Welcome to Your Spanish Grammar Toolkit: Prepositions, Conjunctions, Numbers, and Time
Welcome! Whether you are aiming for a Foundation or Higher tier grade in your CCEA GCSE Spanish (5750) exam, mastering prepositions, conjunctions, numbers, and time expressions is one of the quickest ways to supercharge your grades across all four units: Listening, Speaking, Reading, and Writing.
Think of these grammar tools as the glue, bricks, and clocks of the Spanish language. Without them, sentences are just isolated words. With them, you can build smooth, detailed, and high-scoring sentences across all three CCEA contexts: Identity, Lifestyle and Culture; Local, National, International and Global Areas of Interest; and School Life, Studies and the World of Work.
Don't worry if grammar has felt confusing in the past. We will break down every single rule step-by-step with clear examples, memory tricks, and examiner tips!
---Section 1: Prepositions (Las preposiciones)
A preposition is a small word that links nouns, pronouns, or phrases to other words in a sentence, usually showing position, direction, time, or relationships.
1. Common Simple Prepositions
Here are the essential simple prepositions you must recognize and use for CCEA GCSE:
• a = to, at
• con = with
• de = of, from, about
• desde = from, since
• durante = during
• en = in, on, at
• entre = between, among
• hacia = towards
• hasta = until, up to
• para = for, in order to
• por = by, for, because of, through
• según = according to
• sin = without
• sobre = on, about, over
• tras = after, behind
2. Prepositional Contractions
In Spanish, when the prepositions a or de are followed immediately by the masculine singular definite article el (the), they must merge into a single word:
• a + el = al (to the / at the)
Example: Voy al cine. (I go to the cinema.)
• de + el = del (of the / from the)
Example: El libro del profesor. (The teacher's book.)
Important Note: This contraction never happens with feminine or plural articles. Keep them separate: a la, de la, a los, de los, a las, de las.
3. The Personal a (La 'a' personal)
Whenever the direct object of a verb is a specific person (or a beloved pet treated like family), Spanish requires you to place the word a right in front of them. In English, we do not translate this word, but in Spanish, leaving it out is a classic GCSE mistake!
• Veo a mi madre. (I see my mother. — Person = Personal a needed!)
• Visito a mis abuelos. (I visit my grandparents. — People = Personal a needed!)
• Veo un autobús. (I see a bus. — Object = No personal a.)
4. The Big Showdown: Por vs. Para
Both words often translate to "for" in English, but they do completely different jobs in Spanish. Learning when to use each will earn you top marks in your writing and speaking exams!
Use PARA for Endpoints, Goals, and Deadlines:
• Purpose / "In order to" (+ infinitive): Estudio para aprobar. (I study in order to pass.)
• Recipient / Destination: El regalo es para María. (The present is for María.)
• Deadline / Specific future time: Es para el lunes. (It is for Monday.)
• Opinion: Para mí, es importante. (In my opinion / For me, it is important.)
Use POR for Causes, Exchanges, Movement, and Duration:
• Cause / Reason / "Because of": Llegué tarde por el tráfico. (I arrived late because of the traffic.)
• Exchange / Price: Pagué veinte euros por la camiseta. (I paid twenty euros for the T-shirt.)
• Movement through / along / by: Paseamos por el parque. (We walk through the park.)
• Means of transport or communication: Hablamos por teléfono. (We speak by phone.)
• Duration / Approximate time: Estudié por dos horas. (I studied for two hours.)
5. Locational Prepositional Phrases
These phrases are crucial for describing your town, school, or bedroom in CCEA Contexts 1 and 2:
• al lado de = next to
• cerca de = near to
• debajo de = underneath
• delante de = in front of
• detrás de = behind
• encima de = on top of
• enfrente de = opposite / facing
• lejos de = far from
Example: Mi casa está al lado del polideportivo. (Notice how de + el contracted to del!)
Key Takeaways: Prepositions
• Always merge a + el into al and de + el into del.
• Put a before specific people when they receive the action of a verb (personal a).
