WRITING: My Hero

LEVEL 150 - 180

Who do you admire? Write about your hero. / ¿A quién admiras? Escribe sobre tu héroe.

My Hero

My hero is my mother. Her name is Maria Yolanda Pittman. She was born in Ancash, Peru, in 1949. When she was a teenager, she both went to school and worked really hard. In Ancash, most people make a living by raising animals, growing food, and running small businesses; so at home, my mother helped her parents in those three ways; and that was not easy because she had to go to school in the morning and in the afternoon. At lunchtime, she had to cook for her family; and at night, she had to do homework no matter how tired she was. When she turned 18, she moved to Lima and looked for a job. It took her some time to adapt to her new circumstances. She is not a famous person. She did not go to university, either; but she is very important to me because she taught me what the most important things in life are: family, hard work, and hospitality. I look up to her because she raised five children by herself; and she both worked and looked after my four sisters and me without neglecting us. My mother is the most important person in my life; and I hope I can become as strong as she is.

¿Qué se puede resaltar del párrafo modelo en cuanto a la estructura de sus oraciones?

Se usa bien el "simple past":

• She was born in Ancash, Peru, in 1949. / Ella nació en Ancash, Perú, en 1949.
  
• When she was a teenager, she both went to school and worked really hard. / Cuando fue adolescente, ella estudió y trabajó bien duro.
  
• At home, my mother helped her parents in those three ways; and that was not easy because she had to go to school in the morning and in the afternoon. / En casa, mi madre ayudó a sus padres en esas tres formas; y ello no era fácil pues ella tenía que ir al colegio en la mañana y en la tarde.
  
• At lunchtime, she had to cook for her family; and at night, she had to do homework no matter how tired she was. / A la hora de almuerzo, ella tenía que cocinar para su familia; y por la noche, ella tenía que hacer tareas sin importar cuán cansada estaba.
  
• When she turned 18, she moved to Lima and looked for a job. / Cuando cumplió 18 años, ella se mudó a Lima y buscó trabajo.
  
• It took her some time to adapt to her new circumstances. / Le tomó algo de tiempo adaptarse a sus nuevas circunstancias.
• She did not go to university, either. / Ella no fue a la universidad tampoco.
• She taught me what the most important things in life are: family, hard work, and hospitality. / Ella me enseñó cuáles son las cosas más importantes en la vida: la familia, el trabajo duro, y la hospitalidad.
  
• She raised five children by herself; and she both worked and looked after my four sisters and me without neglecting us. / Ella crió cinco hijos por su cuenta; y tanto trabajó como cuidó a mis cuatro hermanas y a mí sin descuidarnos.

Otras traducciones:

• In Ancash, most people make a living by raising animals, growing food, and running small businesses. / En Ancash, la mayoría de las personas se gana la vida criando animales, cultivando alimentos, y administrando un pequeño negocio.
• I look up to her. / Yo la admiro (a ella).
• I hope I can become as strong as she is. / Yo espero poder llegar a ser tan fuerte como ella es.

Usa la siguiente tabla como ejemplo de cómo organizar tus ideas antes de escribir un párrafo sobre tu héroe.

EL SIGUIENTE PÁRRAFO HA SIDO DONADO POR MARÍA PÍA ÁLVAREZ.

Malala Yousafzai is the new winner of the Nobel Peace Prize. She is my hero.  I admire this 16-year-old girl because she is an activist for children's right to education. She uses her blog to work for this cause. She was born on July 12, 1997 in Pakistan. Life in this country is difficult because there is a lot of poverty and there are terrorists that kill many people in the name of Islam.  In October 2012, the Taliban terrorist group tried to kill her but she survived. Especially young women in Peru should feel lucky that they can study anything they want, that their dreams are not taken away by people who think they are less than a man. I look up to her because she speaks outloud for those who can't.