Global Issues: Poverty and Homelessness (Writing)
Writing about poverty and homelessness as global issues, a higher-level topic, covers describing the problem and its causes, recounting charity work or volunteering done to help, and arguing what governments, charities and individuals should do next.
Before you start
Make sure you're comfortable with these topics first:
Method
- Read the bullets and identify which need factual/present-tense description of the problem, which need the preterite for something already done to help, and which need a persuasive, solution-focused structure.
- Plan cause-and-effect vocabulary before writing: a cause (el desempleo, la falta de vivienda barata) and its consequence (mucha gente no tiene suficiente para comer).
- Build the description using hay (hay mucha pobreza) or an impersonal se construction (se calcula que...) rather than a simplistic sentence like poverty is bad.
- Build the personal-action bullet in the preterite with detail (el año pasado, hice voluntariado en un comedor social donde serví comida a personas sin hogar).
- Build the solution bullet using at least one subjunctive or impersonal structure (es necesario que los gobiernos inviertan más, hay que ayudar a los más vulnerables) plus a connective and a justified opinion.
- Check agreement on abstract nouns and their articles (la pobreza is feminine, el desempleo is masculine) and check the subjunctive endings used after es necesario que/es importante que (que plus the present subjunctive, not the infinitive).
- Check accents on the topic's key vocabulary: población, también, además, and on any preterite ending in -ó or -í.
Worked example
Write a short paragraph in Spanish for a charity campaign. Mention: a global problem that worries you and why; something you or your school has done to help; what you think should be done to solve the problem.
- PLAN the problem and cause: la pobreza plus a cause such as el desempleo or los precios altos de la vivienda.
- PLAN the personal action in the preterite: donamos ropa, hicimos una venta benéfica, recaudamos dinero.
- BUILD the problem sentence with impersonal language: Me preocupa mucho la pobreza, porque hay millones de personas en el mundo que no tienen suficiente dinero para comer o para tener un techo.
- BUILD the action sentence in the preterite with a subordinate clause: El trimestre pasado, mi instituto organizó una venta benéfica que recaudó más de quinientas libras para una ONG local.
- BUILD the solution with a subjunctive structure and connective: Sin embargo, creo que las donaciones no bastan; es necesario que los gobiernos inviertan más en vivienda social y que creen más empleos para reducir la pobreza a largo plazo.
Practice questions
Try each question, then tap to reveal the answer.
Q1Fill the gap with the present subjunctive: Es necesario que los gobiernos ___ (invertir) más en vivienda social.Show answer
Answer: inviertan - present subjunctive of the stem-changing verb invertir, third person plural, used after es necesario que.
Q2Give the preterite ellos form of recaudar (to raise/collect money).Show answer
Answer: recaudaron - regular -ar preterite: recaudé, recaudaste, recaudó, recaudamos, recaudaron.
Q3Correct the error: 'Hay muchas persona sin hogar en las grandes ciudades.'Show answer
Answer: Hay muchas personas sin hogar en las grandes ciudades - persona needs the plural s to agree with muchas.
Q4Translate into Spanish: 'It is essential that we help the most vulnerable people in society.'Show answer
Answer: Es esencial que ayudemos a las personas más vulnerables de la sociedad.
Q5Translate into English: 'El año pasado, hicimos voluntariado en un comedor social para personas sin hogar.'Show answer
Answer: Last year, we volunteered at a soup kitchen for homeless people.
Q6Give the Spanish for 'to raise money/funds' and 'a non-governmental organisation'.Show answer
Answer: recaudar fondos and una ONG (organización no gubernamental).
Q7Which structure is more persuasive/higher-level for recommending action: se debe ayudar or es fundamental que se ayude?Show answer
Answer: es fundamental que se ayude uses the present subjunctive after an impersonal expression and is the higher-level structure; se debe ayudar is correct but simpler, using the infinitive after the impersonal se debe.
Exam-style questions
Written in the style of a GCSE Spanish exam paper, with a full mark scheme.
Write about a global issue in Spanish. Answer all four bullet points in Spanish. Write approximately 40 words in Spanish. - a global problem that worries you and why - a cause of poverty or homelessness - something you or your school has done to help - your opinion on whether enough is being done to help
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Write for a charity website about a global issue. You must mention: - describe a social problem such as poverty or homelessness and explain its causes - describe something you have done, or could do, to help people in need - say what you think governments and charities should do to solve the problem - give a personal opinion on why it is important to help others
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See real GCSE Spanish past-paper questions, with official mark schemes →
Free printable worksheet
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