A2 writing asks for a short message — an email to a friend, a note to a neighbour, a reply to an invitation — with three content points listed under the task. The marking looks for all three points covered, an appropriate greeting and close, and control of the basic structures.
Students lose marks for one of two things: writing beautifully about two points and forgetting the third, or writing formally to a friend.
Get the register right. To a friend: Liebe Anna / Lieber Max, then du throughout, close with Liebe Grüße or Bis bald. To an office or a landlord: Sehr geehrte Frau …, / Sehr geehrter Herr …, then Sie throughout, close with Mit freundlichen Grüßen. Mixing du and Sie inside one message is the clearest signal of an unprepared candidate.
Cover the points visibly. One short paragraph each, in the order given. An examiner should be able to point at each point in your text.
A shape that works:
- Greeting.
- One sentence of contact — Danke für deine Nachricht / Wie geht es dir?
- Point one. Point two. Point three.
- A closing line — Bis bald / Ich freue mich auf deine Antwort.
- Sign-off and your name.
Keep the sentences short and correct rather than long and uncertain. At A2 a message of simple, accurate sentences that answers everything scores above an ambitious one that half-answers.