spanish persuasive essay transitions

MY-SPANISH-DICTIONARY

Enhancing Spanish Essays with Effective Transitional Phrases

Welcome to our comprehensive guide on using transitional phrases in Spanish essays. Whether you are a student, a teacher, or anyone looking to improve their writing skills in Spanish, this article aims to provide you with valuable insights and practical advice on how to effectively use transitional phrases to create well-structured and coherent essays.

Introduction

Writing essays in Spanish can be both a rewarding and challenging task. One of the key elements that contribute to a well-written essay is the use of transitional phrases. These phrases, also known as “conectores” or “transiciones,” help to link different ideas, sentences, and paragraphs together, ensuring a smooth flow of thoughts and arguments.

Transitional phrases are essential for achieving clarity and coherence in your writing. They guide the reader through the text, making it easier to follow your arguments and understand the connections between different points. In this article, we will explore the importance of transitional phrases in Spanish essays, discuss various types of transitional phrases, and provide practical examples of how to use them effectively.

By incorporating these phrases into your writing, you will be able to enhance the overall quality of your essays, making them more engaging and persuasive.

The Importance of Transitional Phrases

Transitional phrases play a crucial role in writing, as they help to create a logical and seamless flow of ideas. In Spanish essays, these phrases are particularly important because they enable writers to connect sentences and paragraphs in a coherent manner. Without transitional phrases, essays can appear disjointed and difficult to follow.

There are several key reasons why transitional phrases are important in Spanish essays:

• Clarity: Transitional phrases help to clarify the relationships between different ideas, making it easier for readers to understand your arguments and conclusions.
• Coherence: By linking sentences and paragraphs together, transitional phrases ensure that your essay flows smoothly, without abrupt jumps or gaps in logic.
• Emphasis: Transitional phrases can be used to highlight important points or to emphasize the significance of certain arguments.
• Pacing: These phrases help to control the pace of your writing, allowing you to guide the reader through your essay at an appropriate speed.

In the following sections, we will explore various types of transitional phrases and provide examples of how to use them effectively in your Spanish essays.

Types of Transitional Phrases

Transitional phrases can be categorized into different types based on their function in a sentence or paragraph. Understanding these types will help you to choose the appropriate transitional phrase for each context in your essay. Here are some common types of transitional phrases in Spanish:

• Additive Phrases: These phrases are used to add information or to continue a previous idea. Examples include “además” (furthermore), “también” (also), and “asimismo” (likewise).
• Contrast Phrases: These phrases are used to present a contrast or to highlight differences between ideas. Examples include “sin embargo” (however), “por otro lado” (on the other hand), and “no obstante” (nevertheless).
• Cause and Effect Phrases: These phrases are used to show a cause-and-effect relationship between ideas. Examples include “porque” (because), “por lo tanto” (therefore), and “como resultado” (as a result).
• Sequence Phrases: These phrases are used to indicate the order of events or to organize ideas in a sequence. Examples include “primero” (first), “luego” (then), and “finalmente” (finally).
• Conclusion Phrases: These phrases are used to summarize arguments or to draw conclusions. Examples include “en conclusión” (in conclusion), “en resumen” (in summary), and “por lo tanto” (therefore).

By familiarizing yourself with these different types of transitional phrases, you will be better equipped to use them effectively in your Spanish essays.

Using Additive Phrases

Additive phrases are used to add information or to continue a previous idea. They help to build upon the points you have already made, providing additional evidence or examples to support your arguments. Here are some common additive phrases in Spanish and examples of how to use them:

• Además (Furthermore): “Además, es importante considerar los beneficios económicos de esta propuesta.”
• También (Also): “También se debe tener en cuenta el impacto ambiental.”
• Asimismo (Likewise): “Asimismo, el proyecto contribuirá al desarrollo social de la comunidad.”

Using these phrases helps to create a cohesive and well-supported argument in your essay. When incorporating additive phrases, make sure that the additional information you provide is relevant and enhances the overall quality of your essay.

Using Contrast Phrases

Contrast phrases are used to present a contrast or to highlight differences between ideas. They are particularly useful for showing opposing viewpoints or for emphasizing the complexity of an issue. Here are some common contrast phrases in Spanish and examples of how to use them:

• Sin embargo (However): “El proyecto tiene muchos beneficios; sin embargo, también presenta algunos desafíos.”
• Por otro lado (On the other hand): “La propuesta puede ser costosa; por otro lado, los beneficios a largo plazo son significativos.”
• No obstante (Nevertheless): “El plan es ambicioso; no obstante, es factible con la cooperación adecuada.”

Using contrast phrases helps to present a balanced and nuanced argument in your essay. It allows you to acknowledge different perspectives and to demonstrate critical thinking skills.

Using Cause and Effect Phrases

Cause and effect phrases are used to show a relationship between an action or event and its consequences. They are essential for explaining the reasoning behind your arguments and for illustrating the impact of certain actions. Here are some common cause and effect phrases in Spanish and examples of how to use them:

• Porque (Because): “El proyecto es viable porque cuenta con el apoyo de expertos.”
• Por lo tanto (Therefore): “El proyecto ha demostrado ser exitoso; por lo tanto, debería ser implementado a nivel nacional.”
• Como resultado (As a result): “La inversión en educación ha aumentado significativamente, como resultado, el rendimiento académico ha mejorado.”

Using cause and effect phrases helps to strengthen your arguments by providing clear and logical connections between ideas. It demonstrates your ability to analyze and explain complex issues effectively.

Using Sequence Phrases

Sequence phrases are used to indicate the order of events or to organize ideas in a sequence. They help to structure your essay in a clear and logical manner, making it easier for readers to follow your arguments. Here are some common sequence phrases in Spanish and examples of how to use them:

• Primero (First): “Primero, se debe realizar un análisis exhaustivo de la situación.”
• Luego (Then): “Luego, se deben identificar las posibles soluciones al problema.”
• Finalmente (Finally): “Finalmente, se debe implementar el plan de acción propuesto.”

Using sequence phrases helps to guide the reader through your essay in a logical and organized manner. It ensures that your arguments are presented in a coherent and easy-to-follow way.

Using Conclusion Phrases

Conclusion phrases are used to summarize your arguments or to draw conclusions. They help to bring your essay to a strong and cohesive end, leaving a lasting impression on the reader. Here are some common conclusion phrases in Spanish and examples of how to use them:

• En conclusión (In conclusion): “En conclusión, el proyecto presenta numerosos beneficios y debería ser apoyado.”
• En resumen (In summary): “En resumen, es esencial adoptar una estrategia integral para abordar este desafío.”
• Por lo tanto (Therefore): “Por lo tanto, es fundamental continuar invirtiendo en educación y desarrollo.”

Using conclusion phrases helps to reinforce your main points and to leave a strong and lasting impact on the reader. It ensures that your essay ends on a confident and persuasive note.

Incorporating transitional phrases into your Spanish essays is essential for achieving clarity, coherence, and persuasiveness. These phrases help to link different ideas, sentences, and paragraphs together, ensuring a smooth flow of thoughts and arguments. By using additive, contrast, cause and effect, sequence, and conclusion phrases effectively, you can enhance the overall quality of your essays and make them more engaging and compelling.

Remember that practice is key to mastering the use of transitional phrases. Continually refine your writing skills by incorporating these phrases into your essays and seeking feedback from teachers or peers. Over time, you will develop a natural ability to use transitional phrases effectively, resulting in well-structured and impactful essays.

Related Posts

Must-have Spanish Transition Words for Opinion Writing

Are you looking to help your students take their writing to the next level by using Spanish transition words for opinion writing?

Opinion writing is an essential part of language arts instruction, and it becomes even more important for bilingual students who need to develop strong writing skills in two languages. When it comes to Spanish opinion writing, one of the most effective ways to improve the quality of your students’ work is by teaching them how to use transition words.

Transition words are words or phrases that connect ideas and provide coherence to a text. In opinion writing, they help to make the writer’s argument more persuasive by making the flow of ideas more logical and clear. 

So what opinion transition words should you teach to your dual language students?

Your Go-To Spanish Transition Words for Opinion Writing

Primero, primero que nada: first, first of all.

These transition words are used to introduce the first point or argument in an opinion piece. For example, “Primero, creo que es importante reciclar para proteger el medio ambiente” (First, I believe that it is important to recycle to protect the environment).

En segundo lugar: Second

This phrase is used to introduce the second point or argument in an opinion piece. For example, “En segundo lugar, es necesario reducir el uso de plásticos de un solo uso” (Second, it is necessary to reduce the use of single-use plastics).

Por otro lado: On the other hand

This phrase is used to introduce a contrasting point or argument. For example, “Creo que el reciclaje es importante, pero por otro lado, también es importante reducir el consumo de energía” (I believe recycling is important, but on the other hand, it is also important to reduce energy consumption).

Además: Furthermore, Moreover

These transition words are used to add supporting details or arguments. For example, “Además, el reciclaje no solo protege el medio ambiente, sino que también ayuda a conservar los recursos naturales” (Furthermore, recycling not only protects the environment but also helps conserve natural resources).

En conclusión: In conclusion

This phrase is used to signal the end of an opinion piece and summarize the main arguments. For example, “En conclusión, es importante tomar medidas para proteger el medio ambiente, incluyendo el reciclaje y la reducción del consumo de energía y plásticos de un solo uso” (In conclusion, it is important to take measures to protect the environment, including recycling and reducing energy consumption and single-use plastics).

Get your Spanish Transition Words for Opinion Writing for Free!

These are just a few examples of the many Spanish opinion writing transition words that students can use to improve the quality of their writing. You can introduce these transition words to students in the context of a lesson or writing assignment and encourage them to use them in their own writing.

If you’re looking for more, download the free Spanish opinion transition words bookmarks and posters or click the image below.

How do you teach them?

To reinforce the use of these transition words, you can provide sentence frames for students to complete using the transition words. For example, “En primer lugar, creo que ____ porque ____” (First, I believe that ____ because ____). This will help students practice using the transition words in context and develop their own arguments and opinions.

In conclusion, teaching Spanish opinion writing transition words is a valuable strategy to improve your bilingual students’ writing skills. By using these words and phrases, your students can create more persuasive and coherent argumentative texts, which will help them succeed in school and in their future careers.

Revamp Your Classroom with a Customizable Bulletin Board Border Template

PinFacebook Are you tired of the same old bulletin board...

9 Robust ELA Performance Tasks for 4th and 5th Grade

PinFacebook Are you finding it challenging to prepare your 4th...

Spice Up Your Classroom with This Creative Spanish Book Report Project

PinFacebook Are you struggling to make Spanish book reports engaging...

Dynamic Spanish Writing Prompts for 4th and 5th Grade Bilingual Classes

PinFacebook Are you struggling to find engaging Spanish writing prompts...

• Learning Method
• Spanish Culture
• Spanish Grammar
• Spanish Travel
• Spanish Vocabulary and Expressions
• Study Guide
• Spanish Language Accelerator Program
• Online Courses
• Books / Audiobooks

Spanish Essay Phrases: 40 Useful Phrases for an Impressive Writeup

7  Comments

May 30, 2019

Follow Us Now

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!

Get the PDF ( + MP3!)

No time to read now? Then you might opt to get the list in PDF instead. If you sign up to the newsletter, you'll get the list of Spanish essay phrases in PDF format plus free audio files. 

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

Session expired

Please log in again. The login page will open in a new tab. After logging in you can close it and return to this page.

Language learning, getting fluent faster, and Clozemaster

100+ Spanish Transition Words and Phrases to Sound Like a Native Speaker

Below you will find over 100 Spanish transition words and phrases to help you sound more natural both in your writing and speaking. Transitional devices or connetors as they’re also called, help connect ideas, sentences, and paragraphs smoothly so there are no abrupt breaks between thoughts. Brief explanations and example sentences are included.

Spanish Transition Words Related to Time

1. después (de) – after, afterward.

“Después (de)” can be used to connect two events expressing that something occurs after something else.

Fui a ver una película con Tom después de clases. (I went to see a movie with Tom after school.)

Mi padre salió a correr después de la cena. (My father went for a run after dinner.)

2. ya – already

“Ya” can be used for expressing that something has already occurred or has occurred in the past.

Cuando llegué, él ya se había ido. (When I arrived, he had already left.)

Ya me he disculpado. (I already apologized.)

3. siempre – always

For describing something that happens always or at any moment, use siempre.

Yo siempre desayuno a las 7 am. (I always eat breakfast at 7 am.)

Siempre está bromeando. (He is always joking.)

4. en cuanto – as soon as, when, once

The phrase “en cuanto” can mean when or “as soon as”. It can also mean “while”.

En cuanto ellos vuelvan, te llamo. (As soon as they return, I will call you.)

La reconocí en cuanto la vi. (I recognized her as soon as I saw her.)

En cuanto haga la tarea, voy a leer. (Once I do my homework, I’m going to read.)

5. tan pronto como – as soon as

“Tan pronto como” means “as soon as” or “immediately after” much like the phrase “en cuanto”.

Hazlo tan pronto como puedas. (Do it as soon as you can.)

Él comerá tan pronto como llegue a casa. (He’ll eat as soon as he gets home.)

6. al principio – at first, at the beginning

“Al principio” means “initially”, or “at the start of something.” This phrase is commonly used at the beginning of a sentence.

