Tipos de texto (Text types)
Note from the author: Most of the content in this section has been written in English to help students grasp concepts quickly. Subsections intended for teachers are presented in Spanish.
4. Carta
A letter (una carta) is a message, either handwritten or printed on paper, that is typically sent from one person to another via a postal service or other physical delivery methods.
It can be formal or informal, depending on the context, and can be used for various purposes, including personal, professional, or official communication.
Model text and key features
Here are two letter models side by side. What differences can you observe between a personal and a professional letter?
| Context | Audience | Purpose |
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Key words
The following key words in the exam may suggest that the appropriate text type is a letter.
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Español
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Inglés
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| Contar | To tell |
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Dar noticias
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To give news
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| Pedir, solicitar |
To request
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| Proponer | To propose |
| Invitar | To invite |
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Felicitar, dar la enhorabuena
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To congratulate
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Agradecer, dar las gracias
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To thank |
| Protestar, quejarse | To complain |
| Disculparte, pedir perdón | To apologize |
Key points at a glance
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Format
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Message
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Language
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Key features, tips and examples
- Whether personal or professional, a letter must always include a date.
- The date should be preceded by the city from which the letter is written.
- The traditional spot to write the date in Spanish is at the top right-hand corner of the page.
- Remember that days and months are not capitalized in Spanish.
Examples:
- Madrid, el 22 de mayo de 2025
- Sevilla, a 22 de mayo de 2025
- Santiago, jueves 22 de mayo de 2025
- It must be appropriate to your relationship with the letter's receiver.
- Punctuation: In Spanish, the greeting is traditionally followed by a colon, not a comma.
Examples for a personal letter:
- ¡Hola, Juan!
- Queridos papá y mamá:
- Querida abuelita:
Examples for a professional letter:
- Estimado/a Señor/a:
- Estimado Señor Director: / Estimado Sr. Director:
- Estimada Señora Sanz: / Estimada Sra. Sanz:
- Apreciados Señores: / Apreciados Sres.:
- The introduction sets the tone and purpose of the letter.
- It is common to open with polite expressions (e.g., well wishes), although formal professional letters may skip these and go straight to the point.
Examples for a personal letter:
- ¿Qué tal estás? Espero que te encuentres bien. Te escribo para contarte que...
- ¿Qué tal os va? Espero que estéis todos bien en casa. Os escribo esta carta para daros...
- Espero que esta carta te encuentre bien de salud. Te escribo para pedirte...
Examples for a professional letter:
- Espero que se encuentre bien. Le escribo para notificarle que...
- Espero que esta carta le encuentre bien de salud. Me dirijo a usted para solicitarle...
- Me pongo en contacto con ustedes para informarles de..
- Organize your ideas in clear short paragraphs.
- Use cohesive devices to organize the logical flow of your ideas.
- Aim to write one paragraph per task; this will improve the readability of your letter and help ensure that you address all the message requirements.
Remember:
- Missing a task will cost you three marks (Criterion B: Message).
- Not using paragraphs will cost you one mark (Criterion B: Message).
- Personal letters tend to end with a warm, personal closing statement.
- Professional letters tend to end with a formulaic closing statement.
- The closing statement may contain a call to action.
Examples for a personal letter:
- Te echo mucho de menos. Espero que me respondas muy pronto.
- Muchos besos y recuerdos a toda la familia. Os extraño mucho.
- ¡Escríbeme pronto! Me muero de ganas por leerte...
Examples for a professional letter:
- Le agradezco de antemano su consideración y quedo a la espera de su respuesta.
- En espera de su pronta respuesta, le agradezco la atención prestada.
- Les agradezco su interés y quedo a su entera disposición para cualquier pregunta.
- In personal letters, the farewell should be warm and caring (expressions like 'adiós' and 'gracias' would come across as cold an distant.
- In professional letters, farewells are impersonal and formulaic.
- Never include English symbols such as 'xxx' or 'xoxo,' as they may cause confusion and misunderstandings among Spanish-speaking readers.
Examples for a personal letter:
- Con todo mi cariño,
- Muchos besos y abrazos,
- Un beso muy fuerte de tu nieta favorita,
Examples for a professional letter:
- Saludos,
- Un cordial saludo,
- Atentamente,
- In a personal letter, sign with your name; remember not to use your real name!
- In a professional letter, sign with your name and surname.
- In a professional letter, you may add your title or role underneath your name.
- In a professional letter, you may include the name and address of the recipient at the top-left hand corner of the page.
- A reference (RE:) or subject line (Asunto:) is common on professional letters.
- A postscript may be added at the end of the letter, after the signature, to provide extra information or clarify something that was not included in the main body of the letter. Note that in Spanish it is abbreviated as P.D. (postdata) and not P.S.
Postcripts examples for personal letters:
- P.D.: Por favor, acuérdate de llamarme cuando llegues a casa.
- P.D.: No olvides mandar muchas fotos, ¡estoy deseando ver tu nueva casa!
- P.D.: Dale muchos recuerdos a tu hermana de mi parte, ¡me acuerdo mucho de ella!
Test your skills
Escribe entre 70 y 150 palabras.
Recuerdas a uno/a de tus profesores con especial cariño, por la influencia que ha tenido en tu vida. Escribe un texto para agradecerle todo lo que hizo por ti. Menciona las cualidades que más recuerdas de él/ella, cómo te ha influido y comparte un recuerdo especial.
| Carta | Correo electrónico | Mensaje de texto |
Reflect
- What would be the second and third best text types for this task?
- What would you have done differently if you were writing an email instead of a letter?
- What would you have done differently if you were writing a text message instead of a letter?
Click on the link to read a student sample for this prompt. Analyze it before reading the marking notes.
Download: Printable cheat sheet (informal letter)
Download: Printable cheat sheet (formal letter)
Activities: Querido Jorge...
- Collaborative and creative work: In your group, each person chooses/gets a different character and outcome from the scenarios provided by your teacher. Discuss ideas and write your letter.
- Peer feedback: Swap your letter with another person from your group to give and receive feedback. Make changes accordingly to perfect your text.
- Reflection: Create a class exhibition by lining up the letters on a wall, organized by scenario/sender. Read the letters from students who shared your scenario and reflect on what they did differently. Use a sticker to choose your favorite letter. The class’s favorite letters are read aloud and discussed. What was good about them?
- Individual work: Take a letter written by another student. At home, pretend you are Jorge and respond to the letter.
De Profe a Profe
Haz clic en este enlace para descargar e imprimir las situaciones de la actividad arriba. Si quieres, puedes recortar los escenarios y distribuirlos de forma aleatoria entre tus alumnos para procurar una mayor diversidad de cartas.
Una bonita propuesta para CAS es escribir una carta a un/a abuelo/a, para desearle una feliz navidad y próspero año nuevo. Preséntate y hazle alguna pregunta para recibir sus sabios consejos. Haz clic en este enlace para aprender más sobre esta iniciativa de la ONG Adopta un Abuelo. Puedes enseñar este vídeo a tus alumnos para proponer la actividad.