Writing in Spanish for Purpose and Audience

Writing that suits its reader

Strong writing in Spanish is not only correct Spanish: it is writing that fits why you are writing and who will read it. A quick message to a friend, a formal letter and a short article each call for a different tone, a different level of politeness and different words, even though the language is the same. In the exam you write short responses and one longer piece chosen from three, and the best answers do three things at once. They suit their reader and their reason. They join ideas smoothly with connecting words rather than leaving short, choppy sentences. And they show off a range of language: more than one tense, some varied vocabulary, and an opinion backed by a reason. This module works through each of those, so that your Spanish writing reads as though it were shaped for its reader, not just translated in your head one word at a time.

Words for writing in Spanish

Learn these terms before the connectives are matched up. They name the ideas used in this topic.

Match each Spanish connective to its job

Formal against informal writing

The same message is written differently depending on how well you know the reader.

Which piece will score higher?

Two students answer the same Spanish writing task. Which piece is likely to score higher?

• One that uses more than one tense and gives a reason for a view
• One that uses only the present tense in short sentences
• One that copies the words of the question back
• One that leaves most of the task blank

Show what you can do

A writing task is your chance to show off, so do not play it safe with the same short sentence again and again. Reach for more than one tense: say what you did last week as well as what you do now and what you will do next. Bring in a range of vocabulary rather than repeating the one word you are sure of, and link your sentences so they flow. Always give a reason for what you think, because a view with a reason behind it reads as real writing rather than a list. A single sentence can carry a lot at once, as in Quiero viajar porque me gusta aprender, which means I want to travel because I like learning, and which shows an opinion, a reason and confident language all together. Aim to leave the marker in no doubt about the range of Spanish you can handle.

Pick the marks of strong Spanish writing

Select every habit that makes a piece of Spanish writing stronger.

• Using more than one tense
• Linking ideas with connecting words
• Giving a reason for a view
• Repeating the one word you are sure of
• Writing only short, choppy sentences

Order how to plan a piece of writing

Put the steps of planning a piece of Spanish writing into a sensible order.

• Read the task and note what it asks
• Decide the reader and the reason for writing
• Jot down useful words and tenses
• Write the piece, linking your ideas
• Check spelling, tenses and agreement

Complete the writing facts

The reason you are writing, such as to invite or to persuade, is your _____. The reader you are writing for, and whose language level you must match, is your _____. A joining word such as y, meaning and, or pero, meaning but, is a _____. Saying what you think and giving a reason for it shows an _____.

Tap the two Spanish connectives

Read these four Spanish words. Tap the TWO that are connectives, the words that join ideas.

• y
• pero
• casa
• perro

A handshake or a hug

Think about how you greet people. You would shake hands, politely, with someone you have just met, but you would throw your arms round a close friend in a hug. Same you, same warmth underneath, but a completely different way of showing it, chosen to fit the person in front of you. Writing works in exactly the same way. A message to a friend can be relaxed, short and full of everyday words, like the hug. A letter to someone you do not know needs to be tidier, more careful and more polite, like the handshake. The words are all Spanish either way, just as both greetings are friendly, but the good writer picks the right ones for the reader. Before you write a single sentence, picture who will read it and why, and greet them, in writing, in the way that fits.

The Spanish writing run

Answer each one correctly to keep your lives. Choose the best answer.

Choose how to write it

Read each situation and choose the best approach.

• You are writing a letter to a teacher you do not know well. What tone fits?
• Your writing is a string of short, separate sentences. What would improve it?
• You want to show your range in one sentence. What helps most?

Build a point about writing

Choose the word for each gap to complete one point about writing in Spanish.

Explain how to write well in Spanish

A friend wants to raise their mark in Spanish writing. Using what you have learned, explain how to write well.

• Explain why you match writing to its purpose and reader
• Explain the difference between formal and informal writing
• Explain how connectives improve a piece of writing
• Explain why using more than one tense helps
• Explain why a view should come with a reason