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Spanish Essay Phrases: 40 Useful Phrases for an Impressive Writeup

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May 30, 2019

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Do you need to write a lot of essays in Spanish? If you do, don’t worry. It's about to get a little bit easier for you because here in this article, we’ve listed many useful Spanish essay phrases that you can readily use in your essays.

Feel free to pepper your essays with the words and expressions from this list. It would certainly elevate your essays and impress your teachers. You're welcome!

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Spanish Essay Phrases

Additional Resources

You can also check out the following resources:

84 Spanish Expressions for Agreeing and Disagreeing

Common Spanish Verbs

Expresiones útiles para escribir en español

Looking for more Spanish phrases? Check out this e-book with audio!

Try to use the essay phrases in Spanish that you learned in this lesson and write a few example sentences in the comments section!

About the author 

Janey is a fan of different languages and studied Spanish, German, Mandarin, and Japanese in college. She has now added French into the mix, though English will always be her first love. She loves reading anything (including product labels).

VERY VERY useful !! Gracias

Amazing! This will definitely help me in tomorrow’s spanish test 🙂

Sounds good

Thanks for the assistance, in learning Spanish.

Amazing article! Very helpful! Also, this website is great for Spanish Beginners.

It’s easy when you put it that way

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Basic Guidelines For Writing Essays in Spanish

Students tend to focus on speaking practice while learning Spanish, so they often neglect writing. However, most educators emphasize its importance for mastering the language. They say it’s impossible to become fluent in a particular language if one doesn’t train writing skills. 

Therefore, teachers give a lot of essay assignments to students. This type of homework is a great way to inspire them to think and communicate in Spanish effectively. It may be quite difficult to complete such a task. However, it’s one of the most effective ways to learn Spanish or any other language.

You may be tempted to go online and find the best essay writing service to have your essay written for you. This may be helpful when you’re pressed for time, but in the long run, you’re missing an opportunity to improve your own essay writing skills. That’s why we are going to provide you with some recommendations on how to ease the writing process.

Some tips on writing in Spanish 

• Be careful with word spelling. Remember that teachers pay special attention to spelling so it can either make or break your student image. Having good spelling makes a positive impression of your writing skills and boosts your grades. 
• Make your essay coherent with the help of connectors. Use them to explain the relationship between the ideas so your essay doesn’t look like just a list of thoughts and facts. 
• Pay attention to syntax or the word order. As you need to stick to the academic style, try to keep the traditional order such as “subject + verb + objects”. This will also help you express your opinion in a simpler way, so it’s more clear to the reader.
• Avoid word repetitions by using synonyms. Frequent repetitions make your text boring and heavy. If you use the same words again and again, your essay will look dull. Hence, try to find synonyms in Spanish thesaurus and replace the most commonly used expressions with them. 
• Before you create a final version of your essay, let someone read it and give feedback. It’s hard to be objective about your writing, so ask another person to tell you which ideas are less clear if your text contains any confusing phrases, and what are the positive aspects that can be reinforced. 
• Do not write the essay in your native language first to translate it into Spanish then. This approach is not viable for mastering a foreign language. The only thing that you are doing by translating the text literally is practicing the grammatical structures that you have learned. This doesn’t help you learn new idioms and collocations that don’t follow the general grammatical rules. 

Now that you know how to make your writing better, let’s consider a step-by-step guide to essay writing in Spanish. 

Pick an interesting topic 

If possible, choose a topic you are truly excited about. Unless the specific title was given to you by instructors, find a theme you want to research and write about. True interest is what will drive you towards creating an excellent piece. If you enjoy reading about the subject you are going to analyze in your essay, then you will definitely succeed in writing. Remember that decent work can be done only if you are passionate about it. 

Brainstorm the ideas 

When it comes to any project, brainstorming is an integral stage of the creation process. This is one of the most efficient ways to gain insights and generate new ideas. You can use this technique to think of the main supporting arguments, an approach for a catchy introduction, and paragraph organization. You can also try freewriting and/or make a brief outline to ease the writing process itself. 

Create an introduction 

Probably the main rule about creating an introduction that you have to stick to is adding a clear thesis statement there. It must be included in the first paragraph to give your essay a certain direction and help the readers focus their attention on the topic. Also, your introduction must be catchy and intriguing to evoke the desire to read the essay further and learn more. 

Organize an essay body 

It’s essential to make the body paragraphs organized logically. You need to make sure that each of them is closely related to the main topic and discusses one major point. Each body paragraph must consist of a topic sentence and supporting arguments with evidence. It’s very important to write sentences in a logical sequence so they follow each other orderly. Also, since paragraphs shouldn’t overlap in content, add smooth transitions from one to the other. 

Sum up the content 

The vital requirement to the conclusion is that it must logically relate to the original thesis statement. Generally, it’s not acceptable to introduce new ideas in the conclusion. Instead, you need to sum up the main points mentioned in the essay’s body. It’s also forbidden to add any off-topic ideas to the last paragraph of your paper.

Check content relevance and cohesion 

Once you complete the conclusion, read through the essay for relevance and cohesion. Make sure that the whole piece is on the topic and in the mode required. In particular, check if body paragraphs support the thesis statement and whether the conclusion relates to it. After that, read your paper once again to see whether the parts connect together well. Think if there are logical links between ideas and if you need more transitions. 

Read for clarity and style

Scan your essay to find out whether some sections may be unclear to the reader. Analyze the text to find out if it sounds academic and polished. Check if there are any vague pronouns, excessive wording, or awkward phrases. Don’t forget to make sure that all points are listed in similar grammatical forms.

The last stage of your writing process is final proofreading. Read your paper the last time looking at grammar, spelling, punctuation, verb tense, word forms, and pronoun agreement. Correct all the mistakes to make your work excellent. 

Remember that the most important thing about learning a foreign language is a regular practice. Therefore, you should use any opportunity provided by instructors to polish your skills. Hopefully, the recommendations given above will help you write an excellent essay and master the Spanish language!

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15 Simple Tips to Improve Your Writing in Spanish

Writing in Spanish is one of the most important skills you can acquire while learning the language. However, sometimes writing is overlooked, as most people focus on learning how to speak. 

Keep reading to learn why improving your writing in Spanish is so important, what types of texts in Spanish you may need to write at some point in your personal or professional life. Plus, get 15 clever tips to help you write better in this new language you’ve chosen to learn! 

Why Improve Your Writing in Spanish?

It’s quite normal that Spanish students prioritize acquiring speaking and listening skills over writing and reading ones. However, writing in Spanish can do wonders to your learning progress, as it helps you solidify the grammar structures learned and organize the way you express your ideas in Spanish. 

Also, these days it’s impossible to avoid writing altogether. Just think about how many times you’ve written something today. There’s no way around it. If your goal is to achieve fluency in Spanish , you will have to learn and improve your writing in Spanish.

Types of Texts You Might Need to Write in Spanish

Depending on your future plans, the different types of texts that you’ll be writing in Spanish could include text messages , friendly or formal letters , professional emails , your resumé, or perhaps even a job application. 

There you have it; writing in Spanish covers all kinds of situations. From friendly, informal conversations to formal business documents, you need to be prepared to write them properly in Spanish.

15 Ways to Improve Your Writing in Spanish

In order to cover every learning level, I’ve divided these 15 tips into the categories of beginners, intermediate, and advanced. Feel free to skip to the tips most appropriate for you.

5 Tips for Beginners

1. brainstorm.

Before starting to write, brainstorm everything you want to cover in your text. This simple exercise of thinking beforehand helps not only with your writing in Spanish but also with any kind of writing.

2. Think in Spanish

As soon as you start preparing your text, think in Spanish all the time. That’s the only way you will improve your writing in Spanish. Trust me on this, if you think and work in English with the idea of translating your text later, you will only create more problems for yourself and your text will lack coherence. 

I know it can be hard to think in Spanish, especially at the beginners level, but if you force yourself to do it now, you’ll save yourself trouble at later stages of your Spanish writing progress.

3. Choose Your Verbs Before You Start Writing in Spanish

Dealing with verbs is one of the hardest-to-master grammar concepts in Spanish. The conjugation of irregular verbs can get especially tricky, so a good way to avoid trouble with them is writing down the verbs you plan to use and have their conjugation cheat sheet at hand. 

As your feeling for the language keeps growing, verbs conjugations will start coming to you in a more natural way, and you won’t need those cheat sheets, but at the beginner level, this is a great tool.

4. Use Short Sentences

I can’t emphasize this one enough. When you use short sentences, you keep your ideas clear and focused. Once you start writing long sentences, trying to cover more and more issues, that’s when you start making mistakes and the text becomes confusing for your reader. Keep it simple and straight, use short and paragraphs.

5. Set Your Keyboard in Spanish

Spanish has a series of letters, punctuation marks, and symbols that don’t exist in English. The solution is simple: set your keyboard in Spanish , both on your phone and computer, and focus on your Spanish, not technical difficulties. 

5 Tips for Intermediate Spanish Students

1. read in spanish.

The best way to improve your writing in Spanish is by reading in Spanish. Simple as that. When you read in Spanish, your brain absorbs words, sentences, structures, idioms, and even conjugations. You’re immersing yourself in a pool of Spanish. Don’t worry if you don’t understand everything, just keep reading and your brain will do the rest.

2. Use Connectors

This useful tip will help you a lot with your writing in Spanish. Connectors like además, mientras tanto, por eso , are words that make the conversation flow more smoothly. They don’t change the meaning of a sentence, and they’re there just to help you ‘connect’ your ideas.

3. Organize Your Ideas

Before you start writing, make an outline of what you want to communicate and prioritize your ideas. This is the basic introduction, body, and conclusion pattern of writing which should be present in any text, not only long essays. A short text such as an email should have its own introduction, body, and conclusion, too.

4.  Double-check Your Punctuation

One of the most common mistakes you can make while writing in Spanish is to forget about using the initial exclamation and question marks. It’s normal; these symbols don’t even exist in English. Make a point of double-checking your punctuation every time you write in Spanish, and with time, this won’t be an issue anymore.

5.  Find a Writing Friend

Also known as Spanish language partner or language exchange partner, finding a native Spanish-speaking friend with whom you can have oral and written conversations, is a great way to take your Spanish progress to the next level. You learn by reading their messages, and it forces you to write back even if you don’t have much to say. The idea is to immerse yourself in the language and make a friend along the way!

5 Tips for Advanced Spanish Learners

1. start writing a journal.

Keeping a journal in Spanish helps in many ways. It’s a way to write in Spanish and give you some time to think in Spanish every day. It’s easier to write about your daily activities just for yourself than to write a formal letter. Don’t worry too much about spelling or punctuation, just let your ideas flow in Spanish. This way, when you need to write a more important text, words will come to you easily and then you can focus on your grammar. 

2. Write About What You’re Passionate About

As with the journal, it’s easier to write about things that are important to you. If you start writing in Spanish about things you love, you’ll put more enthusiasm into the whole exercise. If you start with boring stuff, it’s likely that you’ll avoid practicing your writing altogether. 

3.  Search for Idioms

Here, I’m talking about the structures, phrases, and idioms used in Spanish that are specific to the type of text you have to write. For instance, formal letters in Spanish typically start with A quien corresponda (To Whom It May Concern) and finish with Atentamente (Sincerely). Searching for these kinds of widely-used idioms specific to the type of text you’re writing gives your writing a more proficient look.

4.  Use Synonyms

Using synonyms is a sign that you’re now an advanced learner of the language. It shows that you manage an ample vocabulary and can express your ideas in many different ways in Spanish. Avoiding repeating the same word by using synonyms is what you should do when writing in your native language. Doing it in Spanish shows your progress in the language. 

5. Ask for Feedback

Whenever possible, ask a native speaker or someone you know is fluent in Spanish for feedback on your writing. It could be your teacher or your language partner, but it’s always a good idea to get a second opinion. 

Start Writing Today!

Finally, the only way to improve your texts in Spanish is by writing. I’m stating the obvious, but what I mean is that you need to make developing your writing skills one of your main goals throughout your learning process. Design a writing routine for yourself and follow it. Keep these 15 tips in mind and soon you’ll be making great strides with your writing. 

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51 Spanish Phrases for Essays to Impress with Words

• January 7, 2021

Joanna Lupa

Communicating in a foreign language is hard enough, even in everyday situations, when no sophisticated or academic vocabulary is needed. 

Being able to write an actual essay in Spanish requires you not only to have a solid grammar base but also be knowledgeable about specific phrases and words typically used in school and university writing. 

For those of you who study in one of the Spanish speaking countries or are toying with the idea of signing up for an exchange program, I have prepared a summary of useful Spanish phrases for essays. They are divided into the following categories:

• Connectors (sequence, contrast, cause and effect, additional information, and conclusion)
• Expressions to give your opinion, agree and disagree with a thesis
• fancy academic expressions

Spanish Connectors to Use in Essays

Written language tends to be more formal than the spoken one. Ideas get explained in complex sentences showing how they relate to each other. A fantastic tool to achieve that is connectors.

What are some useful Spanish connectors for essays? Let’s have a look at the ten examples below:

• 🇪🇸 primero – 🇬🇧 first
• 🇪🇸 segundo – 🇬🇧 second
• 🇪🇸 el siguiente argumento – 🇬🇧 the next argument
• 🇪🇸 finalmente – 🇬🇧 finally, last but not least 
• 🇪🇸 sin embargo – 🇬🇧 however, nevertheless, nonetheless
• 🇪🇸 por lo tanto – 🇬🇧 therefore, thus
• 🇪🇸 además – 🇬🇧 besides
• 🇪🇸 por un lado….por el otro lado – 🇬🇧 on the one hand….on the other hand
• 🇪🇸 a menos que – 🇬🇧 unless
• 🇪🇸 a pesar de (algo) – 🇬🇧 despite / in spite of (something)
• 🇪🇸 aunque / a pesar de que – 🇬🇧 although / even though
• 🇪🇸 debido a – 🇬🇧 due to
• 🇪🇸 puesto que / dado que – 🇬🇧 given that
• 🇪🇸 ya que –  🇬🇧 since
• 🇪🇸 mientras que – 🇬🇧 whereas
• 🇪🇸 en conclusión – 🇬🇧 in conclusion
• 🇪🇸 para concluir – 🇬🇧 to conclude

Do you think you would know how to use these connectors in an essay? Let’s suppose you are writing about ecology:

🇪🇸 Los paises han estado cambiando sus politicas. Sin embargo, aún queda mucho por hacer.  🇬🇧 Countries have been changing their policies. However, there is still a lot to do. 

🇪🇸 Una de las amenazas climáticas es el efecto invernadero. Además está la contaminación del agua que presenta un serio riesgo para la salud.  🇬🇧 One of the climate threats is the greenhouse effect. Besides, there is water pollution that presents a severe health hazard. 

🇪🇸 A pesar de los acuerdos internacionales, varios países no han mejorado sus normas ambientales.  🇬🇧 Despite international agreements, many countries haven’t yet improved their environmental standards. 

🇪🇸 Debido a la restricción en el uso de bolsas de plástico desechables, Chile ha podido reducir su huella de carbono.  🇬🇧 Due to the restrictions in the use of disposable plastic bags, Chile has been able to reduce its carbon print. 

Spanish Phrases to Express Your Opinion in Essays

Essay topics commonly require you to write what you think about something. Or whether you agree or disagree with an idea, a project, or someone’s views. 

