Schreiben: task achievement, structure and register
In the Schreiben part you produce a coherent English text at B1, usually with a choice of two or three tasks. Each task gives a situation, a text type (email or letter, article for the school magazine, blog comment, report) and three or four content points that you must cover. Marks come from three areas: how completely you deal with the task, how clearly the text is organised, and how accurate and varied your language is.
Decode the task
- Underline the text type, the addressee, the register (formal or informal), the purpose and every bullet point.
- The bullet points are compulsory content. Tick each one off as you write; a missing point loses a content mark however good your English is.
- Check the required length. A text far below it usually means content is missing.
Build the text
- Opening: greeting and reason for writing - "I'm writing to tell you about our project day."
- Body: one paragraph per bullet point, each with a topic sentence and one or two supporting sentences.
- Closing: a suitable formula, plus a question or invitation where the task asks for one.
- Cohesion: however, although, therefore, in addition, on the other hand; refer back with this, such, it, that.
- Range with control: conditionals, relative clauses, passive and gerunds - but only structures you use correctly. A correct simple sentence beats a broken complex one.
Worked example
Task: "Your English pen friend wants to know about environmental projects at your school. Write an email: describe one project, explain why it matters, ask about their school." Model: "Hi Sam, / Thanks for your email. At our school we have installed solar panels on the gym roof, and the electricity they produce is used for the science labs. This matters because ... / What does your school do? / Best wishes, ..." Reasoning: "Hi Sam" and contractions fit a pen friend; the present perfect describes a completed action with present relevance; each bullet point gets its own paragraph; a direct question leads into the closing.
Traps that cost marks
- Dropping a bullet point or answering it in half a sentence.
- Wrong conventions: an article needs a headline; an email needs a greeting and sign-off.
- Reusing a memorised text that does not answer this question.
- Register slips: slang in a formal letter, "Dear Sir or Madam" to a friend.
- German word order in subordinate clauses and false friends such as actual/currently, become/bekommen, handy/mobile phone.