Present tense
Use the present for routines and current states. Regular -ar, -er and -ir verbs have different ending patterns. Learn frequent irregulars such as voy, tengo and hago.
Estudio español y mis amigos aprenden francés.
GCSE · Spanish · grammar
For Years 9–11 · Learn, try, checkGCSE Spanish Grammar: Choose the Right Verb Form
Build accurate sentences with concise tense notes, examples and short answer-reveal practice.
Build a sentence you can change
Begin with a subject, a verb and one clear detail. For writing and speaking, present-tense routines, completed past events and future plans are useful starting points. For reading and listening, recognising a form matters even before you can produce it quickly.
Use your board and tier’s grammar list to choose priorities. Get frequent verbs secure before adding longer structures.
- Say a sentence, change its subject, then check the new ending.
- Move it to a different time frame and change the time marker too.
- Add a negative or reason without changing the intended meaning.
- Keep a small correction log: wrong form → correct form → new example.
Spanish grammar: the useful building blocks
These are concise starting notes, not the entire specification. Each example shows the form doing a job in a sentence.
Preterite
Use the preterite for completed past events. Regular first-person forms include -é for -ar verbs and -í for -er/-ir verbs. Common irregulars include fui, hice and tuve.
Ayer jugué al tenis y después hice los deberes.
Imperfect
Use the imperfect for habits or background in the past. Regular -ar verbs use -aba endings, and -er/-ir verbs use -ía. Ser, ir and ver are irregular.
De pequeño, iba al parque todos los días.
Near future
Use present ir + a + infinitive for a plan. The infinitive does not change with the subject.
Voy a estudiar y mi hermana va a leer.
Simple future
Add -é, -ás, -á, -emos, -éis, -án to the infinitive. Irregular stems include tendr-, har- and podr-.
Mañana iré al colegio en autobús.
Conditional
Add -ía, -ías, -ía, -íamos, -íais, -ían to the infinitive or an irregular future stem. Use it for wishes or hypothetical outcomes.
Me gustaría aprender italiano.
Ser and estar
Ser often describes identity or characteristics; estar describes location and states. They are not simply “permanent” and “temporary”: learn the intended meaning.
Mi colegio es grande y está cerca de mi casa.
Gustar-type verbs
With gustar, the thing liked controls the verb: me gusta el libro, me gustan los libros. Me, te and le identify who has the feeling. An infinitive takes gusta.
Me gusta bailar, pero me gustan también los deportes.
Adjective agreement
Adjectives agree in number and often gender. Those ending in -e commonly have one form for both genders; they still change for plural nouns.
Una clase interesante ; unas clases interesantes.
Pronouns
Direct object pronouns include lo, la, los and las. They normally precede a conjugated verb and can attach to an infinitive.
Tengo una bicicleta y la uso cada día.
Negatives
No normally goes before the verb. Nunca can go before it on its own, or after a verb already preceded by no. Ya no means no longer.
Nunca como carne. No como carne nunca.
Comparisons
Use más…que, menos…que and tan…como. Mejor and peor compare good and bad; do not write más mejor.
El tren es más rápido que el autobús.
Connectives
Y adds, pero contrasts, porque gives a reason and por eso introduces a result. Aunque can express a contrast; keep the rest of the sentence manageable.
Me gusta leer porque aprendo mucho.
Choose the form from the meaning
Original practice · not an exam paper
Four short grammar checks
Write the missing form or correction. Say why it fits before you reveal the answers.
- Complete: Ayer ___ (jugar, yo) al fútbol.
- Choose: Me (gusta / gustan) las ciencias.
- Complete: Mi colegio ___ (ser / estar) cerca de mi casa.
- Complete: Mañana voy a ___ (estudiar / estudio).
Reveal answers and explanations
- Jugué: preterite first person, with spelling change to preserve the sound and an accent.
- Gustan: las ciencias is plural.
- Está: location uses estar; include the accent.
- Estudiar: an infinitive follows voy a.
Use grammar in a real answer
Me gustan las ciencias porque son interesantes. Ayer estudié con una amiga. Mañana voy a hacer un proyecto.
Underline the verbs, then label each time frame. Write a version about your own life, keeping the grammatical pattern but changing the detail. Finally say it aloud without reading.
Original practice · not an exam paper
Change one detail, keep the structure
Change the final sentence to a new plan or wish. Then check the subject, verb and any agreement. For example, change voy a hacer to voy a preparar, not voy a preparo.
Reveal answers and explanations
A model adaptation is Mañana voy a preparar una presentación.. Your own accurate alternative may be different.
Grammar helps writing when it conveys a precise meaning, and speaking when it makes an answer easy to follow. A memorised complex sentence that does not fit the question is not an improvement.
Check the assessment for your board
Confirm your board and tier with your teacher. These are original learning resources, not official papers or a grade prediction.
AQA
AQA specifies grammar by tier. Grammar supports all four skills, and Foundation writing includes short grammar tasks. Use your tier’s official list to prioritise forms rather than assuming every example here is required.
Official AQA Spanish specification (PDF)Pearson Edexcel GCSE
Pearson Edexcel GCSE publishes tier-specific grammar and sound–symbol correspondences. Use these to connect verb accuracy in writing with recognising forms in reading and dictation; do not substitute an old-specification checklist.
Pearson Edexcel GCSE Spanish speaking guide
Official Pearson Edexcel GCSE Spanish specification (PDF)GCSE guidance uses the specifications first taught in September 2024, first examined in 2026. Older GCSE task formats are not interchangeable with these.
Carry the skill into your next answer
Move between understanding language and using it. Pick a related resource rather than starting another long checklist.
Ready to say it aloud?
The website supports broad revision. The ScoreMySpeech app stays specialist: French and Spanish speaking practice with feedback, not full reading, listening or writing assessment.