Writing: Register, Structure and Accuracy
What this domain tests
You produce a short text - message, email, informal letter, notice, short article or opinion piece - of a set length, on a familiar topic. Marks reward task fulfilment, range of language, accuracy and appropriate register, so a simple but correct text beats an ambitious but broken one.
Concepts you must control
- Register and address: te forms for friends and peers (Szia! Köszönöm, hogy…), ön forms for officials and businesses (Tisztelt Asszonyom! … Üdvözlettel:). Mixing them is a serious error.
- Letter conventions: greeting on its own line, closing formula matched to register, date and place in the right order (Budapest, 2024. május 3.).
- Verb conjugation: definite versus indefinite conjugation (olvasom a könyvet vs olvasok egy könyvet). The object determines the ending.
- Time and place expressions: -kor for clock time, -tól/-ig for ranges, múlva for 'in' future time, -jára in date expressions.
- Cohesion: use először, azután, végül, azonban, ráadásul to link ideas; examiners reward visible structure.
Traps
- Ignoring bullet prompts: each content point must be covered; missing one caps the mark.
- Word-count drift: going far under the minimum loses content marks; padding with repetition does not help.
- Register slips: opening with Szia and closing with Üdvözlettel.
- Definite/indefinite confusion after egy, néhány, semmi.
- Over-long sentences where a subordinate clause collapses mid-way.
Rule of thumb
Spend the first two minutes writing a five-line plan matching each prompt bullet to one paragraph, then draft in short sentences. Reserve three minutes to check endings: subject–verb agreement, possessive suffixes and case suffixes.
Worked example
Prompt: write an email (about 80 words) to a friend inviting them to a weekend trip, mentioning transport, cost and what to bring. Plan: greeting; invitation and dates; train and price; what to pack; closing question. Draft: Szia Anna! Jövő szombaton kirándulni megyünk a Pilisbe. Vonattal utazunk, a jegy körülbelül kétezer forintba kerül. Hozz meleg kabátot és vizet, mert a hegyen hűvös van. Van kedved jönni? Várom a válaszodat! Pusszantás: Eszter. Every bullet is covered, register is consistently informal, and each sentence stays short enough to control the suffixes.