Al principio no le gustaba. (She didn’t like him at first.)

Al principio puede ser confuso. (It can be confusing at first.)

Al principio será duro, pero todo es duro al principio. (At the beginning it will be tough, but everything is tough at the beginning.)

7. por fin – at last, finally

For describing something that occurs after a long wait or expressing the end of a long-awaited situation with emphasis, use “por fin”.

¡Por fin! Por fin conseguí trabajo. (I finally got a job.)

El héroe por fin derrotó al científico malvado. (The hero finally defeated the evil scientist.)

8. al mismo tiempo – at the same time, simultaneously

For describing events that occur at the same time, “al mismo tiempo” can be used.

Llegamos al mismo tiempo. (We arrived at the same time.)

Al mismo tiempo, él empezó a correr. (At the same time, he began to run.)

9. a la misma vez – at the same time, simultaneously

Like “al mismo tiempo”, “a la misma vez” can be used to describe two things happening at the same time.

Mi hija estudia y ve la tele a la vez. (My daughter studies and watches TV at the same time.)

10. inmediatamente – at once, immediately, right away

“Inmediatamente” is an adverb, and it can be used to express that something happens without any interruptions.

Cuando leí la noticia, te llamé inmediatamente. (When I read the news, I called you immediately.)

11. antes de (que) – before

Don’t forget to use the Spanish present subjunctive after the phrase “antes de que”. This phrase means “before”.

Habla con tu padre antes de que se vaya. (Talk to your father before he leaves.)

12. brevemente – briefly

“Brevemente” is an adverb that can be used to express that something is done shortly.

Quiero hablar brevemente acerca de las ideas que queremos proponer. (I would like to briefly talk about the ideas that we want to propose.)

13. antes de ayer, antier – the day before yesterday

This adverb also expresses time, and it can appear at the beginning or at the end of a sentence.

Mis amigos y yo estuvimos aquí antes de ayer. (My friends and I were here the day before yesterday.)

14. durante – during

The word “during” is a Spanish preposition , and it denotes simultaneity.

Ellos escucharon la radio durante el viaje. (They listened to the radio during the trip.)

15. eventualmente – eventually

For expressing an action that occurs occasionally, use the Spanish adverb “eventualmente”.

Es probable que se produzcan cambios eventualmente en el sistema. (It is likely that changes occur eventually in the system.)

16. primero – firstly

The word “primero” is both, an adverb and an adjective. To use it as a Spanish transition word use it to describe an action that occurs firstly.

Primero nos bajamos del carro y luego entramos al edificio. (First, we will get off the car and then we will enter the building.)

17. primero que nada – first of all

Just as the word “primero”, the phrase “primero que nada” also means “firstly”, or “first of all”.

Primero que nada, terminemos el proyecto. Luego podremos descansar. (First of all, let’s finish the project. Then we can rest.)

18. frecuentemente – frequently, often

For expressing actions that occur regularly, use the Spanish adverb “frecuentemente”.

Mis hermanos y yo visitamos a nuestro abuelos frecuentemente. (My siblings and I visit our grandparents frequently.)

19. al rato – in a little while, shortly after

“Al rato” is a phrase that expresses time, and it can be used to express that something happened soon after something else.

Vino Karen y me trajo el libro al rato de haberse ido. (Karen came and brought me the book shortly after she left.)

20. en primer lugar – in the first place

“En primer lugar” and “primero” are very similar. They both mean “first” or “firstly”. “En primer lugar” though is more formal than “primero”.

En primer lugar, vamos a hablar de los problemas de esta ciudad. (Firstly, we will talk about the problems of this city.)

21. mientras tanto – in the meantime, meanwhile, until then

“Mientras tanto” is a Spanish adverbial phrase that can be used to express that an activity happens at the same time a different activity is taking place.

Yo estoy trabajando; mientras tanto, tú estás haciendo nada. (I am working. Meanwhile, you are doing nothing.)

22. en el pasado – in the past

This phrase simply means “before”. You can use it at the beginning or at the end of sentences.

Esta ciudad era más tranquila en el pasado. (This city was quieter in the past.)

23. en segundo  lugar  – in the second place, secondly

This phrase is usually used to introduce a second idea.

En primer lugar, hablaré de mi libro y, en segundo lugar, contestaré sus preguntas. (First, I will talk about my book, and, secondly, I will answer your questions.)

24. anoche – last night, yesterday evening

You can use this Spanish adverb at the end or at the beginning of sentences.

Anoche publiqué una nueva entrada en mi blog. (Last night I published a new entry on my blog.)

25. por último – lastly, finally, last but not least

This phrase can be used to express that something was done in the end or to introduce one last idea.

Por último, los estudiantes dieron las gracias a su profesor. (Finally, the students thanked their tutor.)

26. la mayor parte del tiempo – most of the time, mostly

This adverbial phrase can be used at the end or beginning of sentences, and it means “mostly”.

José es de Guatemala, pero vivió en México la mayor parte del tiempo. (José is from Guatemala, but he mostly lived in Mexico.)

27. luego – next, close (Mexico), soon (Latin America)

In general, the word “luego” means “next” or “then”. However, in Mexico, it means “close”, and in Latin America, it means “soon”.

Me levanté y luego me duché. (I woke up and then I took a shower.)

La casa de mis padres está acá luego. (My parent’s house is very close.)

Espérame un momento que luego estoy contigo. (Wait for me! I will soon be with you.)

28. al otro día – (the) next day

This phrase means “the other day” or “next morning/day”.

Quedamos en vernos al otro día. (We made plans to meet the other day.)

29. por la mañana – in the morning

For expressing that something was done in the morning, use the Spanish phrase “por la mañana”.

El sol se pone temprano por la mañana. (The sun rises early in the morning.)

30. nunca – never, ever (after not)

Use the adverb “nunca” before the main verb of a sentence.

Nunca he cantado en frente de otras personas. (I have never sung in front of other people.)

31. ahora – now, in a minute, currently

The word “ahora” has more than one meaning. It can mean “now” or “soon”.

Ahora es mi turno. (Now it is my turn.)

Ahora regreso. (I’ll be back in a minute.)

32. muchas veces – often, many times

Native Spanish speakers usually use this phrase at the end of sentences.

He estado en España muchas veces. (I have been in Spain many times.)

33. el siguiente año – the following year

You can also say “el siguiente día” (the following day), “el siguiente mes” (the following month), or “la siguiente semana” (the following week).

Me mudaré de casa el siguiente año. (I will move out the following year.)

34. raramente – rarely, seldom

For expressing an action that occurs rarely, use the Spanish adverb “raramente”.

Yo raramente me enfermo. (I rarely get sick.)

35. desde entonces – since then, ever since

For expressing that an action started to take place since a specific point in time, use “desde entonces”.

Ella dejó de comer lácteos y se ha sentido mejor desde entonces. (She stopped eating dairy and has felt better since then.)

36. algunas veces – sometimes, a few times, occasionally

This adverb expresses frequency. It means that something happens at times.

Normalmente camino a la escuela, pero algunas veces tomo el bus. (I usually walk to school, but sometimes I take the bus.)

37. pronto – soon, fast, quickly, early (Spain)

“Pronto” means “soon”, but in Spain, it means “early”.

Tenemos que terminar el reporte pronto. (We need to finish the report soon.)

Es muy pronto para desayunar. (It is too early to have breakfast.)

38. de repente – suddenly, all of a sudden, maybe (South America)

The phrase “de repente” has a different meaning. It means “suddenly”. In South America, it means “maybe” and “probably”.

De repente escuchamos un gran ruido. (Suddenly, we heard a big noise.)

De repente se le olvidó la clase. (He probably forgot the lesson.)

39. entonces – then

The word “entonces” has different meanings. It means “at that time” or “then”. It is also used to express a conclusion.

Si te gustan las fresas, entonces te gustará este postre. (If you like strawberries, then you’ll like this dessert.)

Se casarán el otro mes y entonces se irán a vivir a Costa Rica. They will get married next month, and then they will move to Costa Rica.

40. mientras tanto – in the meantime, meanwhile, until then

41. para continuar – to continue.

If you use a verb after this phrase, make sure to add -ando or -iendo to it. Use Spanish present participles after the verb “continuar”.

Apagué la alarma para continuar durmiendo. (I turned off the alarm to continue sleeping.)

42. cuando – when, if

“Cuando” can be used as an adverb and conjunction. It means “when” and can be used in conditional sentences.

Cuando sea grande, seré un policía. (I will be a police officer when I grow up.)

43. tercero – third

This word can be used to introduce a third idea.

Primero, debes ser responsable. Segundo, debes trabajar duro. Tercero, debes ser puntual. (First, you need to be responsible. Second, you need to work hard. Third, you need to be punctual.)

44. ayer – yesterday

Use the adverb “ayer” to express that something happened yesterday.

El accidente ocurrió ayer. (The accident happened yesterday.)

Spanish Transition Words Related to Place

45. encima de – at the top of.

For expressing that something is in one place superior to another one, use the Spanish prepositional phrase “encima de”.

Pon la taza encima de la mesa. (Put the cup on the table.)

46. en medio de – midst, in the middle of

For expressing that something is in the middle of something or between two things, use the Spanish prepositional phrase “en medio de”.

¡Ten cuidado! Hay una animal en medio de la calle. (Be careful! There is an animal in the middle of the street.)

47. alrededor de – around, about

“Alrededor de” expresses time and place. When it expresses time, it approximately indicates a number. When it indicates a place, it means “around”.

Los niños corren alrededor de la silla. (Children run around the chair.)

Son alrededor de las 5 de la tarde. (It’s about 5 in the afternoon.)

48. abajo – below, down

This Spanish adverb indicates that something is in a place that is in a lower position than something else.

Encontrarás la traducción de este documento abajo. (You will find the translation of this document below.)

49. al lado de – next to, by

For expressing that something is close to something else, use the Spanish phrase “al lado de”.

Mi cama está al lado de la ventana. (My bed is next to the window.)

50. más allá – beyond, further

This phrase is used to express that something is far away from something else.

Hay un pequeño pueblo más allá del río. (There is a small town beyond the river.)

51. adelante – forward, ahead, onward

This adverb indicates that something is in the direction that someone is facing. If someone tells you “¡Adelante!”, he means “carry on”.

Estamos cansados, pero seguimos adelante. (We are tired, but we are moving forward.)

52. de – of, from

This is the most used Spanish preposition. It is usually translated as “of” or “from”.

Mis padres son de España. (My parents are from Spain.)

53. desde – from, since

This denotes a point in time or place. Use “desde” with specific dates or places.

No te puedo ver bien desde aquí. (I cannot see you well from here.)

54. aquí – here

This Spanish adverb means at, on or in this place.

¡Ven aquí! Quiero mostrarte algo. (Come here! I want to show you something.)

55. delante de – in front of, before

“Delante de” means “at the sight of” or “in the presence of”.

Me gusta cantar delante de mucha gente. (I like to sing in front of many people.)

56. dentro de – within

If something is “dentro de” something else, it is inside a real or imaginary space.

La carta está dentro del sobre. (The letter is inside the envelope.)

57. cerca de – close to

For expressing that something is close to something else, use the Spanish prepositional phrase “cerca de”.

Hay un parque cerca de mi casa. (There is a park near my house.)

58. sobre – on, about

The word “sobre” has more than one meaning. It can mean “on”, “about” or “over”.

Puse tus libros sobre la mesa. (I put your books on the table.)

59. frente a – in front, in the face of

“Frente a” and “delante de” have the same meaning. It means “at the sight of” or “in the presence of”.

Estoy frente a la tienda, no al lado de ella. (I’m in front of the store, not next to it.)

60. afuera – outside

For expressing that something is outside of the site where it is, use the Spanish adverb “afuera”.

Estamos afuera de la casa. (We are outside the house.)

61. a través de – through, across

“A través de” is a Spanish prepositional phrase, and it means “through” or “across”.

Todos los turistas caminamos a través de las montañas. (All the tourists walked through the mountains.)

62. entre – between, among, amid

If you are “entre” two things, you may be “between”, “among” or “amid” them.

Hay un espacio grande entre la mesa y la pared. (There is a large space between the table and the wall.)

63. debajo de – below, under, underneath

The words “debajo de”, “bajo” and “abajo” can be translated into English as “below” or “under”.

Encontré mi libro debajo de la cama. “I found my book under the bed.”

64. junto a – next to

For expressing that something is “next to” or “close to” something else, use the phrase “junto a”.

Me senté junto a mi amigo en la reunión. (I sat next to my friend at the meeting.)

Spanish Transition Words to Add an Idea

65. aparte de – besides, apart from, aside from.

Use the prepositional phrase “aparte de” to add an idea. It means “besides” or “apart from”.

Aparte de mí, todos tienen hambre. (Apart from me, everyone is hungry.)

66. además – moreover, additionally, in addition

For adding information to the one already presented, use the Spanish adverb “además”.

La fruta es buena para tu salud y, además, son deliciosas. (Fruit is good for your health and, in addition, it’s delicious.)

67. asimismo – also

For expressing equality and similarity, use the Spanish adverb “asimismo”.

Ellos donaron dinero a la organización. Asimismo, donaron algunos juguetes. (They donated money to the organization. They also donated some toys.)

68. de todas formas – in any case, anyhow

This Spanish phrase is used to confirm or support an idea.

