This topic covers how to write an informal letter or email in Spanish to a friend, pen-pal, or host family. The exam checks that you can follow the right letter or email layout, answer the points asked, and use different tenses and connecting words.
Letter and Email Layout
Spanish informal correspondence uses a few simple conventions to start and finish cleanly.
- Date: An optional letter date can go at the top: Dublín, 12 de mayo.
- Salutation: Use a colon after greetings: Querido Pablo: (male), Querida Lucía: (female), or Hola, Mateo:.
- Opening: Start with a friendly check-in, such as Gracias por tu mensaje or Espero que estés bien.
- Despedida: End with a warm closing like Un abrazo, or Besos,, followed by your name.
Addressing Prompts and Tense Range
Read the instructions and answer the number of points requested. Some questions require all prompts, while others let you choose a set number.
- When asked for two details, give two clear facts, such as two sports, subjects, or rooms.
- Develop points that ask for descriptions or opinions by adding a reason or extra detail.
- Me gustó mucho Sevilla porque la comida era deliciosa adds a reason to the opinion.
- Use the present tense for routines and descriptions (Vivo en un pueblo pequeño).
- Use the pretérito for finished events (El fin de semana pasado fui al parque).
- Past forms include regular comí (ate), visité (visited) and irregular fui (went), tuve (had).
- Near future: use ir + a + infinitive for future plans (El próximo verano voy a visitar España).
Giving Opinions and Connecting Ideas
Examiners reward answers that express personal views and link clauses smoothly.
- Start opinions simply with En mi opinión... (In my opinion...) or Creo que... (I think that...).
- Justify your opinions using porque (because), as in Me encanta mi colegio porque los profesores son amables.
- Use me gusta before singular nouns or infinitives (me gusta el tenis).
- Use me gustan before plural nouns (me gustan las ciencias).
- Use simple connectors between sentences: y (and), pero (but), también (also), además (furthermore), and sin embargo (however).
Essential Vocabulary and Mechanics
Use ser, estar, tener, and hay accurately to describe yourself, your family, your house, and your town.
- Open questions with ¿ and exclamations with ¡, as in ¿Cómo estás? or ¡Fue genial!.
- Write Spanish days and months in lowercase: el lunes, en agosto.
- Use muy before adjectives (muy bonito) and mucho after verbs (me gusta mucho, never muy me gusta).
- Check accents on everyday question words and verb forms, such as ¿Dónde?, ¿Qué?, está, and también.
Key terms
- Querido / Querida
- Dear; the informal greeting matching the gender of the recipient (masculine / feminine).
- Pretérito
- The past tense used to describe completed actions, such as fui (I went) or comí (I ate).
- Futuro próximo
- The near future tense formed with the present of ir + a + infinitive (such as voy a viajar).
- Conector
- A linking word, such as pero (but) or además (furthermore), used to join clauses smoothly.
- Despedida
- The farewell or sign-off line before your signature, such as Un abrazo (A hug) or Besos (Kisses).
- Registro informal
- A friendly style used with people you know well. Use tú for one friend; match your address to the recipient.
Check yourself
What is the standard punctuation mark after the greeting in a Spanish letter?
A colon (:), for example 'Querido Mateo:'.
How do you say 'Last Saturday I went to the cinema' in Spanish?
'El sábado pasado fui al cine.'
Why is 'Me gusta las ciencias' grammatically incorrect?
'Las ciencias' is plural, so it requires 'Me gustan las ciencias'.
How do you form the near future to say 'I am going to visit'?
'Voy a visitar' (the verb ir + a + infinitive).