In Part 3 you write a short formal message, for example an apology or a request. Here’s how to stay polite and complete.
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Key takeaways
In Part 3 you write a short formal message (around 40 words) – for example to a school, a company or an authority. Typical occasions are an apology, a refusal or a request.
What’s decisive is the formal register: a formal greeting (“Sehr geehrte Damen und Herren”), a polite request (with “Sie”) and a suitable sign-off (“Mit freundlichen Grüßen”). Despite the brevity, the occasion must be clear.
The most common losses of marks: writing too privately (“Hallo”, “du”) or not stating the request clearly. Whoever writes politely and formally and names the reason clearly solves this part reliably.
Read the situation and consider your request (apology, refusal, request).
Start with a formal greeting (“Sehr geehrte Damen und Herren,”).
State your request clearly and politely (with “Sie”).
Give a short reason if needed.
End with a formal sign-off (“Mit freundlichen Grüßen”).
Check at the end: formal register, request clear, greeting and sign-off?
A short example in the same format: the task and a model answer.
Du bist krank und kannst morgen nicht zu deinem Deutschkurs kommen. Schreibe eine kurze formelle Nachricht an die Sprachschule (~40 Wörter): Entschuldige dich und bitte um die Hausaufgaben.
Model answer:
Why? The message is formal throughout (greeting, “Sie”, sign-off), names the occasion clearly (apology) and the request (homework) – exactly what Part 3 expects, in around 40 words.
Du kannst wegen Krankheit nicht zu einem Kurs kommen und schreibst der Sprachschule.
Which greeting and sign-off fit?
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To a school or company you write “Sie” and “Sehr geehrte …”, not “Hallo” and “du”.
Say clearly what it’s about – apology, refusal or request.
Even a short formal message needs a greeting and sign-off.
Around 40 words are enough. Stay polite but brief.
Around 40 words. It is shorter than the other parts but must contain a greeting, the request and a sign-off.
In Part 3 you write formally – so “Sie” and “Sehr geehrte Damen und Herren”. The register must be consistently formal.
An apology, a refusal or a request to a school, company or authority.
The official PDF answer key does not grade writing. At Prepliq a mock exam grades your message automatically against the official criteria.
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