Mi profesor no sabía la respuesta a mi pregunta, pero me ayudó de todas formas. (My teacher did not know the answer to my question, but he helped me anyway.)

69. de todas maneras – in any case, anyhow, all the same

The phrase “de todas maneras” is used in the same way “de todas formas” is used. They both mean the same.

Quédate. De todas maneras, todos somos responsables. (Stay. We are responsible all the same.)

70. de todos modos – in any case, anyhow

The phrase “de todos modos” is used in the same way “de todas formas” is used. They both mean the same.

Quedémonos en casa. De todos modos, no podremos ir a la fiesta. (Let’s stay at home. Anyway, we cannot go to the party.)

71. de cualquier manera – in any case, in any way, anyhow

The phrase “de cualquier manera” is used in the same way “de todas formas” is used. They both mean the same.

Está lloviendo, pero pienso ir al colegio de todos modos. (It’s raining, but I plan to go to school anyway.)

72. sobre todo – above all, particularly, especially

You can use this Spanish phrase to give special emphasis to an idea.

A mí me gustan las rosas, sobre todo las rojas. (I like roses, especially red ones.)

73. también – also, too

“También” means “in addition”.

Yo quiero aprender a bailar salsa también. (I want to learn to dance salsa, too.)

74. otra vez – again

The phrase “otra vez” means “another time” or “once more”.

Me estás haciendo la misma pregunta otra vez. (You are asking me the same question again.)

75. y – and

The word “y” is a conjunction. It is used to connect two ideas or words of the same part of speech. It is used to introduce an additional idea.

Mi hermana no come carnes rojas, y mi hermano no come carnes blancas. (My sister does not eat red meat, and my brother does not eat white meat.)

76. en primera instancia – in the first place, first of all

For introducing an initial idea, you can use the phrase “en primera instancia”.

En primera instancia, quiero agradecerles su presencia. (First of all, I want to thank you for your presence.)

77. de igual manera – similarly, likewise, in the same way

You can use this Spanish phrase to express a similarity between two facts or events.

De igual manera, quiero agradecerte por tu participación. (In the same way, I want to thank you for your participation.)

Spanish Transition Words to Contrast an Idea

78. a diferencia de – in contrast to, unlike.

For expressing that something is different from something else, use the phrase “a diferencia de”.

A diferencia de mis abuelos, muchas personas prefieren quedarse en casa. (Unlike my grandparents, many people prefer to stay at home.)

79. a pesar de – in spite of, despite

“A pesar de” means “without being affected by”. This phrase is usually translated into English as “despite” or “in spite of”.

Llegamos a tiempo al trabajo a pesar del tráfico. (We arrived on time to work despite the traffic.)

80. a pesar de que – despite the fact that, although

The phrase “a pesar de que” usually introduces a subordinate sentence. It means “although”.

A pesar de que no me gustan las películas de acción, esta me gustó. (Even though I do not like action movies, I liked this one.)

81. al contrario – on the contrary,  in contrast

Don’t confuse “al contrario” and “de lo contrario”. “Al contrario” means “on the contrary”. “De lo contrario” means “if not”.

No tengo ninguna objeción. Al contrario, estoy de acuerdo contigo. (I have no objection. On the contrary, I agree with you.)

82. aunque – although, even though

The word “aunque” introduces a subordinate sentence. It means “although”.

Llegaré a tu casa aunque no quieras. (I’ll come to your house even if you do not want to.)

83. con todo – nevertheless, still

This phrase introduces a comment that is opposed to what is expressed. Hemos tenido muchos problemas. Con todo, hemos progresado. (We have had a lot of problems. Nevertheless, we have made progress.)

84.  en cambio – on the other hand, instead

This prepositional phrase expresses a complete contrast.

Creí que pocos vendrían a mi fiesta. En cambio, muchos vinieron . (I thought that few would come to my party. Instead, many came.)

85. en contraste con – in contrast to

This phrase is used to compare two things or people and say that the second one is different from the first one.

En contraste con el agua de los ríos, el agua del mar es salada. (In contrast to the water of rivers, the water from the sea is salty.)

86. en lugar de – instead of, rather than

You can use this Spanish phrase to say that something replaces something else.

Prefiero ayudar en lugar de quedarme aquí sentada. (I prefer to help instead of sitting here.)

87. en vez de – instead of, rather than

“En vez de” and “en lugar de” have similar meanings. You can use this phrase to express that something replaces something else.

Muchos envían correos en vez de cartas. (Many send emails instead of letters.)

88. no obstante – nevertheless, however, notwithstanding

This Spanish phrase is used to express contrast, and it is usually used at the beginning of sentences.

Ese problema no es importante; no obstante, necesita mi atención. (That problem is not important; however, it needs my attention.)

89. por el contrario – on the contrary, by contrast

This phrase is also used to compare two things or people and say that the second one is different from the first one.

Mi padre es muy serio y, por el contrario, mi madre es muy sonriente. My father is very serious and, on the contrary, my mother is very smiling.

90. por un lado…por el otro lado – on the one hand…on the other hand

It is a Spanish connector (or link word) that allows you to sort the information of a speech.

Ten en cuenta dos cosas: por un lado el tiempo que invertirán y, por el otro, el dinero que necesitarán para llevar a cabo este proyecto.

(Keep in mind two things: on the one hand the time they will invest and, on the other, the money they will need to carry out this project.)

91. sin embargo – nevertheless, however

El equipo jugó muy bien. Sin embargo, perdió el campeonato. (The team played very well. However, it lost the championship.)

92. pero – but

The word “pero” is a conjunction, and it joins two sentences, clauses, phrases or words of the same part of speech. It is used to express contrast.

Ella quiere un café sin leche, pero yo lo quiero con leche y azúcar. (She wants a coffee without milk, but I want it with milk and sugar.)

93. aún así – even so

For expressing a statement that seems surprising after what you said before, use “aún así”.

Hay muchos policías en las calles y, aún así, hay muchos robos en la ciudad. (There are many policemen in the streets. Even so, there are many robberies in the city.)

94. de lo contrario – otherwise, differently

This phrase can be used to express how an idea is related to what was said before.

El caviar es delicioso y nadie puede convencerme de lo contrario. (Caviar is delicious and no one can convince me otherwise.)

Spanish Transition Words to Compare an Idea

95. así como – as well as, just as.

“Así mismo” means “to an equal degree than”.

Pienso invitar a mi familia así como a mis amigos. (I plan to invite my family as well as my friends.)

96. con relación a – with regard to, regarding

“Con relación a” means “regarding” or “about”.

Quiero hacerte unas preguntas con relación al accidente de ayer. (I want to ask you a few questions with regard to yesterday’s accident.)

97. de la misma forma/manera/modo – in the same way, likewise

For expressing that something was performed in the way or in the like manner as something else, use “de la misma manera”. “Forma” and “modo” are other ways of saying “manera”.

Todos los trabajadores de esta empresa deben ser tratados de la misma forma que los de otras empresas. (All the workers of this company must be treated in the same way as those of other companies.)

98. en cuanto a – in terms of, in respect of

The phrase “en cuanto a” means “in connection to” or “in terms of”.

Mi opinión en cuanto a los gastos de la empresa es que debemos acortarlos. (My opinion regarding the expenses of the company is that we must shorten them.)

99. sin duda – without a doubt, certainly, surely

For emphasizing that what is being said is true, use the Spanish phrase “sin duda”.

Mi amigo es muy generoso y sin duda te ayudará. (My friend is very generous and will undoubtedly help you.)

100. tal como – just like, such as

The phrase “tal como” also means “for example”.

La situación es tal como la han descrito. (The situation is just like it was described.)

101. de cierta manera – in a way, in some way, in a sense

For expressing that something was done in an unspecified way or manner, use the Spanish phrase “de cierta manera”. De cierta manera, estoy de acuerdo contigo. (In a way, I agree with you.)

Spanish Transition Words to Explain an Idea

102. está claro que – of course, admittedly, it is clear that.

You can use this Spanish phrase to agree that something is true.

Está claro que todos hemos entendido la explicación. (It is clear that we have all understood the explanation.)

103. en efecto – indeed, in fact

For confirming what has been stated, use the phrase “en efecto”.

Esta oferta es, en efecto, muy buena. (This offer is, in effect, very good.)

104. en realidad – indeed, in fact, actually

This phrase is usually used at the beginning of sentences, and it means “actually”.

En realidad, las cosas no son como tú crees. (Actually, things are not as you think they are.)

105. en resumen – in short, in summary, in essence

For summing up ideas, use the Spanish phrase “en resumen”.

La reunión de ahora fue, en resumen, muy provechosa. Today’s meeting was, in short, very helpful.

106. es decir – that is to say, in other words

For expressing something in a different way, use the phrase “es decir”.

Ellos hablan de la capital de Francia, es decir, de Paris . They speak of the capital of France, in other words, Paris.

107. por ejemplo – for example

For introducing examples, use the phrase “for example” in Spanish.

Compremos productos de belleza: maquillaje, por ejemplo. Let’s us buy beauty products: makeup, for example.

108. por lo general – in general, usually

To indicate that you are talking about something as a whole, use the Spanish phrase “por lo general”.

Por lo general, esta reunión se realiza a fin de mes. (Usually, this meeting is held at the end of the month.)

109. por supuesto – of course, naturally

For introducing an idea that is expected, use the Spanish phrase “por supuesto”.

Por supuesto que quiero conocer a tus hijos. (Of course, I want to meet your children.)

110. en otras palabras – in other words

For expressing something in a different way, use the phrase “en otras palabras”.

La hermana de mi mamá es, en otras palabras, mi tía. (My mom’s sister is, in other words, my aunt.)

111. en particular – in particular

To state that an idea or a statement applies to one person or thing more than any other, use the phrase “en particular”.

Ahora hablamos de dos temas en particular. Today we talked about two issues in particular.

112. específicamente – specifically, particularly

For giving special emphasis to a statement, use the Spanish adverb “específicamente”.

Este juguete fue diseñado específicamente para niños de dos años. (This toy was designed specifically for two-year-old children.)

113. para ilustrar – to illustrate

For explaining ideas or making something clear, use the phrase “para ilustrar”.

Quiero decir algo para ilustrar lo que acabo de decir. (I want to say something to illustrate what I just said.)

Spanish Transition Words to Express Results

114. en consecuencia – consequently, accordingly, as a consequence.

Use the phrase “en consecuencia” to express the result. You can also use the adverb “consecuentemente”.

Los colegios privados son populares; en consecuencia, atraen más estudiantes. (Private schools are popular; consequently, they attract more students.)

115. por consiguiente – consequently, therefore

“Por consiguiente” and “en consecuencia” have similar meanings. You can also use the phrase to express the result.

Has trabajado todo el día y por consiguiente deberías descansar. You have worked all day; therefore,  you should rest.

116. por eso – therefore, for this reason, that’s why

For introducing a logical result, use the Spanish phrase “por eso”.

No consumo lácteos; por eso, no como pizza. (I do not consume dairy; for this reason, I do not eat pizza.)

117. por lo tanto – therefore, hence

“Por lo tanto” and “por eso” have a similar meaning. Use this phrase to introduce a logical result.

La oferta es buena; y por lo tanto, la aceptaremos. (The offer is good; therefore, we will accept it.)

118. por lo visto – apparently, by all accounts, with that in mind

Use “por lo visto” to express that you are not certain about what you are stating.

Por lo visto, la compañía ha alcanzado sus metas. (Apparently, the company has reached its goals.)

119. resulta que … – it turns out that . . .

For expressing result, use the Spanish phrase “resulta que”. If you want to use this phrase in the past, use “resultó que”.

Estela me dijo que vendía, pero ahora resulta que no vendrá. Estela told me she would come, but now it turns out she will not come.

120. ya que – since, because of

For introducing reasons or explanations, use the phrase “ya que”.

No pude llegar a la reunión ya no que había transporte. (I could not go to the meeting since there was no transportation.)

Spanish Transition Words to Conclude an Argument

121. al fin y al cabo – after all.

For supporting a statement you just said, use the Spanish phrase “al fin y al cabo”.

Hasta mi profesor de matemáticas se equivoca. Al fin y al cabo, él también es humano. (Even my math teacher makes mistakes. After all, he is also human.)

122. finalmente – finally, eventually, lastly, at last

This Spanish adverb is used to express that something was done in the end.

My sister could finally solve the math problem! (Finalmente, mi hermana pudo resolver el problema de matemáticas.)

123. para terminar –  lastly, finally

For indicating that something is last in a series of actions, use the phrase “para terminar”.

Para terminar, quiero hablarles acerca del proyecto en el que están trabajando. (To finish, I want to talk to you about the project you are working on.)

Spanish Transition Words Practice

And finally.

Memorizing vocabulary is easier than you think! When learning a new word, look at its spelling, meaning, usage and pronunciation. And don’t forget to learn it in context so you learn when, where, and how it’s used. Clozemaster can help you with all that and more! Check it out.

4 thoughts on “100+ Spanish Transition Words and Phrases to Sound Like a Native Speaker”

Muchas gracias por esta lista. This seems to be quite extensive and will be a very useful addition to anyone trying to learn the ins and outs of Spanish. You have put a lot of thought into this and I for one am very grateful.

Very good list, I learned a lot! I’m gonna save this. I was just hoping there would be transition words for changing the subject, not so abruptly lol

Perfect to use for the persuasive essay on the AP Spanish exam! Thank you very much.

