ser más respetuoso con el medio ambiente en el futuro
- tu opinión sobre lo que deberían hacer los gobiernos para proteger el planeta, con razones

(Total for Question 2 is 28 marks)

You are answering a short survey for a Spanish environmental awareness campaign at school. Answer each question below with a short response in Spanish (one or two sentences).

(a)¿Dónde vives?(2)

(b)¿Reciclas en casa?(2)

(c)¿Qué problema medioambiental te preocupa más?(2)

(d)¿Qué vas a hacer para proteger el medio ambiente?(2)

(Total for Question 3 is 8 marks)

Translate these sentences into Spanish.

(a)My town is quiet, but there is a lot of pollution near the factories.(3)

(b)Last year, the council planted a hundred trees in the park.(3)

(c)If everyone recycled more, there would be less rubbish in the sea.(4)

(d)It is important that we protect the environment for future generations.(2)

(Total for Question 4 is 12 marks)

Mark scheme · ES.W6 Theme 2.1/2.3: Where I live and the environment - Writing

Question 1

Content and communication (AO4, 10 marks)
- Level 3 (8-10): All four bullet points covered with relevant detail; the message communicates clearly throughout; the opinion on recycling is clearly expressed and justified.
- Level 2 (4-7): Most bullet points covered, though development may be thin on one or two; the message is mostly clear; an opinion is given but the justification may be brief or missing.
- Level 1 (1-3): One or two bullet points covered in a basic way; the message has some clarity but gaps in meaning may occur; little or no opinion is offered.
- Level 0 (0): No creditable content, or the response is entirely irrelevant to the task.
Range and accuracy of language (AO4, 10 marks)
- Level 3 (8-10): A good range of vocabulary and structures, including at least one opinion phrase and one connective beyond 'y'/'pero'; verbs are mostly correctly formed and agree with their subject; errors do not hinder understanding.
- Level 2 (4-7): Some variety of vocabulary and structures; verbs are mostly recognisable though with some agreement or spelling errors; meaning is usually clear despite errors.
- Level 1 (1-3): Limited, repetitive vocabulary and structures; frequent verb errors; meaning is sometimes unclear.
- Level 0 (0): Language too limited or inaccurate to communicate meaning.
Indicative content:
- A description of the town using ser/hay/estar, e.g. 'Vivo en un pueblo pequeño que está en el norte de España; hay un parque y un río cerca de mi casa'.
- Mention of a local environmental problem, e.g. 'En mi zona hay bastante contaminación del aire a causa del tráfico'.
- An opinion on recycling using an opinion phrase, e.g. 'Creo que reciclar es muy importante' / 'En mi opinión, no reciclamos lo suficiente'.
- A justifying clause introduced by 'porque', e.g. 'porque ayuda a reducir la cantidad de basura'.
- An action they take to protect the environment, using the present tense, e.g. 'Siempre apago las luces cuando salgo de una habitación' / 'Voy al instituto a pie en vez de en coche'.
- Use of 'hay que' or 'debemos' to express a general environmental obligation, e.g. 'Hay que cuidar el planeta'.
- A connective beyond 'y'/'pero', e.g. 'aunque', 'sin embargo', 'además', to link ideas within or across sentences.

