Writing: Planning, Register and Accuracy
What this section tests
You will produce short texts such as an email, notice, informal message, opinion paragraph or narrative. Marks reward task fulfilment, range of vocabulary and structures, accuracy, and appropriate register. Length and format instructions matter.
Concepts to master
- Register: formal letters use Vi forms, S poštovanjem, full clauses; informal messages use ti, ćao, javiću se, shorter sentences.
- Case government: verbs like zahvaliti se (dative), bojati se (genitive), rukovati (instrumental). Prepositions fix the case that follows.
- Aspect in narrative: perfective verbs carry the plot forward (otvorio sam vrata), imperfective verbs set the scene (dok sam čekao).
- Tense consistency: present, perfect (sam + participle), future (ću + infinitive or da + present), and conditional (bih + participle).
- Cohesion: use connectors (prvo, zatim, međutim, dakle, na kraju) so the text flows.
Traps
Writing far more than the word limit and running out of time. Mixing ti and Vi in the same text. Forgetting gender agreement in the participle (rekla sam, not rekao sam if female). Omitting the required content points - a checklist is worth more than clever vocabulary. Overusing English-influenced word order instead of clitic-second placement.
Rule of thumb
Spend two minutes planning three or four content points, then write one paragraph per point. Leave two minutes to check: verb endings, case after prepositions, clitic position, and that every bullet in the prompt has been answered.
Worked example
Prompt: write a short email apologising for missing a meeting and proposing a new time. Model opening: Poštovani, izvinjavam se što nisam mogao da prisustvujem sastanku u utorak. Predlažem da se sastanemo u četvrtak u deset. Note the formal Poštovani, the dative after prisustvovati, and the clear proposal - three requirements met in two sentences.