Study guide
5.3 Oral Tarea 2: Describing a Photograph (Monologue)
DELE A2 — Spanish Language Diploma Elementary
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1 Chapter 1: Exam Overview, Format & Scoring Structure
1.1 DELE A2 Identity, Purpose & Nationality Requirements 1.2 Four Pruebas & Official Test Administration 1.3 Scoring System: The 30/50 Group Rules & Pass Criteria
2 Chapter 2: Prueba 1 — Reading Comprehension Tasks & Strategies
2.1 Reading Tarea 1: Personal Correspondence & Informational Texts 2.2 Reading Tarea 2: Notices, Bulletins & Short Announcements 2.3 Reading Tarea 3: Matching Statements to Thematic Texts 2.4 Reading Tarea 4: Long Narrative Text & Changes of Topic
3 Chapter 3: Prueba 2 — Listening Comprehension Tasks & Auditory Techniques
3.1 Listening Tarea 1: Six Short Conversations with Picture Options 3.2 Listening Tarea 2: Radio News, Ads & Programme Extracts 3.3 Listening Tarea 3: One Conversation – Man, Woman or Neither 3.4 Listening Tarea 4: Seven Messages Matched to Ten Statements
4 Chapter 4: Prueba 3 — Written Expression & Interaction
4.1 Writing Tarea 1: Replying to a Personal Message (60–70 Words) 4.2 Writing Tarea 2: Option A (Personal Life) or Option B (Photos/Data) 4.3 The Official Writing Scale, Cohesion & Common Errors
5 Chapter 5: Prueba 4 — Oral Expression & Interaction
5.1 Oral Test Structure, 12-Minute Preparation & Official Scales 5.2 Oral Tarea 1: Prepared Presentation on a Personal Topic 5.3 Oral Tarea 2: Describing a Photograph (Monologue) 5.4 Oral Tarea 3: Simulated Conversation Linked to the Photo
6 Chapter 6: Essential A2 Grammar — Verb Systems & Tenses
6.1 Present Indicative Regulars, Stem-Changers & Irregulars 6.2 Reflexive Verbs & Verbs of Preference (Gustar, Encantar, Doler) 6.3 The Past Tenses: Pretérito Perfecto vs. Pretérito Indefinido 6.4 Pretérito Imperfecto & The Three-Way Past Tense Contrast
7 Chapter 7: Essential A2 Grammar — Syntax, Periphrases & Operators
7.1 Expressing the Future: Ir a + Inf, Present & Simple Future 7.2 Verbal Periphrases of Obligation, Ability & Desire 7.3 Direct & Indirect Object Pronouns and Position Rules 7.4 Affirmative Imperative: Tú & Usted Commands
8 Chapter 8: Foundational Contrasts & Sentence Building
8.1 Ser vs. Estar: Attributes, Locations, States & Gerunds 8.2 Por vs. Para: Causes, Destinations, Deadlines & Exchanges 8.3 Comparatives, Superlatives, Quantifiers & Negatives 8.4 The Noun Phrase: Gender, Articles, Demonstratives, Possessives & Relatives
9 Chapter 9: Thematic Vocabulary — Daily Life, Housing & Surroundings
9.1 Personal Identity, Physical Description & Family Relations 9.2 Home, Housing Types, Furniture & Household Tasks 9.3 City Navigation, Places in Town & Giving Directions
10 Chapter 10: Thematic Vocabulary — Services, Transactions & Health
10.1 Food, Dining Out, Supermarket Shopping & Ordering 10.2 Shopping for Clothes, Sizes, Prices & Commercial Transactions 10.3 Health, Body Parts, Illnesses & Pharmacy Visits 10.4 Work, Professions, Workplace Routines & Job Applications 10.5 Studies, Courses, Phones & Everyday Services
11 Chapter 11: Thematic Vocabulary — Leisure, Travel & Environment
11.1 Free Time, Hobbies, Sports & Entertainment 11.2 Travel, Accommodations, Transport Modes & Bookings 11.3 Weather, Climate, Seasons & Natural Environment
12 Chapter 12: Exam Day Strategy, Time Management & Final Review
12.1 Timing, Answer Sheets & Pacing on Exam Day 12.2 Identifying Distractors, False Friends & Traps 12.3 6-Week Structured Study Plan & High-Yield Checklist
5.3 Oral Tarea 2: Describing a Photograph (Monologue)
Key Takeaways Explain This Topic AI
Tarea 2 is a 2–3-minute monologue describing one of two everyday photos; the interviewer does not intervene.
The Modelo 0 guidelines cover appearance and clothes, place and objects, actions, relationships, feelings and why, and what happened before and comes after.
Use ser/tener/llevar for people, hay/estar for place, estar + gerundio for actions, han + participle for before, and ir a for after.