. This is the best list ever. It is quite exhaustive, which is a good thing. I will use this forever and ever as I continue to work on improving my Spanish. It’s very easy to read and follow. You will get a lot of use out of this. No need to reinvent the wheel because someone has already done it for you.

Leave a Comment Cancel Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment.

Expand your vocabulary in another language

Get Clozemaster and take your language skills to the next level.

“Clozemaster is THE best app to learn a language after Duolingo.”

DigiZen: Un blogfesor Aprendiendo

"lo que da luz debe soportar ser quemado" (victor frankl).

• The Ultimate Steal
• Agregador de Edublogs de Puerto Rico
• La Psicología de Carl Jung
• Sistemas Folclóricos de Ayuda
• Directorio de Blogfesores
• Archivos [cleanarchivesreloaded]

Imprimir esta Entrada

100+ Spanish Transition Words and Phrases to Sound Like a Native Speaker

You can conjugate any irregular verb phrases see. And your vocabulary is out of this world.

You have Successfully Subscribed!

There are two essays in the free-response section. The interpersonal essay asks you to respond to an email. The presentational essay is transition on and sources. Two of them speaker written sources and one phrases an audio source.

These sources transition be just about anything: Advertisements, articles, infographics, letters, and, interviews, radio programs, podcasts and conversations are just some examples of the types of sources you may encounter. It involves studying grammar and vocabulary, and it also means muletillas yourself in the Spanish language as much as possible. Seeking out native Spanish sources is easy, and FluentU has got you covered. Even following some Spanish Speaker feeds or listening to Spanish and can be a great way to work a little language practice into your day. Estoy muletillas acuerdo con lo que dice speaker autor.

I agree with what the author says. I disagree with the main idea of source number two. In my opinion, young people should eat healthier. Es phrases que las redes sociales pueden ser peligrosas.

Hay gente que dice que las redes sociales son peligrosas, pero esto es falso. There transition people who say native social media is dangerous, but this is false. Remember that since me parece implies an opinion or emotion, you must conjugate the verb in spanish subjunctive tense. I think that essay is nothing more important than family.

I believe that all adolescents should learn to play an instrument. Here are phrases phrases that phrases especially useful when making and defending claims in a persuasive essay:. For some of these phrases, the verb following the word que must be conjugated in spanish indicative, phrases others require the subjunctive. A good rule of thumb is that when implying that something is certain, use the indicative. When transition doubt or expressing some other emotion, use the subjunctive.

It is certain that our climate is changing. These words will help you refer to your three sources, which contain information that will help you support your argument. This section also contains transition words to connect one part of your argument muletillas the next. Esto muletillas un tema muy importante. This is a very important topic.

La fuente muestra la importancia de la diversidad. The source shows the importance of diversity.

Spanish Transition Words Related to Time

Remember, mostrar is an o-ue stem-changing verb—pay attention to conjugation! The table phrases that many youths in Spain play football. Demostrar is also an o-ue stem essay verb. Luckily for you, it follows the exact same conjugation rules as mostrar! La tabla indica que hay muchas familias pobres transition ese barrio.

The table indicates that there are many poor families in that neighborhood. This data supports the essay that muletillas climate is changing. The Amazon has a high level of biodiversity, which is why the conservation of this region must be a priority. This is another good spanish word. In your essay, you may want to present an alternate argument spanish then explain why you article source with it. Sin embargo is very helpful for this. Obviamente, estudiar es muy importante. Sin embargo, es necesario que los transition tengan tiempo para jugar con sus amigos. Obviously, studying is very important.

In comparison, source number 2 indicates speaker there is more obesity in the United States than in Spain. Boys as well as girls ought to spanish how to cook, clean, sew and care for babies. Without a doubt, climate change is the most serious problem that our planet faces. Aunque is followed by an indicative verb when the outcome is known, but a subjunctive verb when the outcome is speculative. Even though it costs a the spanish money, we have to search for a solution. Even though it may cost a lot of money, we have to muletillas for a solution. You can use the following helpful phrases:. In summary, the transition sources speaker that air pollution is a very serious problem for the whole world. Start with these phrases:.

For these reasons, I affirm that teenagers should not native social media. If you liked this post, something tells me that you'll love FluentU, the best way to learn Spanish with real-world videos. Experience Spanish immersion online! FluentU brings Spanish to muletillas with real-world videos. Learning Spanish becomes spanish and easy when you learn with movie trailers, music videos, news and inspiring talks. FluentU is a participant transition the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a words for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon. We also participate in other affiliate advertising programs for products and speaker we believe in.

By purchasing through our affiliate links, you essay muletillas our ability to provide you with free language learning content. Interested in sharing your language learning resource with our audience? Navigation Spanish Essay and Culture Blog. By hannahgreenwald. Are you up to the task? But can you form a coherent argument… the Spanish?

Learning Speaker Through Immersion? Try FluentU for Free.

Partnerships Interested in sharing your language learning resource with our audience? All Rights Reserved. Contact Us Follow Spanish.

Esta entrada no tiene ninguna etiqueta

Autor del blog

Subscribirse por correo.

Incluir tu email:

Delivered by FeedBurner

Lectores vía RSS

Comentarios recientes.

• Freytesn en Don José Luis González
• maite en Rúbrica para la evaluación de presentaciones orales
• Vida extranormal en Añadir imágenes en las entradas
• armando viera en Zoho Wiki para proyectos colaborativos

Open Respect

Diigo: marcador social.

• resume objective examples truck driver
• RSS de las entradas
• RSS de los comentarios
• WordPress.org

Contenido abierto

Free learning.

Excepto allí donde se establezcan otros términos, el contenido de este sitio se publica bajo una Licencia Creative Commons .

Creative Commons Licence BY-NC-ND

• http://www.vidadigital.net/blog/persuasive-writing-rubric-primary/

Blog elaborado con WordPress y el Tema Graphene .

• Skip to main content
• Skip to primary sidebar

Real Fast Spanish

Learn Real Spanish Fast and Stay Motivated

7 Types of Spanish Transition Phrases to Win Any Argument

“He who knows only his own side of the argument knows little of that.” —  John Stuart Mill.

I don’t know about you, but I enjoy a good healthy debate every once in a while.

Provided the discussion doesn’t get personal and participants don’t get offended, it can be a great way to learn.

Moreover, if you are learning a second language, having a debate in your target language is a great way to practice and refine your skills.

So, if you want to win an argument in Spanish, what should you do?

Over my years of arguing with friends and colleagues, I have come to one important conclusion. The key to winning an argument is not how strongly you can assert your ideas. The secret is to simply have better logic.

The more logical your points, the more likely you are to win.

If you want to start logically defining your arguments in Spanish, you will need some key vocabulary called Spanish transition phrases.

What transition phrases allow you to do is to set up an argument in a logical sequence.

Some examples of transition phrases in English would be ‘on the one hand’, ‘therefore’, ‘thus’, and ‘in conclusion’.

For this article, instead of giving you a list of random examples of these types of phrases in Spanish, I thought I would provide a flowing argument the whole way through.

And the point that I’m going to argue is:

‘Why every English native should learn Spanish.’

So there is my challenge. Let’s see if I can pull it off.

And feel free to debate me in the comments—even if you agree 😉

1. How to open your argument

The first place you need to start building your argument is with a solid opening.

A strong opening will help you transition your listener into your main points in a logical way.

There are two Spanish transition phrases you can use to open your argument:

English: In the first place… Español: En primer lugar…

English: To begin with… Español: Para empezar…

For the point I’m going to argue in the article, I will start with why you should learn a language in general because this is the first place where someone could argue against me.

English: To begin with , I have to talk about the importance of language learning. Español: Para empezar , tengo que hablar de la importancia del aprendizaje de idiomas.

English: In the first place , the goal of learning another language is very important… Español: En primer lugar , el objetivo de aprender otro idioma es muy importante…

Here I have taken a good position—language learning is super important. But, I’ll need to explain why.

Note, I’ve also written an article detailing many more reasons to learn Spanish , you can also use any one of these ideas if you also wanted to take on this debate amongst your friends.

2. Two Spanish transition phrases to back up your point

If you want to be convincing, it is always a good idea to back up your point with logic or evidence.

To do this in English you can use phrases such as ‘because’ and ‘since’. In Spanish, these are:

English: Because… Español: Porque…

English: Since… Español: Ya que…

So to back up, and complete, my opening statement I’ll say:

English: In the first place, the goal of learning another language is very important since it improves your brain, it helps you with opportunities to find work, and it increases your knowledge of other cultures. Español: En primer lugar, el objetivo de aprender otro idioma es muy importante  ya que mejora el cerebro, te ayuda con las oportunidades para encontrar trabajo, y aumenta tu conocimiento de otras culturas.

Now that I have set up the importance of language learning, I’ll next need to transition to more specific arguments for Spanish.

3. How to add to your case

Once you have successfully opened your argument, you’ll need to further build your case.

I have already said that language learning is important. Now I need to start building towards Spanish being the number one language to choose.

In order to strengthen your argument you can use these two transitional phrases:

English: Second(ly), third(ly)… Español: En segundo lugar, tercer lugar…

English: Further / also / additionally… Español: Además…

Here is why I think Spanish is the best:

English:  Secondly , you should learn Spanish because it is the second most spoken language in the world by the number of native speakers, and is spoken in the fourth-largest number of countries by language. Español: En segundo lugar , deberías aprender español porque es la segunda lengua más hablada en el mundo por el número de los hablantes nativos, y se habla en el cuarto mayor número de países por idioma.

English: Further , Spanish is one of the easiest languages to learn. Español: Además , el español es uno de los idiomas más fáciles de aprender.

English: Also , Spanish is a good language to learn because the food is amazing, the culture is fascinating and people are very friendly. Español: Además , el español es un buen idioma para aprender porque la comida es increíble, la cultura es fascinante y la gente es muy amable.

If you are curious as to where I got my facts above, here are the sources I used from Wikipedia: List of languages by the number of countries and  List of languages by the number of native speakers .

4. How to introduce the other side of the argument

One of the best techniques to win an argument is to not only present your side but to rebut the opposing views before the opposition has a chance.

I mentioned in the previous section that Spanish is the second most spoken language by the number of native speakers. The obvious thought may be: why not learn the first language?

To introduce opposing sides of an argument, use these phrases:

English: About / regarding… Español: Respecto a…

English: As to / with regards to… Español: En cuanto a…

English: On the other hand… Español: Por otra parte…

Here is how I’ll introduce the opposing side:

English:  With regards to  the most spoken language by the number of natives, mandarin, yes it is true that it is spoken by a lot of people… Español: En cuanto a la lengua más hablada por el número de nativos, mandarina, sí es cierto que se habla por muchas personas…

This is how you can introduce the opposing idea, but you’ll need a few more Spanish transition phrases to rebut it.

5. How to argue against the opposing idea

To refute the opposing sides of your argument, you’ll need these phrases:

English: But… Español: Pero…

English: However / nevertheless / nonetheless… Español: Sin embargo…

Now I can complete the idea from the last section:

English: With regards to the most spoken language by the number of natives, mandarin, yes it is true that it is spoken by a lot of people, nonetheless it is difficult to learn and is only spoken in three countries. Español: En cuanto a la lengua más hablada por el número de nativos, mandarina, sí es cierto que se habla por muchas personas,  sin embargo es difícil aprender y sólo se habla en tres países.

6. How to deduce or infer

What can you deduce or infer from a rock-solid argument?

In English, you would transition to make a deduction with phrases like ‘so’ or ‘therefore’. There are five phrases you can use to do this in Spanish:

English: Therefore… Español: Por (lo) tanto…

English: So… Español: Así que…

English: Hence / therefore… Español: Por eso…

English: Then… Español: Entonces…

English: Accordingly / in consequence… Español: En consecuencia…

Before I wrap up with the final conclusion, here is the obvious deduction from the points made thus far:

English: Language learning is important and Spanish is the best language to learn, therefore , if you haven’t already started, you have to start right away. Español: El aprendizaje de idiomas es importante y español es el mejor idioma para aprender, por lo tanto , si todavía no lo has empezado, tienes que empezar ahora mismo.

7. How to conclude or finish

Of course, the last thing to do is finish your argument well.

When you want to transition to your final statements, try to use the following Spanish phrases:

English: Ultimately… Español: Por último…

English: To end… Español: Para terminar…

English: In conclusion… Español: En conclusión…

Note, you’ll need to be careful with prepositions here, especially for por and para .

Here are my final thoughts on a debate that is very close to my heart:

English: In conclusion , Spanish is not only one of the most widely spoken languages in the world but it is easy to learn and you will have incredible experiences if you travel to Spanish-speaking countries. I have enjoyed learning Spanish a lot and I think you will too. Español: En conclusión , el español no sólo es uno de los idiomas más hablados en el mundo, sino es fácil de aprender y tendrás experiencias increíbles si viajas a los países hispanohablantes. He disfrutado mucho de aprender español y creo que tú también lo disfrutarás.  

In the end, the most important thing to do is remind the audience of all of your strongest arguments.

Are you convinced? Did I win you over?

If you want to build a solid argument, use the above Spanish transition phrases to logically move from your first point to the next, to the next.

If you make the right transitions logically, you’ll hopefully win the hearts and minds of your listeners.

