What grammar do you need for the DELE B2? Mainly three blocks: the subjunctive (including the imperfect subjunctive), the conditional with conditional sentences, and the past tenses. Grammar is assessed under accuracy in the writing and speaking tests and, on top of that, directly in Task 4 of the reading test. Here’s the full overview with examples and a four-week review plan.
This article is the big picture. If what you struggle with is choosing between indicative and subjunctive (“creo que” or “no creo que”, relative clauses, verbs of feeling…), you’ll find the detail, with six common traps, in Indicative or subjunctive in the DELE B2.
Where is grammar assessed in the DELE B2?
In three places:
- Task 4 of the reading test. It’s a text with 14 gaps and three options for each. According to the exam guide, it assesses your ability to identify grammatical structures. In my course I explain that it usually tests lots of verbs, prepositions, verbs with prepositions and pronouns. That’s 14 of the 36 questions in the reading test, so it carries real weight.
- Writing test. Grammar falls under accuracy, one of the four categories on the analytic scale.
- Speaking test. There’s also an accuracy category. Band 2 asks for “relatively high grammatical control”: you can make mistakes that don’t get in the way of understanding and sometimes correct them yourself.
In writing and speaking, not all mistakes weigh the same. This is how I explain it in my course: an occasional slip with an advanced structure is tolerated; basic mistakes for a B2 (ser and estar, gender and number) or mistakes you keep repeating, much less so. Using a variety of tenses, rather than always the same one, is also valued.
What do you absolutely need to master?
- Subjunctive: present, perfect and imperfect, with the connectors that trigger it. It comes up in both writing tasks and throughout the speaking test, every time you give an opinion, assess something or speculate.
- Conditional: simple and compound, type 2 and type 3 conditionals, and the polite conditional. You’ll need it in the formal letters of writing Task 1 and when you assess proposals in speaking Task 1.
- Past tenses: perfect versus preterite, imperfect versus preterite, and the pluperfect. They come up when you’re asked about your experiences in the conversation part of speaking tasks 1 and 2, in a blog post or a review, and in the reading Task 4 texts, which are often literary or biographical.
What subjunctive does the B2 expect?
At B1 the present and a few fixed uses are enough. At B2 you’re expected to use it comfortably in new contexts: hypotheses, wishes, reactions, negative opinions and time clauses referring to the future.
Cuando + subjunctive to talk about the future
Wrong: “Te llamo cuando llego a casa.” (if you haven’t got home yet)
Right: “Te llamo cuando llegue a casa.”
This structure comes up a lot in speaking Task 2, when you imagine what will happen next in the situation in the photo: “Cuando terminen la reunión, seguramente irán a…”.
Connectors that take the subjunctive
- Purpose: para que, a fin de que.
- Before: antes de que.
- Exception: a menos que, salvo que, a no ser que.
- Condition: con tal de que, siempre que, siempre y cuando, en caso de que.
- Negation: sin que.
- Hypothetical concession: aunque (“Aunque llueva mañana, iré”).
Imperfect subjunctive
You can’t do without it for unreal hypotheses and polite suggestions.
Wrong: “Si tendría tiempo, viajaría más.”
Right: “Si tuviera (o tuviese) tiempo, viajaría más.”
Negative opinions and reactions
Wrong: “No creo que es buena idea.”
Right: “No creo que sea buena idea.”
Wrong: “Me parece fatal que los políticos no escuchan.”
Right: “Me parece fatal que los políticos no escuchen.”
These two structures, together with verbs of influence, verbs of feeling, change of subject and relative clauses, are explained one by one in the article on indicative or subjunctive in the DELE B2. If you want to go over the basics first, here are the subjunctive uses that come up at B1 (in Spanish).
How is the conditional used in the DELE B2?
Simple conditional: hypotheses, advice and politeness
Could be better: “Me puede ayudar con esto, por favor.”
More polite: “¿Podría ayudarme con esto, por favor?”
The first one isn’t wrong, but in a formal letter the second fits the register better.
In speaking Task 1, when you assess proposals to solve a problem, the conditional is your best friend: “Yo empezaría por…”, “Sería buena idea que el ayuntamiento…”, “Esta propuesta no funcionaría porque…”.
Compound conditional
It completes hypotheses about the past that can no longer be changed.
Wrong: “Si habría sabido que venías, te esperaba.”
Right: “Si hubiera (o hubiese) sabido que venías, te habría esperado.”
Type 2 and type 3 conditional sentences
- Type 2 (unlikely or unreal hypothesis in the present or future): si + imperfect subjunctive + simple conditional. “Si tuviera más tiempo, estudiaría otro idioma.”
