AP Spanish Spanish: Writing Skills & Composition 2 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: Which sentence correctly uses the subjunctive mood in a formal essay?
- Espero que el autor tiene razón.
- Espero que el autor tenga razón. (Correct answer)
- Espero que el autor tendrá razón.
- Espero que el autor tuvo razón.
Correct answer: Espero que el autor tenga razón.
The subjunctive 'tenga' is required after 'espero que' to express hope or desire.
Question 2: In an AP Spanish persuasive essay, which transition best introduces a counterargument?
- Por lo tanto
- Sin embargo (Correct answer)
- Es decir
- Además
Correct answer: Sin embargo
'Sin embargo' (however) is the standard adversative conjunction used to introduce a contrasting or opposing idea.
Question 3: Which option correctly forms the past perfect (pluscuamperfecto) in Spanish?
- Había escribido el ensayo.
- Había escrito el ensayo. (Correct answer)
- Hubiera escribido el ensayo.
- He escrito el ensayo.
Correct answer: Había escrito el ensayo.
'Había escrito' is correct because 'escribir' has the irregular past participle 'escrito'.
Question 4: When citing a source in an AP Spanish essay, the phrase 'Según el artículo...' is best used to:
- Express personal opinion
- Attribute information to a source (Correct answer)
- Introduce a counterargument
- Conclude the essay
Correct answer: Attribute information to a source
'Según' means 'according to' and is the standard way to attribute information to an outside source.
Question 5: Which phrase is most appropriate to begin the conclusion of a formal Spanish essay?
- En primer lugar
- Por un lado
- En conclusión (Correct answer)
- No obstante
Correct answer: En conclusión
'En conclusión' signals the closing paragraph and is the most conventional formal concluding phrase.
Question 6: A student writes: 'Los estudiantes deben de estudiar más.' What is the issue with this sentence in formal writing?
- 'Deber' cannot be used with an infinitive.
- 'Deber de' expresses supposition, not obligation; 'deben estudiar' is correct. (Correct answer)
- The sentence is missing a reflexive pronoun.
- The verb 'estudiar' should be in the subjunctive.
Correct answer: 'Deber de' expresses supposition, not obligation; 'deben estudiar' is correct.
'Deber de' indicates supposition ('must be'), while 'deber' alone expresses obligation ('should/must').
Question 7: Which is an example of correct noun-adjective agreement in Spanish?
- La problema grave
- El problema grave (Correct answer)
- El problema gravo
- La problema gravo
Correct answer: El problema grave
'Problema' is a masculine noun despite ending in -a, so it takes the masculine article 'el' and masculine adjective form 'grave'.
AP Spanish Spanish: Writing Skills & Composition 2
Which sentence correctly uses the subjunctive mood in a formal essay?