How else can you use Spanish transition phrases to win an argument?

Reader Interactions

November 27, 2016 at 5:57 pm

I’m loving your articles. They are very well-written and researched and presented, and they should be an asset to any language instructor’s material bank! I just have a couple of minor suggestions regarding a couple of your Spanish translations of your English arguments above. The first thing I noticed was in your 3rd point at the bottom: “El español es un buen lenguaje aprender porque……” You need a preposition in between “lenguaje” (por cierto, yo pondría idioma o lengua en vez de lenguaje) and “aprender”, such as “Es un buen idioma para aprender….” or “es un buen idioma de aprender..” Also, the last paragraph of your post, you need a “de” after “fácil” (fácil de aprender) and “he disfrutado mucho DEL aprendizaje….” Hope that helps 🙂

January 22, 2017 at 1:12 am

Hola Laura, thanks for your kind words and for the suggestions. You’re right, “es un buen idioma para aprender” is better, and so is “fácil de aprender”, I have updated both of these suggestions. For “del aprendizaje”, I have updated this to “aprendiendo” because it sounds more natural. ¡Gracias de nuevo!

November 23, 2017 at 12:34 pm

Can you address the cultural issue that Latinos tend to want to create division when in a debate, even or perhaps especially with family?

November 23, 2017 at 1:02 pm

Haha, thanks for the comment Brad. I think debates around the family dinner table are in fact universal everywhere!! (At least they are at my family gatherings)

April 29, 2021 at 5:35 pm

I’d say that rather than “create division”, it’s more of a healthy debate (or maybe just “create a diversion”) rather than the overly careful some of us may have been raised (never discuss politics, religion…) I love this about my Hispano-American friends! Much more fun than discussing what color to paint the living room.

April 29, 2021 at 6:06 pm

Thanks for sharing Ela! 🙂

April 29, 2021 at 11:41 pm

I really liked this article, lots of good connector words included. One thing though surely it was ‘una broma’ when you said Spanish is easy to learn 😄

April 30, 2021 at 10:36 am

Hahaha, yes Sorcha, that’s a great point!! 🙂 I should have said ‘easier’ than other languages but definitely not easy!!!

May 1, 2021 at 2:13 pm

Tiene raison, en su primero argument (sera buen tener la plabra en espnanol) que es importante aprender un otro idioma. Pero por un hablador (?speaker) de ingles, sera mejor aprender su propio idioma primero. Por lo tanto, Aprenderia los idiomas del cual viene ingles — el frances y el germano. Lo siento, no puedo anadir los accentos espanol.)

May 1, 2021 at 2:34 pm

Gracias Goyo 🙂

June 15, 2023 at 8:13 pm

An excellent presentation . . .

June 17, 2023 at 12:05 pm

Thanks Garry! 🙂

March 14, 2024 at 9:18 pm

Thank you for this exposition and for the phrases which I must add to my spreadsheet. I really enjoyed reading the article. It would be nice to remember it!!

March 15, 2024 at 6:08 am

Thanks Dianne, I’m glad you enjoyed the article! 🙂

March 15, 2024 at 6:28 pm

Thank you, Andrew. This was an excellent lesson. Not only did I learn important transition phrases, but your manner of teaching reinforced each phrase in a way that enabled me to integrate the lesson more easily.

March 20, 2024 at 1:44 pm

Thanks Jay, I appreciate the feedback! 🙂

March 29, 2024 at 4:30 pm

I’m always looking for easier / more natural (for me) ways to say things.. and ChatGPT just helped me realize that “por último” is only to be used while presenting a list of things.

I was trying to say ultimately as in “at the end of the day”. I will just stick with “a fin de cuentas” jajaja but now I know! Thanks Andrew! 😊

Is there an article for the Spanish versions of our most common English expressions?

March 31, 2024 at 5:57 pm

Hola Simone, we have to be really careful with ChatGPT as it is a probabilistic algorithm and it is not fact checked. I have seen it get several things wrong in my own testing of Spanish sentences. It’s a fun tool but it must be checked by a human. I’ve done a Youtube video on the top 50 Spanish expressions. In the video I talk about the best translations of common English expressions where they fit with the Spanish expressions.

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

The Definitive Guide to Conversation Hacking in Spanish

If you want to develop a conversational level of Spanish, then this guide will help you get there in the most effective way.

• Spanish Courses

FOR STUDENTS

• El Cuentacuentos
• El Conversador

FOR TEACHERS

• Work with Us

CONNECT WITH US

• © Real Fast Spanish. All Rights Reserved
• Privacy Policy
• Terms of Service
• Live classes
• Self-study courses

6 Ways to Use “Lo” to Replace or Create Any New Idea PDF

We will only send you  cosas muy útiles !

25 Common Spanish Verbs and Their Corresponding Prepositions PDF

How to use the spanish past perfect tense.

THE DEFINITIVE GUIDE TO CONVERSATION HACKING IN SPANISH

We will only send you cosas muy útiles !

855-997-4652 Login Try a Free Class

50 Useful Spanish Transition Words for Everyday Speech and Writing

You use transition words regularly in your everyday speech and writing, whether you recognize it or not! 

In every language, transition words are beautiful tools that help us to connect our ideas and give a natural flow to the rhythm of our speech—and they’re vital to learn to improve your Spanish fluency. 

Keep reading to learn all there is to know about transition words in Spanish, what types of transition words exist, and how to use them.  

What Are Transition Words?

Transition words are all those words and phrases that you use to connect ideas between sentences. These words allow you to “transition” from one sentence to other in a smooth way. They provide a sense of normalcy to the language, since without them, our ideas would instead be separated by harsh breaks and a robotic-kind of speech. 

Every language has its own share of transition words, and Spanish is not the exception. Learning these words and phrases will help you to sound more natural in your speaking or in your writing. 

Watch our video on 50 Transition Words in Spanish!

Make the transition to fluent in Spanish! Sign up for your free trial class with our certified, professional teachers. ➡️

Types of Transition Words in Spanish

In Spanish, you can use transition words for different purposes. Depending on your purpose you get a different type of transition word: 

• To emphasize
• To explain an idea
• To add an idea
• To show a result
• To contrast and compare
• To summarize

Let’s see each one of them in detail, to learn how you can easily introduce them in your Spanish speaking and improve your writing too.

Transition Words in Spanish

If your goal is to be fluent in Spanish, transition words are a crucial area of study. For that reason, it might be a good idea to keep the following list at hand, as you will always need a good transition word to make your speech sound more natural. 

For Time 

These words let you connect ideas regarding the moment in time when they occurred. 

primero, segundo – first, secondly

Used often in recipes, processes or algorithms, these words are a good way to keep the chronological order in mind.

Primero, unta la mayonesa en el pan. Segundo, agrega el jamón.  First, spread the mayonnaise onto the bread. Secondly, add ham. 

en primer lugar, en segundo lugar – In the first place, secondly

Similar to the previous one, but more common in formal speeches or everyday conversations. 

En primer lugar, eso no es cierto. En segundo lugar, yo ni siquiera estaba aquí.  In the first place, that’s not true. Secondly, I wasn’t even here. 

después (de) – after, afterward

Carlos hizo la tarea después del partido de fútbol.  Carlos did his homework after the football game. 

ya – already

Ya is useful to express that something has already happened. 

Terminé el trabajo y ya lo mandé por correo electrónico. I finished my work and I already sent it by email. 

todavía – still

To express that something is still happening at the moment, you use todavía . 

Cuando se despertó, el dinosaurio todavía estaba ahí. When he woke up, the dinosaur was still there. 

todavía no – not yet

However, to say that something has not happened yet, you have to use todavía no . 

¿Ya empezó el partido? Todavía no .  Has the game started already? Not yet. 

Other useful transition words for time:  

Mientras While

Por fin at last

Al final  At the end

Finalmente   Lastly

Al mismo tiempo  At the same time

Para continuar Next, further

Por último Lastly

En conclusión In conclusion

These transition words allow you to connect ideas regarding their position in space.

aquí, acá – here

Ven a casa, aquí te espero.  Come home, I’ll wait for you here. 

ahí, allí – there

Ya casi llegamos, ahí está mi casa. We’re almost there, that’s my house.

al lado de – next to

Mi casa está al lado del parque .  My house is next to the park.

afuera – outside

Estoy afuera de la escuela.  My house is next to the park.

Other Useful Transition Words for Place:  

Allá  Over there

Más allá Beyond, further

De Of, from

Desde From, since

To Add an Idea

Use the following transition words when you want to add a new idea to what you were just saying.

además – moreover, additionally

Estudiar español es muy interesante y, además, te abre muchas puertas.  Learning Spanish is very interesting and, additionally, it opens a lot of doors. 

aparte – besides, apart from

Eso no es cierto, aparte de que ni siquiera es lo que yo dije. That’s not true, besides that’s not even what I said.

asimismo – also, likewise

Asimismo is a perfect way to start a new paragraph building up on what you just said on the previous one. You can also use de igual manera or de la misma manera , to express the same idea.

Asimismo, las ideas de la Ilustración condujeron a la Revolución Industrial.  Likewise, the ideas of the Enlightenment sparked the Industrial Revolution. 

también – also, too

Me gusta el fútbol y también el básquetbol.  I like football and basketball too. 

más aún – moreover

No debiste mentirme, más aún cuando quieres que te ayude.  You shouldn’t have lied to me, moreover when you want my help.

Other Useful Transition Words to Add an Idea:

De todas formas (maneras, modos)  In any case, anyhow

De cualquier manera In any case, anyhow

Sobre todo Above all, especially

To Explain an Idea

Sometimes you don’t want to add a new idea, but explain better the one you were just talking about. These transition words will help you with that:

es decir – that is, I mean

La comida mexicana es muy interesante. Es decir, me encanta como mezcla diferentes sabores. Mexican food is very interesting. I mean, I love how it mixes different flavors.  

por ejemplo – for example, for instance

Me gusta mucho tu estilo, por ejemplo esos zapatos están increíbles.  I like your style a lot, for example those shoes are amazing!

en otras palabras – in other words

En otras palabras, hiciste un gran trabajo.   In other words, you did a great job. 

así – thus, thereby

Trabajé de mesero y así pude pagar mi universidad.  I worked as a waiter and thus I could pay my tuition fees. 

To Contrast and Compare

When you want to contrast or compare to different ideas, you can use one of these transition words in Spanish: 

aunque – although, even though

Me gusta mucho el básquetbol, aunque el fútbol es mi deporte favorito.   I like basketball a lot, although football is my favorite sport. 

pero – but

Sí quiero ir al cine, pero tengo mucha tarea .  I do want to go to the movies, but I have a lot of homework. 

sin embargo – however, nevertheless

Me gustaría aprender francés, sin embargo prefiero el español. I’d like to learn French, however I prefer Spanish. 

a pesar de – despite, in spite of

Ganamos el partido, a pesar de que éramos menos jugadores. We won the game, in spite of having less players. 

Other Useful Transition Words to Contrast and Compare:  

Al contrario On the contrary

Aun así Even so

Sino  But

En cambio On the other hand, instead

To Summarize

These transition words are useful to conclude your idea. 

En resumen – to sum up

En resumen, se trata de uno de tus mejores trabajos .  To sum up, this is one of your best works. 

Para terminar – lastly, finally

Para terminar, debo aceptar que fue una gran experiencia.   Finally, I have to accept that it was a great experience. 

En conclusión – in conclusion, in a nutshell

En conclusión, es la mejor decisión que he tomado.  In a nutshell, it’s the best decision that I’ve ever taken. 

Other Useful Transition Words to Summarize:

En síntesis In short

En otras palabras In other words

Al fin y al cabo All in all

Después de todo After all  

En Conclusión

Now that you know how useful transition words in Spanish can be, start using them in real life conversations and see how much your speaking in Spanish improves. Sign up today for a free trial class with one of our certified teachers from Guatemala, and impress them with the natural flow of your speech thanks to the smart use of transition words!

Join one of the 40,000 classes that we teach each month and you can experience results like these

“This is the best way for your kid to learn Spanish. It’s one-on-one, taught by native Spanish speakers, and uses a curriculum.”

– Sharon K, Parent of 3

“It’s a great way to learn Spanish, from native Spanish speakers in a 1-on-1 environment. It’s been fairly easy to schedule classes around my daughter’s other classes. The best value for us has been ordering multiple classes at a time. All the instructors have been great!”

– Cindy D, Parent of 3

“HSA offers very affordable, quality, one on one classes with a native speaker. My son has greatly benefited from taking classes. We have seen his confidence increase as well as his pronunciation improve, because he learns from a native Spanish speaker. HSA has quick, personal customer service. Our family has been very pleased with our experience so far!”

– Erica P. Parent of 1

Ready to learn more Spanish grammar and vocabulary? Check these out!

• Master All the Forms of Ser in Spanish: Your Ultimate Grammar Guide
• All You Need to Know About Spanish as a Second Language
• Discover the Joy of Learning Spanish with Summer Fun Activities
• Are Bilingual Children More Likely to Experience a Speech or Language Delay?
• 20 Most Common Subjunctive Triggers in Spanish
• Language Learning with Netflix: How to Use the Chrome Extension
• Turn Your Life Around: From Passive Bilingualism to Fluency!
• 23 Common Spanish Prepositions You Can Use Today
• Recent Posts
• All You Need to Know About Spanish as a Second Language - July 11, 2024
• The Best Homeschool Spanish Curriculum at HSA - June 13, 2024
• 20 Most Common Subjunctive Triggers in Spanish - May 23, 2024

Related Posts

Spanish for dummies [greetings, questions, small talk, and more], 3 types of spanish pronouns to perfect your fluency, how to say ‘you’ in formal and informal spanish, the ultimate guide to filler words in spanish for more natural conversations, 2 comments on this post.