The words below will allow you to express your opinion effortlessly and go beyond the typical “creo que ” – “ I think ”:

• 🇪🇸 (yo) opino que – 🇬🇧 in my opinion
• 🇪🇸 me parece que – 🇬🇧 it seems to me
• 🇪🇸 desde mi punto de vista – 🇬🇧 from my point of view
• 🇪🇸 (no) estoy convencido que  – 🇬🇧 I am (not) convinced that
• 🇪🇸 no me cabe la menor duda – 🇬🇧 I have no doubt 
• 🇪🇸 estoy seguro que – 🇬🇧 I’m sure
• 🇪🇸 dudo que – 🇬🇧 I doubt
• 🇪🇸 sospecho que – 🇬🇧 I suspect
• 🇪🇸 asumo que – 🇬🇧 I assume
• 🇪🇸 estoy (totalmente, parcialmente) de acuerdo – 🇬🇧 I (totally, partially) agree
• 🇪🇸 no estoy de acuerdo en absoluto – 🇬🇧 I absolutely disagree
• 🇪🇸 opino diferente – 🇬🇧 I have a different opinion
• 🇪🇸 me niego a aceptar – 🇬🇧 I refuse to accept
• 🇪🇸 estoy en contra / a favor de – 🇬🇧 I am against / in favor of
• 🇪🇸 no podría estar más de acuerdo – 🇬🇧 I couldn’t agree more
• 🇪🇸 encuentro absolutamente cierto / falso  – 🇬🇧 I find it absolutely correct / false

Phrases like these can really give shape to your essay and increase its formality level. This time, let’s verify it with views on education: 

🇪🇸 Opino que estudiando remotamente los jóvenes están perdiendo las habilidades sociales.  🇬🇧 In my opinion, remote schooling makes youngsters lose their social skills. 

🇪🇸 Dudo que esta decisión traiga verdaderos cambios para el sistema educacional en mi país.  🇬🇧 I doubt this change will bring any real changes to the educational system in my country. 

🇪🇸 Estoy totalmente de acuerdo con que todos deberían tener acceso a educación de calidad. 🇬🇧 I totally agree that everyone should have access to good quality education. 

🇪🇸 Estoy en contra de escuelas solo para niñas o solo para niños.  🇬🇧 I am against girls-only or boys-only schools. 

Pay attention to certain language differences between English and Spanish versions. The most common mistake that my students make is to say “ I am agree ” ❌ (direct translation from “ Estoy de acuerdo ”) instead of “ I agree ”✔️. 

Fancy Academic Verbs and Expressions for Essays in Spanish

Would you like to impress your professor with sophisticated academic vocabulary or get extra points on your DELE? Grab a pen and take notes:

• 🇪🇸 afirmar  – 🇬🇧 to state
• 🇪🇸 refutar – 🇬🇧 to refute, to reject
• 🇪🇸 argumentar – 🇬🇧 to argue that
• 🇪🇸 poner en duda  – 🇬🇧 to cast doubt
• 🇪🇸 poner en evidencia – 🇬🇧 to shed light 
• 🇪🇸 demostrar – 🇬🇧 to demonstrate
• 🇪🇸 concentrarse en – 🇬🇧 to focus on
• 🇪🇸 sostener – 🇬🇧 to sustain
• 🇪🇸 reflejar – 🇬🇧 to reflect
• 🇪🇸 considerando (que) – 🇬🇧 considering (that)
• 🇪🇸 siendo realista – 🇬🇧 realistically speaking
• 🇪🇸 de cierto modo – 🇬🇧 in a way
• 🇪🇸 en lo que se refiere a – 🇬🇧 with regards to
• 🇪🇸 en vista de – 🇬🇧 in view of
• 🇪🇸 de acuerdo a – 🇬🇧 according to
• 🇪🇸 no obstante – 🇬🇧 nevertheless

So many great words to work with! And some of them sound really similar to English, right? This is exactly why Spanish is such a good option when you want to learn a second language.

Let’s see how to make all these verbs and phrases work:

🇪🇸 Los resultados de los nuevos estudios ponen en duda la relación entre el consumo de huevos y altos niveles de colesterol.  🇬🇧 The recent study findings cast doubt on the relation between egg consumption and high cholesterol levels. 

🇪🇸 Los autores del estudio argumentan que los azucares y los carbohidratos juegan un rol importante en este asunto.  🇬🇧 The authors of the study argue that sugars and carbs play an important role in this topic. 

🇪🇸 En lo que se refiere al consumo de carne, este influye directamente los niveles de colesterol malo, sobre todo si es carne con mucha grasa. 🇬🇧 Regarding meat consumption, it directly influences the levels of “bad” cholesterol, especially in the case of greasy meat. 

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Writing an Essay in Spanish: Tips for a Great Essay

When learning Spanish, many students put all their energy into practicing speaking. They chat with classmates, engage in conversations with native speakers, and tune into Spanish TV shows or podcasts. But amidst this flurry of spoken practice, writing often gets pushed aside like yesterday's homework.

Yet, without honing those writing chops, achieving true fluency in Spanish—or any language for that matter—can be tough. That's why, in this article, we're jumping into writing an essay in Spanish, showing why it's not just a dreaded task but a great chance to boost your language skills. ¡Vamos!

Quick Tips on Writing in Spanish

Now that you're ready to tackle Spanish essay writing, let's make sure you're armed with some handy tips from our Spanish essay writer :

• Mind Your Spelling : Pay close attention to how words are spelled. Good spelling can make your writing look professional and help you avoid embarrassing mistakes.
• Use Transition Words : Incorporate transition words like 'sin embargo' (however), 'por lo tanto' (therefore), and 'además' (moreover) to connect your ideas and make your essay flow smoothly.
• Stick to Simple Sentences : Keep your sentences straightforward and easy to understand. Avoid using overly complicated phrases that might confuse your reader.
• Practice Grammar Regularly : Brush up on grammar rules to avoid common mistakes. Pay attention to verb conjugations, noun-adjective agreement, and sentence structure.
• Expand Your Vocabulary : Learn new Spanish words and phrases regularly to enrich your writing. Try using a Spanish-English dictionary or language-learning app to discover new vocabulary.
• Read Spanish Texts : Read books, articles, and essays written in this language to familiarize yourself with the language's structure and style. Pay attention to how sentences are constructed and how ideas are expressed.

With these quick tips in mind, let’s now check out a step-by-step guide to crafting an essay in Spanish.

Choose a Compelling Subject

When you start your essay, picking a compelling subject is your first step. Choose a topic that you care about. It will show in your writing, making it more engaging and lively.

Think about what excites you or what you want to know more about. Maybe there's a part of Spanish culture that fascinates you, like flamenco dancing or the traditional food of a specific region. Or perhaps you're intrigued by a historical figure or a current issue in Spanish-speaking countries.

Once you settle on a topic, dig into it. Look up articles, watch videos, and gather as much information as you can. This background work will not only beef up your knowledge but also give you plenty of material to draw from when you sit down to write your essay.

Generate Ideas

Brainstorming can really kick things into gear by helping you develop a deep and varied pool of thoughts related to your topic. Start by jotting down everything that comes to mind about your subject. Don't worry about organizing these ideas yet; the goal is to get all your thoughts out on paper. You might be surprised by what you come up with!

Use mind maps to help visualize the connections between different ideas. Draw a circle in the center of a page, write your main topic in it, and then branch out with related ideas, connecting them with lines to show how they relate to each other and to the central theme.

Asking questions can also spark more ideas. What? Who? Where? When? Why? How? These questions can lead you to consider different angles of your topic that you might not have thought about before.

Once you have a good list of ideas, look for patterns or themes that could form the backbone of your essay. Choose the ones that are most interesting to you, or that have plenty of information available, and you'll find your essay starts to take shape naturally from there.

Craft an Opening

The opening, or introduction, should not only introduce your topic but also pique the reader's curiosity. Here's how you can create an engaging introduction:

• Start with a hook : Begin with an intriguing statement, a surprising fact, or a provocative question related to your topic. For example, if you're writing about the influence of Spanish cinema, you might start with statistics about the international awards Spanish films have won.
• Provide some background : After grabbing the reader's attention, give a bit of background to place your topic in context. This doesn't have to be detailed but should provide enough information to understand the importance of the topic and why it's relevant.
• State your thesis : End your introduction with a clear thesis statement that will guide the rest of your essay, making sure it's specific and directly related to your topic.

Structure the Essay

A well-organized essay makes it easier for your readers to follow your arguments and understand the points you're making. As previously mentioned, your introduction should start with a hook to capture interest, provide some background information to set the scene and conclude with a strong thesis statement that outlines your main argument or perspective.

As for the body section, start each paragraph with a topic sentence that introduces the main idea of the paragraph. This sentence should link back to your thesis statement and indicate how this paragraph will support your overall argument. Then, follow the topic sentence with evidence, examples, and explanations to flesh out your argument.

Lastly, begin your conclusion by briefly summarizing the key points you have discussed. Then, reinforce your thesis statement with a fresh rephrasing, showing how the body of your essay has supported it throughout.

Recap the Content

Now that you've laid out your arguments in the body of your essay, it's time to recap. Briefly go over the main points from each section of your essay. This reminds the reader of what you've discussed and how it all connects. Then, tie each point back to your thesis statement. Also, mention any particularly strong evidence or insightful observations again, reinforcing their importance.

Ensure Coherence and Relevance

Once you've recapped the content of your writing, it's essential to ensure coherence and relevance throughout. You can do this by reviewing the transitions between paragraphs and sections, ensuring they flow smoothly and logically from one idea to the next.

Also, look for any redundant or repetitive information. Remove anything that doesn't add value to your argument or that repeats points you've already made. It's also important to avoid going off on tangents or introducing unrelated information.

Lastly, before finalizing your essay, ask yourself if every part of it is relevant to your main argument. If not, consider revising or removing those sections to maintain focus.

Review for Clarity and Style

Once you've ensured coherence and relevance in your writing, it's time to review for clarity and style. Break down long or convoluted sentences into shorter, more straightforward ones. This helps prevent confusion and keeps your writing clear. You can also read your essay aloud to yourself or have someone else read it to you. This can help you identify awkward phrasing or unclear passages that may need revision.

Edit for Errors

Finally, it's time to edit your essay for errors. This step is crucial for ensuring that your writing is polished and professional. Using a spellchecker or asking a native speaker to proofread your essay for you is usually a good idea. Then, double-check your formatting, including margins, font size, and spacing. Make sure your essay follows any specific formatting guidelines provided by your instructor.

By thoroughly editing your essay for Spanish language errors, you ensure that your final product is polished and ready to impress your readers. Take your time with this step to catch any mistakes and make the necessary revisions for a flawless finish.

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WRITTEN EXPRESSION

Writing is a universal system of communication, just like speech. However, they differ in terms of what they can do. Compared to speech, writing is able to overcome the barriers of time as its message is often permanent. It came into being around 3500 BC and became a powerful tool for social interaction, bringing change the world over. Learning to write in Spanish can help you transform your mind as it is also a useful tool for reflection. This means you must be able to both create information in the new language and know how to transmit it. The ultimate goal of a language learner is to master their second language in order to be able to communicate, and writing is a good way to achieve this goal! Therefore, writing in Spanish is one of the most important skills to acquire when learning the language. However, it is sometimes overlooked as most students focus on learning to speak or read. However, writing in Spanish is great fun and with a little daily practice can dramatically boost your learning progress.

Table of contents 1. Is it difficult to write in Spanish? 2. Why is it important to learn to write in Spanish? 3. What rules should I follow when writing in Spanish? 4. What techniques does Lengalia recommend for writing in Spanish? 5. What resources does Lengalia offer me for writing in Spanish? 6. What tips will help me write in Spanish?

1. Is it difficult to write in Spanish?

Actually, contrary to popular belief, most students find that learning to write in Spanish is not as complicated as they first thought. As in English, there are many varieties or registers of Spanish, from the very formal style used in official documents to the more informal language used online in blogs. Here are some examples: - Standard Spanish. This is the Spanish you will find in the media and in most printed material. Unless otherwise indicated, the words, examples and idiomatic expressions in the dictionaries belong to Standard Spanish. The register of Standard Spanish is appropriate for most situations, whether written or spoken. It is advisable at the outset for students to aim for simplicity and directness when writing in Spanish. - Formal and literary language. Like English, formal Spanish is a relatively restricted subset of the language, especially in specific areas such as law. - Informal language. Spanish is rich in informal terms and turns of phrase which are used in almost all areas of everyday life. Informal Spanish should not be used when writing essays, reports, memorandums, etc. When writing in Spanish, it is important to be aware of this and to choose the register appropriate to the context. As a general rule, the language used in essays, articles and reports tends to be more formal in Spanish than in English. The key thing is to make sure that you use language that conveys what you want to say as clearly and legibly as possible. When you are learning to write in Spanish, we recommend you use a dictionary if you are unsure about spelling, for example. When learning our mother tongue, we follow a simple process. First, we learn to listen , then speak , then to read and, finally, write . Therefore, if we want to learn a second language, we must follow a similar process. Writing in Spanish is the last skill to learn because it is arguably much more complicated than the others. However, it is no less important. In fact, the different skills all complement each other. If you enjoy writing, but have not yet mastered it, don't worry. Always remember that writing is a process that you have to learn to master, even in your mother tongue. It is like learning to ride a bicycle or drive a car. You don't learn by reading a manual or watching others do it. You learn by practising. You don't need to become a professional writer to be a good writer. However, if you want to learn Spanish well, you should not neglect the skill of writing in Spanish.

2. Why is it important to learn to write in Spanish?

Voltaire once said, ‘Writing is the painting of the voice’. In the context of second language acquisition, writing is defined here as putting words on paper. The more you read, the more your writing improves. However, it is also possible to have good reading comprehension without being able to write well. Although these skills are interrelated, you need to work on each area or skill separately. It is normal for learners of Spanish to give more importance to the acquisition of listening or reading skills over writing skills. However, writing in Spanish can be a major step forward in your learning. It allows you to actively consolidate the grammatical structures you have learned as well as helping you organise how to express your ideas in Spanish. When you write, you have time to reflect. And of course, it is now almost impossible to avoid writing. Think about how many times you have written something today - writing is inescapable! If your goal is to learn the language, you will have to learn to write in Spanish. Indeed, writing in Spanish can provide you with many advantages : - It improves fluency . Writing practice helps you think and speak in the language you are learning. As you practise, you will be able to form new thoughts in the language. Your ability to create complete sentences will help you in real conversation because you have already learned the grammar rules. - It is active learning . Speaking and writing are two closely related skills. Both force you to think for yourself and use the words you know to create the sentences you want to write in Spanish. - It forces you to research information . When writing in Spanish, you might have to look up words you don't know. This helps you to quickly learn the words that are most relevant in that context. - It helps you avoid mistakes . When you try to speak in a foreign language you are learning, you don't have much time to focus on the mistakes you make, otherwise the flow of the conversation will be interrupted. However, when you write and create sentences, you’ve got time to correct your mistakes. We also recommend you show the text you have tried to write in Spanish to your teacher or someone who knows the language. Ask them to check what you have written and show you the mistakes you have made. - It helps build vocabulary . Verb construction and new vocabulary are learned when you practise writing in a foreign language. Memorising verbs and nouns is fine, but using them smoothly in speech or writing is another matter. By writing new words in Spanish, your brain retains them, allowing you to access them later. Writing in Spanish also helps you understand how to integrate words into complete sentences.

