telc B2 Redemittel: Which Phrases Actually Earn Points
At telc B2, Redemittel — fixed phrases like "darüber hinaus" or "ich würde mich freuen, wenn" — signal your level under Kriterium II. The phrases that earn points are Konjunktiv II politeness, nominalizations, and logical connectors. Memorizing long lists fails; selecting 12–18 and practicing them is what works.
By Ela Zakrzewska — telc B2 examiner for 20+ years, hundreds of letters corrected against the official criteria.
At B2 level, your grammar doesn't decide whether you pass. At B2, your Redemittel decide — the fixed phrases that signal level in your text. But most candidates learn them as lists, not as tools. And in the exam room, when the clock is running, nothing comes to mind.
"Ich hatte Listen mit Redemitteln auswendig gelernt. Im Test sind sie alle weg gewesen."(I had memorized lists of Redemittel. In the test they were all gone.)
That's the problem with Redemittel lists: memorizing isn't mastering. You can know a hundred phrases and still write "and" and "but" in the actual test, because the right words don't come to you.
The Knaxx solution is different: not learning a hundred Redemittel, but selecting fifteen to twenty in advance, practicing them in preparation, and retrieving them in the test instead of inventing.
- Why Redemittel Decide B2
- The Problem with Textbook Redemittel Lists
- The Six Knaxx Redemittel Categories
- Which Redemittel Actually Earn Points
- The Knaxx Method: Build Your Personal Library
- What Knaxx Does Differently
- What You Can Do Now
Why Redemittel Decide B2
"Even my tutor who is a professional complimented my writing."(Reddit user after another failure)
The telc scoring for Schreiben has three criteria. One of them — Kriterium II, Kommunikative Gestaltung — scores exactly whether your language matches the level. This is where B1 and B2 separate.
What Kriterium II scores:
- Vocabulary: B2-typical lexis vs. basic vocabulary
- Connectors: "darüber hinaus" / "andererseits" vs. "und" / "aber"
- Register: formal politeness vs. colloquial directness
- Structure: clear transitions between paragraphs
- Coherence: the text flows vs. sentences stand disconnected
What the examiner reads in the first lines:
In the first two or three sentences, the examiner decides whether they have a B2 letter or an inflated B1 letter in front of them. This decision happens fast. Someone who opens with "Ich möchte mich beschweren" signals B1 immediately. Someone who opens with "Mit großem Interesse habe ich Ihre Anzeige gelesen" signals B2 — before the examiner has even read the first Leitpunkt.
That's the Redemittel effect: the right language register signals to the examiner that they're reading a B2 letter, and influences all subsequent scoring.
The Problem with Textbook Redemittel Lists
Most telc B2 textbooks have an appendix with fifty to a hundred Redemittel. Well-intentioned. But it leads to three preparation mistakes:
Mistake 1: Memorizing instead of selecting
You go through the whole list. Learn them all "theoretically." In the test, not one comes to you, because your brain under pressure can't scroll through a hundred options.
Mistake 2: Wrong phrases for the wrong text type
A phrase that fits in a Bewerbung sounds wrong in a Beschwerde. "Hiermit bewerbe ich mich auf die ausgeschriebene Stelle" doesn't belong in a complaint letter. But those who learn Redemittel as a list mix them.
Mistake 3: Inflationary use
"Darüber hinaus" is a strong phrase. Three "darüber hinaus" in a 150-word letter signals to the examiner that you memorized a phrase and use it everywhere without mastering it.
The Knaxx strategy:
Choose two to three Redemittel per category that you reliably master. Train them in three to five practice letters. In the real test, use them variably — not every phrase in every letter, but available when needed.
Crack the memorization problem before it cracks you in the exam room.
The Six Knaxx Redemittel Categories
Instead of a long list, here's a structured library by phase in the letter. Choose two to three phrases from each category. Write them on your own list. Practice them.
Category 1 — Opening / Situierung
What it does: signals to the examiner immediately that you understand the communicative frame.
Phrases to choose from:
- Mit großem Interesse habe ich Ihre Anzeige... gelesen
- Bezugnehmend auf Ihr Schreiben vom...
- Hiermit wende ich mich an Sie...
- Anlässlich Ihres Angebots vom...
- Auf Empfehlung von... wende ich mich an Sie
- Mit Bezug auf Ihre E-Mail vom...
Knaxx tip: "Bezugnehmend auf" and "Mit Bezug auf" feel particularly formal. "Hiermit wende ich mich" fits inquiries without a concrete reference document. Choose one — not all.
