Writing (structured tasks and extended response)
Writing in 8207 asks you to produce German for a purpose and reader. Structured tasks may be a message, email, notice, or short report with content points; extended response may be an article, letter, or argumentative text. Marks depend on task achievement, organization, range, accuracy, and register, so a linguistically ambitious answer that misses a content point loses more than a simple accurate one that covers the task.
Core writing rules
- Underline the audience, purpose, and every content point. Use the correct greeting and closing: Liebe Anna / Lieber Tom versus Sehr geehrte Frau Weber.
- Organize with paragraphs and clear connectors: zuerst, außerdem, allerdings, deshalb, zum Schluss.
- Vary syntax: main clause verb second; subordinate clause verb final (..., weil ich keine Zeit habe); um ... zu for purpose; relative clauses for definitions.
- Control cases after prepositions and verbs: mit dem Bus, für den Kurs, sich über etwas beschweren.
- Reserve the final part of the task for checking verb endings, article endings, capitalization of nouns, and word order.
Worked example
Prompt: Write an email to your exchange partner explaining that you cannot attend the weekend trip and suggesting another date. Model sentence: “Leider kann ich am Samstag nicht mitkommen, weil ich meiner Gastfamilie beim Umzug helfen muss. Könnten wir stattdessen am Sonntag fahren?” Reasoning: Leider signals the refusal; kann ... mitkommen is a modal with separable verb at the end; weil sends muss to the final position. Könnten wir is a polite suggestion in Konjunktiv II. The answer covers both content points-apology/refusal and alternative date-and keeps an informal register.
Traps that cost marks
- Copying a memorized essay that does not answer the exact prompt.
- Using English word order after weil, dass, or ob.
- Mixing du and Sie in one text.
- Forgetting to state the purpose in the opening or to close appropriately.