telc B1 Writing Phrases: Redemittel Built on the Official Criteria
Last updated: August 2026 · 8 min read
The telc B1 writing subtest gives you 45 points (15% of the total) for one email in 30 minutes, and it is marked on three criteria. The phrases below are not a random collection of "nice sentences": each one satisfies something the official criteria explicitly ask for.
First, how the score is built
| Criterion | A | B | C | D |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| I – Aufgabenbewältigung | 5 | 3 | 1 | 0 |
| II – Kommunikative Gestaltung | 5 | 3 | 1 | 0 |
| III – Formale Richtigkeit | 5 | 3 | 1 | 0 |
The three criterion scores are added and multiplied by three: 15 × 3 = 45 points. Your text is read by two telc-licensed raters; if their ratings differ, the second rating prevails.
Source: telc gGmbH, telc Deutsch B1 Übungstest 1 — "Bewertungskriterien Schriftlicher Ausdruck".
Criterion I: four Leitpunkte means an A
The official scale is unusually blunt:
- A — all four Leitpunkte handled appropriately in content.
- B — three Leitpunkte handled.
- C — two Leitpunkte handled.
- D — only one, or none, handled.
The good news: the criteria state explicitly that a Leitpunkt counts as covered even if it is a single, possibly short sentence, and even if two Leitpunkte are dealt with in one sentence. Length is not what is being rewarded — coverage is. The bad news: skipping one point drops you straight from A to B (5 points to 3, which is 6 points after the ×3).
"Thema verfehlt" versus "Situierung verfehlt"
If the text has no or almost no connection to the task, that is Thema verfehlt and D is given in all three criteria. But if the topic is right and only the situation is misread (Situierung verfehlt), only Criterion I goes to D — II and III are still marked normally. The official example: if you are asked to accept an invitation from your course leader, writing an apology is Thema verfehlt, while writing an invitation to the course leader is Situierung verfehlt.
The hidden rules of Criterion II
Kommunikative Gestaltung covers range of expression, text logic, connectors and consistency of register. The official criteria list four situations in which an A is not awarded:
- The text-type features of a personal or semi-formal email are missing (salutation, closing).
- The wrong register is chosen, or the usage wobbles (du ↔ Sie).
- The Leitpunkte stand next to each other with no connection.
- Most sentences begin with "Ich" or "Wir".
That last rule is almost unknown among candidates and trivially easy to fix: start some sentences with a time expression, a place or a connector — Nächste Woche habe ich …, Deshalb schlage ich vor …, Wenn du willst, können wir …
Also worth knowing: because the task is an email, the classic letter features (sender, recipient, date, subject line) are not required under the official criteria. What is required are the email's own features: an appropriate Anrede, an opening sentence and a Grußformel.
Criterion III: which mistakes actually hurt?
The governing principle here is the "Primat der Verständlichkeit" — the primacy of comprehensibility. The criteria say it directly: ending errors and gender errors weigh less than agreement (Kongruenz) errors. As long as the errors do not slow down a reader grasping the content, an A or B remains possible.
And one important consolation: even if Criterion III is graded D, Criteria I and II can still be C, B or A. Weak grammar does not cancel the points you earn by covering all four points and structuring the text well.
The phrases
Salutation (Anrede)
- Personal (du): Liebe Marianne, / Lieber Thomas, / Hallo Anna,
- Semi-formal (Sie): Sehr geehrte Frau Weber, / Sehr geehrter Herr Janosch, / Sehr geehrte Damen und Herren,
The rule is simple: answer in the same form of address the prompt used. Switching halfway through costs points directly under Criterion II.
Opening (Einleitung)
- vielen Dank für deine E-Mail / für Ihre Nachricht.
- ich habe mich sehr über deine Einladung gefreut.
- ich habe Ihre Anzeige gelesen und interessiere mich sehr für Ihr Angebot.
- entschuldige bitte, dass ich erst jetzt schreibe.
Phrases for the four Leitpunkte
| Function | Phrase |
|---|---|
| Making a suggestion | Ich schlage vor, dass … / Wie wäre es, wenn …? / Am besten wäre es, … |
| Giving an opinion | Meiner Meinung nach … / Ich finde, dass … / Ich bin der Meinung, dass … |
| Justifying | … , weil … / Der Grund dafür ist, dass … / Deshalb … |
| Requesting | Könntest du mir bitte …? / Ich hätte gerne … / Wären Sie so nett, … |
| Asking for information | Ich würde gerne wissen, ob … / Können Sie mir sagen, wie viel …? |
| Declining / counter-proposing | Leider kann ich nicht …, aber vielleicht können wir … / Statt … könnten wir … |
Connectors (the heart of Criterion II)
The words that tie your Leitpunkte together are what separates an A from a B:
- Sequence: zuerst, danach, außerdem, schließlich
- Cause and effect: weil, da, deshalb, darum
- Contrast: aber, trotzdem, obwohl
- Condition and purpose: wenn, falls, damit
Closing (Schluss)
- Ich freue mich auf deine Antwort. / Bitte schreib mir bald.
- Ich würde mich über eine baldige Antwort freuen.
- Personal: Liebe Grüße / Herzliche Grüße — semi-formal: Mit freundlichen Grüßen
Get your own text assessed
On Zertifly you can write your B1 email and get feedback against these same three criteria: which Leitpunkt is missing, whether your register holds, and which errors actually block comprehension.
How to split the 30 minutes
- 0–5 min: Number the four Leitpunkte, decide the form of address (du/Sie), fix the order.
- 5–25 min: Write. One or two sentences per Leitpunkt is enough; vary your sentence openings.
- 25–30 min: Check: all four points present, register consistent throughout, verbs in the right position, subject-verb agreement correct.
Conclusion
The most expensive mistake in telc B1 writing is not grammar — it is a missing Leitpunkt and an inconsistent register. The official criteria say so plainly: language errors that do not block comprehension are tolerated, while an uncovered point or a drifting register lowers your grade directly.
For the whole scoring system see our telc B1 scoring article; for the real writing task see our sample questions article.