Spanish GCSE Reading and Grammar — Constance e Imran Episode 13 (learn through a novel)
- The story episode in Spanish.
- The translation into English.
- A grammar explanation with examples from the story.
Constance llega temprano al parque. Está demasiado nerviosa para leer, aunque trae un libro en la mochila. Se sienta y espera. Si esto fuera una novela, él le traería flores o chocolate. Hace bastante frío para ser primavera. Imran aparece con las manos en los bolsillos y una sonrisa nerviosa.
Constance arrives early at the park. She’s too nervous to read, even though she has a book in her backpack. She sits and waits. If this were a novel, he’d bring her flowers or chocolate. It’s quite cold for spring. Imran appears with his hands in his pockets and a nervous smile.
—Hola —dice él.
—Hola —responde ella, con una sonrisa que podría iluminar media ciudad.
“Hi,” he says.
“Hi,” she replies, with a smile that could light up half the city.
—Gracias por venir —empieza Imran—. Tenía que contarte algo muy importante.
Constance asiente, expectante. Se imagina una declaración lenta y, además, muy parecida a las que ocurren en los libros que ama.
“Thanks for coming,” Imran begins. “I needed to tell you something very important.”
Constance nods, expectant. She imagines a slow declaration, and besides, one very similar to the ones in the books she loves.
—Estuve pensando mucho últimamente —continúa él—. Sobre mí, sobre mi familia, sobre todo…
Ella lo mira con atención. Él traga saliva. El silencio se alarga.
“I’ve been thinking a lot lately,” he continues. “About myself, about my family, about everything…”
She looks at him closely. He swallows. The silence stretches.
—Ni tú ni yo somos buenos con los silencios, ¿no? —dice Constance, intentando romper la tensión con una sonrisa leve.
—Tengo miedo —admite Imran.
—Todo lo que deseas está al otro lado del miedo.
“Neither you nor I are good with silences, right?” says Constance, trying to break the tension with a small smile.
“I’m scared,” Imran admits.
“Everything you desire is on the other side of fear.”
—¿Tienes una frase para todo?
—Yo no, pero los libros sí. Por eso leo tanto.
Imran respira hondo.
—Constance… soy gay.
Ella parpadea dos veces.
—¿Qué?
“Do you have a quote for everything?”
“Not me, but books do. That’s why I read so much.”
Imran takes a deep breath.
“Constance… I’m gay.”
She blinks twice.
“What?”
It sounds a little awkward, but quantifiers are words we use to indicate quantity.
- Tengo muchos deberes. → I have a lot of homework.
- Tengo pocos deberes. → I have a little homework.
- Tengo bastantes deberes. → I have quite a lot of homework.
- Tengo demasiados deberes. → I have too much homework.
- La escuela es muy aburrida. → School is very boring.
- Está demasiado nerviosa para leer. → She’s too nervous to read.
- Hace bastante frío para ser primavera. → It’s quite cold for spring.
- Estuve pensando mucho últimamente. → I’ve been thinking a lot lately.
Here you have more linking words to connect your ideas:
además: besides, furthermore
ni… ni…: neither… nor…
Ni mi madre ni mi padre saben bailar salsa. Además, creen que el reguetón es un idioma. 🪇🕺
Neither my mum nor my dad can dance salsa. Besides, they think reggaeton is a language.
- Ni tú ni yo somos buenos con los silencios. → Neither you nor I are good with silences.
- Se imagina una declaración lenta y, además, muy parecida a las que ocurren en los libros que ama. → She imagines a slow declaration, and besides, one very similar to the ones in the books she loves.
Find all the episodes here: Contents – GCSE Spanish
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We post two new episodes every week — keep up with Constance and Imran’s story!
