Talking about a fairer society in Spanish

• Use impersonal and modalverbs to talk about what you can, must or want to do to make society fairer.

• Modal verbs can be used with another verb in the infinitive form.

• This guide contains a Higher Tier listening activity.

Useful vocabulary to describe equal rights includes:

For example:

Se debe luchar contra el racismo y el sexismo. – One must fight against racism and sexism.

La igualdad debería ser el objetivo de cada sociedad justa. – Equality should be the aim of every fair society.

Impersonal verbs in English include verbs such as ‘one does’ or ‘one goes’. Although these sound very formal in English, they are used a lot more commonly in Spanish.

The most common impersonal verb in Spanish is hay which means ‘there is’ or ‘there are’.

For example:

Hay muchas mujeres que no ganan un salario justo. - There are lots of women who don’t earn a fair salary.

Hay que followed by the infinitive is an impersonal way of saying ‘one has to do something’.

For example:

Hay que tener más igualdad. – One has to have more equality.

To turn any Spanish verb into an impersonal verb, use the pronoun se and the he/she form of the verb.

For example:

Se necesita una silla de ruedas. - One needs a wheelchair.

If there is a subject in the sentence, use the singular verb ending (the he/she ending) for a single subject, and the ‘they’ verb ending for plural subjects.

For example:

Aquí se respeta a todos. - Here one respects everyone.

The following modal verbs often are used with the impersonal se:

• se puede – one can

• se debe – one must

• se necesita – one needs

For example:

Se debe luchar contra la discriminación. - One must fight against discrimination.

Se necesita un mundo con oportunidades para todos. - One needs a world with opportunities for everyone.

Remember

Modal verbs in Spanish are followed by an infinitive in Spanish.

Find out more about impersonal verbs in the Impersonal verbs in Spanish guide.

Useful vocabulary to describe different groups:

For example:

Desafortunadamente hay demasiada discriminación contra los mayores. – Unfortunately there is too much discrimination against the elderly.

Los discapacitados a menudo tienen que luchar por el acceso. – People with disabilities often have to fight for access.

All Foundation Tier vocabulary listed in this guide can be found on the vocabulary sheet below.

Click or tap on the image below for a list of useful vocabulary to use when talking about a fairer society.

Useful vocabulary to describe equal rights includes:

Useful vocabulary to describe politics includes:

For example:

Los ciudadanos en algunos países no tienen muchos derechos. – Citizens in some countries do not have many rights.

All vocabulary listed in this guide can be found on the vocabulary sheet below.

Carlos is being interviewed about a protest song he is writing. Listen to the conversation and select the three topics he mentions from the list.

More complex impersonal verbs include:

Click or tap on the image below for a list of useful Higher Tier vocabulary to use when talking about a fairer society.

Now you have revised the important vocabulary and key grammar points for talking about a fairer society, why not have a look at the Festivals, customs and celebrations in Spanish guide.