La tarea de 150 palabras (Higher) — Extended Writing
📝 La tarea de 150 palabras (Higher) — Extended Writing
| What the 150-word task asks for | Examples |
|---|---|
| Address all prompts | Usually 3–4 aspects to cover |
| Show time frames | Past, present, future all required |
| Express opinions with reasons | Not just "me gusta" — add "porque" + contrast |
| Use complex structures | Relative clauses, subjunctive, conditional |
| Structured paragraphs | Intro + development + conclusion |
These structures push your response into the top quality bands. Examiners are trained to spot them — use at least one per paragraph.
Earn the mark scheme marks
⚠️ Trampas del Higher — Higher Writing Traps
❌ "Si tendría más tiempo..."
✅ "Si tuviera más tiempo, tendría..." — NEVER "si + conditional". The rule: si + imperfect subjunctive → conditional. "Si tendría" is the most penalised error in Higher writing.
Why: Spanish grammar requires the imperfect subjunctive after si in hypothetical sentences — the conditional is reserved for the result clause. "Si tendría" is grammatically impossible in standard Spanish and marks the response as below Higher level regardless of everything else.
❌ Using only simple sentences
✅ Connect ideas: not "Me gusta la ciudad. Hay parques." → "La ciudad en la que vivo tiene muchos parques, aunque a veces hay demasiado tráfico."
Why: Higher quality marks reward syntactic complexity. Simple sentence + simple sentence stays in Band 2. A relative clause or subordinate conjunction lifts the same content into Band 3 or 4 — same ideas, far higher mark.
❌ Crossing out with multiple lines or using correction fluid
✅ One neat line through the error, rewrite beside/below. Examiners cannot mark what they cannot see.
Why: AQA examiners mark what is legible on the page. Heavy crossing out or correction fluid makes text unreadable — the mark is lost even if the original word was correct. A single line keeps the correction visible and gradeable.
Now try it yourself
Quiz · Question 1 of 16
Tap an answer to check it