La tarjeta de foto (Higher) — Advanced Photo-card
📸 La tarjeta de foto (Higher) — Advanced Photo-card
| Feature | Foundation | Higher |
|---|---|---|
| Number of questions | 3 | 5 |
| Unpredictable questions | 1 | 2–3 |
| Expected grammar | Present + past + future | Above + conditional + subjunctive |
| Opinion depth | Basic (me gusta porque) | Nuanced (Lo que más me llama la atención es...) |
| Photo description | 3–4 elements | 5+ elements + theme / message |
Higher examiners award marks for range and complexity. The three tables below give you the structures that distinguish a grade 7–9 response from a grade 5–6. Aim to use at least one phrase from each table across your five answers.
Earn the mark scheme marks
⚠️ Trampas de Higher — Higher Photo-card Pitfalls
❌ "Si tendría más tiempo, viajaría."
✅ "Si tuviera más tiempo, viajaría."
Por qué importa: NEVER use si + conditional. The rule is fixed: si + imperfect subjunctive (tuviera) → conditional (viajaría). Using tendría after si is the single most penalised Higher grammar error in AQA Spanish. Memorise one model sentence — Si tuviera más dinero, viajaría por todo el mundo — and adapt it on the day.
❌ Describing only what you literally see in the photo and then stopping.
✅ Higher photo-cards reward you for extending beyond the image and reading its theme or social message: "La imagen parece representar un problema social, ya que..." / "El mensaje que transmite la foto es..." Say what the photo is about, not just what you see. Examiners are looking for inference and interpretation at Higher.
❌ Using Foundation-level vocabulary throughout: me gusta, no me gusta, bueno, malo.
✅ Upgrade your register deliberately: me gusta → lo encuentro fascinante / me resulta estimulante; no me gusta → me resulta frustrante / lo considero perjudicial; bueno → positivo / beneficioso; malo → perjudicial / preocupante. The examiner is explicitly assessing vocabulary range under AO3 — every upgraded word earns marks.
❌ Self-correcting and then freezing or trailing off.
✅ Self-correction earns marks at Higher — correct yourself and carry on: "...fuimos... digo, íbamos... sí, íbamos a la playa cada verano." AQA examiners are trained to award credit for demonstrated awareness of error. Don't freeze after a correction — the correction itself shows grammatical knowledge.
Now try it yourself
Quiz · Question 1 of 15
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