B1 Schreiben Teil 1 – Informal Email

What Is Goethe B1 Schreiben Teil 1?

Schreiben Teil 1 is the informal email task in the Goethe B1 exam. You read an email from a friend and write a reply of approximately 80 to 100 words, addressing all content points specified in the prompt. You have about 20 minutes for this task. Teil 1 tests whether you can communicate naturally in personal written German — reacting to news, sharing experiences, expressing opinions, asking questions, and making suggestions.

The step up from A2 to B1 is significant in this task. At A2, you wrote short, formulaic responses. At B1, examiners expect longer, more developed replies that demonstrate personality, opinion, and the ability to connect ideas using connectors like deshalb, außerdem, trotzdem, and obwohl. Your email should read like a genuine message from a friend — not a list of disconnected sentences.

How Teil 1 Is Scored

Three scoring criteria determine your Teil 1 mark. Task fulfillment (Inhalt) checks whether you addressed every required content point. At B1, prompts typically include four points — more than at A2 — and each must be clearly present in your reply. Partially addressing a point (for example, mentioning your friend's move but not sharing your opinion about it) still results in lost marks.

Communicative design (kommunikative Gestaltung) evaluates the coherence and naturalness of your email. Examiners look for logical flow between sentences, appropriate use of connectors, and a tone that matches the informal context. Your email should feel like a real conversation — with reactions (Das ist ja toll!), follow-up questions, and a natural progression from one topic to the next.

Grammar and vocabulary (sprachliche Richtigkeit) assesses whether you demonstrate B1-level language. This means going beyond basic A2 structures: using weil and dass clauses, Perfekt tense, modal verbs, and simple Konjunktiv II (Ich würde mich freuen, wenn...). Vocabulary should be varied — avoid repeating the same words and phrases throughout your email.

Example Task

Your friend Jonas has written you an email about his plans to move to a new city for work. Write a reply. In your email:

• React to his news and share your opinion
• Tell him about a similar experience you had
• Suggest meeting up before he moves
• Ask about his new job

How to Write an Effective B1 Informal Email

Open with a natural greeting and reaction. Start with Lieber Jonas, followed by a genuine response to your friend's news: Vielen Dank für deine E-Mail! Das sind ja tolle Neuigkeiten! (Thanks for your email! That's great news!) This opening establishes a warm, natural tone that examiners reward under communicative design.

Develop each content point with one to three sentences. At B1, single-sentence responses are too thin. For "share your opinion," do not just write Ich finde das gut. Instead, develop it: Ich finde es mutig, dass du in eine neue Stadt ziehst. Das ist eine große Veränderung, aber ich bin sicher, dass es eine gute Erfahrung wird. (I think it's brave that you're moving to a new city. It's a big change, but I'm sure it will be a good experience.)

Use connectors to link your ideas. Transitions between content points should feel smooth, not abrupt. Use Übrigens (by the way) to shift topics, Deshalb (therefore) to show cause and effect, Außerdem (moreover) to add information, and Trotzdem (nevertheless) to contrast. These connectors directly improve your coherence score.

Share a personal experience with some detail. When the prompt asks you to describe a similar experience, provide enough detail to make it feel real: Als ich vor zwei Jahren nach Berlin gezogen bin, war ich am Anfang auch nervös. Aber nach ein paar Wochen habe ich mich sehr wohl gefühlt. (When I moved to Berlin two years ago, I was nervous at first too. But after a few weeks, I felt very comfortable.)

Close with a warm, natural sign-off. End with a forward-looking sentence and an informal closing: Lass uns bald treffen, bevor du umziehst! Schreib mir, wann du Zeit hast. Liebe Grüße, [Name] (Let's meet soon before you move! Write me when you have time. Best wishes, [Name])

Word Count Strategy for B1 Teil 1

The target of 80 to 100 words requires careful planning. With four content points, each point needs about 15 to 20 words (two to three sentences). Add 10 words for the greeting and opening reaction, and 10 words for the closing — you reach 80 to 100 words naturally. Writing significantly over 100 words increases the chance of grammar errors and can slow you down for Teil 2 and Teil 3. Plan your response before writing to ensure balanced coverage.

Common Prompt Types in B1 Teil 1

Typical B1 Teil 1 prompts include reacting to a friend's life changes (new job, move, relationship, baby), responding to a friend's plans or suggestions (trip, event, activity), sharing experiences related to your friend's situation (similar experiences, advice), and expressing opinions on personal decisions your friend is considering.

The four content points always require different communicative functions — reacting, informing, suggesting, asking — which tests the range of your informal communication skills.

Common Mistakes in B1 Schreiben Teil 1

Writing in list format instead of flowing email prose. Each content point should connect naturally to the next, not appear as a bullet-point checklist. Examiners penalize disconnected, mechanical responses under communicative design.

Using only simple sentences without connectors or subordinate clauses. At B1, writing exclusively with Ich finde... Ich möchte... Ich frage... shows insufficient grammatical range. Include at least some weil, dass, wenn, and obwohl clauses to demonstrate B1-level grammar.

Forgetting to react emotionally to your friend's message. A reply that jumps straight to answering content points without expressing any reaction (Toll!, Das freut mich!, Schade!) feels unnatural and scores lower on communicative design.

Running out of time because you spent too long on Teil 1. Keep to the 20-minute limit. A slightly shorter but complete email is better than an unfinished long one.

Practice B1 Schreiben Teil 1 on Deutsch Fox

On deutschfox.com, you can practice B1 informal email tasks with diverse, realistic prompts. The AI examiner evaluates your content coverage, connector usage, register consistency, and grammar variety. It checks whether your email flows naturally and whether you addressed each content point with sufficient depth. The error memory feature tracks your recurring issues — whether you tend to write too briefly, forget connectors, or struggle with specific grammar structures — ensuring your practice targets your actual weaknesses rather than repeating what you already do well.