Hi there! I just want to offer you a huge thumbs up for your great info you’ve got here on this post. I will be coming back to your blog for more soon.

Thank you! I’m glad you liked this blog post. I hope to see you back soon!

Leave a Comment! Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Spanish Writer Freelance

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.

Related Posts

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed .

I am a freelance copywriter from Spain

Privacy overview.

You are using an outdated browser. Please upgrade your browser or activate Google Chrome Frame to improve your experience.

75 Common Spanish Transition Words to Connect Your Thoughts

Transition words are the knots that hold sentences together. They help things blend together and smooth out our sentences:

Fui al parque, luego al gimnasio y finalmente a la tienda. ( I went to the park, then the gym and finally the store.)

Without them, our speech would sound choppy and oversimplified.

What Are Transition Words?

Types of spanish transition words, 1. transition words for time, 2. transition words for location, 3. transition words for explaining, 4. transition words for add-ons, 5. transition words for results, 6. transition words for emphasis, 7. transition words for comparison and contrast, 8. transition words for summarizing, quiz on spanish transition words, 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)

Transition words in Spanish are words and phrases that help us connect ideas between sentences .

When we connect sentences with transition words, we add only a couple of words, but we make the meaning of what we are saying much clearer. Have a look:

No tengo mucho tiempo. Voy a ir a la fiesta. (I don’t have much time. I will go to the party.)

The sentences may be correct, but what is the relation between them? By adding transition words to the mix, everything starts to make sense:

No tengo mucho tiempo pero voy a ir a la fiesta. (I don’t have much time but I’ll go to the party.)

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

Aunque no tengo mucho tiempo, voy a ir a la fiesta. ( Although I don’t have much time, I’ll go to the party.)

No tengo mucho tiempo. Además , voy a ir a la fiesta. (I don’t have much time. Besides , I’m going to the party.)

Depending on the meaning of your sentence, you’ll want to use a different set of transition words to help you with it.

They’re classified into different groups depending on the resource, but here are the eight types of transition words often referred to:

• Time • Location • Explanation • Add-ons • Result • Emphasis • Comparison and c ontrast • Summary

If you pay attention to how native speakers converse, you’ll notice how these transition words can come into play and help a sentence flow.

The first type of transition words have to do with time, whether we’re talking about something that already happened, will happen or maybe just constructing a timeline:

Note that luego, después and más tarde can be used interchangeably when describing a succession of events or giving instructions.

If we’re looking at where one thing is relative to another, we can use these transitional phrases:

• Interactive subtitles: click any word to see detailed examples and explanations
• Slow down or loop the tricky parts
• Show or hide subtitles
• Review words with our powerful learning engine

If we need some help in explaining something smoothly, we can use these words to provide context:

If you’ve made one statement, but have additional details to add, you can tack them on with these words:

Just remember that y can only connect two words, phrases or sentences of the same category. This is called coordination, and y is a coordinating conjunction.

When referring to cause and effects, you can use these phrases to transition from one to the other:

Using these transition words correctly will really strengthen whichever part of your phrase that you emphasize it with:

Comparing and contrasting requires lots of transition words in order to flow and make sense:

Sometimes we need some help transitioning into a concluding statement, which is why these terms can come in handy:

Now that you’ve learned some Spanish transition words, it’s time to test your knowledge! Choose the best option to complete each sentence in the quiz below. To retake the quiz, just refresh the page. 

These small but powerful words help us to convey exact meaning we want and sound more fluent, so be sure to practice them!

• Learn words in the context of sentences
• Swipe left or right to see more examples from other videos
• Go beyond just a superficial understanding

The best way to learn how to use these Spanish transition words properly is by seeing and hearing them used in context.

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

You can try FluentU for free for 2 weeks. Check out the website or download the iOS app or Android app.

P.S. Click here to take advantage of our current sale! (Expires at the end of this month)

Try FluentU for FREE!

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:

FluentU brings native videos within reach with interactive transcripts. You can tap on any word to look it up instantly. Every definition has examples that have been written to help you understand how the word is used. If you see an interesting word you don’t know, you can add it to a vocab list.

Review a complete interactive transcript under the Dialogue tab, and find words and phrases listed under Vocab .

Learn all the vocabulary in any video with FluentU’s robust learning engine. Swipe left or right to see more examples of the word you’re on.

The best part is that FluentU keeps track of the vocabulary that you’re learning, and gives you extra practice with difficult words. It'll even remind you when it’s time to review what you’ve learned. Every learner has a truly personalized experience, even if they’re learning with the same video.

Start using the FluentU website on your computer or tablet or, better yet, download the FluentU app from the iTunes or Google Play store. Click here to take advantage of our current sale! (Expires at the end of this month.)

Enter your e-mail address to get your free PDF!

We hate SPAM and promise to keep your email address safe

How to Teach the Argumentative Essay for AP Spanish for Best Results

When I first started teaching AP Spanish, I panicked. How was I going to teach students how to write an argumentative essay for AP Spanish Language and Culture when I had never learned?  (Or, if I HAD learned, that information was irretrievable from the depths of my brain.)

I went running to the English teachers at my school asking for direction. And they came through.

Using their templates and resources (I spent months reading books), I created PowerPoints and activities in Spanish to help my students succeed on the argumentative essay (previously called the persuasive essay).  The curriculum took several years to perfect.

During this period of trial and error, I revised the lessons to further help students do their best writing. And they DID some excellent writing, organizing their essays, using transitions, and supporting their thesis statements. I was so proud of them!

I’D LIKE TO SHARE THE 15 STRATEGIES I USED THAT HELPED THEM SUCCEED ON THE ESSAY PORTION OF THE AP SPANISH LANGUAGE EXAM.

1. Don’t assume anything. Begin at the beginning

A novice teacher mistake (Yes, I’m talking about myself!) is to assume students know the basics.

Many of them don’t. Teach each concept from the bottom up, one step at time. First, teach students how to write a sentence, then a paragraph. Don’t assume students know how to capitalize words at the beginning of the sentence and end with a period, or that they even know how to keep to one topic in a paragraph. (Stream of consciousness writing anyone? UGH!) Do several practices, then give them incorrect sentences and paragraphs and have them write correct ones.

2. Teach the vocabulary necessary for writing a convincing persuasive essay.

Provide students with the vocabulary for expressing cause and effect, addressing opposing views, citing sources, introducing topics, expressing opposing viewpoints, and making comparisons. Teach them transition words and phrases as well as synonyms to prevent repetition of words.  Give them lists of vocabulary that they can use as a reference as well as model essays using the vocabulary.

3. Teach them how to write a thesis statement. Begin at the beginning.

Before teaching students how to organize their essays, teach them how to write a thesis statement with three reasons and practice with them until they have mastered it. Show students model thesis statements.

4. How do you get a 5 on the AP Spanish Essay? Practice, practice, practice!

Don’t move to the next step until students have thoroughly practiced and mastered the previous step. The most important step is the writing of the thesis statement. Once that is perfected, students are on their way to organizing their essays. And organization is KEY! I used to ask my students repeatedly, “What’s your point?”

Give students plenty of model thesis statements. Have them analyze good and bad “tesis con tres razones”. Then, in pairs, direct them to write their own. Choose exemplary thesis statements from student volunteers and show them to the class. Project sub-par statements from College Board examples and have them tell you how to improve them.

5. Teach students how to organize their argumentative essays for AP Spanish.

I spent a large chunk of my time correcting the organization of the essays as well as the writing. Students need to be organized in their thinking. Give them an outline template and tell them to write “un bosquejo” using the template . Here is the one I use.

It’s also helpful to provide students with a   graphic organizer to help them plan.

6. Teach students how to write an introductory paragraph.

 Model how to include the requisite components of the intro paragraph: the hook, the thesis statement with three reasons (a strong opinion), some effects, and a conclusion or transition. And, of course, practice, practice, practice. Tell students to pair up and write an introductory paragraph.

7. Next, teach students how to write developing paragraphs.

Move on to paragraphs and teach them how to write topic sentences that correspond to the three reasons in the thesis. Teach the developing paragraphs separately.  Have students peer edit using a checklist .  If not possible, give samples of student work with no names or samples you have made up.

8. Then, teach students how to write a conclusion.

Model all the required elements of a concluding paragraph: propose a solution or action, address the opposing arguments, reaffirm the thesis, end with a strong statement.

9. Teach and practice transitions.

Give students three paragraphs with no transitions and have them write connecting words or sentences.

10. Analyze model argumentative essays for AP Spanish.

After teaching students the components of each part of the essay, have them analyze a model essay and label the parts: 3 reasons, topic sentences, transitions, hook, topic sentence, evidence. (I divide the class up and use this activity as a competition.)

AND NOW THE SOURCES!

11. focus on the question..

Direct students to read and underline the question.

Have students read the written source and listen to the audio underlining and recording any information that answers the question.

12. Ensure students comprehend the written and audio texts.

Tell students to write a short title for each paragraph to help them thoroughly understand the written source. Occasionally, I had students write “una síntesis” and lift their white boards to show me what they had written.

For the audio texts, I had students practice pronouncing words using the pronunciation of the speaker’s particular region, for example: omitting the “s,” practicing the Castillian “z” and “c.” They also previewed and practiced the vocabulary they would encounter before reading or listening to the texts.

13. Insist students make a decision.

After reading and listening to the sources, students must make a decision: Yes, no, or both. They can’t be on the fence and they MUST not resort to summarizing the sources. Remind students to write THEIR opinion, not to begin with the sources. You will have to keep repeating this as students will initially summarize the sources instead of writing their own thesis statements. Ask them, “How can you use the sources to support YOUR thesis? Insist they use the sources ONLY to support their position. Show them several possible examples of thesis statements for each position, yes, no, or both.

14. Teach and practice the formal register.

Teach students how to use the third person instead of the first and second. Give them informal sentences with the first and second person and have them convert them to the third person, then do the reverse. These FORMAL ESSAY TASK CARDS help students practice.

AND NOW THE HARD PART

15. give frequent feedback..

This is why so many teachers don’t want to teach AP Spanish. In order for students to improve their writing, they need frequent feedback, which, translated, means HOURS of daily correcting. No life. I’m serious. Tell your family members or significant others that, for a few months, you will be unavailable.

I corrected the essays the first time using codes . I modeled for them how to use the codes to correct their essays. I circled the errors and gave the papers back to students to correct using the codes. I actually corrected each essay twice, first for organization (Does it have an introduction, a thesis statement with three reasons, corresponding topic sentences, transitions, conclusion, supporting evidence…?) Then, I corrected for grammar, vocabulary, and fluency.

After the students turned in the revised versions, I corrected them twice again, for organization and grammar, this time writing in the corrections and giving them a grade.  I staple their essays to the College Board Rubric , circling the areas on the rubric where they need to improve.

In the five years that I taught AP Spanish, only one of my students did not pass, so I know these strategies work. I believe they will work for your students also.

All of these tips and activities are included in my PowerPoints and Activities “ How to Write an Essay for Spanish Three and Four ” and “ El ensayo argumentativo .”

Teaching AP Spanish is rewarding, but also a time sucker. If you would rather not spend hours writing lesson plans in addition to correcting a mountain of essays and other assignments, use the ones I have created. Everything is done for you! All you have to do is teach, correct, and go home. Click on the link to see them. AP Spanish Lesson Plans and Curriculum for an Entire Year: Triángulo aprobado

AP Spanish Lesson Plans and Curriculum for an Entire Year: Vista Higher Learning and Temas

Here is the link to all the AP Spanish PowerPoints

If you would like to give your Spanish Four students a good foundation in expository essay writing, essential to success in writing an argumentative essay, click on the following link: How to Write an Essay in Spanish No-Prep Lesson Plans and Curriculum

I hope these strategies are helpful to you as you guide your students to mastery of the Argumentative Essay for AP Spanish.

In case you missed the other posts related to AP Spanish, here they are:

Three Tips for Teaching AP Spanish

What do I Teach After the AP Spanish Exam?

Why I teach AP Spanish the Way I Do

If you would like to receive these blog posts with teaching tips and freebies in your email, subscribe to my monthly newsletter, Best PowerPoints for Spanish and French . Just scroll down to the bottom and click, “Sign up.”

To receive freebies and notifications of new products, click on the following link to follow my store: ANGIE TORRE

Connect with me on social media!

• You are saving this new teacher countless hours of work!!! The preview showed great resources and examples for AP students can't wait to begin using! Worth every single penny. Gracias for all your time and energy spent on creating awesome curriculum! Angela A
• Such a lifesaver! Love the lessons! Creative and excellent resources. Thanks so much. You made my year much easier.
• My kids loved it and said it helped clarify this very difficult concept. Muchas gracias! Mrs. F's Room

This is SO helpful, Angie. Thank you so much for this. Two questions:

1) There are many different elements in which you say “have students practice X, Y, and Z”. This seems really time consuming. I see my students for 350 minutes every two weeks, as long as there are 5 day weeks, and we started school on Aug 30th. How can a teacher possibly give enough time to look at all of these different individual pieces?