3. What rules should I follow when writing in Spanish?

Voltaire once said, ‘Writing is the painting of the voice’. In the context of second language acquisition, writing is defined here as putting words on paper. The more you read, the more your writing improves. However, it is also possible to have good reading comprehension without being able to write well. Although these skills are interrelated, you need to work on each area or skill separately. It is normal for learners of Spanish to give more importance to the acquisition of listening or reading skills over writing skills. However, writing in Spanish can be a major step forward in your learning. It allows you to actively consolidate the grammatical structures you have learned as well as helping you organise how to express your ideas in Spanish. Every language has a particular set of writing rules. Although some rules seem to be almost universal, others vary from language to language. Therefore, in order to learn to write in Spanish correctly, you need to know the main rules: - Spanish spelling . Spanish spelling is easier than English as we normally write words as they are pronounced, i.e. each sound corresponds to a single letter and vice versa. However, there are some cases to pay attention to: • The letter ‘h’ is not pronounced. Also, this letter changes the sound of the letter ‘c’ when they are together, as in coche or noche. • There are some letter pairs that can be confusing, such as b/v, r/rr, g/j, ll/y, c/k/q and c/s/z. • Spanish uses accents. If a word is accented in Spanish, it cannot be ignored as they sometimes change the meaning of words (dé/de; té/te). - The use of capital letters in Spanish . Spanish and English, for example, share many capitalisation rules, but there are also some differences. For example, Spanish does not capitalise months, days of the week, languages, nationalities, religions, social and political movements or the pronoun yo (unless it is the first word of the sentence). Also, in Spanish, the first word after a colon is not capitalised. - Punctuation in Spanish . There are some rules of punctuation in Spanish that should not be overlooked: • Spanish has a question mark and an opening exclamation mark (¿, ¡). For example, ¿Dónde está el gato? ‘Where is the cat?’, ¡Qué buen día hace hoy! ‘What a lovely day it is!’ • Spanish uses a colon at the opening of letters (e.g. Querido José: ‘Dear José,’ or Hola, Pepe: ‘Hi Pepe,’) whereas English uses a comma (colons apply only in the case of formal letters). • The last two items in a list should be joined with a conjunction such as y ‘and’ or o ‘or’. • In Spanish, a space is used to separate groups of thousands (e.g. 100 000), and a comma is used as a decimal separator (e.g. 1,5). • Spanish usually leaves commas, full stops and other punctuation marks outside the inverted commas. In English, the placement of these punctuation marks varies depending on which regional variation of English is being used, for example, UK or US.   - Spanish sentence structure . Structure refers to the internal organisation of a language, i.e. the order in which we must place the parts of a sentence to make it grammatically correct. Both Spanish and English follow the general rule: Subject + Verb + Object but this is not always the case. - In Spanish, the subject can be omitted if it is a pronoun . This is possible because Spanish verbs have a different ending for each grammatical person. - Adjectives follow the noun . There are some exceptions that alter the meaning but, in general, adjectives always follow the noun. For example, una habitación luminosa ‘a bright room’. - Nouns, determiners and adjectives have to agree in Spanish . For example, la chica guapa ‘the beautiful girl’. 3.1 CHARACTERISTICS OF WRITTEN DISCOURSE In addition to knowing the main rules for writing in Spanish correctly, the written text must have the following characteristics: - Adequacy . This refers to whether or not a text is appropriate in its context. It determines the regional variety and the register to be used. It fulfils the established communicative purpose and respects the social and discursive conventions of the genre. - Coherence .  This refers to the semantic relationships between the parts that make up a text, so that it makes sense and can be understood by the reader. It organises the communicative structure in a certain way (introduction, sections, conclusions, etc.). In this way, it helps to construct the meaning of the text, as well as to organise it. - Cohesion . The different elements of the text are connected by means of different mechanisms: repetitions, semantic relations (antonymy and homonymy), links, discourse connectors, anaphoric and deictic pronouns, etc. 3.2 THE DIFFERENT TYPES OF TEXTS YOU CAN WRITE IN SPANISH The different types of texts you might write in Spanish are messages, informal or formal letters, professional emails, your CV or perhaps a job application. Writing in Spanish covers all kinds of situations, so we will briefly review the main characteristics of each text. 3.2.1 Writing letters in Spanish   Letters can be formal or informal. This will affect not only the body of the letter, but also the way you start and end it. There are some rules to keep in mind when writing a letter in Spanish: - Querido/a is only used in informal letters, while Estimado/a is the preferred form in formal letters. Both can be translated as ‘Dear’ in English. - Normally only the name of the person you are writing to is used if the letter is informal as in Querido Luis ‘Dear Luis’, but Señor, Señora plus the surname if the letter is formal as in Estimado Sr. Martín (equivalent in terms of formality to ‘Dear Sir’). If you do not know the name of the person you are addressing, you can opt for Estimados señores ‘Dear Sirs’. - When closing a letter, you can write Besos or Abrazos (equivalent to ‘Love from’ or ‘Lots of love’) in informal letters, but never in formal letters. Use Saludos ‘Best wishes’ in semi-formal letters and Cordialmente ‘Kind regards’ or Atentamente ‘Yours faithfully’ in formal letters. 3.2.2 Writing an email in Spanish Knowing how to write an email in Spanish is a skill you are going to need sooner or later because email communication, especially in a professional environment, is something we do on a daily basis nowadays. Most letter writing rules also apply here. Make sure that you use the right opening and closing in your email, and that the general tone and vocabulary used are appropriate to the situation. When writing an email, especially a formal one, you will normally need to include five sections: greeting, introduction, reason for the email, body and closing. 3.2.3 Writing an essay in Spanish Beginning to write an essay in Spanish is possibly one of the most difficult tasks for beginner learners. Going from single sentences to several paragraphs requires a lot of practice, but there are fixed expressions that can be used to make this process easier. Depending on the type of writing you do, you will need to cover one or more of the following points: - Opinion . This is very common in essays, especially those included in official Spanish exams. Make sure you use expressions which help you introduce your opinions: en mi opinión ‘in my opinion’, a mi juicio ‘in my opinion’, desde mi punto de vista ‘from my point of view’, me parece que ‘it seems to me that’, creo que ‘I think that’, etc. - Constructing an argument . In this type of writing you should back up your statements with arguments. Try to introduce words and expressions such as según ‘according to’, de acuerdo con ‘in accordance with’, en palabras de ‘in the words of’, etc. and write the source. - Conclusion . The conclusion usually summarises the main themes of the essay and answers the questions and hypotheses that have been raised in the introduction. When writing a conclusion, use expressions such as: en conclusión ‘in conclusion’, por esta razón ‘this is why’, en definitiva ‘in conclusion’, en resumen ‘in summary’, etc.When you write, you have time to reflect. And of course, it is now almost impossible to avoid writing. Think about how many times you have written something today - writing is inescapable! If your goal is to learn the language, you will have to learn to write in Spanish. Indeed, writing in Spanish can provide you with many advantages : - It improves fluency . Writing practice helps you think and speak in the language you are learning. As you practise, you will be able to form new thoughts in the language. Your ability to create complete sentences will help you in real conversation because you have already learned the grammar rules. - It is active learning . Speaking and writing are two closely related skills. Both force you to think for yourself and use the words you know to create the sentences you want to write in Spanish. - It forces you to research information . When writing in Spanish, you might have to look up words you don't know. This helps you to quickly learn the words that are most relevant in that context. - It helps you avoid mistakes . When you try to speak in a foreign language you are learning, you don't have much time to focus on the mistakes you make, otherwise the flow of the conversation will be interrupted. However, when you write and create sentences, you’ve got time to correct your mistakes. We also recommend you show the text you have tried to write in Spanish to your teacher or someone who knows the language. Ask them to check what you have written and show you the mistakes you have made. - It helps build vocabulary . Verb construction and new vocabulary are learned when you practise writing in a foreign language. Memorising verbs and nouns is fine, but using them smoothly in speech or writing is another matter. By writing new words in Spanish, your brain retains them, allowing you to access them later. Writing in Spanish also helps you understand how to integrate words into complete sentences.

4. What techniques does Lengalia recommend for writing in Spanish?

A number of techniques, at all ability levels, are needed to write well in Spanish. Lengalia recommends you approach the text as follows: - Mind mapping . Before you start writing in Spanish, organise your ideas and the topics you want to deal with in the text. Make an outline of what you want to communicate. This is the basic pattern of introduction, body and conclusion of writing that should be present in any text, not only in long essays. - Think in Spanish . As soon as you start preparing the text, think in Spanish all the time. This will help you avoid problems at later stages of your writing progress in Spanish. - Use short sentences . Short sentences help to express ideas clearly and directly. Long sentences can lead to mistakes and the text can become confusing for the reader. - Use connectors . This tip will help you when writing in Spanish. Connectors such as además ‘additionally’, mientras tanto ‘meanwhile’, sin embargo ‘however’, por eso ‘therefore’, por tanto ‘thus’ are words that help the conversation flow better. - Check punctuation . One of the most common mistakes made when writing in Spanish is forgetting to use the initial exclamation and question marks. This is quite common as these symbols don’t exist in English. Likewise, many novice writers ignore the use of commas... It is therefore essential to revise the text once it is finished. - Look for idiomatic expressions . These are structures, phrases and idioms used in Spanish that are specific to each type of text to be written. Looking up commonly used idioms that are specific to the text type makes the writing more appropriate. - Use equivalents . Using equivalents is a sign that you are already an advanced learner of the language. For example: sin embargo ‘however’ instead of no obstante , or lograr ‘to achieve’ instead of conseguir . It shows that you have a wide vocabulary and that you know how to express your ideas in many different ways in Spanish, thus enriching the text.

5. What resources does Lengalia offer me for writing in Spanish?

Lengalia's courses will help you to improve in all areas of the language, always taking your ability level into consideration. We have courses for beginners from a very basic level A1 to an advanced level C2. The complexity is based on the criteria defined in the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFR). All courses follow our method for learning Spanish based on learning paths which emphasise acquiring a solid foundation in the language to increase the student's confidence. In the different courses on Spanish grammar and pronunciation Spanish course you will be able to practise writing via the many and varied exercises. In the professional spanish courses , we offer exercises to learn how to write letters or emails in professional situations. We also offer exercises to learn how to use accents accurately when spelling. And with our spanish vocabulary trainer you can learn thousands of new words.  A rich vocabulary will make your text stand out. Think of grammar rules as the skeleton of your writing and the vocabulary as the meat.

6. What tips will help me to write in Spanish?

To conclude, we would like to present you with some useful tips for writing in Spanish and that will help you improve day by day. With practice and perseverance, in a few months you will notice a great improvement in your learning. - Read as much as you can . The best way to keep improving your writing in Spanish is to read in Spanish. When you read in Spanish, your brain absorbs words, phrases, structures, idioms and even conjugations. Get used to reading about different topics and types of texts. - Practice daily . Start incorporating writing into your daily Spanish practice. There are many types of texts to write in Spanish, you can easily incorporate them into your daily routine. - Find a writing partner . Find a language exchange partner with whom you can have oral and written conversations, as this is a good way to take your progress to the next level. Write them a message in Spanish via WhatsApp, email, etc. - Write a diary . This gives you the opportunity to both write and think in Spanish every day. Let the ideas flow in Spanish. That way, when you have to write a more important text, the words will come to you more easily. - Write about a topic of interest . As with the diary, it is easier to write about something that interests you. This will inject more enthusiasm into the whole exercise. - Write by hand . Research shows that writing by hand has enormous benefits for the brain and our learning process. - Ask someone else to review your work . Although it is good practice to write as much as you can, there is no point in making mistakes and not knowing about it. Therefore, just as important as writing in Spanish is having someone who can proofread and correct your work. Remember that the more you write, the more easily the words will begin to flow. As the saying goes, ‘Practice makes perfect’. To create sentences on your own properly you need to step outside your comfort zone. Doing so will take some effort, but keep in mind that using the language you are learning is the most important part of your language acquisition journey.

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65 spanish phrases to use in an essay.

If Spanish is not your first language, memorizing specific phrases can help you improve your essay-writing skills and make you sound more like a native speaker. Thus below, you will find a list of useful phrases categorized by groups to help you appear more proficient and take your essays to the next level!

Introductory Phrases

Based on my vast experience as a freelance writer , I can say that starting an essay is undoubtedly the most challenging part of essay writing. Nonetheless, many phrases have proven to help organize my thoughts and form cohesive and intriguing introductions, such as:

• “Para empezar” – To begin with

• “Al principio” – At the beginning… 

• “En primer lugar” – To start… 

• “Empecemos por considerar” – Let’s begin by considering/acknowledging 

• “A manera de introducción” – We can start by saying…

• “Como punto de partida “ – As a starting point

• “Hoy en día” – Nowadays… Notice that these introductory phrases are not exactly the same than those you would use in a conversation. For that, I suggest reading my article about Sentence Starters in Spanish .

You can also use phrase to introduce a new topic in the text such as:

• En lo que se refiere a – Regarding to
• Respecto a – Regarding to
• En cuanto a – Regarding to
• Cuando se trata de – When it comes to
• Si pasamos a hablar de – If we go ahead to talk about

Concluding Phrases

It is also crucial that you know how to finish your essay. A good conclusion will allow you to tie all your ideas together and emphasize the key takeaways. Below, a few ways in which you can begin a concluding argument:

• “En conclusion” – In conclusion

• “En resumen/resumiendo…” – In summary

• “Como se puede ver…” – As you can see

• “Para concluir” – To conclude

• “Para finalizar” – To finish

• “Finalmente, podemos decir que…” – We can then say that…

• “ En consecuencia, podemos decir que…” – As a result, one can say that…

• “Por fin” – Finally

Transitional Phrases

Transitions phrases are crucial if you wish your essay to flow smoothly. Thus, I recommend you pay special attention to the following sentences:

• “Además” – Besides

• “Adicionalmente” – In addition…

• “Dado que…” – Given that…

• “Por lo tanto” – Therefore

• “Entonces” – Thus/So

• “Debido a…” – Hence

• “Mientras tanto” – Meanwhile

• “Por lo que” – This is why

• “Desde entonces” – Since then

Argumentative Phrases

When writing essays, it is very common for us to need to include argumentative phrases to get our message across. Hence, if you are looking for new ways to introduce an argument, below a few ideas:

• “Por otro lado…” – On the other hand…

• “En primera instancia…” – First of all 

• “A diferencia de…” – As oppossed to

• “De igual forma” – More so

• “Igualmente” – The same goes for… 

• “En otras palabras” – In other words

• “A pesar de que…” – Although 

• “Aunque” – Even though 

• “En contraste” – By contrast 

• “De hecho…” – In fact… 

• “Sin embargo” – Nevertheless

• “No obstante” – However

Opinion Phrases

There are many formal (and less formal ways) to express your opinions and beliefs in Spanish. Here, a few examples: 

• “Considero que…” – I considerthat…

• “Mi opinión es” – It is my opinion

• “Pienso que…” – I think that…

• “Opino que” – In my opinion…

• “Afortunadamente” – Fortunately

• “ Lamentablemente” – Unfortunately

• “Me parece que…” – It seems to me that…

• “En mi opinión” – I believe that…

• “En mi experiencia” – Based on my experience

• “Como yo lo veo…” – As I see it…

• “Es mi parecer” – My pointview 

General Phrases

Finally, I wanted to include a group of useful common phrases that can enrich your essay’s vocabulary:

•   “En realidad” – In reality

• “Actualmente” – Today/Nowadays 

• “De acuerdo a…” – According to… 

• “Por ejemplo” – For example

• “Cabe recalcar que…” – It is important to note that… 

• “Vale la pena resaltar que…” – It is important to highlight that… 

• “No podemos ignorar que…” – We can’t ignore that… 

• “Normalmente” – Usually/Normally 

• “Por lo general” – In general

• “Es normal que…” – It is normal to…

• “Otro hecho importante es…” – Another relevant factor is… 

• “Podría decirse que…” – One could say that… 

• “Para ilustrar” – To illustrate 

There you have it! A list of 60 useful phrases you can memorize to make your essays sound more professional and become more appealing to readers. However, if you are struggling and need further assistance with your essay, here you can see an Spanish essay example that can help you to structure and edit your work.

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52 Spanish Writing Prompts for Beginner to Advanced Learners

Here’s a method that’s quite effective for helping you build confidence in your Spanish , no matter your level.

You only need two items: pencil and paper.

That’s right, we’re going to get you that much-needed writing practice !

With Spanish writing prompts, you can strengthen your grasp on Spanish verb conjugations , grammatical structures , vocabulary and more.

Ready your writing materials, buckle up and let’s get started.

Spanish Writing Prompts for Beginners

1. daily routine (with a twist), 2. dream vacation, 3. mysterious object, 4. unlikely friends, 5. family portrait, 6. time capsule, 7. unexpected gift, 8. language exchange, 9. lost in the city, 10. the weather today, 11. my favorite season, 12. a visit to the zoo, 13. at the restaurant, 14. a day without technology, 15. a mysterious letter, 16. a visit to the doctor, 17. my favorite book or movie, 18. an unexpected friendship, 19. my ideal home, 20. the magical object, spanish writing prompts for intermediate learners, 21. postcard from paradise, 22. dear diary, 24. never have i ever, 25. lost in translation, 26. haunted house, 27. future professions, 28. unexpected encounter, 29. secret diary, 30. culinary adventure, 31. the mysterious package, 32. childhood memories, 33. social media: yay or nay, 34. the art of persuasion, 35. the time-traveling journal, spanish writing prompts for advanced learners, 36. ideal friend, 37. alternate timeline, 38. eco-friendly habits, 39. artistic inspiration, 40. tangled tales, 41. culinary fusion, 42. lost and found in translation, 43. untranslatable beauty, 44. cultural dilemma, 45. the mind’s canvas, 46. echoes of history, 47. nature’s poetry, 48. evolving traditions, 49. the four-day workweek, 50. cultural collage, 51. ephemeral moments, 52. language odyssey, tips to practice spanish by writing for beginner, intermediate and advanced learners, intermediate, and one more thing….