The photo you choose also sets the Tarea 3 conversation, so read both situations before choosing.
Last updated: September 2026
Quick Focus: Oral Tarea 2 ( Descripción de una fotografía ) is a 2–3-minute monologue . You describe one of two photos of an everyday scene, using guideline questions printed on the sheet. The interviewer doesn't intervene while you describe. The photo also sets up Tarea 3 , the conversation, so choose it with both tasks in mind.
What the Official Specification Says
Parameter Official detail
Task Describe briefly and simply the elements of an everyday scene showing practical aspects of life, such as shopping or using transport
- Choice One of two photographs
- Material A sheet with guidelines for the presentation and a photo of an everyday situation
- Domain Public
- Time 2–3 minutes
Rating Calificador's scale for Tareas 1–2 (this task = 25% of the calificador's share), plus the interviewer's global scale
The official guideline questions
In Modelo 0 ( Opción 2. Una fiesta familiar ), the sheet asks you to talk about:
- the people: what they look like, what personality you think they have, and what they are wearing ;
- the place: where they are, what objects there are; describe the place;
- actions: what the people are doing;
- relationships: what relationship you think there is between them;
- feelings: what they are thinking or how they feel, and why ;
before and after: what they have done before and what they are going to do next.
These questions work like a checklist. Task fulfilment is rated by points, as in Tarea 1: band 2 allows at most one point unanswered or two incomplete. The official band-1 sample failed partly because the candidate never mentioned the clothes or what happened before and after.
The Grammar Each Guideline Needs
Guideline Structure Example
Appearance ser (build, character), tener (hair, eyes, age), llevar (clothes, glasses) La mujer es alta, tiene el pelo corto y lleva un vestido azul.
Personality (a guess) parece + adjective , creo que es… Parece simpática. Creo que es una persona tranquila.
Place and objects hay + noun; está(n) + location Hay una mesa con platos y una tarta. Están en un salón.
Actions estar + gerundio El niño está soplando las velas; los padres están aplaudiendo.
Relationship creo que son…, seguramente son… Seguramente son una familia: los abuelos, los padres y los nietos.
Feelings + why están contentos porque… Parecen felices porque están celebrando un cumpleaños.
Before pretérito perfecto Creo que han preparado la comida juntos.
After ir a + infinitive Después van a comer la tarta y van a abrir los regalos.
Irregular gerunds to know
leer → leyendo, dormir → durmiendo, pedir → pidiendo, decir → diciendo, servir → sirviendo, ir → yendo .
Clothes: llevar (and usar)
In Spain the usual verb is llevar ( lleva una camisa blanca ). In much of Latin America usar is also common ( usa lentes ). Both are valid Hispanic norms; use one consistently.
Organizing the Description
A logical route helps the rater follow you and makes it easier to hit every guideline:
General scene (1 sentence): En la foto se ve una fiesta familiar en un salón.
Where things are: en el centro, a la izquierda, a la derecha, al fondo, delante de, detrás de, al lado de .
People: two or three people, with appearance and clothes.
Actions: estar + gerundio for each person.
Interpretation: relationship, feelings and why.
Before and after: han preparado…, van a… .
A sample description (extract)
En la foto se ve una fiesta en un salón. En el centro hay una mesa grande con una tarta y muchos platos. A la izquierda está una mujer mayor; tiene el pelo blanco y lleva gafas y una blusa rosa. Parece muy simpática. A la derecha hay dos niños que están riendo. Creo que es el cumpleaños de la abuela, porque la tarta tiene muchas velas. Están todos muy contentos. Seguramente han cocinado toda la mañana y después van a cantar y a abrir los regalos.
Making the Most of the 2–3 Minutes
Answer every guideline question. Tick them off mentally as you speak.
Use hypotheses. You can't know the relationship or the feelings, and the task asks you to guess. Creo que, parece que, seguramente, quizás are expected; quizás even appears in the band-3 descriptor.
Give reasons. …porque llevan ropa elegante turns a guess into a supported comment, and details, comments and reasons are what band 3 requires.
Don't stop at a list of objects. Hay una mesa, hay sillas, hay platos is minimal. Link sentences: En el centro hay una mesa con…, y alrededor… .
Linking to Tarea 3
The Tarea 3 conversation takes place in a simulated situation connected with this photo. In the model, the photo of a family party leads to planning a surprise party for your parents' anniversary. When you choose between the two photos, read both Tarea 3 situations too and pick the pair you can handle best.
Common Mistakes
Skipping the clothes or the before/after question.
Using es for location ( es a la izquierda ) instead of está or hay .
Using only the present simple for ongoing actions ( el niño sopla ) when está soplando describes the scene better.
Stopping after one minute. Prepare enough detail for each guideline.