2) For my own personal writing, and then when I have taught writing when students are using word processing (Google Docs or Word), I have always said they should write their opening statement / introduction last. Once you have said what you’re going to say, then you can go back and introduce what you have said. I learned this summer though that these are all written by hand. Would it be bad to teach students to leave some space to go back and write their full intro paragraph + thesis statement after they’ve done a bit of brainstorming?

Appreciate you and your resources!

Hi, Chris: So sorry I took so long getting back to you. There is no way for students to improve their writing without a ton of practice. If you have a limited amount of time, focus on essay writing and listening practice because those are the hardest parts for the students.

Yes, I would have students practice writing by hand since that is what they will be doing on the exam. The more similar the practice activities are to the exam itself, the better for the students. It also relieves test anxiety.

I’m not sure I understand the last question. I would have students brainstorm first, then write their thesis statement and three reasons, then organize their essay using a graphic organizer, then filling in with the details. Does this help?

Leave a Comment Cancel reply

I taught world language for 31 years and have created countless resources for Spanish and French during that time.  I am a top seller on Teachers Pay Teachers and for the past 11 years I have devoted my time and energy to helping teachers save time, avoid burn-out, and bring their students to proficiency in the target language through the use of my proven resources. During the five years that I taught AP Spanish, all but one of my students (primarily non-native speakers) passed the AP exam most with fours and fives.

Privacy Policy Shipping Policy Refund Policy

Spanish One

Spanish Two

Spanish Three

Spanish Four

French Three

French Four

Start typing and press Enter to search

Privacy Overview

• Privacy Policy
• Terms of Use
• Mexican Spanish

Ap Spanish Essay Examples

Are you struggling to find examples of AP Spanish essays? Look no further!

In this article, we’ll explore various essay samples that will help you ace your AP Spanish exam.

From cultural comparison essays to persuasive and literary analysis essays, we’ve got you covered.

Whether you’re looking for inspiration or guidance, our expertly crafted examples will provide you with a solid foundation.

So, sit back, relax, and let us take you on a journey through the world of AP Spanish essay writing.

Key Takeaways

• Analysis of causes and effects of immigration
• Examination of cultural assimilation and its positive and negative effects
• Importance of understanding immigration’s impact on individuals and communities
• Significance of comparing cultures to gain a deeper understanding

Sample AP Spanish Essay on Immigration

You should start your essay on immigration with an analysis of the causes and effects of this complex issue.

Immigration challenges and cultural assimilation are two key aspects of this topic that need to be explored. Immigration challenges refer to the difficulties faced by individuals and families as they navigate the process of moving to a new country. These challenges can include language barriers, discrimination, and the struggle to find employment and housing.

On the other hand, cultural assimilation refers to the process by which immigrants adopt the customs, language, and values of their new country. It’s important to examine both the positive and negative effects of cultural assimilation, as it can lead to a loss of cultural identity but also foster greater integration and acceptance within society.

Understanding these causes and effects is crucial in developing a comprehensive understanding of immigration and its impact on individuals and communities.

Analyzing a Cultural Comparison Essay for AP Spanish

Analyzing a Cultural Comparison Essay for AP Spanish requires examining the similarities and differences between two cultures in order to gain a deeper understanding. Cultural influences play a significant role in shaping societies and individuals, and by comparing different cultures, we can uncover the various factors that contribute to their uniqueness. One key aspect to consider is language barriers, as language plays a crucial role in communication and expression. To illustrate this, let’s take a look at a table comparing the cultural influences and language barriers between two Spanish-speaking countries, Spain and Mexico:

Exploring a Persuasive Essay Example for AP Spanish

Take a moment to explore an engaging persuasive essay example for AP Spanish and see how the author effectively uses rhetorical strategies to convince the reader.

In this essay, the author discusses the importance of cultural diversity and language proficiency. The author begins by providing a clear thesis statement that highlights the significance of these two factors in today’s globalized world.

Throughout the essay, the author incorporates persuasive language and evidence to support their argument. They use emotional appeals to evoke empathy and understanding from the reader, and logical appeals to provide logical reasoning and evidence.

Additionally, the author uses rhetorical questions to engage the reader and make them reflect on the topic at hand.

Overall, this persuasive essay serves as an excellent example for AP Spanish students to learn how to effectively persuade their audience and convey their message.

Examining a Literary Analysis Essay in AP Spanish

In order to understand the intricacies of a literary analysis essay in AP Spanish, start by examining the author’s use of literary devices and the overall structure of the essay. This will allow you to gain a deeper understanding of the cultural influences and literary techniques employed by the writer.

Literary devices such as symbolism, imagery, and foreshadowing can reveal underlying themes and messages in the text. By analyzing the author’s use of these devices, you can uncover the deeper meanings and intentions behind their words.

Additionally, the overall structure of the essay, including the introduction, body paragraphs, and conclusion, plays a crucial role in conveying the writer’s argument and supporting evidence. By examining these elements, you can develop a comprehensive understanding of the literary analysis essay in AP Spanish.

Understanding a Synthesis Essay Sample for AP Spanish

You should read at least two synthesis essay samples for AP Spanish in order to gain a better understanding of the writing style and structure. This will help you familiarize yourself with the expectations and requirements of this type of essay. By analyzing these samples, you can learn how to effectively organize your ideas and arguments, as well as how to incorporate evidence from multiple sources.

Additionally, examining synthesis essay samples will allow you to see examples of effective language use, such as using transitions to connect ideas and incorporating appropriate vocabulary. Overall, reading synthesis essay samples is a valuable exercise in understanding the synthesis essay structure and developing your own writing skills.

• Analysis of writing style and structure
• Effective organization of ideas
• Incorporation of evidence from multiple sources

Frequently Asked Questions

What are the key elements to consider when writing an ap spanish essay on immigration.

When writing an AP Spanish essay on immigration, consider key elements such as organization, vocabulary choice, and grammar. Use clear and concise sentences, incorporate relevant examples, and support your arguments with evidence.

How Can I Effectively Analyze a Cultural Comparison Essay for AP Spanish?

To effectively analyze a cultural comparison essay for AP Spanish, start by carefully examining the similarities and differences between the cultures being compared. Look for patterns, themes, and cultural nuances to provide a comprehensive and insightful analysis.

What Are the Persuasive Techniques Used in the Persuasive Essay Example for AP Spanish?

To effectively analyze a persuasive essay example for AP Spanish, identify persuasive techniques such as ethos, pathos, and logos. Consider how the author appeals to emotions, credibility, and logic to persuade the reader.

How Do I APproach Examining a Literary Analysis Essay in AP Spanish?

Approaching analysis in a literary analysis essay, consider the author’s use of literary techniques. By examining the text closely, you can identify how the author employs symbolism, imagery, and characterization to convey their message effectively.

What Are the Steps to Understanding and Analyzing a Synthesis Essay Sample for AP Spanish?

To understand and analyze a synthesis essay sample for AP Spanish, start by breaking down the text and identifying key themes and arguments. Then, analyze the author’s use of evidence and rhetorical strategies to support their claims.

In conclusion, despite the challenges and objections that may arise, it’s crucial to recognize the importance of studying and mastering the Spanish language, specifically in the context of the AP Spanish exam.

By immersing ourselves in the language, we gain a deeper understanding and appreciation of the rich Hispanic culture, literature, and history.

Let’s embrace this opportunity to broaden our horizons, connect with others, and become global citizens who can truly appreciate the beauty of the Spanish language.

You May Also Like

Accents on spanish words.

Adjectival Clauses Spanish

5000 Most Common Spanish Words

Action Words in Spanish

Adjectives That Start With N in Spanish

Advanced Spanish Lessons

AP® Spanish Language

The ultimate guide to 2015 ap® spanish language writing frqs.

• The Albert Team
• Last Updated On: March 1, 2022

2015 AP® Spanish Language Writing FRQs

This study guide, based on the AP® Spanish Language FRQ section from the 2015 exam, will walk you through writing FRQ questions and offer examples and strategies to assist you in earning a high score. It will do this by dissecting the 2015 FRQ test to provide detailed information on what test scorers look for in top scores. Examples of previous year’s test prompts and previous test-takers’ work will reveal what to avoid when writing your own answers come test day.

2015 FREE RESPONSE QUESTION #1:

Question #1, referred to as the Presentational Writing component of the AP® Spanish Language FRQ, asked that students scan a document – an email, text message, or invitation, perhaps – and reply with a written response.

The 2015 AP® FRQ #1 in the writing section asked tests takers to sustain interaction through a written e-mail message received in relation to a potential scholarship to go to Peru. Using a formal form of address, they were asked to include a greeting and a closing, respond to two questions posed in the email, and elicit further information on a topic of their choice in the message. Students were expected to use an assortment of vocabulary, such as idiomatic and culturally applicable terminology. The allotted time to complete this task was 15 minutes.

The 5s – A Strong Response

Student’s written response.

Test scorers recommend students follow the directions so that they answer what is being asked of them. If, for example, an email prompt asks that you “include a greeting and a closing,” so be sure to include this in your reply. In the above excerpt, the test-taker clearly understands the task at hand and responds to the email appropriately. They begin with a well-established introduction and continue by providing all of the asked for information. The above example shows how the writer answered posed questions and requested information, while at the same time drawing upon her cultural knowledge of Peru to make comparisons to her own community in the United States ( el seviche es una comida tradicional ).

In general, the test scorer found the essay clear and easy to read due to the employment of strong vocabulary, idiomatic expressions, and minimal grammatical errors ( maravillosa oportunidad; cambio de costumbres; comidas rapidas ).

Remember to show off your language skills by building some complexity in your responses! The above example by the same student also earned high points for their use of compound sentences with the subjunctive ( Espero haber respondido todas sus preguntas y que le sean de gran utilidad ).

The 4s and 3s – A Fair Response

This test-taker continues to do a fair job of responding to the email by offering a suitable salutation and closing.

Be sure to address the task or answer the question presented to you. In the above example, they answer what kinds of difficulties a foreigner might experience while living in another country like Peru. Unfortunately, though, the test-taker did not request any further information, one of the requirements of the prompt, thus negatively impacting the final score.

Test scorers further noted that though the use of language is mostly correct, the writer only attempts verbs in present tense (S in embargo, me acostumbro ) and simple sentence structures ( Tambien, no voy a tener que pagar tanto después que me gradúo de la universidad ). You are encouraged to use difficult sentence structures, but of course be sure you use them correctly. Practice these prior to the exam so you know them! The failure to try more advanced tenses and structures resulted in a lower test score.

The 2s and 1s – A Weak Response

This test-taker did not provide a proper response to the given task. For starters, their greeting is not in the appropriate formal register ( Estimado Natalia ).

The writer demonstrates in the response that they did not fully understand what was required in their essay. The above excerpt indicates that the writer believed they had already won the scholarship and joined the program.

The incorrect use of language makes understanding the email reply very difficult. Often the writer relies on direct English translations ( no estando familiar con locación, no conociendo muchos gentes; porque ellos forma quien usted es! ). You can also see in the above example that the student does not employ the appropriate gender modifiers ( muchos gentes ), plural agreements ( experiencias como este ), and lacks subject-verb agreement ( ellos forma ).

The incorrect verb tenses are employed from time to time ( es posible que hay oportunidades encontrar trabajos ), and direct English to Spanish translations are common ( Por favor, si usted irá en este experiencia, usted dice como lo fue! ). The response lost major points on account of this.

Tips from the Test Scorers

Test scorers noted that at times students had difficulty comprehending the email. For example, instead of answering how the trip to Peru would impact their lives, they talked about how the experience impacted them at the time they received the email. This indicated that students should brush up on their verb tenses in preparation for questions like these.

Students often only gave the bare minimum of answers to posed questions. Scorers encourage test-takers to go deeper into detail when giving their replies. It is important to note that the body/main part of the written text is where students can really show off their language skills, describing specific details to earn the highest scores.

It’s a good idea to studying various modes of communication, be it writing a greeting, answering questions, asking for clarification or more information, or drafting a closing statement. Also, students often used an informal register when responding to the email. Go over the differences between the informal ( tú ) and formal ( usted ) so that you know when to use which for the test.

FREE RESPONSE QUESTION #2:

Question #2, referred to as the Persuasive Essay component of the AP® Spanish Language exam, asked students to synthesize an argument from several sources like articles, tables, graphs, or audio artifacts to express their beliefs on a particular theme.

On the 2015 AP® Spanish FRQ #2 writing section, test-takers were asked to write a persuasive essay for a Spanish writing contest, in which they were asked to answer the question: “Is it beneficial for a company to allow their employees to work from home?” Using three supplementary sources, which presented three diverse viewpoints and employed statistical information on the topic, in both print and audio form, students were encouraged to incorporate each of the three arguments given to formulate and defend their own standpoint. They were given six minutes to read the directions, essay topic, and the printed material. Afterward, they listened to the audio recording twice. They then had 40 minutes to complete their essay.

AP® Spanish Language exam scorers want to see that test-takers fully understand the questions they are presented with. Because this essay presents thorough arguments that draw upon the three given sources, it is clear that the student comprehended the task at hand. As you can see here in the above excerpt, the introduction presents the debate and then clearly takes a position.