• Use para for destinations/goals ("in order to") and por for reasons/causes ("because of", "thanks to" — always gracias por).
Section 2: Conjunctions (Las conjunciones)
Conjunctions are connecting words. Using a wide variety of conjunctions moves your work from simple short sentences to complex, sophisticated paragraphs that examiners love.
1. Coordinating Conjunctions
These link words or clauses of equal importance:
• pero = but (Me gusta el fútbol, pero prefiero el tenis.)
• ni... ni... = neither... nor... (No me gusta ni la geografía ni la historia.)
• sino / sino que = but rather / but on the contrary (used after a negative to correct a fact: No soy inglés, sino irlandés.)
Phonetic Spelling Changes with Conjunctions:
• y (and) changes to e before words starting with the sound [i] (spelled i- or hi-). This prevents two identical sounds clashing.
Example: Hablo español e inglés. (NOT *español y inglés)
Example: Padres e hijos. (Parents and children)
• o (or) changes to u before words starting with the sound [o] (spelled o- or ho-).
Example: Siete u ocho personas. (Seven or eight people — NOT *siete o ocho)
2. Subordinating Conjunctions
These introduce subordinate clauses, helping you justify opinions and explain events:
• Reason / Cause: porque (because), ya que / puesto que / dado que (since / given that), como (as / since — placed at the start of a sentence).
Example: Como llovía, no salí. (As it was raining, I didn't go out.)
• Condition: si (if — note: no accent! sí with an accent means "yes").
Example: Si tengo tiempo, iré al cine. (If I have time, I will go to the cinema.)
• Contrast / Concession: aunque (although / even if).
Example: Voy a salir aunque hace frío. (I am going to go out although it is cold.)
• Purpose: para que (+ subjunctive = so that / in order that).
• Time: cuando (when), mientras (while), luego que / tan pronto como (as soon as).
Key Takeaways: Conjunctions
• Upgrade from basic porque to higher-tier alternatives like ya que or dado que.
• Remember the sound-savers: y becomes e before [i] sounds; o becomes u before [o] sounds.
• Use sino instead of pero when you mean "not this, but rather that".
Section 3: Numbers (Los números)
Numbers appear everywhere in CCEA exams: listening for prices, reading bus timetables, stating your age, and giving dates.
1. Cardinal Numbers (Números cardinales)
• 0–15 (Unique forms): cero (0), uno (1), dos (2), tres (3), cuatro (4), cinco (5), seis (6), siete (7), ocho (8), nueve (9), diez (10), once (11), doce (12), trece (13), catorce (14), quince (15).
• 16–29 (Single-word spelling): dieciséis (16), diecisiete (17), dieciocho (18), diecinueve (19), veinte (20), veintiuno (21), veintidós (22), veintitrés (23), veinticuatro (24), veinticinco (25), veintiséis (26), veintisiete (27), veintiocho (28), veintinueve (29).
• 30–99 (Separate words joined by 'y'): treinta y uno (31), cuarenta y dos (42), cincuenta y tres (53), sesenta y cuatro (64), setenta y cinco (75), ochenta y seis (86), noventa y siete (97).
• 100 and Beyond:
- cien = exactly 100 (or before a noun: cien libros)
- ciento = used for 101 to 199 (e.g., ciento cinco = 105)
- doscientos/as (200), trescientos/as (300), cuatrocientos/as (400)
- quinientos/as (500) — Watch the irregular spelling!
- seiscientos/as (600)
- setecientos/as (700) — Irregular stem!
- ochocientos/as (800)
- novecientos/as (900) — Irregular stem!
- mil (1,000), un millón (1,000,000)
2. Number Shortening (Apócope)
When the number uno comes directly before a masculine singular noun, it drops the final -o to become un. The same applies to compounds ending in -uno:
• Tengo un hermano. (I have one brother.)
• Hay veintiún alumnos. (There are 21 students.)
