AP Spanish Spanish: Writing Skills & Composition 3 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: In the AP Spanish Interpersonal Writing task (email reply), which register is required?
- Informal, using 'tú' and colloquial expressions
- Formal, using 'usted' and polite language (Correct answer)
- Either register is acceptable
- Slang is encouraged to sound natural
Correct answer: Formal, using 'usted' and polite language
The email reply task requires formal register with 'usted' forms and polite language as expected in professional communication.
Question 2: Which sentence demonstrates correct use of the conditional tense in a Spanish essay?
- Si tuviera más tiempo, estudiaré más.
- Si tuviera más tiempo, estudiaría más. (Correct answer)
- Si tendría más tiempo, estudiaría más.
- Si tengo más tiempo, estudiaría más.
Correct answer: Si tuviera más tiempo, estudiaría más.
The past subjunctive ('tuviera') pairs with the conditional ('estudiaría') in hypothetical 'si' clauses.
Question 3: What does the term 'voz pasiva' refer to in Spanish composition?
- First-person narration
- Passive voice constructions using 'ser' + past participle (Correct answer)
- The use of reflexive verbs
- Impersonal expressions with 'se'
Correct answer: Passive voice constructions using 'ser' + past participle
The passive voice ('voz pasiva') in Spanish is formed with 'ser' + past participle and specifies the action's recipient as the subject.
Question 4: Which option is the correct way to write 'they used to write' in Spanish for an essay discussing past habits?
- Escribieron
- Escribirán
- Escribían (Correct answer)
- Habrían escrito
Correct answer: Escribían
The imperfect 'escribían' expresses habitual or ongoing past actions, which is the correct tense for past habits.
Question 5: A student wants to add emphasis in a formal essay. Which phrase correctly means 'not only... but also'?
- O... o...
- Ni... ni...
- No solo... sino también... (Correct answer)
- Tanto... como...
Correct answer: No solo... sino también...
'No solo... sino también...' is the correct Spanish correlative conjunction meaning 'not only... but also...'
Question 6: When writing the Presentational Writing task on the AP exam, how many sources must students synthesize?
- One source only
- Two sources
- Three sources (two print and one audio) (Correct answer)
- Four sources
Correct answer: Three sources (two print and one audio)
The AP Presentational Writing (Argumentative Essay) requires synthesizing three sources: two print and one audio.
Question 7: Which sentence uses the 'se' impersonal construction correctly?
- Se hablan español aquí.
- Se habla español aquí. (Correct answer)
- Se está hablando española aquí.
- Se habla la español aquí.
Correct answer: Se habla español aquí.
With the impersonal 'se', the verb agrees with the noun complement; 'español' is singular so 'habla' (third person singular) is correct.
AP Spanish Spanish: Writing Skills & Composition 3
In the AP Spanish Interpersonal Writing task (email reply), which register is required?