Download: This blog post is available as a convenient and portable PDF that you can take anywhere. Click here to get a copy. (Download)

Focus on: Present simple tense

You’ve probably had to write about your daily routine at some point in Spanish class. This prompt is great because it forces you to practice present simple verbs, which are used to talk about repeated or habitual actions. But writing about your morning coffee and shower routine can get a little dry.

So, for this writing prompt, try to write about a daily routine from someone else’s point of view. Pretend you’re someone else—a celebrity, a farm animal, a person from the future, an alien—and write about “your” daily routine. Not only is this a fun exercise in creativity, it also allows you to incorporate new vocabulary.

• Thousands of learner friendly videos (especially beginners)
• Handpicked, organized, and annotated by FluentU's experts
• Integrated into courses for beginners

Sample: Soy un gato. Cada mañana cazo ratones en el jardín. Luego los llevo a la mesa y se los doy a mi dueño humano. (I’m a cat. Every morning, I hunt mice in the garden. Then, I bring them to the table and give them to my human owner.)  

Keep practicing: Instead of writing from a first-person point of view, write as though you’re reporting on someone’s daily routine. This will allow you to practice third-person verb conjugations. Since in Spanish, first- and third-person conjugations are often quite different in the present simple, it’s worth your time to practice them both.

Focus on: Future tense

You’ve been working hard on your Spanish studies , so you’ve definitely earned that dream vacation—and this fun writing prompt!

Picture this: you’ve been given the golden opportunity to take a dream vacation anywhere in the world. Now, think about where you would go, what you would do and how you would feel during this incredible trip. Since this one takes place in the future, it’ll flex your mastery of the Spanish future tenses.

Sample: En las vacaciones de mi sueños, voy a viajar a las playas hermosas de Bora Bora. Pasaré mis días buceando en aguas cristalinas y relajándome en la arena blanca. (On my dream vacation, I will travel to the beautiful beaches of Bora Bora. I will spend my days diving in crystal-clear waters and relaxing on the white sand.)

Keep practicing: Instead of writing about your own dream vacation, write about the dream vacation of someone you know very well, like a friend or family member. This will give you practice in conjugating verbs in the future tense for third-person subjects.

Focus on: Descriptive adjectives

Imagine you discover a mysterious object in your backyard. (It doesn’t have to be a UFO—it can literally be anything!) Write a description of this object using as many adjectives in Spanish as you can. Make your description as vivid and intriguing as you can.

Sample: Encontré un objeto redondo y brillante enterrado en la tierra húmeda. Era pequeño pero pesado, y tenía un brillo metálico. Su superficie estaba llena de detalles grabados y parecía antiguo y misterioso. (I found a round, shiny object buried in the damp earth. It was small but heavy, and had a metallic sheen. Its surface was full of engraved details and looked ancient and mysterious.)

Keep practicing: Instead of describing an object you found, describe an object that your favorite book or movie character found.

Focus on: Comparatives and superlatives

From simple adjectives, let’s take it up a notch. Write a short story or paragraph about two characters who are very different from each other, but still become close friends. Use comparatives and superlatives to describe their personalities, interests and unique qualities.

Sample: María era la más callada de la clase: siempre estaba más interesada en los libros que en conversaciones ruidosas. Por otro lado, Juan era el más extrovertido, siempre listo para contar chistes y hacer reír a todos. A pesar de sus diferencias, María y Juan se hicieron mejores amigos. (Maria was the quietest in the class: she was always more interested in books than in noisy conversations. Juan, on the other hand, was the most outgoing, always ready to tell jokes and make everyone laugh. Despite their differences, Maria and Juan became best friends.)

Keep practicing: Add a third character into the mix. Compare and contrast this third character with both of your existing characters.

Focus on: Possessive pronouns

I’m sure you’ve seen the “describe your family” prompt at some point. This one turns that prompt a bit on its head.

Imagine you’re describing a family portrait to a friend. Write a paragraph talking about each family member’s appearance and personality, using possessive pronouns to show their relationships.

Sample: En la foto de mi familia, mi hermana lleva su vestido favorito y sostiene a su gato en los brazos. Mi padre está junto a su bicicleta, sonriendo. Mi madre está recogiendo verduras de nuestro huerto y se ve orgullosa. Mis perros están a mi lado, jugando con su pelota favorita. (In my family photo, my sister is wearing her favorite dress and holding her cat in her arms. My father is standing next to his bicycle, smiling. My mother is picking vegetables from our garden and she looks proud. My dogs are next to me, playing with their favorite ball.)

Keep practicing: Write about the family portrait of a fictional family, including extended family members like cousins, aunts and uncles. Not only will this help you practice using possessive pronouns with a variety of nouns, but you’ll also brush up on your family vocabulary .

Focus on: Reflexive verbs

Reflexive verbs refer to action words that the subject of a sentence does to itself. It’s a pretty simple concept, but that doesn’t mean the corresponding writing prompt has to be boring!

For this one, pretend you’re making a time capsule that you’ll bury soon and open years later. In that time capsule, you’re going to include a letter to your future self describing your current interests, hobbies and daily routine. When writing the letter, make sure you practice using reflexive verbs.

Sample: Querido yo del futuro: en este momento, me levanto temprano cada día y me preparo un desayuno saludable. Luego me relajo leyendo un libro o meditando. Me dedico tiempo a mí mismo para crecer y aprender. Espero que sigas manteniendo estas prácticas positivas. (Dear future me: right now, I wake up early every day and make myself a healthy breakfast. Then, I relax by reading a book or meditating. I take time for myself to grow and learn. I hope you will continue to maintain these positive practices.)

Keep practicing: Write a letter to a friend describing their current interests and routines using reflexive verbs. This will give you practice using reflexive verbs in the third person — specifically, the pronoun se .

Focus on: Direct and indirect object pronouns

As you know, there are a ton of pronouns in Spanish . For this exercise, we’re going to focus on direct and indirect object pronouns.

The direct object is the one that receives the action from the subject (e.g., “Juan gave the ball,” where the ball is the direct object). Meanwhile, the indirect object is the thing or object receiving the direct object (e.g., “Juan gave the ball to Maria,” where Maria is the indirect object).

You can practice these tricky pronouns with this prompt. Here, you have to write a story about a character who receives an unexpected gift from a mysterious sender. Use direct and indirect object pronouns to describe the gift, the recipient and the actions involved.

Sample: Juan recibió un paquete en la puerta de su casa. Al abrirlo, encontró un reloj elegante. No sabía quién se lo había enviado, pero le agradeció al misterioso remitente en una tarjeta que decía: “Para ti, con cariño”. (Juan received a package at his front door. When he opened it, he found an elegant watch. He didn’t know who had sent it to him, but he thanked the mysterious sender on a card that read, “To you, with love.”)

Keep practicing: Using the character above, imagine that they sent their unexpected gift to a friend or other third-party.

Focus on: Using different tenses

Now this will be probably be a relatable prompt for you personally. For this one, you’ll write a dialogue between two language exchange partners discussing their language learning experiences. Use a variety of tenses (present, past and future) to describe their progress and goals.

Sample: María: He estado estudiando inglés durante dos años. Quiero visitar Nueva York algún día y poder comunicarme sin problemas. (Maria: I have been studying English for two years. I want to visit New York someday and be able to communicate without any problems.)

John: Yo aprendí francés en la escuela, pero lo dejé. Si pudiera, lo retomaría y viajaría a París. Tú aún puedes lograr tu meta. (John: I learned French in school, but I stopped. If I could, I would take it up again and travel to Paris. You can still achieve your goal.)

Keep practicing: Write a dialogue where one character talks about their language learning journey, and the other character offers advice and encouragement using different tenses.

Focus on: Giving directions

You’ve probably had plenty of practice asking for directions as a tourist in a Spanish-speaking country . Imagine being on the other side of the conversation for a change!

This time, pretend you’re a tour guide in a foreign city. Write a conversation between a lost tourist and yourself, giving them step-by-step directions to a popular landmark or attraction in the city.

Sample: Turista: ¡Disculpe! Estoy perdido y quiero llegar a la catedral.  (Tourist: Excuse me! I’m lost and I want to get to the cathedral.)

Tú: Claro, no te preocupes. Gira a la derecha en la esquina y sigue recto dos cuadras. Luego cruza la plaza y verás la catedral a tu izquierda. Será imposible que no la veas. (You: Sure, don’t worry. Turn right at the corner and go straight for two blocks. Then cross the square and you’ll see the cathedral on your left. It will be impossible for you to miss it.)

Keep practicing: Imagine the tourist you’re talking to has no sense of direction whatsoever—i.e., if you tell them to “go left,” they will just look at you quizzically as if they don’t know what “left” means. In other words, come up with the most creative ways to give directions to someone who’s directionally-challenged!

Focus on: Weather expressions

How’s the weather right now for you? Whether it’s good or bad, now’s the time to write about it—in Spanish!

For this exercise, you need to describe the current weather in your area, including temperature and conditions.

Sample:   Hoy está soleado y cálido. La temperatura es de 25 grados Celsius o 77 grados Fahrenheit. (It is sunny and warm today. The temperature is 25 degrees Celsius or 77 degrees Fahrenheit.)

Keep practicing: Listen to the weather forecast for the next week, and write a summary about it. Imagine you’re giving that summary to a friend.

Focus on: Seasons and related activities

Going off of the weather theme, let’s jump into seasons. This time, talk about your favorite season and the activities you enjoy during that time.

Sample: Mi estación favorita es el otoño. Me encanta recoger hojas y tomar chocolate caliente. (My favorite season is autumn. I love collecting leaves and drinking hot chocolate.)

Keep practicing: Write about a season you don’t particularly like and explain why.

Focus on: Animal vocabulary

If you like to marathon animal documentaries on YouTube, now’s your chance to put your knowledge of common animals to good use in your Spanish studies.

For this one, imagine visiting a zoo. (Even better, write about your last visit to the zoo.) Mention the animals you saw (or imagined you saw) and what they were doing.

Sample: Vi elefantes jugando en el agua y leones descansando bajo el sol. (I saw elephants playing in the water and lions resting in the sun.)

Keep practicing: If you want to move beyond statements like “The tiger has stripes,” you can try describing a zoo visit from the perspective of one of the animals.

Focus on: Ordering food

I’m sure you have at least one favorite restaurant. It doesn’t have to be a Spanish restaurant—the great thing about studying languages is learning about their specific words for specific food or ingredients .

For this exercise, write about your experience at a restaurant, including what you ordered and how the food tasted.

Sample: Pedí una hamburguesa con papas fritas y estuvo deliciosa. (I ordered a burger and fries and it was delicious.)

Keep practicing: Write a dialogue between a waiter and a customer in a restaurant.

Focus on: Daily routines without technology

Can you imagine a world without smartphones and desktop computers?

If that sounds like a lot to wrap your head around, imagine just one day of it. In Spanish, describe a day where you can’t use any technology (phones, computers, etc.), and explain how you spent your time.

Sample: Pasé el día leyendo libros, dibujando y paseando por el parque. (I spent the day reading books, drawing and walking in the park.)

Keep practicing: Now that you’ve managed to imagine a world without modern conveniences, you probably appreciate just how useful your devices are. This time around, write about these wonderful pieces of technology and what role they play in your daily life.

Focus on: Writing a short message

This one may seem like a simple, straightforward exercise, but it’s really not. This one allows you to practice being concise in Spanish—that is, conveying as much as you can in as few words as you can.

Here, you’ll write a short letter to a friend inviting them to a mysterious event, providing clues but not revealing the details of it.

Sample: Hola, amigo; te invito a un evento especial que se realizará este viernes. ¡Espero que puedas venir! (Hello friend, I invite you to a special event taking place this Friday. I hope you can make it!)

Keep practicing: Imagine that your friend gave you a response asking for more information about the event, and write what you think your friend would have said.

Focus on: Expressing symptoms and health issues

Do you remember the last time you paid a visit to the doctor’s office? You can write about that experience, describing your symptoms and what the doctor told you. You can also write about an imagined visit and what that would’ve been like.

Sample: Fui al médico porque tenía fiebre y dolor de garganta. Me recetó medicina y me dijo que descansara. (I went to the doctor because I had a fever and a sore throat. He prescribed medicine and told me to rest.)

Keep practicing: Instead of describing the visit to a third party (like a family member or friend), write a dialogue between a patient and doctor using all of the medical vocabulary you know.

Focus on: Expressing opinions

If you’re the sort who has an opinion on everything, I’ll bet you’ll enjoy this one! For this exercise, write about your favorite book or movie, explaining why you like it and what makes it special. The book or movie doesn’t have to be originally in Spanish—the important thing is that you can express your honest thoughts about that piece of media in Spanish.

Sample: Mi libro favorito es ‘Harry Potter’ porque tiene magia y aventuras emocionantes. (My favorite book is ‘Harry Potter’ because it has magic and exciting adventures.)

Keep practicing: Now that you’ve written about books and movies you like, write about those you don’t like.

Focus on: Describing relationships

You could say this is an offshoot of our earlier exercise “Unlikely Friends,” in that you have to write about an unexpected friendship between two very different people. The difference is that you’re going to go beyond just comparatives and superlatives, and describe the relationship as a whole. Talk about how you and your friend met and what activities you enjoy together, for example.

Sample: Conocí a Pablo en un taller de arte y ahora pintamos juntos todos los fines de semana. (I met Pablo in an art workshop and now we paint together every weekend.)

Keep practicing: Write about a friendship that starts off on the wrong foot but eventually becomes strong. It can be from your own experience, from someone else’s or entirely made-up.

Focus on: Describing living spaces

I’m sure we all have a certain kind of house we’d like to live in—and this exercise is your chance to talk about your ideal home . Describe details like the location, size, rooms and special features you’d like your dream home to have.

Sample: Mi casa ideal estaría cerca de la playa, tendría un jardín grande y una cocina moderna. (My ideal house would be close to the beach, have a large garden and a modern kitchen.)

Keep practicing: After describing your ideal home, try to write about a less-than-ideal home for you.

Focus on: Creative writing and imaginary scenarios

For our last beginner-friendly Spanish writing prompt, let’s give you a bit more free rein. Don’t worry about the particular grammatical concept you need to master—just express yourself in Spanish as best you can.

Imagine you find a magical object that can grant you just one wish. Describe the object, your wish and what happens next.

Sample: Encontré una lámpara mágica y pedí viajar al pasado para conocer a mis abuelos. (I found a magic lamp and asked to travel back in time to meet my grandparents.)

Keep practicing: Write a different story where finding the magical object has unexpected consequences. For example, for every wish you ask from the magic lamp, the wish-granting genie has to stay inside it for another 100 years. (If that sounds a bit too tragic, feel free to make it a bit more lighthearted and fun!)

Focus on:  Present continuous

For this writing prompt, write a postcard to a friend or family member as though you’re on vacation. Describe what’s going on around you and what you’re doing as you write.

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This particular prompt is great for practicing the present continuous tense, which is used to talk about actions happening in the moment of speaking.

Sample: Estoy tomando un café al lado del mar. Hay mucha gente en la playa. Algunas personas están caminando en la orilla y otras se están bañando. ¡Lo estoy pasando muy bien! (I’m drinking a coffee next to the sea. There are a lot of people on the beach. Some people are walking on the shore, and others are swimming. I’m having a great time!)

Keep practicing: Find a classmate or a writing partner. Each of you should choose a vacation location and write a postcard to the other, without mentioning what place you’re writing about. Instead, try to convey it through your description of what’s happening around you. Then, switch postcards and try to guess where the other person wrote about.

Focus on: Preterite and imperfect tenses

Reflecting on events in your life in a diary format is a great way to practice preterite and imperfect verbs. There are many ways to do this.

