Schreiben Teil 1 Zertifikat Goethe B1

It seems that Schreiben Teil 1 is complex. At least that’s what learners of Wolfgang von Goethe’s language say.

Just like Teil 2, which is also the bane of candidates for the Deutsch Zertifikat B1 at the Goethe Institute.

Personally, I don’t think any of these Teils are difficult. And in this article, I’m going to demonstrate that you too can pass this exercise with an excellent grade.

Before we begin our exercise, let’s try to understand together what exactly it’s about. The Schreiben Teil 1 B1 is simply an informal letter that we call in German informeller Brief or informelle E-mail.

In essence, you’re addressing a written message to an acquaintance, a friend, or a family member, using everyday language.

Unlike Teil 3, in which we use the formal address (Sie form), here we use the informal address with our interlocutor because we have informal relationships—therefore the du form.

So how do we proceed when we’re faced with a Schreiben Teil 1 B1 topic?

Let’s take an exercise right away and work through it together.

Let’s get started!

Understanding Schreiben Teil 1 B1: What You Need to Know

The Schreiben Teil 1 of the Goethe Zertifikat B1 exam is an informal writing task where you compose an email or letter to someone you know well. This section tests your ability to:

• Express yourself clearly in everyday German
• Follow a specific structure (greeting, introduction, main points, conclusion)
• Use appropriate Redemittel (useful phrases) for different communicative functions
• Write approximately 80 words within 20 minutes
• Address all three content points given in the task

Key Characteristics of Schreiben Teil 1 B1

Schreiben B1 Beispiel: Sample Exam Question

Let’s immediately take an exercise and work through it together.

Here’s an example of a Schreiben Teil 1 Zertifikat B1 topic. When a German language learner faces this type of test, they must first focus on the exam’s recommendations—the elements they need to pay attention to in their assignment to stay within the exam standards.

These elements are always written at the end of the Schreiben topic, as we can clearly see in ours. Specifically, they are:

• Anrede (Greeting/Salutation)
• Einleitung (Introduction)
• Reihenfolge der Inhaltspunkte (Sequence of content points)
• Schluss (Conclusion)

In summary, we have 4 steps to follow: Die Anrede, die Einleitung, die Reihenfolge der Inhaltspunkte und der Schluss.

On this point, I’m going to try to give you different effective methods to successfully respect each of these steps mentioned in your topic. As we say in German: Los! (Let’s go!)

The 4 Essential Steps of Schreiben B1 Teil 1

1. Schreiben B1 Redemittel: Die Anrede (The Greeting)

According to its original meaning, it signifies the salutation, and here the learner is expected to provide a precise greeting adapted to the context.

Here they are:

So as you can see, we have three types of Anrede depending on the topic we have in front of us.

• If you want to write to a boy: Lieber Jonas
• If it’s a girl: Liebe Lena
• When you’re addressing two people, whether boys or girls: Liebe Jonas und Lena

So that’s what’s expected of you when they ask for an Anrede in Teil 1.

2. Schreiben B1 Redemittel: Die Einleitung (The Introduction)

As its name suggests, die Einleitung represents the introduction of our email or letter and can be done in several ways while staying within the context of the topic.

This is the part that learners don’t regularly respect, because often we have nice ways to introduce, but this introduction strays from the topic.

That’s why I’m going to give you 2 simple Redemittel that work with any topic and are validated by all my German teachers.

And there you have these two Redemittel that will allow you to be as direct, simple, and concrete as possible, because after the weil or denn, you’re just supposed to specify the reason for your email or letter.

And this reason should absolutely not be invented, because it’s already well written in the topic, and you just have to copy it—but wisely, of course, because you must be careful.

Example Introduction Based on Our Topic:

That’s what it finally looks like, and you’ll notice a change in personal pronouns, because the exercise uses formal address and I personally, when I write, must reclaim my place in the exercise by using “I” (ich) and when I talk about my friend, I must use “you” (du).

That’s why I said, the justification for your letter is in the topic, but be composed and think carefully when you copy.

NB: The Du can be written with a capital D. This is a sign of respect toward the person we’re writing to, while remaining informal (du form).

3. Schreiben B1 Redemittel: Reihenfolge der Inhaltspunkte (Sequence of Content Points)

This step represents the body of your email/letter assignment, because here you just need to respect the order of the points as stated in the topic and try to write correctly what is required.

