Goethe A2 Writing (Schreiben) Part 1 – Short Message
In Part 1 you write a short personal message for a situation with guide points. Here’s how to build it step by step.
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Key takeaways
- You write a short personal message (e.g. text) for a situation with guide points.
- Cover all guide points and don’t forget the greeting and sign-off.
What this part tests
In Part 1 you produce text yourself: a short personal message – for example a text or email to a friend. You get a situation and guide points, all of which you must cover.
Three things are decisive: you address all guide points (one to two sentences each), you start with a greeting and end with a sign-off, and you write simple, understandable sentences. Perfect grammar isn’t expected at A2.
The most common losses of marks: a guide point is missing, or the greeting and sign-off are missing. Whoever covers all points and uses fixed phrases writes confidently and completely.
How to approach it
- 1
Read the situation and the guide points carefully.
- 2
Start with a suitable greeting (“Hallo …” / “Liebe/r …”).
- 3
Write one to two sentences for each guide point.
- 4
Link your sentences with “und”, “aber”, “weil”.
- 5
End with a sign-off (“Viele Grüße”).
- 6
Check at the end: all guide points, greeting and sign-off present?
Example task with answer
A short example in the same format: the task and a model answer that covers all guide points.
Deine Freundin Tina hat dich zu ihrem Geburtstag eingeladen. Schreibe eine Antwort. Leitpunkte: (1) Bedanke dich für die Einladung. (2) Sage, dass du kommst. (3) Frage, ob du etwas mitbringen sollst.
Model answer:
Why? The message covers all three guide points: thanking (1), confirming (2), asking about bringing something (3). It has a greeting (“Liebe Tina”) and a sign-off (“Viele Grüße”) and is informal throughout – exactly what Part 1 expects.
Practice: test yourself
Du antwortest einer Freundin auf eine Einladung zum Geburtstag.
Which greeting and sign-off fit?
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Common mistakes
All points must appear. Tick them off one by one after writing.
A message needs a greeting at the start and a sign-off at the end.
Write short, simple sentences. Complicated sentences lead to errors.
To friends you write “du” and “Hallo”, not “Sie” and “Sehr geehrte …”.
Tips
- Write one to two sentences for each guide point.
- Learn fixed phrases for greeting, request and sign-off by heart.
- Check at the end that all points, greeting and sign-off are there.
Frequently asked questions
How long should the message be?
Short – one to two sentences per guide point, plus greeting and sign-off. What matters is that all points appear.
Do I really have to cover all guide points?
Yes. Each missing guide point costs marks. Tick off each point one by one after writing.
Do I write “du” or “Sie”?
In Part 1 the message is usually private (to friends/family) – then you write “du” and “Hallo”.
How do I get feedback on my message?
The official PDF answer key does not grade writing. At Prepliq a mock exam grades your message automatically with reference to the published assessment criteria.
Other parts
Useful resources
Learn 500+ of the most important Goethe-Zertifikat A2 words interactively with flashcards.
Preview and download the official Goethe-Zertifikat A2 practice test – with answers and study material.
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