Writing and Composition: Clear, Correct, Connected
What the section really tests
Writing tasks ask for short functional texts-an email, a note, a description, or a brief opinion-or ask you to repair sentences. Assessors reward three things: task completion (did you cover every bullet point?), accuracy (case, endings, word order), and cohesion (linking words, logical order). Length and complexity matter less than clarity.
Concepts to master
- Register and greeting formulas: formal Sehr geehrte Damen und Herren, / Mit freundlichen Grüßen; informal Liebe Anna, / Viele Grüße. Match the pronoun (Sie or du) throughout-never mix.
- Coverage checklist: convert each prompt bullet into a sentence before you write prose. If the prompt says "say why you cannot come and suggest a new time," you need both.
- Connectors: zuerst, außerdem, deshalb, trotzdem, zum Schluss make paragraphs flow and show range.
- Sentence variety: alternate main clauses with one subordinate clause (weil, obwohl, damit) to demonstrate control without risk.
- Editing routine: check verb-second position, subject–verb agreement, capital letters on all nouns, and correct case after prepositions.
Traps to expect
Answering only part of the prompt. Switching from Sie to du mid-text. Literal translation from English word order ("Ich habe gegangen" instead of Ich bin gegangen). Forgetting noun capitalization, which is a visible accuracy marker. Overlong sentences that collapse into case errors.
Worked example
Prompt: write a short email declining a meeting and proposing Thursday. "Sehr geehrte Frau Meyer, leider kann ich am Montag nicht an dem Treffen teilnehmen, weil ich einen Arzttermin habe. Könnten wir uns stattdessen am Donnerstag um 10 Uhr treffen? Mit freundlichen Grüßen, ..." Notice: formal greeting, weil sends habe to the end, am Donnerstag for time, and a polite subjunctive question.
Rule of thumb
Spend the first minute turning each prompt bullet into a keyword note, write one clear sentence per bullet, then reserve the last minutes for an accuracy check.