Writing (Schriftlicher Ausdruck)
What is tested
You must produce a coherent German text, usually an informal or semi-formal message, email, or short opinion piece, responding to a prompt with several content points. Assessment weighs task completion, coherence, range of structures, and accuracy.
Concepts to master
Register. Informal: Hallo Anna, wie geht's dir? Liebe Grüße. Formal: Sehr geehrte Frau Weber, ich schreibe Ihnen bezüglich … Mit freundlichen Grüßen. Never mix du and Sie in one text.
Text structure. Open with a greeting and a linking sentence, develop each required point in its own short paragraph, close with a request or farewell. Use connectors: zuerst, außerdem, allerdings, deshalb, zum Schluss.
Useful functions. Inviting (Ich möchte dich zu … einladen), apologising (Es tut mir leid, dass …), giving an opinion (Meiner Meinung nach …), making a suggestion (Wie wäre es, wenn …?).
Typical traps
- Missing a content point - the biggest score loss. Tick off each prompt requirement before writing.
- Wrong register: Sie forms inside a letter to a friend.
- Overlong sentences that collapse in word order. Prefer two clear clauses.
- Ignoring the situation: if the prompt says you cannot come, do not write that you will attend.
- No greeting or sign-off, which reads as incomplete.
Rule of thumb
Spend the first two minutes planning: list the required points, choose three or four connectors, and decide on register. Leave time to reread for verb position and endings.
Worked example
Prompt: write to a friend, decline an invitation, give a reason, suggest an alternative. Model: Hallo Tom, vielen Dank für deine Einladung. Leider kann ich am Samstag nicht kommen, weil ich arbeiten muss. Wie wäre es, wenn wir uns nächste Woche treffen? Liebe Grüße, Maria. Note the verb-final weil clause and the du forms throughout.