What a short-answer question is: A short-answer question (la respuesta corta) asks you to answer a question about a recording in a few words of Spanish — not a sentence, not an essay. What earns the mark is the correct, relevant content the question asks for, NOT essay style or perfect grammar. You hear the clip twice, then write the exact detail.
- la respuesta corta
- the short answer — a few words, not a sentence
- la pregunta
- the question — what you must answer
- el dato
- the piece of information / the detail
- la palabra clave
- the key word — what you note down
- responder
- to answer / to respond
- preciso/a
- precise — exactly to the point
A few words is enough: You do not need a full sentence. «En bicicleta» scores just as well as «Va al instituto en bicicleta» — and it's faster and safer. Give the exact detail the question asks for and move on.
Three rules, one table: Short answers come down to three rules. English explains the rule; the point is the same in every recording: give the right detail, briefly, to the question actually asked.
| Regla | Qué significa |
|---|---|
| Pocas palabras | una palabra o una frase corta basta — no escribas oraciones largas |
| Responde lo que se pregunta | contesta exactamente la pregunta formulada, no otra cosa |
| No copies trozos largos | no copies frases enteras del texto; da solo el dato pedido |
The two facts students forget: 1) A short, correct answer scores full marks — length adds nothing. 2) The mark is for the content, so don't lose it by over-writing or by copying a long, irrelevant chunk hoping the answer is buried in there.
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A method for every short answer: Don't try to write down everything you hear. Run the same five steps on each short-answer question and you'll capture the exact detail the examiner wants.
Nail the short answer
Read the question
Read the question carefully — what exactly is it asking? A time? A place? A reason? Pin it down before the audio plays.
Listen for that detail
On the recording, listen for that specific detail — ignore everything that isn't the answer to the question.
Note the key word(s)
Jot down the key word or words as you hear them — a quick note, not a full sentence.
Write a short, precise answer
Turn your note into a short, precise answer — a few words of Spanish, exactly the detail asked for.
Check it answers the question
Read your answer back against the question — does it actually answer what was asked? If yes, move on.
Read Q → Listen → Note → Write short → Check
Shorter is safer: The shorter your answer, the less chance of including something wrong that cancels the mark. Give the detail, nothing more — and never leave a blank.
This is exactly how it feels: This is exactly how a short-answer question feels — you hear the clip, you don't see the words. Read the question, play the audio, write a few-word answer, then reveal the transcript to check. In the real exam you'd hear it twice.
Comprensión auditiva — el fin de semana de Diego
Listen to Diego talk about his weekend. Read the question first, write a SHORT answer, then reveal the transcript to check — exactly how a Paper 2 short-answer question works.
- ¿Cuál es la comida favorita de Diego? (What is Diego's favourite food?) — Responde con pocas palabras.
Hola, me llamo Diego. Los sábados por la mañana ayudo a mi madre en el mercado y por la tarde juego al baloncesto con mis amigos en el polideportivo. Los domingos prefiero quedarme en casa: leo, descanso y, por la noche, ceno con toda mi familia. Mi comida favorita es la paella que prepara mi abuela.
Hi, my name is Diego. On Saturday mornings I help my mum at the market and in the afternoon I play basketball with my friends at the sports centre. On Sundays I prefer to stay at home: I read, I rest and, in the evening, I have dinner with my whole family. My favourite food is the paella my grandma makes.
- La paella (de su abuela).
Answer in a few words: Read the question, listen for that one detail — here, a food. Answer in a few words («la paella»), not a sentence. You hear the clip twice, so use the second play to confirm it.
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Where short-answer marks are lost: Short-answer marks are lost on technique, not on Spanish. Compare what good candidates do with the traps everyone else falls into.
Buenas prácticas
- Answer the question that was ACTUALLY asked.
- Give a few precise words — exactly the detail required.
- Quote only the key word(s), not a long chunk.
- Always write something — never leave a blank.
Errores típicos
- Answer a DIFFERENT question (e.g. give the place when a time is asked).
- Write far too much — a whole paragraph for one detail.
- Copy an irrelevant chunk of the transcript and hope.
- Leave the answer blank because you missed it on the first listen.
Answer the question that was asked: Before you write, re-read the question. The most common lost mark is a correct fact that answers the wrong question. And never leave a blank — you hear it twice, so use the second play to fill every gap.