Numbers, dates and times (listening)

❌ Common error: Es las dos

✅ Correct: Son las dos

Why it costs marks: 1 o'clock is singular: la una. All other times take the plural verb: Son las.... Using es with las dos is a grammatical error the examiner records against AO3.

❌ Common error: Hearing Son las ocho y cuarto and writing 8:45

✅ Correct: 8:15 (y cuarto = +15 min; menos cuarto = −15 min, i.e. 7:45)

Why it costs marks: y cuarto always adds 15 minutes; menos cuarto subtracts 15 minutes from the next hour. Confusing these two costs a grid-task mark.

❌ Common error: Confusing trece (13) with treinta (30)

✅ Correct: trece = 13 (two syllables, ending -ece); treinta = 30 (two syllables, ending -inta)

Why it costs marks: Price and age questions frequently use these numbers. The vowel endings are different — focus on the final syllable to distinguish them.

❌ Common error: el uno de enero

✅ Correct: el primero de enero

Why it costs marks: The 1st of the month always uses the ordinal primero, not the cardinal uno. All other dates use cardinals: el dos, el tres...