Los problemas mundiales — global issues vocabulary
📚 Los problemas mundiales — global issues vocabulary
| Human / Social Issues | Environmental Issues |
|---|---|
| la pobreza (poverty) | el calentamiento global (global warming) |
| el hambre (hunger) | la deforestación (deforestation) |
| la desigualdad (inequality) | el efecto invernadero (greenhouse effect) |
| los derechos humanos (human rights) | las inundaciones (floods) |
| los refugiados (refugees) | la sequía (drought) |
| el comercio justo (fair trade) | la pérdida de biodiversidad (loss of biodiversity) |
| la guerra (war) | los combustibles fósiles (fossil fuels) |
| las ONG (NGOs — organizaciones no gubernamentales) | la capa de ozono (ozone layer) |
AQA Paper 2 (reading) and Paper 1 (listening) regularly include global issues texts. Learn both the Spanish term AND the English meaning — exact match is required.
To score top marks in AQA Paper 4 (writing) and Paper 3 (speaking), you must express what must be done to address global problems. Spanish has four high-frequency obligation structures — all followed by the infinitive.
Earn the mark scheme marks
⚠️ Los errores más frecuentes — two traps that cost marks
❌ Error 1 (Género de "hambre"): La hambre es un problema mundial.
✅ Correcto: El hambre es un problema mundial.
Por qué: Hambre is a feminine noun — but it starts with a stressed á- sound, so in the singular it takes el (not la) to avoid the vowel clash. This is exactly the same pattern as el agua and el aula. Crucially, adjectives and pronouns stay feminine: you say el hambre es grave (not gravo). In the very rare plural, it reverts to the feminine: las hambres. Think: el agua fría → same rule, same reason.
⚠️ Error 2 ("Hay que" is impersonal — never add a subject):
❌ Incorrecto: Yo hay que reciclar.
✅ Correcto (impersonal): Hay que reciclar. — or — ✅ Correcto (personal): Yo debo reciclar.
Por qué: Hay que is impersonal — it has no subject and cannot take one. Adding yo, tú, or any pronoun before it is a critical grammatical error. If you want to express personal obligation, switch to the personal verb deber: yo debo / tú debes / debemos + infinitive. Note that the sentence "Hay que reciclar porque el planeta está en peligro" is entirely correct — no fix needed there.
Now try it yourself
Quiz · Question 1 of 13
Tap an answer to check it