Spanish Literature, Grammar, and Orthography Essentials

Literature: Authors and Works

Key figures and their contributions include Felix Lope de Vega (La selva sin amor), Luis de Góngora (With such a difference, so gracefully), and Federico García Lorca (Impressions and Landscapes).

Romances

The romance is a traditional poetic form characterized by octosyllabic verses with alternating assonant rhyme. Types include historical, Carolingian, frontier, and lyric.

Evolution of the Romance

Old ballads from the 15th century were anonymous. By the 16th century, authors began to be identified, and the form continued to develop through the 16th and 17th centuries.

Orthography: The Use of G and J

• G usage: Used in derivatives of words containing it (e.g., old, to choose), words like genius or general, words ending in -ogy or -ological, and words containing igi or agi (e.g., required). Verbs ending in -ger or -gir also use G.
• J usage: Always used in words ending in -aje (e.g., luggage, travel). Used in verbs where the infinitive contains a J (e.g., travel).
• Exceptions: Derivatives of words with J (e.g., short).
• Prefixes: Words beginning with geo- use G; words beginning with eje- use J.

Grammar: The Verb

• Person: 1st, 2nd, 3rd.
• Number: Singular and Plural.
• Tense: Past, Present, and Future.
• Mood: Indicative (real action), Subjunctive (desire, doubt, possibility), and Imperative (commands).
• Aspect: Indicates if the action is finished or ongoing.
• Voice: Active (subject performs action), Passive (subject receives action), and Passive Reflexive (Se + Verb + Patient Subject).
• Periphrasis: Constructed with two or more verbal forms to express a single meaning and aspectual value (e.g., You have to be).

Texts and Their Classes

Regulations

An ordered set of instructions applicable to specific actions and situations. The language must be precise.

Calls

Must identify the following: greeting, body (place, date, time), and signature.

Minutes

A formal document listing issues from a meeting. Structure: Header (place, date, time, attendees, purpose), Body (approval of previous minutes, summary of interventions, resolutions, future goals), and End (final formulas and signatures).

Lexicon

Cult compounds are formed using roots from Latin or Greek (e.g., biologists). They are composed of multiple tokens and include both inflectional and derivative morphemes.