Letter requesting visa help

Question

Hi there
I am writing an email I need some quick help with. Most of the time I have been corresponding in Spanish with colleagues on technical matters and muddling through -- tonight I need to write to someone who will arrange to grant me a special visa to enter the country and do some work. So it needs to be formal, and correct. Can anybody help? It's not that I'm lazy, I promise -- it's just getting late.
Here are some phrases I need help with:
As you know, I will be arriving on December 8 on flight number 123.
I would like permission to do the following activities:
Attend the anniversary celebration.
Visit the veterinary clinic in Playa and observe surgical procedures that are different than the way they are performed in the United States.
Introduce the project I have proposed for testing cats for viruses, and to begin testing a small number of cats.
Meet with members of the group Dulce Maria Loynaz.
Meet with professors at the Veterinary College.
Meet with Dra Isabel and deliver laboratory reagents she requested for her research project.
Meet with other individuals to discuss possibilities for cooperative research and animal welfare activities

I would like to be available to the consejo during my stay for any meetings that are appropriate. I know this is a busy time, and I hope to return in March 2009.
Thank you for your help.

Answer 1

To me it's more of a basic practicality. If you read the thread by Punisher yesterday I highly suspect that he wasn't grasping the difference between demonstrative pronouns and demonstrative adjectives. Using the diacritical mark just helps sort it all out in my mind. If I learn to omit them on demonstrative pronouns my next step will be to write as rather than . How many times have you seen tú written as tu here and it has nothing to do with typing as accents are put on their other words? The meaning of the word may be taken from context so there exists no ambiguity, but there may remain some ambiguity in the beginning student's mind.

James Santiago said:

Quentin, I think it should not have an accent. There is no doubt she is referring to the meeting. So the pronoun cannot be confused for an adjective.It is true that in modern writing, the accent is often left off demonstrative pronouns, but Quentin would not be incorrect in using an accent on them.Native speakers, with their intuitive understanding of the language, can easily determine when ambiguity requires an accent to label a pronoun and distinguish it from an adjective, but for foreigners (such as Quentin and me), it is much easier to follow the standard rule and put accents on demonstrative pronouns. And since this is a learning forum, I think it would be helpful to use them in that way. Of course, you will say that Spanish should be taught as it is actually used by natives, but there are steps to learning, and rules facilitate those steps.

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Answer 2

Heidita, yo sé que estaría mejor si los estudiantes siempre intentaban escribiendo en español antes de pidiendo ayuda de los profesores. Pero en esta caso, yo estaba trabajando con un plazo, y tuve muchos estrés.
Proxima vez, te prometo.

Heidita said:

Barbara, you should have posted this with your own try on the proofreading section.Iker has been very generous as always.

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Answer 3

Quentin, I think it should not have an accent. There is no doubt she is referring to the meeting. So the pronoun cannot be confused for an adjective.

It is true that in modern writing, the accent is often left off demonstrative pronouns, but Quentin would not be incorrect in using an accent on them.

Native speakers, with their intuitive understanding of the language, can easily determine when ambiguity requires an accent to label a pronoun and distinguish it from an adjective, but for foreigners (such as Quentin and me), it is much easier to follow the standard rule and put accents on demonstrative pronouns. And since this is a learning forum, I think it would be helpful to use them in that way. Of course, you will say that Spanish should be taught as it is actually used by natives, but there are steps to learning, and rules facilitate those steps.

Answer 4

Muchas gracias, Ike!

Answer 5

Quentin said:

I see that you agree with Heidita that these demonstrative pronouns don't need an accent mark.

iker said:

Sé que este es un momento de mucho trabajo, y espero volver en marzo del 2009.Gracias por su ayuda.

Quentin, I think it should not have an accent. There is no doubt she is referring to the meeting. So the pronoun cannot be confused for an adjective.

Answer 6

Barbara, you should have posted this with your own try on the proofreading section.
Iker has been very generous as always.

Answer 7

I see that you agree with Heidita that these demonstrative pronouns don't need an accent mark.

iker said:

Sé que este es un momento de mucho trabajo, y espero volver en marzo del 2009.Gracias por su ayuda.

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Answer 8

I should have said "Reunirme" instead "Reunirse" . (Meet with...)

Answer 9

I`ll try to help you.

As you know, I will be arriving on December 8 on flight number 123.
I would like permission to do the following activities:
Attend the anniversary celebration.
Visit the veterinary clinic in Playa and observe surgical procedures that are different than the way they are performed in the United States.
Introduce the project I have proposed for testing cats for viruses, and to begin testing a small number of cats.
Meet with members of the group Dulce Maria Loynaz.
Meet with professors at the Veterinary College.
Meet with Dra Isabel and deliver laboratory reagents she requested for her research project.
Meet with other individuals to discuss possibilities for cooperative research and animal welfare activities

I would like to be available to the consejo during my stay for any meetings that are appropriate. I know this is a busy time, and I hope to return in March 2009.
Thank you for your help.

Como sabe(s), llegaré el 8 de diciembre en el vuelo 123.
Me gustaría tener permiso para hacer las siguientes actividades:
Asistir a la celebración del aniversario.
Visitar la clínica veterinaria en Playa y observar los procedimientos quirúrgicos que son diferentes a la forma en que son llevados a cabo (o realizados) en los Estados Unidos.
Lanzar (introducir) el proyecto que he propuesto para probar los virus con gatos y empezar
probando con una pequeña cantidad de gatos.
Reunirse con miembros del grupo Dulce María Loynaz.
Reunirse con profesores en el Veterinary College.
Reunirse con la Dra. Isabel y entregarle (proveerle) reactivos de laboratorio que ella me solicitó para su proyecto de investigación.
Reunirse con otros individuos para discutir posibilidades en investigación conjunta (cooperativa) y en actividades del bienestar de los animales.
Me gustaría estar disponible para el consejo durante mi estancia y para reuniones que sean apropiadas. Sé que este es un momento de mucho trabajo, y espero volver en marzo del 2009.
Gracias por su ayuda.