You could simply write about what has happened to you that day, write about a day in the past (a fun vacation day, for example) or invent a diary entry from someone else’s perspective—whatever stokes your creativity!

Sample: Hoy fui con mi madre al parque. Empezó a llover y nos fuimos a casa. Cuando llegamos, ya eran las ocho, así que puse la mesa mientras ella hacía la cena. (Today I went with my mother to the park. It started to rain and we went home. By the time we arrived, it was eight o’clock, so I laid the table while she made dinner.)

Keep practicing: Why not turn this writing prompt into a nightly routine? Keeping a journal can be a great way to get in your daily Spanish writing practice. Plus, it’s a great way to keep track of your progress over time.

Focus on: Commands

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Choose a task that you know how to do well, and write a step-by-step explanation of it as though you were guiding a friend through the process.

This prompt is a great way to practice the Spanish commands. Plus, depending on what your specific hobby or area of expertise is, this could be a great way to learn new, specific vocabulary relevant to your interests.  

Sample: Para empezar, pon aceite en una sartén y pica dos dientes de ajo. (To begin, put oil in a pan and chop two cloves of garlic.)

Keep practicing : In Spanish, the way to give a command changes based on who you’re talking to. You say a command differently depending on if you’re talking to one person or multiple people. The form also changes based on whether you’re in a formal or informal situation.

So now, re-write your step-by-step instructions, but this time pretend you’re giving those directions to your boss (use the usted form), a group of friends (use the vosostros form ) or the Spanish royal family (use the ustedes form).

Focus on: Present perfect

Have you ever played the party game “Never Have I Ever”? The point of the game is to reveal things you’ve never done, in order to get others to reveal that they have done them. In Spanish, the game is called Yo nunca (I never). It’s great for getting to know people—and, incidentally, it’s also great for practicing the present perfect tense.

For this writing prompt, write sentences about things you’ve never done, starting with the phrase Yo nunca (I’ve never) followed by a present perfect verb.

Sample: Yo nunca he viajado a China. (I’ve never traveled to China.)

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Keep practicing: Convert your phrases into questions as though you were asking a friend if they have ever done the action in question. You can start your questions with the phrase “Alguna vez has…” (Have you ever…)

Focus on: Idiomatic expressions

Like all languages, Spanish has its fair share of idioms—phrases that mean something much different from their literal translations. There’s usually a historical or cultural basis for how the idiom came to be and why it means the way it does, but that’s for another discussion altogether.

This time, think of a common idiom or expression in your native language. Write a short story that incorporates this expression, but translate it directly into Spanish. Try to make the translated idiom fit naturally within the story.

Sample: Mi amiga estaba nerviosa antes de su audición, así que le dije que se rompiera una pierna. Ella me miró confundida y preguntó si en verdad quería que se lastimara. Tuve que explicarle que en inglés, “romperse una pierna” es un deseo de buena suerte. (My friend was nervous before her audition, so I told her to break a leg. She looked at me confused and asked if I really wanted her to hurt herself. I had to explain to her that in English, “break a leg” is a good luck wish.)

Keep practicing: Instead of translating an idiom from English, think of a common Spanish idiom and write a short story that includes it. This will help you practice incorporating Spanish idiomatic expressions in context.

Focus on: Conditional tense

The conditional tense allows you to express ideas about hypothetical situations—things that never happened, things that you’d like to happen, etc. That sounds very dry and academic, so let’s pair it with a fun writing prompt!

Imagine you’ve just inherited an old house from a distant relative. Write a letter to your best friend describing your thoughts and plans for the house.

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Sample: Si restaurara esta casa antigua, tendría que reparar los techos y renovar las ventanas. También instalaría un jardín hermoso en el patio trasero. Si decidiera venderla, podría sacar una buena ganancia; pero si optara por vivir aquí, tendría un lugar único y lleno de historias. (If I were to restore this old house, I would have to repair the roofs and renovate the windows. I would also install a beautiful garden in the backyard. If I decided to sell it, I could make a nice profit. But if I chose to live here, I would have a unique place full of stories.)

Keep practicing: Instead of inheriting a house, imagine you won a large sum of money. Describe how you would use it using the conditional tense. You can talk about traveling the world, giving it away to charity—whatever you’d like to do with a huge sum of money.

Focus on: Future tense with probability

When I say “future tense with probability,” I mean emphasizing future actions with how likely they are to happen. You can say the Spanish equivalent of “I think I will be …” or “I will probably be …”

For this prompt, imagine that you’re attending a career fair at your school. Imagine a dialogue between yourself and a classmate about your future professions and write about it. Use the future tense with probability to discuss your aspirations and potential careers.

Sample: Tú: En el futuro, creo que seré médico. Me encanta ayudar a los demás y tengo buenas notas en las ciencias. (You: In the future, I think I will be a doctor. I love helping others and I have good grades in the sciences.)

Amigo: Yo probablemente seré ingeniero. Siempre me ha gustado resolver problemas y construir cosas. (Friend: I will probably be an engineer. I’ve always liked solving problems and building things.)

Keep practicing: Instead of writing about you and your friends’ future, write a dialogue discussing what your parents’ occupations were when they were your age. Again, practice using the future tense with probability.

Focus on: Past progressive tense

The past progressive tense is also known as the past continous tense, and for good reason: it talks about actions that happened continously at some point in the past. It’s pretty easy to construct: get the imperfect tense of estar (to be), conjugate it according to the pronoun it’s paired with and combine it with the gerundio form of the verb.

Now, you’re going to write a short story about your unexpected encounter (imagined or otherwise) with a famous person or a character from a book. Use the past continuous tense to describe what was happening when the encounter took place.

Sample: Estaba caminando por el parque cuando vi a mi actor favorito sentado en un banco, hablando por teléfono. Me emocioné tanto que me tropecé con la raíz de un árbol y caí al suelo. Él me miró con una sonrisa y me ayudó a levantarme. (I was walking through the park when I saw my favorite actor sitting on a bench, talking on the phone. I got so excited that I tripped over a tree root and fell to the ground. He looked at me with a smile and helped me up.)

Keep practicing: This time, write about two characters who unexpectedly run into each other while doing different activities. Use the past continuous tense to create a sense of simultaneous action.

Focus on: Indirect speech (reported speech)

When you’re talking about what another person said (as opposed to quoting them word-for-word), you are using indirect or reported speech. For example, “John says he likes cats” is indirect speech, while “John said: ‘I like cats.'” is direct speech.

For this exercise, imagine you found an old diary with someone’s secrets written in it. Write a story about the person who wrote the diary, using indirect speech to report what they wrote and their feelings.

Sample: Según relataba en sus escritos, Elena confesaba haber estado enamorada en secreto de su mejor amigo de la infancia, Alejandro. Ella escribía que su corazón latía con fuerza cada vez que él entraba a la habitación, y que se sonrojaba cuando él le dirigía la palabra. Aunque nunca se atrevió a confesarle sus sentimientos, las páginas del diario se convirtieron en el refugio de sus emociones más íntimas. (According to her entries, Elena confessed to having been secretly in love with her childhood best friend, Alejandro. She wrote that her heart would race every time he entered the room and that she would blush when he spoke to her. Although she never dared to confess her feelings to him, the diary’s pages became the refuge for her most intimate emotions.)

Keep practicing: Write a story about a conversation between two characters where one character reports what the other character said, using indirect speech to convey the dialogue.

Focus on: Past simple vs. Present perfect

If you often mix up the past simple and past perfect, this is a good exercise to help you set things straight. Also, it’s literally an exercise you can sink your teeth into!

This time, describe a memorable meal you’ve had recently. Explain what you ate, where you were and how it tasted.

Sample: Anoche cené en un restaurante japonés. Pedí sushi y sashimi fresco. No he probado nada tan delicios o desde entonces. (Last night, I had dinner at a Japanese restaurant. I ordered sushi and fresh sashimi. I haven’t tasted anything so delicious since then.)

Keep practicing: Write a short paragraph about a restaurant experience from your past using both the past simple and present perfect tenses.

Focus on: Past perfect

I know “pluscuamperfecto” is quite a mouthful, but trust me: it’s easier than its tongue-twisting appearance might suggest. And if you like reading or writing mystery stories, this will be a fun prompt for you.

For this story, imagine that a mysterious package arrived at someone’s doorstep. (That someone could be you, someone you know or a completely made-up character.) Use the past perfect tense to narrate events that happened before the story’s main events.

Sample: Cuando María abrió el paquete, se sorprendió al ver que alguien ya había abierto el sobre interno. Alguien más había estado curioseando antes que ella. (When Maria opened the package, she was surprised to see that someone had already opened the inner envelope. Someone else had been snooping before her.)

Keep practicing: Describe a moment in which you had already made a decision that significantly impacted your life. Use the Spanish past perfect tense to narrate the events leading up to that decision and its consequences.

Focus on: Past simple vs. past continuous

Narrate a childhood memory where you were engaged in an activity when something unexpected happened. Use both the Spanish past simple and past continuous tenses to vividly depict the sequence of events, your ongoing actions and the interruption that took place.

Sample: Cuando era niño, solía pasar largas tardes jugando en el parque cerca de mi casa. Un día, mientras mis amigos y yo estábamos jugando fútbol, un gato salió de la nada; estaba temblando y se veía triste. Me lo llevé a casa y lo llamé Chicle. Desde entonces, Chicle se volvió parte de nuestra familia. (When I was a child, I used to spend long afternoons playing in the park near my house. One day, while my friends and I were playing soccer, a cat came out of nowhere; he was trembling and looked sad. I took him home and named him Bubblegum. Since then, Bubblegum became part of our family.)

Keep practicing: Describe a memorable event from a vacation you took. Use the Spanish past simple and past continuous tenses to vividly narrate the background actions and the specific moments that stood out during your trip.

Focus on: Conditional clauses with si and future tense.

This time, you’re going to combine what you know about conditional tenses and the simple future in Spanish.

Craft a dialogue between two friends debating the pros and cons of social media usage. Use conditional clauses with si and the future tense to discuss hypothetical outcomes.

Sample: Si no pasara tanto tiempo en las redes sociales, podría concentrarme más en mis estudios y pasatiempos en el futuro. (If I didn’t spend so much time on social media, I could focus more on my studies and hobbies in the future.)

Keep practicing: Do the same exercise, except replace “social media usage” with a different issue.

Focus on: Formal language

For this prompt, you’re going to practice writing in Spanish in the formal register.

Imagine that you’re hosting a formal business event, such as a conference or a networking dinner. Write an invitation email to a respected industry expert, inviting them to speak at the event. Use formal language to convey professionalism and respect.

Sample : Espero que esta carta le encuentre bien. En calidad de organizador del [Nombre del Evento], me complace extenderle una cordial invitación para participar como ponente en nuestro prestigioso evento empresarial que se llevará a cabo el [Fecha] en [Lugar]. Su destacada trayectoria y experiencia en [Área de Conocimiento] lo convierten en un referente indiscutible en la industria. (I hope this letter finds you well. As the organizer of the [Event Name], I am pleased to extend a warm invitation to you to participate as a speaker at our prestigious business event, scheduled to take place on [Date] at [Venue]. Your outstanding career and expertise in [Area of Expertise] make you a true authority in the industry.)

Keep practicing: Imagine that the one you invited responded to you with either a “Yes” or “No.” Write your response to either or both. If they say “No,” write in a way that would gently persuade the other party to change their mind.

Focus on: Narrative tenses

Let’s cap off the intermediate Spanish writing prompts with something that’ll allow more of your creative juices to flow.

This time, write a short story about a person who discovers a magical journal that allows them to travel to different time periods. Use appropriate narrative tenses to describe their experiences.

Sample: Al abrir el diario, me encontré en el antiguo Egipto. Mientras exploraba las pirámides, me di cuenta de que podía entender el idioma y comunicarme con los habitantes. (When I opened the journal, I found myself in ancient Egypt. As I explored the pyramids, I realized I could understand the language and communicate with the inhabitants.)

Keep practicing: Write a paragraph about another adventure the character has using different narrative tenses.

Focus on: Present subjunctive

The subjunctive can be difficult for English speakers to wrap their heads around, especially because it has many different uses. One is to talk about hypothetical situations. So in this writing prompt, you’re going to write about a hypothetical perfect friend.

What qualities would they have? What kinds of things would you do together? Use the phrase “Quiero un amigo que…”  (I want a friend that…) because it’ll necessitate use of the subjunctive mood.

Sample: Quiero un amigo que juegue al futbol conmigo. (I want a friend who plays soccer with me.)

Keep practicing: Write about other hypothetical “ideal” people. What would your ideal employee look like? Your ideal partner? Roommate? Pet? All of these prompts will necessitate a different set of vocabulary, allowing you to practice even more conjugations.

Focus on: Third conditionals

We use third conditionals to talk about impossible hypothetical events. An example of a third conditional in English would be something like, “If you hadn’t arrived so late, you would have gotten a piece of pizza.” Since the speaker is talking about a past event, the outcome described is impossible.

To practice third conditionals, turn to the world of counterfactuals. Think of an event in history or in your own life. How would things be different if the event had never happened, or had happened differently?

Here are some examples to get you started:

• How would the world be different if the Internet had never been invented?
• How would the world be different if chocolate didn’t exist?
• How would your life be different if you had never met your best friend?
• How would your life be different if you had grown up in Spain?

Sample: Si no hubiera conocido a mi mejor amiga, nunca habría aprendido a tocar la guitarra. (If I had never met my best friend, I never would have learned how to play the guitar.)

Keep practicing: Try writing this prompt in second-person question form, as though you were asking a friend. This way, you practice both the construction of a third conditional question as well as the tú conjugations of verbs. For example, you might ask: Si no me hubieras conocido, ¿habrías aprendido a tocar la guitarra? (If you had never met me, would you have learned to play the guitar?)

Focus on: Subjunctive in recommendations

If you need more practice with Spanish subjunctives, I suggest using related writing prompts about topics you enjoy. For example, if you’re all about eco-friendly living, this prompt may be right up your alley.

Here, you’re going to write a blog post encouraging readers to adopt eco-friendly habits in their daily lives. Use subjunctive expressions to give recommendations.

Sample: Es fundamental que reciclemos cada día y que reduzcamos nuestro consumo de plástico para proteger el medio ambiente. (It’s essential that we recycle every day and that we reduce our plastic consumption to protect the environment.)

Keep practicing: Write a list of eco-friendly tips using different subjunctive expressions.

Focus on: Present subjunctive with verbs of influence

On the other hand, if you think that subjunctives are too easy, here’s one way to spice things up: add verbs of influence.

This time, write a letter to an artist you admire, using the present subjunctive with verbs of influence to express how their work has inspired you.

Sample: Espero que continúes creando arte increíble que inspire a generaciones futuras. (I hope you continue creating amazing art that inspires future generations.)

Keep practicing: Write letters to other people you admire, using present subjunctive expressions to convey your admiration.

Focus on: Complex sentence structures

At this point, you’re probably tired of reading and writing the same stock phrases over and over. So now, you’re going to create a narrative with intricate sentences that include relative clauses, participial phrases and other advanced grammatical structures.

Sample: En un bosque encantado, donde los árboles susurran secretos y las estrellas tejen destinos, vivía una criatura misteriosa que solo se revelaba en las noches de luna llena. (In an enchanted forest, where trees whisper secrets and stars weave destinies, lived a mysterious creature that only revealed itself on full moon nights.)

Keep practicing: Rewrite simple sentences from a children’s story using elaborate structures.

Focus on: Incorporating specialized vocabulary

Are you someone who unabashedly loves fusion cuisine and has no second thoughts about shouting that fact on top of the Empire State Building? You’re in luck: not only will this prompt let you do the written equivalent of that, but you’ll also learn to pick up the kind of vocabulary you’d normally not encounter in your Spanish studies.

Specifically, you’re going to write a menu description for a dish that blends elements from two or more culinary traditions.

Sample: Presentamos el “Sushi Mexicano”: tortilla crujiente rellena de delicado pescado fresco, acompañada de aguacate y salsa de soja picante. Una fusión que une a Japón y México en un bocado. (Introducing “Mexican Sushi”: crispy tortilla filled with delicate fresh fish, accompanied by avocado and spicy soy sauce. A fusion that brings together Japan and Mexico in one bite.)