Category 2 — Introducing the first Leitpunkt
What it does: structures the main body without starting with "Erstens" (firstly).
Phrases to choose from:
- Zunächst möchte ich darauf hinweisen, dass...
- Vor allem ist mir wichtig, dass...
- Einerseits muss ich Ihnen mitteilen, dass...
- In erster Linie geht es mir darum, dass...
- Mein Hauptanliegen ist, dass...
Knaxx tip: "Einerseits" only works if "andererseits" comes later. If you're not building a contrast, choose one of the others.
Category 3 — Connecting the second and third Leitpunkte
What it does: signals B2 coherence through real transitions instead of "und auch" (and also).
Phrases to choose from:
- Darüber hinaus...
- Andererseits...
- Gleichzeitig...
- Außerdem möchte ich anmerken, dass...
- Hinzu kommt, dass...
- Nicht zuletzt...
- Ein weiterer Punkt ist...
Knaxx tip: "Darüber hinaus" is by far the strongest B2 phrase in this list. But maximum once per letter. "Außerdem" is safer if you need it multiple times.
Category 4 — Introducing examples and justifications
What it does: makes the letter argumentative instead of just descriptive.
Phrases to choose from:
- Beispielsweise...
- Aus diesem Grund...
- Infolgedessen...
- Dies liegt daran, dass...
- Ein konkretes Beispiel dafür ist...
- Aus folgendem Grund...
Knaxx tip: At least one concrete example per letter. The examiner is looking for evidence for your claims.
Category 5 — Konjunktiv courtesy (especially important for complaints)
What it does: shows B2-typical politeness in sensitive situations. Without Konjunktiv, complaints sound aggressive. With Konjunktiv, they sound professional.
Phrases to choose from:
- Ich würde mich freuen, wenn...
- Es wäre mir ein großes Anliegen, dass...
- Ich bitte Sie darum, ... zu prüfen
- Ich gehe davon aus, dass Sie...
- Ich wäre Ihnen sehr dankbar, wenn...
- Es wäre hilfreich, wenn...
Knaxx tip: At least two Konjunktiv phrases per Beschwerde. The examiner explicitly checks during the Vier-Minuten-Check whether you master Konjunktiv II. Without Konjunktiv, Kriterium II tilts.
Category 6 — Closing / Formulating an expectation
What it does: closes the letter with a clear call to action — not with "Thank you for your attention."
Phrases to choose from:
- Ich erwarte Ihre baldige Rückmeldung
- Über eine schnelle Antwort würde ich mich sehr freuen
- Ich bitte um eine zeitnahe Stellungnahme
- In Erwartung Ihrer Antwort verbleibe ich...
- Ich hoffe auf eine rasche Klärung
- Bitte teilen Sie mir Ihre Entscheidung baldmöglichst mit
Knaxx tip: Beschwerden need a concrete expectation — "answer within two weeks," "refund of the amount." Inquiries need an open request for information.
Which Redemittel Actually Earn Points — and Which Are Just Filler
Not all phrases are equally valuable. In 20 years of correcting, I've seen which ones the examiner recognizes as B2 — and which they see through as memorized-without-understanding.
The strong B2 markers:
- Konjunktiv II in politeness phrases ("Ich würde mich freuen wenn...")
- Nominalizations ("In Erwartung Ihrer Antwort...")
- Connectors with logical function ("Infolgedessen", "Aus diesem Grund")
- Passive constructions in the right place ("Es wäre mir geholfen, wenn... bearbeitet würde")
If you reliably master these four structures, you've set the level signal — even without memorizing a hundred phrases.
The weak filler words:
- "Vielen Dank im Voraus" — polite but B1 level and overused
- "Bitte" alone — too basic, should be combined with Konjunktiv
- "Ich hoffe, dass..." — weak, shows no politeness strategy
- "Mit freundlichen Grüßen" — required sign-off, not a level marker
These aren't wrong. They're just not point-earners. People who think many "Bitte" and "Vielen Dank" automatically signal politeness signal B1 to the examiner.
The red flags:
- Literally translated phrases from your L1 ("Es ist eine Schande, dass..." from English "It's a shame that...")
- Colloquial expressions in formal letters ("auf jeden Fall", "wie auch immer")
- Redewendungen / idioms ("den Nagel auf den Kopf treffen" — to hit the nail on the head) — register mistake in formal letters
Knaxx-Regel: Idioms belong in the Sprechprüfung, not the letter. In Schreiben, they cost points for register.
