What it is: Most lost marks come from a few repeated slips. Learn them and check for them at the end.
| Error | Wrong | Right |
|---|---|---|
| du and Sie mixed | Sehr geehrte Frau Ko, kannst du… | Sehr geehrte Frau Ko, können Sie… |
| tense | Gestern gehe ich ins Kino. | Gestern bin ich ins Kino gegangen. |
| verb after weil | …, weil ich habe Zeit. | …, weil ich Zeit habe. |
| verb after deshalb | Deshalb ich bleibe zu Hause. | Deshalb bleibe ich zu Hause. |
| gender and endings | die Problem, für jung Menschen | das Problem, für junge Menschen |
| capitals | die umwelt, danke ihnen | die Umwelt, danke Ihnen |
Remember: Past events need a past tense: gestern, letzten Sommer, vor zwei Jahren.
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The last five minutes
Tone
du or Sie the same from start to end?
Verbs
Right tense? Verb second or last?
Endings and capitals
der, die, das? Nouns with capitals?
The task
Every part answered? About 450–600 words?
Tone → Verbs → Endings → Task
Spot and fix
A weak extract, then the fix
- Hallo Frau Berg, ich schreibe dir, weil ich bin krank. Gestern komme ich nicht.
- Sehr geehrte Frau Berg, ich schreibe Ihnen, weil ich krank bin. Gestern bin ich nicht gekommen.
Learn what examiners really want
See exactly what to write to score full marks. Our AI shows you model answers and the key phrases examiners look for.
Do
- Keep five minutes to check.
- Check one thing at a time.
- Fix the verbs first.
Don't
- Hand in without re-reading.
- Add new ideas at the end.
- Ignore gestern and letztes Jahr.