For this, I’m going to give you a set of phrases that regularly appear in Schreiben Teil 1 B1 topics.

A. Etwas Beschreiben (Describing Something) — Schreiben B1 Redemittel

When you need to describe an event, party, experience, or situation, use these essential Redemittel:

Essential Time Expressions for Sequencing Events:

So here are some expressions to use when you want to describe an event that took place, whether it’s a birthday, a meeting, an accident, etc. The expressions remain valid and can be used regardless of the context.

Schreiben B1 Beispiel for Description:

Here’s an example when it comes to describing something, but the Schreiben Teil 1 Zertifikat B1 exercise requires some creativity and an imaginative spirit, because what you’re telling, you haven’t necessarily experienced, which is why it’s not always easy for some.

And one thing I want to draw your attention to is that after making a brief description, you must always try to justify why it was the case, and a maximum of two arguments is sufficient.

B. Etwas Begründen (Justifying/Giving Reasons) — Schreiben B1 Redemittel

To explain why you liked something or to give reasons, use these connecting words and phrases:

There are so many ways to justify something and frankly, we can’t cite them all.

But as I mentioned above, two arguments are sufficient and don’t try to beat around the bush—always be precise and concise.

Schreiben B1 Beispiel for Justification:

So here’s a model and as you can see, it’s very simple and contains all the required elements. I didn’t need long discussions, etc. Basically, to succeed in this part, just be brief as much as possible.

C. Etwas Vorschlagen (Making Suggestions) — Schreiben B1 Redemittel

When you need to suggest a meeting or propose an activity, use these Konjunktiv II expressions:

Here we just need to make suggestions, which are in fact suppositions, which is why we use the subjunctive (corresponding to Konjunktiv II in German).

And here, you also mustn’t beat around the bush before making your suggestion! Go straight to the point and make your suggestion. And leave it at that (as we say in our country, Cameroon).

Schreiben B1 Beispiel for Suggestion:

That’s what it looks like. Simple, direct, effective.

And you mustn’t forget one very important thing, which is to always give a small justification for your meeting or appointment, because it gives better meaning to your assignment and it will be more understandable.

4. Schreiben B1 Redemittel: Der Schluss (The Conclusion)

This is the last part of our assignment and it also represents the easiest part, because there are no more justifications to give or anything to describe.

Here we just need to drop a closing sentence and the assignment is finished.

According to our topic, we shouldn’t complicate anything anymore because we’ve already covered all the points. So the result will be very simple and short:

That’s what a Schluss looks like, marking the end of our writing for the Schreiben module at Goethe Zertifikat B1.

Complete Schreiben B1 Beispiel: Full Sample Letter

Now let’s see the complete letter put together following all the steps we’ve learned:

Common Mistakes to Avoid in Schreiben B1 Teil 1

Additional Schreiben B1 Redemittel by Topic

Here are more useful phrases (Redemittel) organized by common B1 topics to expand your writing toolkit:

Invitations (Einladungen)

Apologies (Entschuldigungen)

Thanks (Danksagungen)

Requests (Bitten)

Schreiben B1 Assessment Criteria

Understanding how examiners grade your Schreiben Teil 1 can help you focus on what matters most:

Criteria	What Examiners Look For	Points
Task Completion	All three content points addressed appropriately	4 points
Text Structure	Proper greeting, introduction, body, conclusion; logical flow	3 points
Vocabulary	Appropriate word choice; variety of expressions	3 points
Grammar & Spelling	Accurate grammar structures; correct spelling	3 points

Total: 13 points possible

Practice Topics for Schreiben B1 Teil 1

Here are additional practice topics to help you prepare:

Tips for Success in Schreiben B1 Teil 1

Frequently Asked Questions About Schreiben B1 Teil 1

Conclusion: Master Schreiben B1 with Confidence

That’s all for this article on how to write a Schreiben Teil 1 at Zertifikat B1!

I hope you’ve been able to copy one or two interesting structures. As always, share this article in your class WhatsApp group to help your classmates—it sincerely helps us write more articles like this one.

With the Redemittel, Beispiele, and strategies provided in this comprehensive guide, you now have everything you need to excel in your Goethe Zertifikat B1 Schreiben Teil 1 exam.

Download the Papagei app today for access to 50+ additional Redemittel, 10+ complete Beispiele with corrections, and interactive writing exercises that will perfect your B1 writing skills. Viel Erfolg bei deiner Prüfung! (Good luck with your exam!)