The Knaxx Method: How to Build Your Personal Library
In three steps — one per week of preparation.
Week 1 — Select (30 minutes)
Go through the six categories above. Choose two to three phrases from each one that suit you. Write them on your own list — by hand, not typed. Handwriting helps anchor them.
Your list now has between twelve and eighteen phrases. You don't need more. Less isn't enough.
Week 2 — Practice (three practice letters)
Write three practice letters in one week. Different topics — a Beschwerde, an inquiry, an application. For each letter: use at least five phrases from your list.
Not all. Five. Variation is the goal, not completeness.
Correct afterwards. Which phrases fit? Which didn't? Which do you need to practice two more times?
Week 3 — Automate (two practice letters under time pressure)
Write two practice letters with a stopwatch — exactly 30 minutes. You shouldn't have to look up the phrases anymore. They come automatically.
If a phrase doesn't come to you in the test: write another one from your list, not "und" or "aber." The list has enough options that something is always available.
Crack the Redemittel library in three weeks — then in the exam room, you have a vocabulary that's automatically retrievable.
What Knaxx Does Differently
Most textbooks give you a long list. Knaxx gives you a method for selection, practice, and variation. In the app, you don't just see which phrase fits where — you also see which ones you've already used in your recent practice letters and which are missing.
Knaxx is currently in Beta, before the official launch. You can test the Redemittel feature now and help shape how it grows through your feedback: secure Beta access at app.knaxxdeutsch.de/signup. You get the examiner's perspective on your letters — which Redemittel signal B2 to the examiner, which are recognized as filler — and you help decide what the app learns next.
What You Can Do Now
If your exam is in the next few weeks:
- Choose your twelve to eighteen phrases (three weeks time, 30 minutes selection)
- Write three practice letters using at least five phrases from your list
- Train under time pressure in the last two practice letters
- Avoid the red flags: idioms, colloquialisms, literal L1 translations
- Use at least two Konjunktiv II phrases in every Beschwerde
Crack the Redemittel trap before exam day.
telc B2 Redemittel — Quick Answers
What are Redemittel in telc B2?
Redemittel are the fixed phrases that signal your level — openings, connectors, politeness formulas, closings. At telc B2 they're scored under Kriterium II, Kommunikative Gestaltung. This is where a real B2 letter separates from an inflated B1 one, and the examiner often decides which they're holding within the first two or three sentences.
Which Redemittel actually earn points at B2?
Four structures do the real work: Konjunktiv II politeness ("Ich würde mich freuen, wenn..."), nominalizations ("In Erwartung Ihrer Antwort..."), logical connectors ("infolgedessen", "aus diesem Grund"), and passive in the right place. Master these and you've set the level signal — without memorizing a hundred phrases. "Vielen Dank im Voraus" and a string of "Bitte" do not earn points; they read as B1.
How many Redemittel should I learn for telc B2?
Twelve to eighteen — two or three from each of the six phases: opening, first Leitpunkt, connecting points, examples, Konjunktiv courtesy, closing. Memorizing long lists fails, because under exam pressure your brain can't scroll a hundred options. A small, practiced set is one you can actually retrieve when the clock is running.
Can you use idioms in a telc B2 letter?
No. Redewendungen and proverbs — "den Nagel auf den Kopf treffen" and the like — are a register mistake in a formal letter and cost you points under Kriterium II. Idioms belong in the Sprechprüfung, not the Schreiben. Same goes for colloquialisms like "auf jeden Fall" and phrases translated literally from your first language.
What connectors signal B2 level in writing?
"Darüber hinaus", "andererseits", "gleichzeitig", "hinzu kommt, dass", "nicht zuletzt" — real transitions instead of "und" and "aber". "Darüber hinaus" is the strongest, but use it at most once per letter. Three of the same phrase in 150 words tells the examiner you memorized it without mastering it.
About the Authors
Ela Zakrzewska has taught telc B2 for over twenty years and corrected hundreds of letters using the official telc criteria. She shapes the Knaxx approach: exam knowledge that accounts for every native language, and a strategy that works for immigrants in Germany — because she is one too.
San Pham Tu is a PhD-level AI and data scientist and co-founder of Knaxx. She translates Ela's two decades of exam expertise into systems that reach hundreds of learners simultaneously, without losing the evaluation logic. She and Ela met as exam partners in a language exam. Now they're building together the exam partner they both wished they'd had.