Keep practicing: Design more dishes that combine unexpected ingredients.

Focus on: Humor and wordplay

Speaking of vocabulary, if you pride yourself on your ability to not mix up similar Spanish words, this is your chance to flex your chops in this regard.

In this prompt, you’re going to share funny anecdotes involving misunderstandings or linguistic mishaps while trying to speak Spanish or English.

Sample: Intenté pedir un “embarazado” en lugar de un “empanizado”. ¡Nunca olvidaré la mirada de confusión del camarero y las risas en la mesa! (I tried to order a “pregnant” dish instead of a “breaded” one. I’ll never forget the waiter’s confused look and the laughter at the table!)

Keep practicing: Write a humorous dialogue in which characters misinterpret each other’s words.

Focus on: Cultural nuances

Explore a word or concept in Spanish that doesn’t have an equivalent in English . Discuss its cultural significance and why you find it intriguing.

Sample: Explora la palabra “sobremesa”, que se refiere al tiempo pasado charlando después de una comida en compañía, capturando la importancia cultural de la conexión humana. (Explore the word “sobremesa,” which refers to the time spent chatting after a meal in company, capturing the cultural significance of human connection.)

Keep practicing: Research and write about other untranslatable words in Spanish.

Focus on: Ethical considerations

As an advanced learner , you probably don’t need to zero in so much on specific vocabulary and grammar points anymore. From here on out, I’m going to give you writing prompts that will push your Spanish mastery to the limit.

For this writing prompt, draft an essay discussing a cultural dilemma or ethical issue that you think is important. Explain different perspectives on the matter and offer your own viewpoint.

Sample: El dilema de preservar tradiciones culturales contra adoptar nuevas normas es un tema complejo. Si bien es crucial mantener nuestra identidad, también debemos ser abiertos a la evolución y al progreso. (The dilemma of preserving cultural traditions versus adopting new norms is a complex issue. While it’s crucial to maintain our identity, we must also be open to evolution and progress.)

Keep practicing: Write a sentence expressing a personal opinion on another cultural or ethical issue.

Focus on: Expressing abstract concepts

Write a metaphorical description of the human mind. Compare it to something unexpected and explain the connection.

Sample: La mente humana es como un vasto océano, donde las olas son pensamientos y las profundidades albergan los misterios más oscuros. (The human mind is like a vast ocean, where waves are thoughts and the depths hold the darkest mysteries.)

Keep practicing: Describe other abstract concepts using creative metaphors.

Focus on: Historical narratives

Step right up, history buffs: this writing prompt is for you.

Choose a historical event and narrate it from the perspective of someone who experienced it firsthand. Try to capture their emotions and reactions in a way that’s believable.

Sample: Desde el rincón de mi memoria, revivo aquel día en que la libertad finalmente alzó sus alas sobre nuestra tierra. Las lágrimas de felicidad llenaron los ojos de todos nosotros. (From the corner of my memory, I relive that day when freedom finally spread its wings over our land. Tears of happiness filled all our eyes.)

Keep practicing: Explore the same event from multiple viewpoints.

Focus on: Symbolism

Now it’s time to channel your inner Neruda .

Choose a natural element (e.g., a tree, a river, a mountain) and write a poem that uses it as a symbol to convey a deeper meaning or emotion.

Sample: El árbol anciano, raíces profundas como historias enterradas, sus hojas susurran cuentos al viento, testigos silenciosos de la vida que fluye. (The ancient tree, roots deep like buried stories, its leaves whisper tales to the wind, silent witnesses of flowing life.)

Keep practicing: Create poems using different symbols and themes.

Focus on: Sociocultural changes

Reflect on a traditional aspect of your culture that has evolved over time. Discuss the reasons for these changes and their impact.

Sample: La festividad ancestral del solsticio ha evolucionado de rituales agrarios a una celebración de unidad cultural en la era moderna, reflejando nuestra cambiante relación con la tierra y entre nosotros. (The ancient solstice festival has evolved from agricultural rituals into a celebration of cultural unity in the modern era, reflecting our changing relationship with the land and each other.)

Keep practicing: Predict how current traditions might change in the future.

Focus on: Persuasive writing

Write a persuasive essay arguing for or against the implementation of a four-day workweek in businesses, highlighting its potential benefits or drawbacks on productivity, employee well-being and overall work-life balance.

Sample: La implementación de una semana laboral de cuatro días es una propuesta que merece una consideración cuidadosa. Desde mi perspectiva, esta medida podría beneficiar tanto a los empleados como a las empresas. (The implementation of a four-day workweek is a proposal that deserves careful consideration. From my perspective, this measure could benefit both employees and businesses.)

Keep practicing: Write persuasive pieces about other contemporary issues.

Focus on: Multiculturalism

Write a story in which characters from various cultural backgrounds come together for a common purpose, celebrating their differences.

Sample: En las calles bulliciosas de la ciudad, personas de diversas culturas tejieron un tapiz de amistad y colaboración, demostrando que la diversidad es nuestra mayor fortaleza. (In the bustling streets of the city, people from diverse cultures wove a tapestry of friendship and collaboration, showing that diversity is our greatest strength.)

Keep practicing: Craft narratives that highlight cross-cultural friendships.

Focus on: Reflective writing

Choose a moment from your past that left a lasting impact on you. Describe it in detail and analyze its significance.

Sample: Aquel atardecer en la playa, cuando las olas parecían acariciar el horizonte y el tiempo se detuvo, me recordó que la belleza efímera puede dejar una huella eterna en el corazón. (That sunset at the beach, when the waves seemed to caress the horizon and time stood still, reminded me that ephemeral beauty can leave an eternal mark on the heart.)

Keep practicing: Reflect on other pivotal moments in your life.

Focus on: Language learning journey

Let’s end this entire list with a bang! And I have just the writing prompt for you.

For this last exercise, you’re going to write a letter to your future self reflecting on your Spanish learning journey. Discuss challenges, accomplishments and your aspirations for further language development.

Given the nature of this exercise, I suggest bookmarking this post and going back to this prompt once you feel you’ve already reached your desired level of fluency in Spanish.

Sample: Querido yo del futuro, al mirar atrás en este viaje de aprendizaje del español, veo desafíos conquistados, metas alcanzadas y un amor más profundo por la diversidad de las palabras. ¡Que continúe esta emocionante odisea lingüística! (Dear future self, looking back on this journey of learning Spanish, I see conquered challenges, achieved goals and a deeper love for the diversity of words. May this exciting language odyssey continue!)

Keep practicing: Write letters to your past self at different stages of your language learning journey.

No matter your level of Spanish, writing is an important part of learning Spanish and practicing various aspects of the language. Here are some tips to get the most out of these prompts.

If you’re a beginning Spanish learner, there will inevitably be vocabulary words you don’t know. Don’t fret or get frustrated! Instead of reaching for a dictionary every time you’re at a loss, simply leave a blank space.

FluentU takes authentic videos—like music videos, movie trailers, news and inspiring talks—and turns them into personalized language learning lessons.

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The same goes for verb conjugations. If you don’t remember how to conjugate a verb, write it in its infinitive form and flag it with a star or question mark. At the end, go back and look up the correct conjugation.

No more leaving blank spaces on the page! Once your Spanish is at an intermediate level , it’s time to focus on making yourself understood in any situation, even if you can’t always think of the right word.

Whenever the right word feels like it’s beyond your grasp, find a way to describe or express it. Flag this with a star or question mark to remind yourself to later look up the actual word.

Advanced Spanish speakers should be able to communicate in almost any situation. Now, it’s time to focus on diversifying your word usage. Why not make your compositions into mini-competitions with yourself?

For example, if you’re practicing verbs, get a timer and try to write as many verbs as you can in as many conjugations as you can. Once the time is up, count up all your verbs. Give yourself one point for each distinct verb you used (that you conjugated correctly!) and subtract one point for each verb you repeated or conjugated incorrectly.

Whether you’re practicing for your Spanish AP essay or working on your writing skills in general, prompts are a fantastic way to get started. The most important thing is just to write anything about any subject.

Working to form sentences and narratives in Spanish can be difficult at first. But just like any other skill, as you keep working on it, it’ll feel more and more natural.

Writing prompts are a great way to practice Spanish, and you just might have some fun while you study!

If you've made it this far that means you probably enjoy learning Spanish with engaging material and will then love FluentU .

Other sites use scripted content. FluentU uses a natural approach that helps you ease into the Spanish language and culture over time. You’ll learn Spanish as it’s actually spoken by real people.

FluentU has a wide variety of videos, as you can see here:

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Composing a Persuasive Essay in Spanish

Yolanda holds a CELTA Cambridge, a Juris Doctorate, and a Master of Public Administration. She is a published author of fiction in Spanish.

Table of Contents

What is a persuasive essay, steps to writing a persuasive essay, lesson summary.

Can you think of the last time you tried to convince someone to think like you? We can do this through writing when we compose a persuasive essay, which in Spanish is ensayo persuasivo (ehn-SAH-yoh pehr-sooah-SEE-voh). A persuasive essay makes strong arguments to try to convince the reader of a point of view.

Since words are the key to try to convince your reader, let's look over the steps to follow to write a great ensayo persuasivo . We include some basic vocabulary because the strength of the words you use is very important.

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Topic Choice

So, where to start? Well, we need to have a very clear statement about what idea we want to write about. Ask yourself the question, like ''What do I want to convince my readers?'' Let's see how Eduardo, a student at a university in Madrid, replies to this question:

• Quiero escribir sobre la idea de que los padres deberían inculcar en sus hijos el valor de la alimentación sana. (I want to write about the idea that parents should instill in their children the value of healthy eating habits.)

We now have the basis to go on with the next step, which is a clear idea about what to write. Let's move on to the other steps.

Strong Introduction

The very first paragraph of a persuasive essay is in Spanish la introducción (the introduction) or el primer párrafo (the first paragraph). It has to be strong enough to entice the reader to continue with the rest of the essay.

How do you make this intro interesting? First, you state the idea you want to communicate throughout the essay and you include one or two strong arguments. Let's see how Eduardo does this.

• Es muy importante que los padres inculquen en sus hijos el valor de la alimentación sana. (It is very important that parents instill in their children the value of healthy eating habits.) Al enseñar hábitos alimenticios sanos, los padres les regalan a sus hijos el poder para tener una vida saludable. (When teaching healthy eating habits, parents gift their children the power to have a healthy life.) Además, las personas saludables forman una sociedad sana. (Besides, healthy individuals shape a healthy society.)

Some strong intro statements include:

• es importante (it is important)
• es primordial (it is key)
• es fundamental (it is basic)
• es necesario (it is necessary)

Developed Paragraphs

The next step is to write two or three paragraphs, los párrafos . Each paragraph should include a beginning argument and the reasons for that argument. Within the reasons, you can always include not only logical explanations but also appropriately cited research or even facts examples.

With logical explanations, refrain from making generalizations such as ''all children who do not eat healthy are fat.'' For the citations, make sure to know what style you need to follow because in the Spanish-speaking world nowadays, universities, magazines, etc. do accept APA style or MLA at times.

Regarding your opinions as well as facts, research, and examples, here are some powerful expressions you can use:

• la verdad es que... (the truth is that...)
• en realidad... (in reality)
• la realidad demuestra que... (reality shows that...)
• está claro que... (it is clear that...)
• es razonable pensar que... (it is reasonable to think that...)
• de acuerdo a la investigación realizada por... (according to the research done by...)
• los estudios más recientes demuestran que... (the most recent studies show that...)
• es un hecho que... (it is a fact that...)
• de hecho (in fact)
• por ejemplo... (for example)
• para ilustrar... (to illustrate)

While you can always use expressions to state your own opinions, use such statements as little as possible. They can make the essay sound simply like your personal opinion rather than an evidence-based argument, and the reader might feel less compelled.

However, here are some expressions you can use if you are able to reinforce them through research or facts:

• en mi opinión (in my opinion)
• desde mi punto de vista (from my point of view)
• creo que... (I believe that...)
• pienso que... (I think that...)
• opino que... (it is my opinion that...)

Now, let's see how Eduardo mastered his first paragraph.

• Para comenzar, la realidad demuestra que las personas saludables se sienten más contentas a diario. (To begin, reality demonstrates that healthy people feel happier daily.) De hecho, de acuerdo a la investigación realizada por el Dr. Curatodo (2017) en la Universidad Autónoma de España, las personas que tienen buenos hábitos alimenticios tienen menores posibilidades de sufrir depresión que aquellas que no se alimentan saludablemente. (In fact, according to the research done by Dr. Curatodo (2017) at the Universidad Autónoma de España, people who have healthy eating habits have fewer chances to suffer depression than those who do not eat healthy.)

To make a final strong paragraph, write a conclusion ( la conclusión ) that summarizes the main points of your previous paragraphs. Ideally this paragraph will be four lines or less. Think in terms of ''this is my last chance to convince my readers of my arguments.'' For example:

• En conclusión, los padres que inculcan hábitos alimenticios saludables a sus hijos les enseñan a ser saludables, y esto contribuye a su bienestar personal. (In conclusion, parents who instill healthy eating habits in their children teach them to be healthy, and this contributes to their personal well-being.)

A persuasive essay ( ensayo persuasivo ) tries to convince the reader of a point of view. The essay includes a strong introducción (introduction) followed by a few párrafos (paragraphs) and ends with la conclusión (conclusion). Avoid making generalizations or throwing out opinions not backed by evidence.

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16 Useful Tips To Learn How To Write In Spanish

Learning to write in Spanish is one of the most important skills you can acquire while learning the Spanish language .  

If you enjoy writing but have some problems with it, don’t stress, you will get over it. Always remember that writing is a process, even in your native language. 

Writing is a universal communication system, just like speaking. However, they are different in what they can do. Compared to speaking, writing is able to overcome temporal barriers, as its message is usually permanent. 

Therefore, writing in Spanish is one of the most important skills to acquire when learning the language .

How to type Spanish Accents and Letters

First of all, we know that Spanish words have a lot of accents and symbols a little different from English, so if you want to write in Spanish, the first thing we must do is to know how to type them on our computer, in case we have the English keyboard. 

Because, even though you can set the language of the PC in Spanish, you can’t change the physical configuration of your keyboard. That’s why here we’ll teach you how to write Spanish letters and accents with the English keyboard.

First, we must change the language of our keyboard on Windows or Mac, to “English” or “United States-International”.  When installed, in the Windows taskbar (bottom bar), to the far right, there should be an indication of the language that your keyboard is currently using.  

It will probably say “ENG US” or “ENG INTL”.  Click on it to change the current keyboard any time you need to.  The “ENG INTL” keyboard is what you will want to use to easily type Spanish characters. You can also switch keyboards by simultaneously pressing the Windows key and the space bar.

If you press the apostrophe key (‘) or the quotation marks (“), nothing will happen. To type them, you must press the key and then the space bar. Once the space bar is pressed, the apostrophe or quotation mark will appear.

To type a special character, you have to press two keys. To type the “á”, simply press the apostrophe key and then the key for the letter “a”. The other characters are equally easy:

To type the uppercase version of these letters, you must do the same but hold down the SHIFT key while you type the letter.

To type the special punctuation marks, hold down the Alt key while you press the corresponding punctuation mark. 

• ¡ = Alt (hold down) + !
• ¿ = Alt (hold down) + ?

To create accents on the Mac, press and hold down the Option key and, without releasing it, type the letter “e”, then press and release those keys and type the letter over which you want the accent to appear:

• á = Opt + e, then a
• é = Opt + e, then e
• í = Opt + e, then i
• ó = Opt + e, then o
• ú = Opt + e, then u

For the letter “ñ”, you need to hold down the Option key while you type the n, and release and type n again.

• ñ = Opt + n, then n

To place the diaeresis over the “u”, hold down the Option key while pressing the “u” key; then release and type u again.

• ü = Opt + u, then u

The inverted punctuation marks are created as follows:

• ¡ = Opt + 1
• ¿ Opt + shift + ?

