Regents Writing Packet

Regents Exam Information and Study Tips

Exam Format

Part 1: Speaking Exam (24points)

Part 2: Listening Comprehension-(2 Parts 30points)

Part A-Questions are asked in English

Part B- Questions are asked in Spanish

Part 3: Reading Comprehension (30 points)

Part A- Factual Reading-questions in Spanish

Part B- Advertisements

Part C- Factual Reading- questions in English

Part 4: Writing: (16 points)

Choose 2 out of the three: 2 letters and one picture

Additional Study Support

1. Regents Review Live: Go to this site and download the live review session!

(Go during a study hall to the library!)

2. Go to yahoo.com and type in Regents Exams, click on Spanish and do practice exams!

Regents Writing Review: Writing Mechanics

(This is all what you should have mastered for the proficiency exam/checkpoint A, and must have mastered for the Regents in order to score above a 1 on the structure and convention requirement of the writing rubric)

  1. Ser vs. Estar

NOPABHPC & PFHLW

  1. Agreement of the Subject (Box 1-6) and the Verb

Ej- Yo estoy

  1. Agreement of the Noun (person, place or thing) and the adjective (descriptor). These need to agree in number & gender

Ej- El libro rojo, los chicos están enfermos, la chica alta

  1. Conjugate your verbs! We do not speak in infinitives!
  1. DO NOT CONJUGATE 2 verbs next to each other!
  1. Use a variety of verbs, nouns, and adjectives. You will not get credit for repeating the same thing over and over!
  1. You can not us the ‘s in Spanish to show ownership. You must say the house of Clara instead of Clara’s house. The leg of Tito instead of Tito’s leg
  1. CHECKPOINT B: Anything beyond present tense.

Regents Writing Mechanics: AGREEMENT

Rules for using adjectives

  1. Adjectives are placed after the noun. This is backwards from what we do in English. In English we say mean girls or red books. In Spanish we say girls mean and books red.

Example- Las chicas antipáticas y los libros rojos.

  1. Adjectives must agree in number! If the noun you are describing is singular you must make the adjective agree. If the noun is plural you must make it agree. To do this you add the letter “s”

Example- the big books- los libros grandes

The big book- el libro grande

  1. Adjectives must agree in gender! If the noun you are describing is feminine you must make the adjective agree by changing the “o” to an “a”. If the noun you are describing is masculine make the adjective agree by leaving the “o”

*Note* There are some exceptions

Nouns that end in “ión”, “dad”, and “tud” are feminine (la ciudad, la juventud, la ciudad)

Nouns that end in “ma” are masculine (el clima)

Other irregulars include:

El Agua

El mapa

Details, Details, Details: Give as many details as you can!

Español / English
Guapo
Feo
Bonita
Linda
Hermosa
Alto
Bajo
Pequeño
Grande
Gracioso/Cómico
Serio
Inteligente
Perezoso
Ambicioso
Rubio
Moreno
Popular
Aburrido
Simpático
Antipático
Fácil
Difícil
Estricto
Interesante
Nuevo
Verde
Azul
Café
Amarillo
Rojo
Rosa
Anaranjado
Blanco
Negro
Violeta

REGENTS REVIEW: Introduction & Purpose & Task

Copy the Vocab 5X Each & Define in English

Intro for the Picture (Don’t forget the picture HAS to be a STORY)

  1. Un día…
  2. Al principio
  3. La familia tiene un problema
  4. Hoy
  5. Mañana
  6. Ayer

Closing to a Picture

  1. Esta es la historia de…
  2. Todos pasaba un buen rato…
  3. El fin

Introduction to a Letter

  1. Hola, ¿Cómo está? Yo estoy bien.
  2. Yo necesito ayuda
  3. ¿Puede ayudarme?
  4. Yo tengo un problema

Closing to a Letter

  1. Muchas gracias por su atención
  2. Muchas gracias por su tiempo
  3. Gracias por leer mi carta
  4. Llámeme