Devices — Uso el móvil, una tableta y un ordenador means I use a mobile, a tablet and a computer. In many Latin American varieties computadora is used for computer. Learn the gender with the word. Una pantalla is a screen; un teclado is a keyboard, not the whole computer.
Uses and purpose — Uso internet para buscar información means I use the internet to find information. Para + infinitive gives purpose. Envío mensajes y hago videollamadas means I send messages and make video calls. Do not conjugate the infinitive after para.
Contact and relationships — Hablo con mis amigos por internet means I talk with my friends online. Le mando un mensaje a mi abuela means I send my grandmother a message: le identifies the recipient. La llamo means I phone her, with direct-object la, a different grammatical function.
Frequency and preferences — Paso dos horas al día en línea means I spend two hours a day online. Prefiero los mensajes a las llamadas compares messages with calls. Solo los fines de semana limits frequency; no longer is Higher ya no, distinguished from nunca, never.
Uses and drawbacks
Media types — Las noticias, un periódico, una revista and un programa mean the news, a newspaper, a magazine and a programme. Programa is masculine despite ending in -a. Veo las noticias means I watch the news; escucho la radio means I listen to the radio.
Opinions and reliability — Creo que esta noticia es falsa means I think this news item is false. Según el artículo marks attribution. A headline alone may omit a correction or a condition; read the whole text and distinguish reported opinions from established information.
Benefits — La tecnología me ayuda a estudiar means Technology helps me study. Puedo mantener el contacto con mi familia means I can keep in touch with my family. Ayudar a takes a before an infinitive; poder does not: puedo hablar, not puedo a hablar.
Drawbacks — A veces pierdo tiempo y duermo menos means Sometimes I waste time and sleep less. Perder changes e→ie: pierdo. Menos sueño is a noun phrase; duermo menos modifies the verb. Preserve a veces rather than turning the statement into always.
Privacy and choices — No comparto mi dirección means I do not share my address. Hay que proteger los datos expresses a general obligation. Bloquear a un usuario describes blocking a particular user. Language examples practise communication; use actual school guidance for decisions about an account.
Time and application
Past use — Ayer envié un mensaje y vi un vídeo means Yesterday I sent a message and watched a video. Antes usaba el ordenador de mi padre means I used to use my father's computer. Envié/vi are completed events; usaba is a former habit; de marks possession.
Recent result — He comprado un móvil means I have bought a mobile. Form the present perfect with he + comprado; do not agree comprado with the speaker or phone. El móvil está roto means The phone is broken, a state; he roto el móvil means I have broken the phone, an action.
Plans and wishes — Voy a usar menos el móvil means I am going to use my phone less. Quisiera aprender a programar means I would like to learn to code. A plan should specify an action and purpose, using language accurately rather than claiming a quiz score changes a habit.
Reading a correction — Pensé que el mensaje era de Ana, pero era de Luis means I thought the message was from Ana, but it was from Luis. The later clause corrects the initial belief. Track who sent it, who received it and what the source finally establishes.
Communication task — Compare two communication methods for an imagined situation with reasons. Ask for a missing detail and respond to an unexpected problem. Write an account with past use and a future intention; check object pronouns, time frames and purpose links.
Digital actions in order — Descargo una aplicación y creo una cuenta means I download an app and create an account. Hago clic en el enlace means I click on the link; guardo el documento means I save the document. Guardar is not the same as borrar, to delete. An instruction sequence depends on both verbs and objects, so recognising only aplicación is insufficient to follow it.
Technical problems — La batería está descargada means The battery is flat; no tengo conexión means I have no connection. He olvidado mi contraseña means I have forgotten my password. Olvidar is forget; perder is lose. Describe the actual fault before selecting a response: a damaged screen and a forgotten password need different actions.
Reading the whole report — El titular anuncia un cierre, pero el artículo dice que el museo abre los sábados means The headline announces a closure, but the article says the museum opens on Saturdays. The second clause qualifies the first. Fecha, autor and fuente identify date, author and source. Use the qualification and publication context rather than treating a headline or number of shares as the whole evidence.
Test yourself
30 questions · Random sets of 10. These quick checks support revision; practise longer explanations and justified judgements too.
Mind map
Use the branches to recall the ideas and explain their connections. Check the revision notes for the full detail.
ES8 · 1
View ES8 · 1 mind mapOpen the full-size map to zoom. Use the printable view for A4 landscape or enlarge to A3.
Mr Kidman's Classroom
