Goethe B1 Schreiben: the perfect structure of a formal email (with corrected model)
Task 3 of Goethe B1 Schreiben is the shortest but trickiest: a 40-word formal email that fails on three known traps — the wrong Anrede, no connectors, and forgetting one of the three required points. This guide gives you the structure, formulas, and a full model scored 95/100.
1. Format of Schreiben Task 3 at Goethe B1
Task 3 of Goethe B1 Schreiben is a formal message of about 40 words, written in 20 minutes. The context is always administrative or professional: a letter to an employer, school, city service, phone company. The prompt gives three required points you must cover in your text.
- 40 words minimum, aim for 50 to 60 for safety
- 20 minutes recommended (out of 60 min total Schreiben)
- 3 required points to cover — missing one = -25 % of the content score
- Formal register required: Sie form, polished vocabulary
2. The 4-part structure
Every B1 formal email follows the same 4-part structure. It's what the examiner expects, and it's what wins you the coherence points (Kohärenz).
- Anrede — the greeting formula (Sehr geehrte / Sehr geehrter)
- Introduction — why you're writing (1 sentence)
- Body — the 3 required points (2 to 3 short sentences)
- Grußformel — closing formula + your name
Each part is mandatory. Skipping the Anrede or Grußformel costs points on two criteria directly (Erfüllung and Wortschatz).
3. Anrede: choosing the right greeting
The Anrede is the opening formula. It depends on the recipient and your level of familiarity.
| Situation | Formula | Example |
|---|---|---|
| You know the recipient's last name (woman) | Sehr geehrte Frau [Name] | Sehr geehrte Frau Müller, |
| You know the recipient's last name (man) | Sehr geehrter Herr [Name] | Sehr geehrter Herr Schmidt, |
| Unknown recipient or institution | Sehr geehrte Damen und Herren | Sehr geehrte Damen und Herren, |
- Hallo — informal, friendly register
- Liebe Frau / Lieber Herr — affectionate, for close relationships
- Guten Tag — tolerated in real life, avoided in the exam
- No capital letter at the start of the next sentence: «Sehr geehrte Frau Müller, ich schreibe…» (lowercase ich)
The comma and lowercase rule
After Sehr geehrte Frau Müller, you put a comma, skip a line (or not — doesn't matter in short writing), and start the next sentence with a lowercase letter: ich schreibe Ihnen…. Examiners check this systematically.
4. The message body: introduction + 3 points
The body fits in 2 to 3 short sentences. The first sentence states the reason for the email. The next sentences cover the 3 required points.
The one-sentence introduction
Pick one of these introduction formulas:
- «Ich schreibe Ihnen, weil…» — I'm writing because…
- «Ich möchte mich nach … erkundigen.» — I'd like to inquire about…
- «Vielen Dank für Ihre E-Mail vom [Datum].» — Thank you for your email of [date]
- «Hiermit informiere ich Sie, dass…» — I hereby inform you that…
Cover the 3 required points
Each required point must be identifiable in your text. The examiner reads your email with the prompt in hand and mentally checks off each point. If one is missing or too vague, you lose 25 % of the Erfüllung criterion.
What works: one sentence per point. Three sentences for three points. Short, clear, and that's what wins the Kohärenz criterion.
5. Essential B1 connectors
Without connectors, your text reads like a list of sentences. With connectors, it becomes a coherent text — and Kohärenz goes from 50 % to 100 %.
| Connector | Function | Verb position |
|---|---|---|
| denn | because (coordinating) | verb in 2nd position |
| weil | because (subordinating) | verb at end |
| deshalb | that's why | verb in 2nd position |
| außerdem | moreover | verb in 2nd position |
| jedoch / allerdings | however | verb in 2nd position |
| trotzdem | nevertheless | verb in 2nd position |
| wenn | if / when (subordinating) | verb at end |
| dass | that (subordinating) | verb at end |
Aim for at least 2 different connectors in your 40-word email. Ideally 3. That's the average seen in essays scored 90+.