Question 2

Content and communication (AO4, 16 marks)
- Level 4 (13-16): All four bullet points covered with well-developed detail and a clear personal voice; ideas are linked coherently; the article is fully relevant and communicates with precision.
- Level 3 (9-12): All four bullet points covered, though development may be uneven; communication is clear with only occasional loss of precision.
- Level 2 (5-8): Most bullet points covered but with limited development; communication is generally clear though some ideas may be underdeveloped or list-like.
- Level 1 (1-4): One or two bullet points covered in a basic way; communication is patchy, with noticeable gaps in meaning.
Range and accuracy of language (AO4, 12 marks)
- Level 4 (10-12): A wide range of vocabulary and complex structures; a genuine spread of tenses (past, present and future/conditional) used accurately; minor errors only, never obscuring meaning.
- Level 3 (7-9): A good range of vocabulary and some complex structures; at least two different time frames attempted with general accuracy; errors occasionally affect precision but not overall understanding.
- Level 2 (4-6): Some variety of vocabulary; mostly simple structures with limited attempts at other time frames; verb errors are frequent but meaning is usually recoverable.
- Level 1 (1-3): Narrow, repetitive vocabulary confined mostly to the present tense; frequent errors that sometimes prevent understanding.
Indicative content:
- Present-tense description of the local area, e.g. 'Vivo en una ciudad mediana que tiene bastantes zonas verdes, aunque el centro está bastante contaminado'.
- Past-tense account of environmental change, e.g. 'Hace diez años, había mucho menos tráfico, pero desde entonces la contaminación ha aumentado bastante'.
- Future or conditional plans to be more environmentally friendly, e.g. 'A partir de ahora, intentaré usar más el transporte público, y me gustaría empezar a comprar productos con menos envases de plástico'.
- An opinion on what governments should do with a developed reason, e.g. 'En mi opinión, los gobiernos deberían invertir más en energías renovables, porque es la única manera de reducir realmente las emisiones de carbono'.
- Use of a subordinate clause with 'porque', 'ya que' or 'aunque' to justify an opinion in depth.
- A concluding sentence that draws the points together, e.g. 'En resumen, proteger el medio ambiente depende tanto de los gobiernos como de cada individuo'.
- Accurate use of at least one comparative or superlative, e.g. 'El aire de mi ciudad está mucho más contaminado que hace veinte años'.

Question 3

(a) B1 Content: names a plausible type of settlement or place
(a) B1 Accuracy: vivir correctly conjugated in the first person
(a) Answer: Vivo en un pueblo pequeño en el campo.
(b) B1 Content: gives a plausible yes/no answer with a relevant detail
(b) B1 Accuracy: reciclar correctly conjugated in the first person
(b) Answer: Sí, reciclo el papel y el vidrio todas las semanas.
(c) B1 Content: names a plausible environmental problem
(c) B1 Accuracy: preocupar correctly conjugated to agree with the problem (gustar-type verb)
(c) Answer: El problema que más me preocupa es el cambio climático.
(d) B1 Content: gives a plausible environmentally friendly action
(d) B1 Accuracy: ir a + infinitive correctly formed
(d) Answer: Voy a usar menos plástico y a ir al instituto en bicicleta.

Question 4

(a) B1 'Mi pueblo es tranquilo' for my town is quiet
(a) B1 'pero hay mucha contaminación' for but there is a lot of pollution
(a) B1 'cerca de las fábricas' for near the factories
(a) Answer: Mi pueblo es tranquilo, pero hay mucha contaminación cerca de las fábricas.
(b) B1 'El año pasado, el ayuntamiento plantó cien árboles' for last year, the council planted a hundred trees, preterite of plantar
(b) B1 'en el parque' for in the park
(b) B1 correct use of cien (not cien-to) before a plural noun
(b) Answer: El año pasado, el ayuntamiento plantó cien árboles en el parque.
(c) B1 'Si todo el mundo reciclara más' for if everyone recycled more, imperfect subjunctive of reciclar in the si-clause
(c) B1 'habría' for there would be, conditional of haber
(c) B1 'menos basura' for less rubbish
(c) B1 'en el mar' for in the sea
(c) Answer: Si todo el mundo reciclara más, habría menos basura en el mar.
(d) B1 'Es importante que protejamos el medio ambiente' for it is important that we protect the environment, present subjunctive of proteger after es importante que
(d) B1 'para las generaciones futuras' for for future generations
(d) Answer: Es importante que protejamos el medio ambiente para las generaciones futuras.

Theme 2.1/2.3: Where I live and the environment - Writing - Worksheets, Questions and Revision

ES.W6 Theme 2.1/2.3: Where I live and the environment - Writing

Question 1

Question 2

Question 3

Question 4