Where advice and recommendations usually appear in the exam

At intermediate and advanced levels, it’s very common to have to give advice or make recommendations in situations like these: replying to an email, giving your opinion about a problem, proposing solutions, suggesting habits, guiding someone who asks for help, or negotiating a better option.

If your Spanish is correct but your advice sounds repetitive or odd, your message loses impact. And if you also choose the wrong mood, it becomes very noticeable.

The star structure: te recomiendo que + subjuntivo

This is the most useful one because it works in almost any context and sounds very natural.

Te recomiendo que estudies un poco cada día.
Te recomiendo que hagas modelos con cronómetro.
Te recomiendo que no traduzcas palabra por palabra en lectura.

Here’s the key point: after te recomiendo que, te aconsejo que, te sugiero que, the natural choice is subjuntivo.

If you say Te recomiendo que estudias, it sounds incorrect and it can cost you points.

Deberías: a clean, direct recommendation

Deberías is gold in the DELE because it’s clear, polite and easy.

Deberías revisar las instrucciones antes de escribir.
Deberías practicar la tarea oral con una estructura fija.
Deberías dejar tiempo para repasar.

You can also soften it if you want to sound more diplomatic:

Creo que deberías…
Yo diría que deberías…
Quizá deberías…

Yo en tu lugar: advice with empathy

This formula works really well because it sounds human, not bossy.

Yo en tu lugar, practicaría con audios cortos todos los días.
Yo en tu lugar, no me obsesionaría con memorizar listas y entrenaría tareas.
Yo en tu lugar, haría una semana de simulacros antes del examen.

If you want another option that sounds just as natural:

Si yo fuera tú, haría…
En tu caso, me centraría en…

Other expressions that sound great in the DELE

Here’s a short bank of structures you can use exactly as they are in both speaking and writing. You don’t need all of them. Pick your favourites and repeat them until they feel automatic.

Conviene que + subjuntivo
Conviene que practiques con tiempo.

Es mejor que + subjuntivo
Es mejor que revises la consigna antes de empezar.

Es importante que + subjuntivo
Es importante que organices el tiempo.

Lo ideal sería + infinitivo
Lo ideal sería practicar con modelos reales.

Lo mejor sería que + subjuntivo
Lo mejor sería que te grabes y te escuches.

Una buena idea sería + infinitivo
Una buena idea sería hacer un simulacro completo.

Podrías + infinitivo
Podrías escribir un borrador y luego limpiar el texto.

Te aconsejo que + subjuntivo
Te aconsejo que uses conectores sencillos y correctos.

Three mini templates ready to use

If improvising is hard for you, memorise these three. They’re short and they work for almost any topic.

Plantilla 1
En tu caso, yo haría X porque Y. Además, te recomiendo que Z.

Plantilla 2
Creo que deberías X. Si lo haces, te será más fácil Y.

Plantilla 3
Lo mejor sería que X. Así evitas Y y ganas Z.

Typical mistakes when giving advice (and how to avoid them)

The most common mistake is mixing structures and ending up with sentences that sound strange or with the wrong mood.

Te recomiendo que estudias.
Better: Te recomiendo que estudies.

Es importante practicar.
That’s fine, but if you want to level it up: Es importante que practiques.

Yo en tu lugar, te recomiendo que…
It can work, but it usually sounds more natural if you separate it: Yo en tu lugar, haría… / Te recomiendo que…

And a very practical tip: if you’re unsure between indicative and subjunctive, go back to these signals. Recomiendo que, aconsejo que, sugiero que, es mejor que, conviene que, es importante que usually require subjuntivo.

How to practise this without wasting time

You don’t need endless exercises. What you need is to repeat the same structures in typical DELE contexts until they come out automatically.

Start by choosing two very common topics (salud, trabajo, estudios, ciudad, tiempo libre, hábitos, estrés, redes sociales). For each topic, write four pieces of advice, but with one condition: don’t repeat the same structure. The goal is to force yourself to alternate, for example, te recomiendo que + subjuntivo, deberías + infinitivo, yo en tu lugar + condicional, es importante que + subjuntivo.

Then turn them into mini dialogues. This is key for the speaking exam, because in the exam you don’t give advice in a vacuum, you give it as a response to someone. Write one context sentence and your advice. For example: Mi amigo/a está nervioso/a por el examen. Yo en tu lugar, haría un simulacro completo y luego revisaría los errores con calma.

Now read them out loud, but with one rule: don’t read them like you’re reciting. Read them like you’re talking to a real person. If a sentence sounds weird, don’t push it. Replace it with a simpler one. In the DELE, a simple and correct sentence is worth more than a complicated, doubtful one.

Next, record yourself. A 60-second audio is enough. Say 6 pieces of advice in a row about one topic. Then listen back and check only three things: whether you used subjuntivo correctly after que, whether you sound natural or too rigid, and whether you repeat the same word again and again.

Once you’ve got that, raise the level: use a timer. Give yourself 30 seconds to think and 60 seconds to speak. This trains fast reactions, which is exactly what happens in the exam.

And if you want this to help your writing too, do a short email version. Write a mini email of 90–120 words with 3 recommendations. For example: Te escribo porque me contaste que estás nervioso/a. Te recomiendo que… Creo que deberías… En tu lugar, yo…

If you do this for 10 minutes a day for a week, you truly automate it. You’ll notice it because instead of thinking about grammar, the recommendation will come out directly.

If you want to prepare with more confidence

If you want to prepare the exam with a clear method and without guessing, you can join my online preparation courses for all levels. Everything is organised task by task, with concrete strategies and examples so you know what to do in each part of the exam and practise with more control: https://aporeldele.com/cursos

If you’re not sure about your level, before choosing a course it really helps to take the level test. It helps you place yourself and avoid the typical mistake of preparing the wrong level: https://nivel.aporeldele.com/

And if you want free resources, useful reminders, and material to practise little by little without feeling overwhelmed, you can sign up for the newsletter: http://recursos.aporeldele.com/boletin

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