Table of Contents
Why Structure Matters
In B1 German, you do not only need correct sentences. You also need texts that are easy to follow and logically organized. Clear structure helps your reader understand your message quickly and see your main points without confusion.
In this chapter you learn how to plan and organize short texts in German, such as emails, letters, and short essays. You focus on the overall structure, not on detailed grammar or specific text types, which are covered in other chapters.
A good German text has a visible structure: introduction, main part, conclusion, clear paragraphs, and logical connectors.
Basic Text Structure: Introduction, Main Part, Conclusion
Most German texts, even short ones, follow the same basic pattern.
Introduction: Einleitung
Main part: Hauptteil
Conclusion: Schluss
You can imagine this as a simple three-part model.
| Part of text | German term | Purpose | Typical length (B1) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Beginning | Einleitung | Introduce topic, give context, sometimes give opinion | 1 short paragraph |
| Middle | Hauptteil | Present arguments, information, examples | 1–3 paragraphs |
| End | Schluss | Summarize, repeat main point, give outlook or recommendation | 1 short paragraph |
Formula for clear structure:
Einleitung → Hauptteil → Schluss
Never start and end with random information. Always guide the reader from beginning to end.
In German school and exam situations, teachers expect to see this structure clearly. Even when you write an email, you can still think in these three parts, although the style is more practical and less formal than in essays.
Paragraphs and Topic Sentences
Long blocks of text are difficult to read. Paragraphs help the reader see where one idea ends and another begins.
A paragraph in German is called ein Absatz. Each paragraph should have one central idea and usually begins with a topic sentence.
A topic sentence briefly says what the paragraph is about. The rest of the paragraph explains, supports, or illustrates this main idea.
Example of a simple structure for a paragraph:
- Topic sentence
- Explanation
- Example or detail
- Short closing or transition to the next idea
Rule: One paragraph = one main idea.
Rule: Start a new paragraph when you change the aspect or focus.
You do not need to make every paragraph long. Two or three well-chosen sentences are often enough at B1 level, if they clearly develop one idea.
Logical Order in the Main Part
In the Hauptteil you decide the order of your information. A clear order makes your text easier to understand. For B1, three simple strategies for ordering your ideas are very useful.
Chronological order: You describe events or steps in time order.
From general to specific: You start with a general statement, then give more detailed information or examples.
From most important to less important (or the opposite): You start with the strongest argument or keep it for the end.
You should choose one strategy for your main part and use it consistently.
Choose one clear logic for the order of your ideas (time, general to specific, or importance) and keep it throughout the Hauptteil.
You can also mix strategies a little, but your reader must always feel that there is a plan, not chaos.
Using Connectors to Organize Your Text
Connectors are words and phrases that show the relationship between sentences and paragraphs. They are very important for clarity in German texts.
Here you learn typical B1-level connectors grouped by function. Using them correctly helps your structure become visible to the reader.
Adding Information
These connectors show that you give more information of the same type.
| Function | Connector | Example (English meaning) |
|---|---|---|
| Adding another point | außerdem | besides, furthermore |
| Adding similar point | auch | also |
| Adding after something | danach | after that, afterwards |
| Adding next step | dann | then, next |
| Adding another example | zum Beispiel | for example |
You often use them at the beginning of a sentence or in second position.
Example structure in English:
First I describe my work. Then I describe my hobbies. Finally I talk about my goals.
Contrasting and Limiting
These connectors show contrast or limit a statement.
| Function | Connector | Example (English meaning) |
|---|---|---|
| Strong contrast | aber | but |
| Limiting, partial contrast | jedoch | however, yet |
| Opposite condition | trotzdem | nevertheless, still |
| Restriction | zwar … aber | indeed … but, it is true … but |
Even if you do not write the German examples here, you can plan your text using these words to keep your structure clear.
Explaining Reasons and Results
These connectors show cause and effect. Details of grammar with them will be handled in other chapters; here you focus on their role in structure.
| Function | Connector | Example (English meaning) |
|---|---|---|
| Reason in main clause | denn | because |
| Reason, often in middle of sentence | deshalb | therefore, for that reason |
| Result | deswegen | therefore, because of that |
| Result | darum | that is why |
| Result | daher | therefore, thus |
Use reason and result connectors to show logic:
Reason → Result
Without them, your text becomes a list of isolated sentences.
Ordering and Structuring
These expressions tell the reader where they are in your text.
| Function | Expression | Example (English meaning) |
|---|---|---|
| Beginning a list | zuerst | first, firstly |
| Next point | dann | then, next |
| Next point | danach | after that |
| Final point | zum Schluss | finally, in conclusion |
| Emphasizing a main point | vor allem | above all, especially |
These organizing expressions are ideal for B1 essays and longer emails. They can be used to mark the parts of your Hauptteil and to lead into your Schluss.
