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Para escribir una composición en español
When you write in Spanish, try to do the following:
Use the active voice (subject + verb + object).
Write brief, concise, clear sentences.
When writing more complex (compound) sentences, use Connectors to make the narrative flow.
vocabulario esencial para escribir una composición
How to add accents using a PC
Also, the structure of any paper should have the following elements:
A telling title (this should guide you and your reader through the paper).
A clearly defined thesis (an extension of the title).
A development of the thesis (examples, evidence, several sentences).
A CONCLUSION (which should refer back to the thesis and title). A conclusion should give a sense of finality to things, not start some new thesis
Each paragraph must be at least five sentences long. Each one should contain a thesis or main point (one brief sentence), evidence or clarification of the thesis (3 sentences or so), and a conclusion (which may be a reiteration of the thesis, in a short final sentence). To ease the flow of the narrative, use appropriate Connectors. 5 to 7 paragraphs should constitute a nice 3-page paper.
Additional instructions for writing essays: Type your papers.. Do not turn in handwritten papers for compositions written at home.
Turn in a clean copy of your paper. Make sure you have enough ink in the cartridge of your printer or typewriter. Laser copies are easy on the eye.
Use only mechanical diacritic (extended characters) marks (also called "symbols" in Word) or simply change the keyboard in your computer Do not use pencil or pen markings.
Use only white paper (double-spaced, with one inch margins on all sides) and only one side of the page.
Double-space every line (do not triple-space between paragraphs or leave less than a double space [e.g., 1.5] between the lines).
Indent each paragraph (5 spaces [using "New Courier" 12] from the left [Modern Language Association of America usage]) 5.
Paraphrase or use indirect style instead of direct style (i.e., "he said he was ill" instead of "he said: 'I am ill.'").
Number pages consecutively, on the upper right corner, after your lastname (e.g., Smith 1, Smith 2, Smith 3, etc.).
Staple all pages on the upper left corner.
When quoting material, use ONLY Spanish (French, actually) quotation marks (comillas): « . . . ». Do not use << . . . >> as a substitute for « . . . ».
In a series of words, elide the comma between the penultimate and final element: (e.g, «le gusta comer uvas, plátanos y manzanas»). In English, a comma is used to separate all congeries: "He likes to eat grapes, bananas, and apples."
In quoted material, all punctuation marks in Spanish are placed outside the comillas: «le gusta comer uvas, plátanos y manzanas». In English, the punctuation marks are placed inside the quotation marks: "He likes to eat grapes, bananas, and apples."
STRUCTURE.
Make the purpose and organization of your paper clear to the reader immediately. Tell the reader in the introductory paragraph what your thesis is and how you will demonstrate it. Then stick to your argument, give solid evidence of your thesis in an analytic and descriptive way, and, finally, give a convincing conclusion which should follow naturally from your evidence and introductory thesis. No new points should be presented in the conclusion, which should be as brief, succinct, and precise as your main thesis. A list of works cited should follow.
ARGUMENT.
Assume that your reader knows little about your topic but is nonetheless eager to disagree with you. That assumption should encourage you to argue clearly, logically, and forcefully.
PARAGRAPHS
Each paragraph should form a continuous and complete unit of thought with a clear structure (a thesis sentence, several demonstrative sentences, and a conclusion).
SIMPLICITY.
Write short, uncomplicated sentences. Any sentence of more than twenty-five or thirty words should be suspect (the product, no doubt, of an artist, a lawyer, or a mentally deranged individual). Prefer active, transitive verbs to passives and clumsy, wordy constructions. Do not strive for elegant, complicated prose. Ask yourself constantly: Is there a simpler, more straightforward way of saying what I want to say? Avoid ambiguity.
CLARITY.
Eliminate clichés, colloquialisms, and all vague language. Use definite, specific, concrete language. JARGON. Avoid sociological, psychological, theological, or any other kind of jargon. Write simple, standard English (Spanish) and be sure that you know the exact meaning of every word you use.
EVIDENCE.
Use the assigned readings to illustrate your argument. The most persuasive evidence is that taken from primary sources. But do not include quotations without analyzing them and relating them to your argument. Also, use direct quotations only when absolutely necessary to demonstrate a point convincingly. Otherwise, paraphrase.
FOOTNOTES.
Use an accepted footnote (endnote) form-consistently Be sure each page reference and quotation is correct. Include a citation for every direct quotation and every idea or piece of evidence that is not common knowledge and that you can assign to a definite written source. Failure to acknowledge your source is plagiarism.
REVISE AND REWRITE.
ALSO, READ YOUR PAPER ALOUD TO YOURSELF.
PROOFREADING.
Proofread your final draft (do not rely on your computer proofreading program completely). Check for spelling errors (use a good dictionary when in doubt), typos, and incorrect punctuation.
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