15 Ways to Improve Your Writing in Spanish

Now that we have the keyboard set up, we can start typing in Spanish on the computer. Although you can read on to find out why it is better to write by hand! But in the end, it’s all a matter of taste. 

Read these tips to improve your Spanish writing skills!

Before starting to write

1. set your keyboard to spanish.

If you are going to type digitally, the first essential step is to change the configuration of your keyboard to the Spanish language. Spanish has a series of letters, punctuation marks, and symbols that do not exist in English. Especially the letter “Ñ”, which is indispensable in this language.

2. Start writing in a notebook

If you want to write by hand, keeping a notebook in Spanish helps in many ways. It is a way to write in Spanish and give yourself time to think in Spanish each day. It is easier to write about your daily activities just for yourself than to write a formal letter.

3. Select your verbs before you start writing in Spanish

Verb management is one of the most difficult grammatical concepts to master in Spanish. The conjugation of irregular verbs can be especially complicated. 

So a good way to avoid problems with them is when you are defining what you are going to write about, write on another sheet of paper the verbs you plan to use, and have their conjugation sheet at hand. 

4. Don’t try to be impressive

Start with short and simple pieces. Don’t try to impress your friends, colleagues, or fellow students with complicated texts. It is better to start with a simple and clear text than with a long text that is difficult to follow. Try to start writing about what you know how to write, not what you want to write about.

5. Think in Spanish

If you think and work in English with the idea of translating your text later, you will only create more problems for yourself and your text will lack coherence. As soon as you start preparing your text, always think in Spanish. 

This is the only way to improve your Spanish writing skills. I know it can be difficult to think in Spanish, especially at the beginner level , but if you force yourself to do it now, you will save yourself problems in the later stages of your Spanish writing progress.

6. Write about what you like

It is easier to write about things that are interesting to you since you will put more enthusiasm into it. On the other hand, if you start with boring things, you are likely to avoid practicing your writing altogether. This will definitely improve your writing skills.

While you are writing

7. use synonyms.

Using synonyms is a sign that you are already an advanced student of Spanish grammar . It shows that you have a large vocabulary and that you can express your ideas in many different ways in Spanish. 

Avoiding repeating the same word by using synonyms is what you should do when writing in your native language. Doing so demonstrates your progress in the Spanish language. 

8. Use linking words

Textual connectors are transitional words or phrases that give continuity and coherence to texts and are very important in Spanish grammar. They also give fluidity to the writing because they connect sentences and paragraphs in the text. 

They don’t change the meaning of a sentence and are there only to help you “connect” your ideas. Just by adding linking words, you will greatly improve your writing and avoid using short, choppy sentences.

What are the main linking words in Spanish?

9.  Look for idiomatic expressions

For example, Spanish formal letters typically begin with “A quien corresponda” and end with “Atentamente” . Find these kinds of expressions that are idiomatic for the type of writing you are creating and give your writing a more professional look and feel.

When you finish writing

10. check punctuation twice.

One of the most common mistakes Spanish learners make is forgetting to use the initial exclamation and question marks . This is normal since they do not exist in English, but it is not an excuse. 

It is important to use them for good spelling so make it a point to double-check punctuation every time you write in Spanish and, with time, this will no longer be a problem.

Punctuation in Spanish is extremely important as a single accent or period can change the entire meaning of the sentence. Learn how to master Accent Marks in Spanish today!

11. Ask for feedback

When possible, ask a Spanish native speaker or anyone you know who is proficient in Spanish to give you feedback on your writing. 

It could be your teacher or your language partner, but it’s a good idea to get a second feedback, who can correct things you didn’t notice and even give suggestions for improvement. 

12. Write again, but proofread.

If you see that your text had a certain number of errors, rewrite it, but without errors, taking into account all the corrections. This will make your brain pick up the correct way to say it.

Other tips to improve your Spanish writing

13.  find a writing friend.

Finding a native Spanish-speaking friend with whom you can have spoken and written dialogues, it’s a great way to bring your Spanish language improvement to the next level. 

Learn by reading their texts and force yourself to answer even if you don’t have a lot to add. Here you immerse yourself in the language and in the process, make a buddy!

14. Don’t stop writing

The more you write, the easier the words will come to you. You could even set a monthly challenge. You can start by writing 4 short essays a week, or if you have more time, one a day. Set yourself a minimum word count, here’s a list of writing ideas!

Cosas que me gustan

Things I like

Cosas que no me gustan

Things I don’t like

Qué quería ser cuando era niño

What I wanted to be when I was a child

Qué quiero ser en el futuro

What I want to be in the future

Descripción de mi trabajo ideal

Description of my ideal job

Descripción de mi familia

Description of my family

Descripción de mi cantante favorito

Description of my favorite singer

Mi rutina diaria

My daily routine

Crítica de una película o un libro

Movie or book review

15. Read a lot

Reading is a way to learn without even realizing you’re actually learning, and there is no best way to improve your writing than by reading. So just read as long as you can in Spanish. 

Make a habit of reading any material in Spanish you are able to, ideally read about a variety of subjects and use a range of different types of texts. 

Try to read journals, magazines, books , newspapers, booklets, pamphlets, etc. Be aware of all the vocabulary , expressions , and grammatical constructions. 

16. Writing by hand

Research has shown that writing by hand has greater benefits than typing on a keyboard, as it uses our fine motor function and engages several brain regions, triggering muscle memory and helping us to better remember words and phrases.

Handwriting, the simple act of taking a pen or a pencil to write ideas on a piece of paper, forces you to concentrate on what’s really important. When we handwrite, a single neural circuit is activated automatically, according to Stanislas Dehaene, a psychologist at the Collège de France in Paris.

This is because a gesture recognition nucleus is embedded in the handwritten word, a kind of mental simulation recognition in the brain. 

So, in your daily Spanish language practice, be sure to write down your thoughts and ideas on paper.

Start improving your Spanish language skills today!

Writing is the only way to improve your Spanish writing. You need to make the improvement of your writing skills one of your primary objectives during your learning process. 

Create a routine for yourself and follow it. Take these 16 tips into consideration and you will be making great improvements in your writing very soon. 

And if you want to have a teacher to give you feedback on your texts, remember that at SpanishVIP we have professional native teachers ready to accompany you in this learning process. So sign up today for a free 1:1 class or sign up for a 7-day trial of group classes and see why SpanishVIP’s methodology will help you get by in record time!

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Download our e-book, Easy Spanish Shortcuts, and learn your first 1,000 Spanish words in under a day!

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Spanish A Level (AQA): Tips for writing a successful literature or film essay

Updated: Dec 10, 2023

In Paper 2 of the AQA A Level Spanish exam, students write one essay for each of the two works they have studied (which can be a text and a film, or two texts).

Students are asked to write approximately 300 words for each question within a 2-hour duration for the whole paper. Although there is no word limit in the AQA A Level exam, and everything you write will be assessed, writing more words does not necessarily mean achieving more marks. Being concise and giving a clear response demonstrate that your reflections and your evaluation of the text or film are strong and accurate.

Essays are assessed according to two criteria: AO3 and AO4. In this post we break down the requirements of each of the Assessment Objectives and look at how you can fulfil them and write an outstanding essay.

Assessment Objective 3 (AO3)

This measures the student’s ability to manipulate the language accurately, in spoken and written forms, using a range of lexis and structure .

The specification gives the following description for the highest marking band:

The language produced is mainly accurate with only occasional minor errors. The student shows a consistently secure grasp of grammar and is able to manipulate complex language accurately.

💡 Tip: Use complex language and vocabulary effectively and appropriately .

The words " effectively " and " appropriately " are important here. It's certainly not necessary to copy out entire pre-learned sentences or rely on formulaic language.

The 2022 Examiner's Report from AQA notes that

There is a fine line between using complex language with a range of structures and forcing inappropriate subjunctives or pre-learned phrases into an essay.

Source: REPORT ON THE EXAMINATION – A-LEVEL SPANISH – 7692/2 – JUNE 2022, from aqa.org

The key is to strike the balance between showcasing advanced writing skills and avoiding redundant phrases, or phrases that are stylistically out of place.

Take a moment to read these further comments from the same Examiner's Report:

On the whole it is more important to have the vocabulary needed to express points clearly and to be able to deal with tenses and verbs accurately. It is not appropriate to use phrases such as ‘que yo sepa’ in a literature/film essay, nor the ‘if/would’ structure that we see all the time [...]. Similarly, expressions of emotion that are followed by a subjunctive are out of place in this style of essay; for example ‘me enfada que Paco trate a Paula de esta manera’.

The highest-achieving students are those who are able to use the full range of verb tenses to convey their ideas without relying on pre-learned structures.

Avoid overusing the subjunctive and set phrases; instead, focus on your ability to express yourself clearly and accurately in your writing.

Try some other more complex sentence structures:

Comparative formulations: Este personaje evolucionó mucho más rápido de lo que el lector esperaba.

Using the reflexive as a passive where appropriate:  Las luces en esta escena se usaron para crear una atmósfera de suspense.

Here is the second part of the description for the top marking band under AO3:

The student uses a wide range of vocabulary appropriate to the context and the task.

💡 Tip: Employ a broad range of appropriate vocabulary.

This could include:

Words and expressions related to film: El primer plano / El enfoque / La perspectiva …

Literary words and expressions: En este pasaje / La obra / La escena / El diálogo …

Vocabulary related to the specific text or film. For example, show an understanding of the Colombian Spanish words in “El coronel no tiene quien le escriba” by García Márquez and the terminology related to the historical context.

You will naturally pick up this vocabulary throughout your A Level Spanish course, but you can also refer to our in-course resources and the Quizlet lists for inspiration.

Assessment Objective 4 (AO4)

This measures the student’s ability to show knowledge and understanding of, and respond critically and analytically to, different aspects of the culture and society of countries/communities where the language is spoken. The description for the highest marking band is as follows:

Knowledge of the text or film is consistently accurate and detailed. Opinions, views and conclusions are consistently supported by relevant and appropriate evidence from the text or film.

💡 Tip: Support each of your points with relevant and appropriate evidence .

Although you are not strictly required to learn quotations by heart (according to the AQA examiners, it’s enough to paraphrase  something that a character said), it’s important to have a clear idea of specific events and plot points to reinforce the arguments that you make.

When you re-read your book or re-watch your film, create a knowledge organiser such as a table or mindmap with your own notes on important characters, themes and plot points so that you can revise them easily and have plenty of examples for your essay.

A clear structure is essential to help you organise your ideas. When you plan your essay, make sure there is a reference to the text or film to demonstrate every point that you make and help you to develop your argument.

You can follow this framework:

Introduction - The beginning must include a brief outline of the topic and, very importantly, your thesis statement (the sentence that sums up the central point or idea of your essay).

Each of the following main paragraphs should develop one strong point that relates and justifies the main idea of your essay, and must be supported with specific examples from the book or film.

Evidence from the book / film

Link to title

Conclusion - The last paragraph should include a short but strong conclusion that summarises your evaluation in relation to the original essay question.

Finally, the descriptor for the top marking band under AO4 specifies that:

The essay demonstrates excellent evaluation of the issues, themes and the cultural and social contexts of the text or film studied.

💡 Tip: Focus on evaluation and not description.

As we’ve seen, AO4 focuses on the ability to respond critically and analytically. One common mistake when writing about a film or a text, though, is writing in a descriptive way, simply narrating or recalling events that take place instead of analysing their impact on the subject at hand.

In the same way that a template of the structure can help you write your essay, some sentence starters can guide you to make your paragraphs more analytical. For example:

Make your point:

Es evidente que … / Se puede afirmar que…

Give some evidence:

Una prueba de ello es que …

Develop your point in relation to the original question:

Por consecuencia. ..

De esto se deduce que…

To summarise:

✅ Use complex language and vocabulary effectively  and appropriately .

✅ employ a broad range of appropriate  vocabulary., ✅ support each of your points with relevant and appropriate evidence ., ✅ focus on evaluation  and not description..

Most importantly, practice essay writing as often as you can and use tutor feedback to your advantage!

Kate Maria Languages A Level Academy runs complete A Level courses in Modern Foreign Languages. Find out more about our Spanish A Level course or get in contact to discuss how we can support you.

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GCSE Spanish

Writing essays in Spanish for the open-ended task

The GCSE Open-ended Task is worth 32 points. More than half  of the 60 that can be obtained in the Writing Exam .  So I think it’s worth paying special attention to this activity.

You’ll need to write about 150 words in Spanish , based on two bullet points. You can see an example below , taken for a past exam. In the end, we also have a gift for you. 

Tips to carry out the open-ended task

As in the Structured task , you will have t wo assignments to choose from . Read the instructions carefully before choosing one of the two tasks to work with. T hink about which of them you know more vocabulary abou t, that will be a great help to start!

This task is more creative, make sure you include some opinions with reasons . On the other hand, having a clear purpose will allow you to select the language best suited to your task , it is not the same if you have to write an email to a friend, a letter to the school principal or even you have to write an article for a school magazine.

Organize your writing into a clear structure, which must include three parts:

• opening – engaging the reader, or outlining the main point of your task
• middle – a series of paragraphs that go into more detail
• end – a concluding paragraph that draws the points together

Don’t forget to use various verb tenses and grammar connectors to join your ideas, along with a wide variety of vocabulary.

GCSE open-ended writing task example

Here is an example of a GCSE open-ended task that appeared in a previous exam.

Start by explaining what you are going to talk about and what your opinion is on the subject: Creo que ser joven tiene muchísimas cosas buenas, también hay alguna mala, pero son las menos…

To describe that fun day, you will need to use at least the preterite (pretérito indefinido), to talk about the facts, and the imperfect tense (pretérito imperfecto) , to describe the circumstances: Hace dos semanas fui con mis amigos a ver un partido de fútbol, era la final de la copa y estabamos muy ilusionados y nerviosos, porque…

To give your opinion you will need to use the opinion verbs: Creo que, pienso que, en mi opinion… Remember that when you use these verbs in a negative sentence you have to use the subjunctive mood. It will be fantastic if you can use one: No creo que podamos tener un buen trabajo en el futuro…  

Once you have finished your writing, Check through your work carefully . Double-checking your work is really important, even small mistakes can cost marks. Take a look at this checklist:

Finally, you can send us your essay by email to [email protected], we will be happy to correct it and send it to you with comments . After that, if you want to practice with more tasks like this, you can register as a VIP student.

Specialty Spanish

Ideas and Resources for Spanish Teachers

Tips For the AP Spanish Argumentative Essay

Need some help with the AP Spanish Argumentative Essay? In my humble opinion, it is the most complicated task our AP Spanish students will have to complete. El ensayo argumentativo requires excellent reading skills, listening skills and writing skills. So how can we help our students do well on this part of the AP Spanish exam? Here are some tips!

Tip #1 Direct Instruction

Students need to understand what exactly they need to do for the AP Spanish Argumentative Essay. Consider taking the class time to have a mini lesson that provides the specifics and details of the expectations. Here is a short list of what students should know.

-2 readings; one in narrative form and usually on graph or chart

-1 listening source

-each source must be referenced at least once in their essay

-writing needs to be organized and concise

-only 1 hour to read, listen and write!

I created this Google Slides presentation for the direct instruction I provide to my students. Feel free to create one too, or use mine to save time!

AP Spanish Argumentative Essay Tip #2

Don’t assume that your students have good writing skills. *Yes, they need to understand what they read and hear. Let’s assume that they are practicing those skills daily in one way or another in class. But in my experience, students really struggle with organizing their writing.

Teach them how to write a concise introductory paragraph that ends with a thesis statement (the answer to the question that was asked for the task).

Then teach them how to write a topic sentence. When they have a clear topic sentence, their paragraph is much more likely to stay on track. This is really important, because the time constraint on this section of the AP Exam is a big challenge!

AP Spanish Argumentative Essay Tip #3

Design teacher-friendly ways for students to practice.

Let’s face it. Students need lots of practice and lots of feedback to get good at this essay. But essays are very time consuming to write and very time consuming to grade.

The strategy I use with my students is to break the essay into parts and allow them to practice one part at a time.