Planning Before Writing
Clear structure starts before you write full sentences. If you write without a plan, your text often becomes confusing or repetitive.
A short planning step can be very simple but extremely helpful.
You can follow this three-step planning method:
- Define the goal: What is the purpose of your text? To complain, inform, ask, describe, argue?
- Note main points: Write 3 to 5 key ideas that must appear in your text.
- Order the points: Choose a logical order (time, general to specific, important to less important).
Always write a mini plan before your text: goal, 3–5 key points, and order.
You can write this plan in your native language or in German. For exam situations, a very short plan in German is better because it can later easily become parts of sentences.
Introductory and Concluding Phrases
Intros and conclusions are short but important. They open and close your text clearly and give it a professional look, even at B1 level.
Typical Introduction Functions
In the Einleitung you can:
Present the topic.
Mention why the topic is important or interesting.
Sometimes signal your opinion, especially in short essays.
Examples of useful introduction functions in English:
You introduce the topic generally.
You connect the topic to everyday life in Germany.
You indicate which aspects you will talk about.
Typical Conclusion Functions
In the Schluss you can:
Summarize your main idea in one or two sentences.
Repeat your opinion or recommendation in a clear way.
Give a short outlook, hope, or final comment.
For practical texts like emails, the conclusion also connects to closing phrases, but the typical structure idea stays the same: do not end suddenly. Guide the reader to the end.
Never introduce new main information in the Schluss.
Use the conclusion to summarize and close the text, not to start a new topic.
Coherence and Avoiding Jumps
Coherence means that all parts of your text belong together and follow each other logically. At B1, typical problems are jumps from one topic to another and repetition of the same content.
To keep coherence, you can:
Stay with one idea per paragraph.
Use connectors to show relations between ideas.
Use pronouns and references to link back to earlier information.
An example in English:
You introduce your job. Then you immediately jump to your childhood without a connector or explanation. This feels confusing. It is better to use a connector like “after that”, or to separate the topics clearly.
Avoid topic jumps. If you must change the subject, show it with a connector or start a new paragraph.
Also check if every sentence really supports the purpose of your text. If a sentence is not necessary, leave it out. Shorter and clearer is better than long and confusing.
Adapting Structure to Different Text Lengths
The basic structural ideas are flexible. You can adapt them to different text lengths and purposes.
Short texts for emails: You still have introduction, main part, conclusion, but often in only one or two sentences each. Structure is shown especially by clear paragraphs and good connectors.
Medium-length texts for exams: Use all three parts with visible paragraph breaks and several connectors. Plan at least 3 paragraphs: one for Einleitung, one or two for Hauptteil, one for Schluss.
Longer texts at higher levels: You add subheadings, more paragraphs, and more complex connectors and structures. The basic three-part idea stays the same, but becomes more detailed.
At B1 your goal is not complexity but clarity. Each part must be recognizable and the order logical.
Clear B1 structure = visible three-part model, logical order, paragraphs, and connectors. Complexity is less important than clarity.
New Vocabulary
| German term / phrase | English meaning |
|---|---|
| die Einleitung | introduction (of a text) |
| der Hauptteil | main part, body (of a text) |
| der Schluss | conclusion (of a text) |
| der Absatz | paragraph |
| der Satzanfang | beginning of a sentence |
| der Aufbau | structure, construction (of a text) |
| der rote Faden | red thread, consistent line of argument |
| die Gliederung | outline, structure |
| die Reihenfolge | order, sequence |
| die Überleitung | transition (between ideas or paragraphs) |
| der Zusammenhang | connection, coherence |
| sinnvoll | meaningful, logical |
| die Einleitungssatz | introductory sentence |
| der Schlusssatz | concluding sentence |
| zuerst | first, firstly |
| dann | then, next |
| danach | after that, afterwards |
| zum Schluss | finally, in conclusion |
| außerdem | besides, furthermore |
| auch | also |
| zum Beispiel | for example |
| aber | but |
| jedoch | however, yet |
| trotzdem | nevertheless, still |
| zwar … aber | indeed … but |
| denn | because (in main clause) |
| deshalb | therefore, for that reason |
| deswegen | therefore, because of that |
| darum | that is why |
| daher | therefore, thus |
| vor allem | above all, especially |
| der Grund | reason |
| die Folge | result, consequence |
| ordnen | to order, arrange |
| strukturieren | to structure |
| planen | to plan |
| gliedern | to divide and structure (a text) |
| zusammenfassen | to summarize |
| wiederholen | to repeat |
| springen (im Text) | to jump (between topics) |
| übersichtlich | clear, easy to overview |
| logisch | logical |
| der Aspekt | aspect |
| das Ziel (des Textes) | goal, purpose (of the text) |
| die Hauptidee | main idea |
| der Gesichtspunkt | point of view, aspect |
| der Abschnitt | section, part, paragraph |