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Die kurze Schreibaufgabe — Describing a Photo
📸 Die kurze Schreibaufgabe — Describing a Photo
In the short writing task you describe a photo in a few short German sentences — around 40 words. It is the most accessible writing mark on the paper: open with a set phrase, cover who is in the photo, where they are, and what they are doing, add one opinion with weil, and keep every sentence correct. Follow the four-element plan below and the marks look after themselves.
The Four-Element Plan
Use these to join ideas and show grammatical control:
Earn the mark scheme marks
💡 Exam Tips & Common Errors
- Use a set opener — it buys you a confident first sentence even under pressure
- Work through the four elements in order: who → where → what → opinion
- Add one opinion with Ich finde… weil… — this is worth accuracy marks
- Keep it simple: four short correct sentences beat two long incorrect ones
- If you cannot remember a word, describe around it: cannot recall der Baum, die Bäume? Write etwas Grünes (something green)
❌ Common error: Ich finde das Foto schön, weil es ist sonnig.
✓ Correct: Ich finde das Foto schön, weil es sonnig ist.
Why it costs marks: After weil, the finite verb is pushed to the very end of the clause — weil es sonnig ist. Keeping the English word order (weil es ist sonnig) places the verb in the wrong position and is penalised under AO3 (accuracy of language).