- Type 3 (unreal hypothesis in the past): si + pluperfect subjunctive + compound conditional. “Si hubiera estudiado más, habría aprobado.”
The golden rule: never put a conditional straight after “si”.
The conditional for requests and complaints
Writing Task 1 is a letter or email based on an audio. Sometimes you have to complain or ask for something, and the conditional softens it:
Could be better: “Quiero que me devuelvan el dinero.”
More polite: “Les agradecería que me devolvieran (o devolviesen) el dinero.”
Which past tenses do you need to control?
Present perfect or preterite
The present perfect (he cantado) goes with time markers linked to the present: hoy, esta semana, este año, alguna vez, nunca, todavía. The preterite (canté) goes with closed time markers: ayer, el lunes pasado, hace dos años, en 2020.
Wrong: “Ayer he ido al médico.”
Right: “Ayer fui al médico.”
Mind the varieties: in much of Latin America and some parts of Spain the preterite is used more. The DELE accepts any variety of Spanish; what matters is being consistent within the same text.
Imperfect or preterite
The imperfect describes and sets the scene (era de noche, llovía, estaba nervioso). The preterite tells what happened and moves the story forward (llegué, abrí la puerta, vi a alguien).
Wrong: “Cuando era niño, fui muy tímido.”
Right: “Cuando era niño, era muy tímido.”
Wrong: “Estaba en el supermercado y de repente me encontraba con mi profesora.”
Right: “Estaba en el supermercado y de repente me encontré con mi profesora.”
Pluperfect
It’s the past of the past: an action that happened before another past action.
Wrong: “Cuando llegué, ya empezó la película.”
Right: “Cuando llegué, ya había empezado la película.”
If you want to go over the four past tenses calmly, here’s when to use each Spanish past tense.
Which grammar mistakes do I see most in my students?
- Putting a conditional after “si”: “si tendría”, “si habría sabido”.
- Using the indicative after a negative opinion: “No pienso que tienes razón”.
- Switching tense halfway through a story for no reason, from past to present and back again.
- Mixing up “haya” (from haber) and “halla” (from hallar).
- Copying structures from another language, especially with prepositions and time expressions like “desde hace” or “hace”.
How do I organise a four-week review?
- Week 1: present subjunctive and connectors. Write a short paragraph using them every day.
- Week 2: imperfect subjunctive, simple conditional and type 2 conditionals.
- Week 3: compound conditional and type 3 conditionals, applied to formal letters.
- Week 4: past tenses and a full model exam, written and spoken, under real timing.
Throughout the four weeks, also do a few reading Task 4 exercises: it’s the most direct way to see whether the grammar comes out without thinking.
Frequently asked questions about DELE B2 grammar
What grammar should I study if I’m short of time?
Prioritise the subjunctive with connectors and negative opinions, “si” conditionals and the difference between imperfect and preterite. Those are the structures you’ll need most in writing and speaking.
Do I have to use the subjunctive to pass?
There’s no list of compulsory structures, but the scales ask for relatively high grammatical control and a wide range. In a B2 opinion text it’s hard to show that without the subjunctive, and using the same tense all the time makes your text poorer.
What’s the difference between B1 and B2 subjunctive?
At B1 the present and some very specific uses are enough. At B2 you add the imperfect subjunctive, unreal hypotheses, negative opinions, the nuances of “aunque” and combinations with the conditional.
Can I use “cantase” instead of “cantara”?
Yes, both forms are correct. Use whichever feels more natural to you.
How do I practise reading Task 4?
In my course I recommend reading the whole text first without looking at the options: the answer often comes to you on its own. Then check it against the three options and pay attention to verbs with prepositions and pronouns.
In short
- B2 grammar is assessed in reading Task 4 and under accuracy in writing and speaking.
- The three key blocks are the subjunctive, the conditional and the past tenses.
- Never put a conditional after “si”.
- Basic and repeated mistakes weigh more than an occasional slip with an advanced structure.
- For the detail of indicative versus subjunctive, see the article on the six traps.
If you want to prepare for the DELE B2 with a method, my course gives you strategies for each part of the exam, commented examples, a community, a chat for your questions and group calls: https://b2.aporeldele.com/. If you’re not sure whether you’re closer to B1 or B2, take the level test: https://www.aporeldele.com/en/prueba-de-nivel. And for free resources before each exam session, join the newsletter: https://recursos.aporeldele.com/boletin.
¡A por el DELE! 🇪🇸
