Speaking Task: Agree on Changes to a Shared Living Arrangement in Spanish
Speaking Task: Agree on Changes to a Shared Living Arrangement in Spanish
This speaking task combines wishes, recommendations, requests, nosotros commands, and practical negotiation. Your goal is to identify a shared-living problem, agree on a workable change, assign responsibilities, and confirm when each action will happen.
Shared apartment situation
Three people share an apartment: Ana, Carlos, and Marta.
The current problems are:
- La cocina queda desordenada por la noche. — The kitchen stays messy at night.
- La basura no siempre sale a tiempo. — The trash is not always taken out on time.
- Hay demasiado ruido después de las once. — There is too much noise after eleven.
State a wish
Ana:
Quiero que la cocina quede limpia antes de acostarnos. — I want the kitchen to be clean before we go to bed.
The desired result and its time are clear.
State a recommendation
Carlos:
Recomiendo que cada persona lave lo que use. — I recommend that each person wash what they use.
This distributes responsibility according to use.
Ask for a habit change
Marta:
Os pido que no pongáis música alta después de las once. — I ask you all not to play loud music after eleven.
The requested behavior and time limit are explicit.
Propose an action together
Ana:
Hagamos una lista semanal para la basura y la limpieza. — Let's make a weekly list for trash and cleaning.
Negotiate a practical detail
Carlos:
Estoy de acuerdo, pero no puedo sacar la basura los martes porque trabajo hasta tarde. — I agree, but I cannot take out the trash on Tuesdays because I work late.
Marta:
Entonces, yo puedo hacerlo los martes y Carlos puede hacerlo los jueves. — Then I can do it on Tuesdays and Carlos can do it on Thursdays.
Confirm whether the proposal is acceptable
Ana:
¿Os parece bien? — Does that seem good to you all?
Carlos:
Sí, para mí está bien. — Yes, that works for me.
Marta:
También para mí. — For me too.
Add a kitchen agreement
Ana:
Te pido, Carlos, que laves los platos después de cenar si cocinas tú. — Carlos, I ask you to wash the dishes after dinner if you cook.
Carlos:
De acuerdo. Y si cocina otra persona, esa persona lava lo que use. — All right. And if another person cooks, that person washes what they use.
Add a noise agreement
Marta:
Después de las once, usemos auriculares si queremos escuchar música. — After eleven, let's use headphones if we want to listen to music.
Ana:
Buena idea. — Good idea.
Assign responsibilities explicitly
- Marta saca la basura los martes. — Marta takes out the trash on Tuesdays.
- Carlos saca la basura los jueves. — Carlos takes out the trash on Thursdays.
- Cada persona lava lo que usa en la cocina. — Each person washes what they use in the kitchen.
- Después de las once, todos usan auriculares para la música. — After eleven, everyone uses headphones for music.
Confirm the final agreement
Ana:
Entonces, Marta se encarga de la basura los martes, Carlos los jueves, todos limpiamos lo que usamos y después de las once usamos auriculares. — So, Marta is responsible for the trash on Tuesdays, Carlos on Thursdays, we all clean what we use, and after eleven we use headphones.
Carlos:
Sí, correcto. — Yes, correct.
Marta:
De acuerdo. Empecemos esta semana. — All right. Let's start this week.
Repair a misunderstanding
Person A: Entonces, ¿Carlos saca la basura el martes? — So, does Carlos take out the trash on Tuesday?
Person B: No. Marta la saca el martes y Carlos el jueves. — No. Marta takes it out Tuesday and Carlos Thursday.
Speaking mission
Negotiate a shared-living change that includes:
- one concrete problem
- one wish about how the situation should change
- one recommendation
- one direct but courteous request to change a habit
- one nosotros command proposing a shared action
- one practical obstacle or schedule conflict
- a final distribution of responsibilities and times
- one clarification if a role becomes unclear
Performance criteria
- The problem is stated clearly.
- Every requested action has a clear actor.
- Reasons are relevant and not personal attacks.
- The agreement is practical rather than vague.
- Times and responsibilities are explicit.
- Shared actions are proposed with an appropriate nosotros command.
- The final agreement is repeated so all participants have the same understanding.
From Shared-Living Agreements to Emotional Reactions
You can now negotiate a practical change and confirm who will do what and when. The next lesson teaches vocabulary and structures for describing worry, relief, fear, surprise, disappointment, and other personal reactions.