Writing
Writing tests your ability to produce clear Italian for a purpose and audience. Typical tasks are an email, a postcard, a note, or a short letter. Marks reward content points, accurate grammar and vocabulary, appropriate register, and clear organization.
Core rules
- Read the prompt twice and list every content point; tick each one in your answer.
- Decide register before writing: tu for a friend or peer, Lei for a teacher, host, or official.
- Use a simple frame: greeting, opening sentence, body points, closing formula, signature.
- Link ideas with perché, ma, però, quindi, anche, prima, poi, infine.
- Check verb endings, adjective agreement, accents, and spelling of è, e, sì, si.
- Keep sentences short and correct rather than long and risky.
Worked example
Prompt: Write an email to your Italian host family: thank them, say you arrive Friday at 18:00, ask whether you should bring anything for dinner. Model: “Cara famiglia, grazie mille per la vostra ospitalità. Arrivo venerdì alle 18:00. Vorrei sapere se devo portare qualcosa per la cena. A presto, [name].” Reasoning: Cara famiglia fits a family host; vostra agrees with family; Arrivo covers the time; Vorrei sapere se devo politely asks the question.
Traps
Missing a content point; mixing tu and Lei; translating “I am looking forward” literally; writing à for a; forgetting to sign off.