Day 1: Direct instruction followed by a set of sources

-Teach students how to focus on what the question is

-Encourage them to underline, star and highlight important parts of the text

-Ask them to take notes while listening

*Now, develop a thesis/answer to the question. Teach them to choose the one that’s easier to prove rather than the one they believe is the right answer!

Pair students. Have them write the introductory paragraph only. I am always shocked with how many students need help getting the formula right for their intro. I tell them to put their thesis statement last! Why don’t they?? Lol!

Giving feedback on just one paragraph is far less overwhelming and time consuming than grading a whole essay, especially if they’re working in pairs! Half the correcting!

Once they have a good intro paragraph, have them move on to their topic sentences for each body paragraph. Ask them to identify a quote/idea from each source to include within their paragraph.

When you are happy with their topic sentences and quotes, now they can write their conclusion. This part is easier- it’s the inverse of their introduction!

AP Spanish Argumentative Essay Tip #4

Share resources!

At least for me, it took me a long time to feel confident in my instruction for the AP Spanish Argumentative Essay. I did not have a colleague- I was (and still am) the only one teaching the course at my school. The College Board did not have AP Classroom, or at least nothing like what exists now. I had never heard of Teachers Pay Teachers.

Therefore, I learned by trial and error and created everything from scratch. It was time consuming. Like…. years!!!!

Profes, don’t do that to yourself!

If you have a teaching partner in your school, or maybe someone you know from another district, divide and conquer! Share what you create!

Here are the resources I know about that may help you and your students gain confidence regarding the Argumentative Essay!

AP Spanish Language and Culture: the College Board site (has lots of lessons, videos and free practices!)

AP Spanish Argumentative Essay: Sample Intro Paragraphs (FREEBIE!)

AP Spanish Argumentative Essay Feedback Checklist (My lifesaver!)

AP Spanish Argumentative Essay: Graphic Organizer for Student Practice

AP Spanish Argumentative Essay: How To

Test Prep Growing Mega Bundle (This includes all my materials for the open ended sections of the AP Spanish test)

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Get the password to my FREE Resource Library!!

Click here!

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Get Accepted: What Is A Good GPA For Getting Into College?

Updated: Nov 9, 2023, 1:10pm

The higher your high school grade point average (GPA) is, the easier it will be to gain admission to the college of your choice. That’s a simple fact. However, the college admissions process is more nuanced than that. Standardized test scores, extracurricular activities, personal essays, letters of recommendation, and the rigor and variety of your high school classes all play a role in whether you will be admitted. But as more colleges and universities go test-optional , your GPA remains one of the most important factors in the admission process.

Read on to learn more about the role GPA plays in the college admissions process and then contact your admission counselor for more assistance.

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What Are the GPA Requirements for College?

Each college sets its own requirements and expectations for GPA. ACT® reports that the average high school GPA has risen from 3.22 in 2010 to 3.39 in 2021, demonstrating a trend of grade inflation. As a result, the value of a GPA is not as clear-cut as many students would like.

Most community colleges only require a high school diploma or GED® certificate for admission. If you want to attend a four-year school, however, having a GPA higher than 3.0 is ideal. Schools with more mid-level admissions selectivity may set minimum GPA requirements, usually asking for a minimum 3.0 GPA.

Surprisingly, highly selective Ivy League universities such as Harvard and Yale do not list minimum GPA requirements, but you usually need a 4.0 GPA or higher to get into one of these universities.

Wondering how you can do better than a 4.0 GPA? That’s where weighted GPAs come in. We’ll explore that more in the next section.

How Do Colleges Calculate High School GPA?

Calculating GPA can be both straightforward and complex. The traditional GPA is calculated on a four-point scale that converts grades such as A, B, C, D and F into scores of 4, 3, 2, 1 and 0, respectively, and divides the total score by the number of graded classes.

However, because classes like Advanced Placement® (AP) and honors courses are considered more academically rigorous, many high schools give extra weight to those grades. Weighted GPA scales exceed a 4.0. If your high school weights AP class grades with an extra point, for example, a B in that class would be worth a 4.0 rather than a 3.0. An A would be worth a 5.0.

Colleges may require applicants to self-report their grades and provide transcripts. Even so, every college’s admission board will calculate each applicant’s GPA according to their own scale.

A holistic GPA includes grades from every high school course you took, but there are other ways to calculate your GPA. Some colleges may exclude your electives and look just at your grades earned in core courses such as English, math, science and social studies. Other colleges may look more intently at your math and science courses, especially if you’ve applied for an engineering program or another STEM major.

What Is a Good GPA To Get Into College?

A “good” GPA for college admission depends on which college you’re applying to. Like we discussed above, if you want to get into an Ivy League university, your GPA should probably have a minimum 4.0 GPA. But most schools are not that selective.

To see how your GPA stacks up against the competition, research admissions data for your prospective colleges. The College Board provides a college search tool that allows you to view typical GPA ranges for most admitted students at a given college. You’ll see what percentage of admitted students had a GPA of 3.75 and above, 3.50 to 3.74, 3.25 to 3.49 and so on.

Can You Get Into College With a Low GPA?

If you don’t feel particularly confident about your GPA, there are other ways to make your college application stand out. You can still get into college with a lower GPA, but you’ll have to give extra care to other parts of your application. Here’s what to do.

Aim for High Standardized Test Scores

Although many colleges and universities no longer require applicants to submit SAT® or ACT® scores , scores are still welcome, and high scores can give your application a boost.

Colleges see high SAT scores , for example, as an indication that a student can excel in college-level classes regardless of their high school grades. High scores on either the SAT or the ACT can sway a college admissions board to look more favorably upon a low GPA.

Write a Memorable College Essay

Crafting a college essay that stands out involves writing skills, creativity and vulnerability. In some ways, the essay may be the hardest part of the application process since it’s not based on quantitative numbers like your GPA or AP exam scores.

The essay gives you a chance to show colleges who you are in your own words. And if your GPA misses the mark because you faced personal challenges that prevented you from doing well in your high school classes, the essay gives you a chance to explain your circumstances.

For students from traditionally underrepresented backgrounds, the essay has taken on even greater weight after the U.S. Supreme Court banned the use of race-based affirmative action in the college application process. The college essay is your chance to discuss how personal identity markers such as race might have contributed to your academic journey.

Commit to Your Extracurriculars

As numbers-driven as the college admissions landscape can be, admissions boards still want to know about each applicant’s passions. When students invest their time and energy in extracurricular activities , they showcase their interests outside of class.

Whether they partake in the Spanish Honor Society or the lacrosse team, students can use extracurriculars to showcase their strengths. By committing to a club or sport for several years, and by taking on leadership roles, students demonstrate their potential to become reliable leaders in and beyond college.

Apply to Less Competitive Colleges

Given that there are nearly 4,000 colleges and universities in the United States, as reported by the National Center for Education Statistics , you have plenty of schools to choose from. Be realistic about your chances of admission to your schools of choice based on your GPA and overall high school performance. Make sure to apply to at least a couple of schools that you’re confident will admit you.

Prestigious public universities and student-focused liberal arts colleges are increasingly seen as desirable options for incoming college students who want a solid education without constantly worrying about maintaining a perfect GPA.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) About College GPA Requirements

What gpa do you need to get into college.

Though some individual colleges set minimum GPA requirements, there is no overall minimum GPA for college. Even if you have a lower GPA, you can gain admission to a good college.

Can a 2.5 GPA get you into college?

Yes, if you apply to a less selective college or a college with open admissions. Most community colleges, for example, require just a high school diploma or a GED certificate for admission. Many public and private universities set more relaxed admissions policies as well.

What GPA do most colleges require?

A general rule of thumb is that a 2.0 GPA, or a “C” average, is required for admission to most colleges and universities. This minimum GPA can also be a requirement for financial aid, scholarships and graduation. Keep in mind that different colleges set different minimum GPA policies, and many colleges do not require any particular minimum GPA.

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With more than two decades of experience in higher education, cultural criticism and politics, Horacio Sierra's writing and public speaking aims to demystify higher education and promote the democratic values of the arts and humanities.

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Guest Essay

America’s Military Is Not Prepared for War — or Peace

By Roger Wicker

Mr. Wicker, a Republican, is the ranking member of the U.S. Senate Armed Services Committee.

“To be prepared for war,” George Washington said, “is one of the most effectual means of preserving peace.” President Ronald Reagan agreed with his forebear’s words, and peace through strength became a theme of his administration. In the past four decades, the American arsenal helped secure that peace, but political neglect has led to its atrophy as other nations’ war machines have kicked into high gear. Most Americans do not realize the specter of great power conflict has risen again.

It is far past time to rebuild America’s military. We can avoid war by preparing for it.

When America’s senior military leaders testify before my colleagues and me on the U.S. Senate Armed Services Committee behind closed doors, they have said that we face some of the most dangerous global threat environments since World War II. Then, they darken that already unsettling picture by explaining that our armed forces are at risk of being underequipped and outgunned. We struggle to build and maintain ships, our fighter jet fleet is dangerously small, and our military infrastructure is outdated. Meanwhile, America’s adversaries are growing their militaries and getting more aggressive.

In China, the country’s leader, Xi Jinping, has orchestrated a historic military modernization intended to exploit the U.S. military’s weaknesses. He has overtaken the U.S. Navy in fleet size, built one of the world’s largest missile stockpiles and made big advances in space. President Vladimir Putin of Russia has thrown Europe into war and mobilized his society for long-term conflict. Iran and its proxy groups have escalated their shadow war against Israel and increased attacks on U.S. ships and soldiers. And North Korea has disregarded efforts toward arms control negotiations and moved toward wartime readiness.

Worse yet, these governments are materially helping one another, cooperating in new ways to prevent an American-led 21st century. Iran has provided Russia with battlefield drones, and China is sending technical and logistical help to aid Mr. Putin’s war. They are also helping one another prepare for future fights by increasing weapons transfers and to evade sanctions. Their unprecedented coordination makes new global conflict increasingly possible.

That theoretical future could come faster than most Americans think. We may find ourselves in a state of extreme vulnerability in a matter of a few years, according to a growing consensus of experts. Our military readiness could be at its lowest point in decades just as China’s military in particular hits its stride. The U.S. Indo-Pacific commander released what I believe to be the largest list of unfunded items ever for services and combatant commands for next year’s budget, amounting to $11 billion. It requested funding for a raft of infrastructure, missile defense and targeting programs that would prove vital in a Pacific fight. China, on the other hand, has no such problems, as it accumulates the world’s leading hypersonic arsenal with a mix of other lethal cruise and attack missiles.

Our military leaders are being forced to make impossible choices. The Navy is struggling to adequately fund new ships, routine maintenance and munition procurement; it is unable to effectively address all three. We recently signed a deal to sell submarines to Australia, but we’ve failed to sufficiently fund our own submarine industrial base, leaving an aging fleet unprepared to respond to threats. Two of the three most important nuclear modernization programs are underfunded and are at risk of delays. The military faces a backlog of at least $180 billion for basic maintenance, from barracks to training ranges. This projects weakness to our adversaries as we send service members abroad with diminished ability to respond to crises.

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How to Write a Letter in Spanish

Whether you're writing an email, or correo electrónico , to a hotel to book your reservation or you're catching up with an old friend by snail mail, knowing how to write a basic letter, or carta , in Spanish will help you communicate better and feel more confident in your linguistic abilities.

In this article, we'll show you everything you need to know about writing a letter in Spanish.

How to Begin a Letter

To begin a letter in Spanish, you need to address the recipient of your letter. Check out our list to see a couple of different options for greetings.

Spanish speakers usually use a colon ( : ) to separate the greeting from the body of the letter, especially when writing formal letters, whereas English uses a comma ( , ).

• Estimado : vs. Dear ,

What to Include in the Body of a Letter

Now for the fun part - the content of your letter! In the following table, you'll find a list of phrases and words that you can use to write a form letter, like a business letter, or an informal email to a friend.

Remember that Spanish has formal and informal forms of you :

• Tú is used when talking to people you know, like your friends, or people the same age as you or younger.
• Usted is used when talking to someone you don’t know, someone older, or someone to whom you wish to show respect and formality.

Want to learn more about the differences between tú and usted ? Check out our article on the Spanish you .

How to End a Letter

There are a variety of phrases and closings that you can use to end your letter. Check them out here:

Now that you know the different parts of a letter and what to say in them, check out some example letters below!

Informal Letter or Email

Hola Patricia,

¿Cómo te va? ¡Tanto tiempo sin hablarnos! ¿Vas a ir a la boda de Matt y Kim? ¡Me encantaría verte!

Hablamos pronto,

Hi Patricia,

How's it going? Long time no talk! Will you be going to Matt and Kim's wedding? Would be great to see you!

Formal Letter

A quien pueda interesar:

Escribo para inquirir sobre el estado de mi solicitud de subvención. Adjunto encontrará una copia de la solicitud, junto a otros documentos informativos. Por favor no dude en contactarme si necesita más información. Quedo a la espera de recibir noticias suyas tan pronto le sea posible. Gracias por su asistencia con este asunto.

Cordialmente,

To Whom It May Concern,

I am writing to inquire about the status of my grant application. Attached please find a copy of my application, along with other informational documents. Please do not hesitate to contact me if you require further information. I look forward to hearing from you at your earliest convenience. Thank you for your assistance in this matter.

Are you looking for more articles that will come in handy at work? Take a look at:

• What Are Some Different Ways to End a Letter in Spanish?
• “Thanks For Your Prompt Response” in Spanish
• “Please Do Not Hesitate to Contact Me If You Require Further Information” in Spanish
• Basic Spanish for Business Professionals
• Academic Titles in Spanish
• “Trabajar” vs. “Funcionar” in Spanish

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Alfonso Cuarón Assigned His ‘Harry Potter’ Cast Homework: Write an Essay About Your Character

Samantha bergeson.

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Alfonso Cuarón knew he wanted franchise installment “ Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban ” to be different from the other “Potter” films. So the professor assigned his Hogwarts, Ravenclaw, Slytherin, and Hufflepuff students some homework.

The director wanted the 2004 “Harry Potter” feature to have a “noir” tone, which Cuarón believed would best present the coming-of-age moment for both the trio of characters played by Daniel Radcliffe , Emma Watson , and Rupert Grint , as well as for the film series itself.

“Chris [Columbus] would help them with intonation and get them excited; Alfonso was treating them as young adults: what are you feeling?” the franchise’s producer David Heyman recalled to Total Film for a 20th-anniversary retrospective interview. Related Stories Idris Elba: Screenwriters Who Create Twisted Villains Need ‘a Hug’ A Glorious Era of Sketch Comedy Comes to an End with Tragedy and Lots of Doll Licking in ‘Mars’

Part of getting the core cast to grow up onscreen was to have each actor meditate on their respective characters’ motivations. Cuarón went so far as to assign each a writing task.

“Alfonso also had the three kids write essays about their characters,” Heyman said. “Dan wrote a page, Emma wrote 10 or 12, and Rupert didn’t give in anything. Just perfect.”

As Cuarón himself told Total Film, “Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban” was a risky move for his own career.

“The first two ‘Potters’ deal with children’s experience,” Cuarón said. “Characters who are 11 and 12. Innocence. A purity even in the way they see the danger. We were dealing with the first sting of questioning everything, particularly who you are. Suddenly you are not part of the whole; there is a teenage separation.”

Cuarón added that working with Radcliffe, Watson, and Grint especially marked a turning point in the rising actors’ careers.

“They were becoming more aware of the craft of acting and they wanted to go to the next stage,” Cuarón said. “From the get-go we talked about how we wanted to ground everything, to make it about a normal human experience in this world. [We wanted to explore] the internal life of each one of these characters. They were incredibly intuitive about this, and very receptive.”

In fact, del Toro even helped convince Cuarón to agree to direct “The Prisoner of Azkaban.”

“I speak often with Guillermo [del Toro], and a couple of days after, I said, ‘You know, they offered me this “Harry Potter” film, but it’s really weird they offer me this,'” Cuarón told Total Film. “He said, ‘Wait, wait, wait, you said you haven’t read “Harry Potter”?’ I said, ‘I don’t think it’s for me.’ In very florid lexicon, in Spanish, he said, ‘You are an arrogant asshole.'”

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