A DELE A2 writing Task 1 usually fails (NO APTO) because of a build-up of mistakes, not just one: it has no email structure (no greeting, no sign-off, no paragraphs), the sentences are isolated with hardly any connectors, verbs appear in the infinitive instead of being conjugated and, above all, it doesn't cover every point in the instructions. In this article I analyse, as an examiner, a real text that failed, explain each mistake and give you a trick to avoid them: copy the verb tense from the instructions.

If you prefer to watch it, here's the video (in Spanish):

The task: reply to an email following some points

In DELE A2 writing Task 1 you always write a short message (an email, a letter, a note or a postcard) replying to another one. Here, a friend writes to us and the points ask us, among other things, to greet them, say what we've done this week, explain what we're going to do, suggest a day, place and time to meet, and say goodbye.

The email we receive shows us the model: it greets (“Hola”), separates ideas into paragraphs and signs off (“Un abrazo”) with a name. That's exactly what you need to do.

Mistake 1: no email structure

The text has no greeting, no sign-off and no paragraphs. In Task 1 you must always greet and say goodbye, especially since they're usually points in the instructions. Ideally, organise the body into two or three very short paragraphs, each with one main idea.

Mistake 2: isolated sentences, no connection

The text starts: “Tengo mucho trabajo para hacer. Por la mañana me levanto muy temprano…”. The sentences stand alone. A connector joins them and the text improves a lot: “Tengo mucho trabajo por hacer y, por eso, me levanto muy temprano”.

There are some markers (primero, también, pero), but not enough. Use at least three and, if you can, four or five: pero, porque, aunque, por eso, después, por último.

Mistake 3: unconjugated verbs (the most serious)

This is the main reason for the fail: many verbs appear in the infinitive, their “neutral” form, instead of being conjugated in the present, past or future.

  • “Primero me cocinar”: the verb isn't conjugated.
  • “Y después yo baña”: it should be me baño. At A2 you need to master reflexive verbs: me levanto, me ducho, me peino, me acuesto.
  • “Me limpiar el polvo”: if you're saying what you've done this week, it would be he limpiado.
  • “Quiero que ir”: querer goes straight with the infinitive: quiero ir. Interestingly, elsewhere the text gets it right: quiero salir.
  • “Qué va a hacer” when writing to a friend: it should be qué vas a hacer.

When verbs go wrong, sentences lose their meaning. For example, “y después yo vaya muy rápido para no encuentro el mal tráfico” should be “y después me bañé muy rápido para no encontrarme con mucho tráfico”.

Mistake 4: it doesn't cover every point

The text doesn't say goodbye and doesn't suggest a day, place and time to meet. That's two points missing, and each one costs marks. If the grammar also fails, the result is almost certainly a fail.

The trick: copy the verb tense from the points

It's a tip I always give in my course: look at the verb tense in each point and use it in your answer.

  • If the point says “decir lo que ha hecho esta semana”, use the present perfect: he trabajado, he estudiado, he jugado.
  • If it says “explicar qué va a hacer”, use ir a + infinitive: voy a viajar, voy a comer con mi familia.

It also helps to review how Spanish past tenses work.

You don't fail because of a single mistake

Some mistakes on their own won't make you fail. What leads to a fail is the build-up: not conjugating verbs, not covering the points, not connecting sentences and not organising the text. Work on these four and your text changes completely.

To see a text that does work, read DELE A2 writing Task 2 with a commented example. And for more common mistakes: 6 frequent mistakes in the DELE A2 writing test.

FAQ

Can you fail DELE A2 Task 1 for not greeting?

Not for that alone, but greeting and saying goodbye are usually points in the instructions, and every missing point costs marks.

How many connectors should I use?

At least three; ideally four or five.

Which tenses do I need in Task 1?

The ones the points ask for: usually the present, the present perfect (he hecho) and ir a + infinitive for the future.

If I fail the writing test, can I still pass the DELE A2?

Yes, because it's compensated by reading comprehension within the same block. I explain it here: how to pass the DELE A2.

Summary

  • Greet, sign off and organise the text into short paragraphs.
  • Connect your sentences with at least three connectors.
  • Conjugate your verbs and master reflexives.
  • Cover every point and copy its verb tense.

Resources to prepare the DELE A2 writing test

To practise writing with plenty of examples, I have a book with 60 model writing tasks, solved and commented: A por el DELE A2. Prepara la Prueba Escrita.

And in my online course I explain task by task what you need to do, with my tips as an examiner and group calls before each exam: a2.aporeldele.com.

For free resources and reminders before each exam session, join the newsletter: recursos.aporeldele.com/boletin.

¡A por el DELE! 🇪🇸