Operative transitions and consistent language devices exemplified in the excerpts above ( Al hablar del ; También se pueden destacar ; En otro aspecto ) also make this student’s essay easy to follow and comprehensible.

As shown above, the same writer does a commendable job of reiterating their own original point of view with a succinct summary in the conclusion.

The student does make some grammar ( de el and se ha convertido en una opción ), and subjunctive ( sin que interfieran temas in the example above) errors, though these do not subtract from the overall command of the language that is evident in this response.

Keep in mind that test scorers like to see paragraphs with clear topic sentences followed by well-organized supporting sentences, and incorporate each of the sources you’re being asked to discuss. Link paragraphs with transitional phrases like those the student used above, or others ( de esta manera, como resultado, además de eso ).

The essay above gets the job done fairly well. It presents a persuasive argument through basic consideration and explanation of the three source materials. The scorer notes, however, that the writer could have done better at incorporating the sources into a more cohesive argument. As you can see in the examples above, sources are referenced parenthetically rather than in the context of the argument itself. The use of transitional phrases would have greatly improved this aspect of the essay.

Test takes will want to avoid translating English structures and spellings into Spanish, as the same author has done here above ( la enviromenta; Dejando que los empleados trabajar; porque no tendrían tomar tiempo ).

Though this person does use some complex sentence structure, ( Si un empleado se volviera enferm…en su oficina!, for example) many are borrowed from the given texts and do not display personal command of the language. That being said, the essay has only a few mistakes, and it is generally understandable.

Overall, the essay presented here is a fair response. For a better score, test scorers recommend incorporating each of the sources you’re being asked to discuss but integrate the material rather than simply labeling it. If using difficult sentence structures, be sure you use them correctly. Practice these prior to the example so that you’ll have them down to a science!

This essay does not show that the test-taker fully understood the topic or the task at hand; instead they wrote about overtime hours rather than working from home. The above excerpt exemplifies the writer’s distraction from the topic; here the discussion turns to the use of tablets in schools when they should have been discussing the three source materials.

There are major organizational problems and inconsistencies in the essay. For example, the introduction and conclusion contradict the author’s opinion on the issue ( No estaria de acuerdo con las horas extras; En conclusión, si estoy de acuerdo con las horas extras ). The essay lacks command of transitional phrases that could help scaffold a stronger argument ( Un ejemplo is overused, for instance).

Overall, there are major problems with the language and spelling ( agradesca; saven ), as well as grammar, syntax, and usage ( esque…eh uso de tecnología durante en las oficinas; Estaria de acuerdo si todos dejarian la … y convertirlo en ser un buen trabajador ).

Keep in mind that it is important to incorporate each of the sources you’re being asked to discuss and be sure to follow the directions so that you answer what is being asked of you. Be persuasive by stating a strong argument backed up with the sources provided to support your position. Stay focused and on task! Also, to avoid spelling issues – study your vocabulary!

Be sure to refer to all three sources in your argument, as the directions say. Do not simply provide personal experience with the subject matter at hand, but use your point of view to try to persuade the reader to side with you. This does not mean listing the pros and cons of an issue, but taking a side and defending it. Consider all parties involved in the debate; in the example provided here, consider how working from home impacts not only the employee, but the company where they work as well.

On another note, many students misunderstood some of the statistical data provided in the material sources. Get some practice by reviewing this type of data before your exam. You may also want to freshen up on how to cite sources so that you have a handle on direct and indirect quoting before test day.

Looking for AP® Spanish Language practice?

Kickstart your AP® Spanish Language prep with Albert. Start your AP® exam prep today .

Interested in a school license?​

Popular posts.

AP® Score Calculators

Simulate how different MCQ and FRQ scores translate into AP® scores

AP® Review Guides

The ultimate review guides for AP® subjects to help you plan and structure your prep.

Core Subject Review Guides

Review the most important topics in Physics and Algebra 1 .

SAT® Score Calculator

See how scores on each section impacts your overall SAT® score

ACT® Score Calculator

See how scores on each section impacts your overall ACT® score

Grammar Review Hub

Comprehensive review of grammar skills

AP® Posters

Download updated posters summarizing the main topics and structure for each AP® exam.

Ace the AP Spanish Exam

Is your AP Spanish exam coming up? ¡No te pongas nervioso! ( Don’t be nervous! ) SpanishDictionary.com will help you prepare for the AP Spanish exam by providing links to some of our most useful resources, as well as insider tips to impress the AP exam readers.

In the weeks leading up to the exam, surround yourself with the language as much as possible. Click here to learn ways to effortlessly immerse yourself in the language.

Let’s take a look at what you should review before the big day!

The key to acing the AP Spanish exam is building a strong vocabulary.

Here are some tips and resources to help you improve your Spanish vocabulary!

• Speak like a native Spanish speaker by using a variety of idioms .
• In addition to knowing the most common Spanish verbs , learn some advanced verbs as well. The exam readers seem to really like the verbs desarrollar ( to develop ) and destacarse ( to stand out ).
• Avoid false cognates , which are words in different languages that appear similar, but do not actually mean the same thing.
• Master ser vs. estar , saber vs. conocer , and other tricky verb pairs .

Do you feel that your vocabulary is lacking? Click here to learn 1000 Spanish words in 15 hours.

Verb Tenses and Conjugation

Correct verb conjugation and the ability to use a wide variety of tenses will greatly improve your exam score. Before exam day, make sure to practice conjugating verbs in different tenses. Luckily, SpanishDictionary.com has a plethora of resources to help you!

• Make sure to have a solid grasp of the simple tenses , such as the present indicative , preterite , imperfect , future , and conditional .
• Impress the exam readers by also using the compound tenses , such as the perfect tenses and the progressive tenses.
• If you want to score a five on the AP exam, make sure to use the subjunctive. Click here to review!

Practice conjugating verbs in a variety of tenses with our conjugation drill !

Transitions

The writing section of the test is indeed intimidating; however, it is your chance to really shine. To sound natural in your writing, it is crucial to use conectores ( transition words ). Transition words link your ideas together, allowing them to flow smoothly from one sentence to the next.

There are various types of transition words . We recommend that you memorize a few transition words from each category and practice using them in sentences.

Exam Format

The following is an outline of the AP Spanish exam. Keep reading to learn about the format of the exam, as well as how to prepare for each section.

The AP exam tests four skills: writing, speaking, reading, and listening.

You will be required to complete two writing sections on the exam: an email and a persuasive essay . Let’s take a closer look!

Interpersonal Writing: Email Reply

In this section of the exam, you will be responding to an email. Make sure to do the following:

• Start the email with a greeting , such as estimado / estimada ( dear ) for a formal letter or querido / querida ( dear ) for an informal letter.
• Make sure you use the appropriate register , based on whether you are writing a formal or informal email.
• Respond to all questions and address all requests for details.
• Formulate your own questions to seek clarification or additional information.
• Use a variety of grammatical structures, and refrain from copying the sentence structures directly from the email prompt. Come up with your own!
• End the email with an appropriate closing , such as cordialmente ( cordially ) for a formal letter or con cariño ( with affection ) for an informal letter, followed by your name.

Presentational Writing: Persuasive Essay

In this section of the exam, you will write a persuasive essay on a given topic while referencing three sources of information about the topic. Remember to do the following:

• Start your essay with an attention getter.
• Provide a thesis that you refer back to throughout the essay.
• Use proper basic and advanced Spanish punctuation.
• Make sure your paragraphs are organized.
• Integrate content from all three sources, citing each one directly.
• As previously mentioned, use transition words.
• End your essay with a conclusion that summarizes your core message.

You will be asked to complete two speaking sections on the exam. Here are some tips for both speaking sections:

• Keep calm and apply your skills.
• Stay in the target language.
• Use good pronunciation .
• Self-correct when you realize you’ve made a mistake.
• Use circumlocution . If you can’t think of a certain word, just find a way to describe it that communicates the idea.

Now let’s take a closer look at each speaking section of the exam!

Interpersonal Speaking: Conversation

This section of the test is often the most nerve-racking for students. You will be required to generate responses to a mock conversation. Just keep calm and try to do the following:

• Fill your time. You have 20 seconds for each response. Use every second you have to show off your language skills.
• Use fillers when you get stuck and you need a moment to think. Avoid using um... , like... , and other fillers in English.
• Use exclamatory words and expressions . By doing this, you will impress your exam reader because the conversation will sound more authentic.

During the conversation, there is a chance you won’t understand a question. Try not to freeze up. You will get a better score for winging it than for not saying anything at all.

Presentational Speaking: Cultural Comparison

In this section of the exam, you will give an oral presentation comparing your own community with that of the target culture.

Include the following in your presentation:

• An attention getter, such as a question for your audience. Do not start your speech with Hola. Me llamo… ( Hello. My name is… )
• A personal anecdote. Talk about your experiences with the target culture, even if you have to make it up.

Listening and Reading

What is the best way to prepare for the listening and reading sections of the exam? The answer is obvious—practice listening and reading!

Here is a list of resources to help:

• Spanish Podcasts
• Learn Spanish for Free by Watching TV
• Spanish Book Recommendations

Making educational experiences better for everyone.

Immersive learning for 25 languages

Marketplace for millions of educator-created resources

Fast, easy, reliable language certification

Fun educational games for kids

Comprehensive K-12 personalized learning

Trusted tutors for 300+ subjects

35,000+ worksheets, games, and lesson plans

Adaptive learning for English vocabulary

List of Transtions Spanish

• Word Document File

Description

Questions & answers, best teacher resource.

• We're hiring
• Help & FAQ
• Privacy policy
• Student privacy
• Terms of service
• Tell us what you think

Advertisement

Supported by

A Celebratory Take on Audre Lorde’s Brave, Hard, Unconventional Life

“Survival Is a Promise,” a new biography by Alexis Pauline Gumbs, is an unabashed homage to the poet known for her political commitment and community building.

• Share full article

By Ayten Tartici

Ayten Tartici is a writer and critic. Her work has appeared in The Atlantic, The New York Review of Books and The Yale Review, among other venues.

• Apple Books
• Barnes and Noble
• Books-A-Million
• Bookshop.org

When you purchase an independently reviewed book through our site, we earn an affiliate commission.

SURVIVAL IS A PROMISE: The Eternal Life of Audre Lorde , by Alexis Pauline Gumbs

Audre Lorde was in an auditorium at Stanford reading “ Power ,” a poem about Clifford Glover, a 10-year-old African American boy fatally shot by the police in 1973, when the walls began to shake. Lorde did not notice the earthquake, mistaking some audience members’ sudden flight to the exit as an unwillingness to listen. She raised her voice and kept reading. In her canonical poetry collection “The Black Unicorn” (1978), she swears an oath to stick it out: “May I never lose that terror that keeps me brave.”

Anecdotes of endurance like this one enliven “Survival Is a Promise,” a new biography by Alexis Pauline Gumbs of the self-identified “ Black, lesbian, mother, warrior, poet ,” who died in 1992 . For the past two decades, the gold standard of Lorde biographies has been Alexis De Veaux’s groundbreaking “Warrior Poet” (2004), the only comprehensive resource regarding Lorde’s life aside from her semi-fictionalized autobiography, “Zami: A New Spelling of My Name.” With “Survival Is a Promise” Gumbs, a scholar and poet herself, takes a different tack, delivering an unabashed celebration of Lorde, a legally blind girl with a stutter and Caribbean roots who became the first Black poet to deliver a solo reading sponsored by the Academy of American Poets.

Unconventional in structure as well as tone, “Survival Is a Promise” features brief chapters arranged by topic — Lorde’s fondness for bees; locks of her hair now preserved at Spelman College ; her photographs of St. Croix after Hurricane Hugo — along with Gumbs’s ecological, geological and cosmic reflections. Gumbs explains, for example, Lorde’s symbiotic relationship with her long-term partner Frances Clayton, who gave up a tenured position in psychology at Brown to live with Lorde and her children, through the orientation of sunflowers in relation to the sun.

There is no room for Lorde’s flaws in this book; she is a goddess, an avatar, an icon. As an entry point into Lorde’s poetry, though, Gumbs’s persuasive close readings create a virtuous circle, shining a light on how the life generated the poems, which now elucidate that life. Her goal is to steer us away from the one-liners — “My silences have not protected me. Your silence will not protect you” — that have too often been Lorde’s legacy and focus us instead on the poet’s forthright voice, on the political and emotional resonance of her work: “ As a diamond comes into a knot of flame/I am Black because I come from the earth’s inside .”

Lorde was born in 1934 in Harlem to immigrant parents from the island of Grenada. Her light-skinned mother, Linda, worked as a dishwasher until her employer discovered that she wasn’t Spanish and fired her. She later helped Lorde’s father, Byron, who ran a real estate office for Black families excluded from the housing market. In her journal, Lorde wrote, “I had one of those grotesque childhoods that turns a person into a poem.” Her parents expected total obedience from Audre and her two sisters — De Veaux says Audre’s mother beat her almost daily for her “insolence” — though her father also encouraged reading, bringing home pallets of books won for cheap at auctions.

We are having trouble retrieving the article content.

Please enable JavaScript in your browser settings.

Thank you for your patience while we verify access. If you are in Reader mode please exit and  log into  your Times account, or  subscribe  for all of The Times.

Thank you for your patience while we verify access.

Already a subscriber?  Log in .

Want all of The Times?  Subscribe .