Speaking Task: Recommend a Place to Live and Explain Your Choice in Spanish
Speaking Task: Recommend a Place to Live and Explain Your Choice in Spanish
In this speaking task, you will recommend one place to live for a specific person. You will compare known alternatives according to cost, transport, services, and the person's needs, mention one limited disadvantage, and answer a simple objection.
Profile of the person
Imagine this person:
Laura trabaja en el centro, no tiene coche y quiere pagar menos de 900 euros al mes. También le gusta caminar y necesita un supermercado cerca. — Laura works downtown, does not have a car, and wants to pay less than 900 euros per month. She also likes walking and needs a supermarket nearby.
Option A: Barrio Norte
Barrio Norte: alquiler de 820 euros, metro a diez minutos, supermercado a cinco minutos, treinta minutos al centro. — North Neighborhood: rent of 820 euros, metro ten minutes away, supermarket five minutes away, thirty minutes to downtown.
Option B: Barrio Centro
Barrio Centro: alquiler de 980 euros, metro a dos minutos, supermercado a tres minutos, diez minutos al trabajo. — Downtown Neighborhood: rent of 980 euros, metro two minutes away, supermarket three minutes away, ten minutes to work.
Option C: Barrio Río
Barrio Río: alquiler de 760 euros, autobús a cinco minutos, supermercado a quince minutos, cuarenta minutos al centro. — River Neighborhood: rent of 760 euros, bus five minutes away, supermarket fifteen minutes away, forty minutes to downtown.
Choose the relevant criteria
Laura's priorities are not all equal. Her budget is a firm stated condition, while shorter travel time and a nearby supermarket are preferences.
Useful criteria:
- el precio del alquiler — the rent price
- el tiempo de transporte — travel time
- la distancia al supermercado — distance to the supermarket
- el acceso al transporte público — access to public transport
Compare the alternatives
- Barrio Río es el más barato. — River Neighborhood is the cheapest.
- Barrio Centro está más cerca del trabajo. — Downtown Neighborhood is closer to work.
- Barrio Norte tiene un supermercado más cerca que Barrio Río. — North Neighborhood has a supermarket closer than River Neighborhood.
- Barrio Norte cuesta menos de 900 euros. — North Neighborhood costs less than 900 euros.
Link the recommendation to the person's needs
Possible recommendation:
Recomiendo Barrio Norte porque cuesta menos de 900 euros, tiene supermercado cerca y Laura puede llegar al centro en metro. — I recommend North Neighborhood because it costs less than 900 euros, has a nearby supermarket, and Laura can get downtown by metro.
Mention one limited disadvantage
No option needs to be presented as perfect.
La desventaja es que tarda unos treinta minutos en llegar al centro. — The disadvantage is that it takes about thirty minutes to get downtown.
For this lesson, la desventaja — disadvantage is useful recommendation vocabulary.
Explain why another option is less suitable
Barrio Centro es más cómodo para el trabajo, pero cuesta 980 euros y supera el presupuesto de Laura. — Downtown Neighborhood is more convenient for work, but it costs 980 euros and exceeds Laura's budget.
For this lesson, superar el presupuesto — exceed the budget is a useful comparison phrase.
Respond to a simple objection
Person A: Pero Barrio Río es más barato. — But River Neighborhood is cheaper.
Person B: Sí, es verdad, pero el supermercado está más lejos y el viaje al centro tarda más. — Yes, that is true, but the supermarket is farther away and the trip downtown takes longer.
Another objection
Person A: Barrio Centro está mucho más cerca del trabajo. — Downtown Neighborhood is much closer to work.
Person B: Sí, pero no cumple el presupuesto de menos de 900 euros. — Yes, but it does not meet the budget of less than 900 euros.
For this lesson, cumplir el presupuesto — meet the budget is a useful decision phrase.
Make the recommendation explicit
Do not finish with only a list of comparisons.
Por eso, elegiría Barrio Norte para Laura. — For that reason, I would choose North Neighborhood for Laura.
Speaking mission
Recommend one of the three neighborhoods. Your response should include:
- Laura's two or three most important criteria
- a comparison of at least two neighborhoods
- one clear recommendation
- two reasons connected to Laura's needs
- one disadvantage of the recommended option
- one response to a simple objection
Performance criteria
- The recommendation is easy to identify.
- The reasons come from the stated comparison data.
- The recommendation respects the person's stated needs.
- The speaker mentions at least one realistic disadvantage.
- The objection receives a relevant response.
- The speaker does not invent facilities, prices, or transport information that were not provided.
From Recommendations to Shaping a Past Narrative
You can now recommend a place by connecting comparisons to a person's actual needs and answering a simple objection. The next lesson returns to storytelling and shows how choosing preterite or imperfect changes the way a past event is presented.