Register and the Formal Letter
Ben is writing the formal written task: a letter to the school principal (Schulleitung) proposing a later start to the school day. He has strong ideas and accurate grammar, but his draft opens Hi Frau Direktorin, wie geht's? and uses du forms throughout (du solltest, kannst du). He ends with Bis dann, Ben. He argues that students are tired and that research supports later starts, but he gives no concrete proposal (no suggested time, no trial period). The task instructions specify a formal register and a clear recommendation.
1. Identify the register errors and explain why they matter for the written examination mark, not just for politeness.
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The errors are register and convention failures:
- Hi Frau Direktorin, wie geht's? - informal greeting inappropriate for a letter to school leadership.
- du forms throughout - the formal Sie is expected in a letter to the principal.
- Bis dann, Ben - informal closing.
These matter for the mark because the written criteria assess appropriateness of register and text type. A formal letter requires formal conventions (e.g. Sehr geehrte Frau Direktorin, Mit freundlichen Grüßen). Accurate grammar does not rescue a text whose register is wrong for its audience and purpose; examiners treat this as a communication weakness.
2. Ben's letter lacks a concrete recommendation. Explain why this weakens the content mark and give one improved closing paragraph.
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The task requires a clear recommendation, so a letter that only describes tiredness and cites research does not fully meet the communicative purpose. A proposal needs a specific ask the reader can act on - otherwise the principal has nothing to decide.
Improved closing:
Ich möchte daher vorschlagen, den Unterricht für ein Semester um 30 Minuten später beginnen zu lassen und die Ergebnisse anschließend auszuwerten. Über eine Rückmeldung würde ich mich sehr freuen. Mit freundlichen Grüßen, Ben Weber.
This adds a concrete, time-bound proposal (30 minutes, one semester, evaluation) and uses formal register and closing, strengthening both content and appropriateness.