6. Grußformel and signature
The standard Grußformel for a formal email is «Mit freundlichen Grüßen». Skip a line, write your first and last name. No comma at the end of the formula.
Acceptable variants:
- Mit freundlichen Grüßen — standard, neutral, always accepted
- Mit besten Grüßen — slightly warmer, tolerated
- Hochachtungsvoll — very solemn, for authorities
Strictly avoid: Liebe Grüße, LG, Gruß, Tschüss — all informal.
Want to get your own formal emails graded?
The Deutsch Exam app grades your B1 Schreiben against the 4 official Goethe criteria: Erfüllung, Kohärenz, Wortschatz, Korrektheit. Photograph your handwritten paper, get your feedback in 30 seconds.
7. Full model scored 95/100
Here's a complete B1 formal email based on a typical Goethe-Institut prompt, with its criterion-by-criterion analysis.
The prompt
You ordered a book online from Bücher24.de. The book arrived damaged. Write an email to customer service.
You must mention:
- When you ordered and when you received the book
- The problem with the book
- What you expect from them
The model (52 words)
Sehr geehrte Damen und Herren,
ich habe am 5. Juni das Buch «Goethe Faust» bei Ihnen bestellt und es gestern erhalten. Leider ist das Buch beschädigt: die ersten Seiten sind zerrissen. Deshalb möchte ich es zurückschicken und bitte um eine kostenlose Ersatzlieferung. Vielen Dank im Voraus.
Mit freundlichen Grüßen,
Marie Dupont
Criterion-by-criterion analysis
| Criterion | Score | Justification |
|---|---|---|
| Erfüllung (content) | 25/25 | All 3 points covered: order/delivery dates, problem (damaged book, torn pages), expectation (return + replacement delivery). |
| Kohärenz (coherence) | 24/25 | 3 different connectors: und, leider, deshalb. Logical flow. (-1 for could be even more marked) |
| Wortschatz (vocabulary) | 23/25 | Formal vocabulary: bestellt, erhalten, beschädigt, zurückschicken, Ersatzlieferung. Correct Anrede and Grußformel. (-2 for even richer alternatives) |
| Korrektheit (grammar) | 23/25 | Well-built sentences, correct declensions, word order after deshalb respected. (-2 for perfect precision) |
| Total | 95/100 | Far above the pass threshold (60). |
8. The 4 official scoring criteria
Goethe B1 Schreiben is scored on 4 criteria, each worth 25 % of the final mark. Understanding them means knowing exactly where to win points.
Erfüllung — content (25 %)
"Did you cover the 3 required points?" Yes → 25/25. Miss one → 18/25. Miss two → 12/25. It's mechanical.
Kohärenz — coherence (25 %)
"Do your ideas flow?" You win this with connectors (denn, deshalb, außerdem, jedoch), an intro, a conclusion, and a logical order. Without connectors, you cap at 60 %.
Wortschatz — vocabulary (25 %)
"Is your vocabulary varied and register-appropriate?" You need precise verbs (erhalten, mitteilen, beantragen, sich erkundigen), precise nouns (Ersatzlieferung, Rechnung, Antrag), and zero informal words.
Korrektheit — grammar (25 %)
"Are your sentences correct?" Examiners mainly check: word order after connectors, declensions (accusative/dative), conjugations, adjective agreement. One major error every 10 words = -5 points.
9. The 5 mistakes that cost the B1 Schreiben
- Missing one of the 3 required points. Leading cause of failure. Underline the 3 points before writing, check them off after.
- Using an informal Anrede. Hallo in a formal email = -10 points minimum. Memorize the 3 official formulas.
- Writing without connectors. Without deshalb, weil, außerdem, your text is flat. Kohärenz drops to 50 %.
- Mixing Sie and du. Once on Sie, stay on Sie throughout. Mixing is a serious register error.
- Far exceeding 40 words. 80 words for a 40-word task = you eat the time of the other tasks. Stay between 40 and 60.
Practice with AI grading against Goethe criteria
The Deutsch Exam app offers B1 Schreiben prompts graded against the 4 official criteria. You see exactly where you lose points. 100 % free.