3. Ordinal Numbers (Números ordinales)
Foundation tier covers 1st to 5th; Higher tier covers 1st to 10th. Ordinal numbers agree in gender and number with the noun they describe:
• 1st: primero/a (Special rule: drops to primer before a masculine singular noun: el primer día)
• 2nd: segundo/a
• 3rd: tercero/a (Special rule: drops to tercer before a masculine singular noun: el tercer piso)
• 4th: cuarto/a
• 5th: quinto/a
• 6th: sexto/a
• 7th: séptimo/a
• 8th: octavo/a
• 9th: noveno/a
• 10th: décimo/a
Key Takeaways: Numbers
• Numbers 16 to 29 are written as one single word (e.g. veinticinco). From 31 upwards, use three words (e.g. treinta y cinco).
• Watch irregular hundreds: quinientos (500), setecientos (700), novecientos (900).
• Primero and tercero shorten to primer and tercer before masculine singular nouns.
Section 4: Time and Time Expressions (La hora y expresiones temporales)
1. Telling the Time
In Spanish, we use the verb ser to tell the time. Because hours are feminine in Spanish (referring to las horas), we always use feminine articles (la / las):
• For 1 o'clock (Singular): Es la una. (It is 1:00.)
• For all other hours (Plural): Son las dos / tres / ocho / diez. (It is 2:00 / 3:00 / 8:00 / 10:00.)
Adding Minutes:
• Son las tres y cuarto. (It is 3:15 / quarter past three.)
• Son las cuatro y media. (It is 4:30 / half past four.)
• Son las seis menos cuarto. (It is 5:45 / quarter to six.)
• Son las ocho menos diez. (It is 7:50 / ten to eight.)
At What Time? (¿A qué hora?):
To say that an event happens "at" a particular time, use a la or a las:
• La clase empieza a la una. (The class starts at one o'clock.)
• El tren sale a las ocho de la mañana. (The train leaves at eight in the morning.)
• de la mañana = in the morning / a.m.
• de la tarde = in the afternoon / p.m.
• de la noche = in the evening/night / p.m.
2. Expressing Duration: Actions Continuing from Past to Present
In English, we say: "I have been living here for three years."
In Spanish, you must not translate this word-for-word. Instead, Spanish uses the present tense because the action is still happening right now! You have two standard formulas:
Formula 1: [Present Tense Verb] + desde hace + [Time Period]
Example: Vivo en Belfast desde hace cinco años. (I have been living in Belfast for five years.)
Formula 2: Hace + [Time Period] + que + [Present Tense Verb]
Example: Hace cinco años que vivo en Belfast. (I have been living in Belfast for five years.)
3. Expressing Completed Actions in the Past ("Ago")
When an action is completely finished in the past, use the Preterite tense with hace:
Formula: [Preterite Verb] + hace + [Time Period]
Example: Llegué hace dos horas. (I arrived two hours ago.)
Example: Terminé mis deberes hace diez minutos. (I finished my homework ten minutes ago.)
Key Takeaways: Time
• Use Es la una for 1 o'clock, but Son las... for all other hours.
• To say "at" a time, use a la (for 1:00) or a las (for 2:00–12:00).
• For ongoing actions ("have been doing for..."), use Present Tense + desde hace.
• For completed past actions ("ago"), use Preterite Tense + hace.
Common Pitfalls to Avoid in the CCEA Exam
Examiner reports frequently highlight these recurring mistakes. Double-check your work to avoid losing easy marks:
1. Writing a el or de el: Remember that these must contract to al and del.
2. Forgetting the Personal a: Writing Veo mis amigos instead of the correct Veo a mis amigos.
3. Saying Gracias para: "Thank you for..." is always Gracias por... because it expresses gratitude for a reason/cause.
4. Clashing Vowel Sounds: Writing español y inglés instead of español e inglés, or siete o ocho instead of siete u ocho.
5. Incorrect Apocope: Writing el primero día or el tercero piso instead of el primer día and el tercer piso.
6. Literal Translation of "Have been doing": Writing he estado viviendo para 3 años instead of the correct vivo desde hace 3 años.
7. Time Agreement with Ser: Writing Es las tres instead of the plural Son las tres.