B2 Writing: Business Inquiry & Information Request – Sample Letters & Phrases
Updated: · LexDeutsch editorial team
DIN 5008 layout, polite Konjunktiv II requests and practical sample letters – for working life and as writing practice for telc B2 Beruf.
DIN 5008 Header & Subject Line
A formal business letter begins with sender, recipient, right-aligned date, and a bold subject line. Never write the literal word "Betreff:" — bold font suffices.
Typische Textbausteine:
Formal Salutation & Opening Hook
After the salutation with a comma, insert a blank line. The body begins with a lowercase letter (unless a noun). Immediately state your inquiry reason.
Typische Textbausteine:
Main Body: Your Questions & Konjunktiv II
Organise your inquiry by topic (e.g. dates, location, costs, customisation) and give each topic its own paragraph. Use Konjunktiv II for polite business requests.
Typische Textbausteine:
Deadline, Closing Line & Sign-Off
State a realistic response deadline. Conclude with a forward-looking sign-off. Crucial rule: German business letters never put a comma after "Mit freundlichen Grüßen"!
Typische Textbausteine:
Related B2/C1 Study Guides & Exam Modules
Deepen your German proficiency with our focused preparation guides for telc B2.
Noun-Verb Combinations in Business
Light verb collocations for telc B2 and workplace communication with exam tips.
telc B2 Beruf Part 1A: Talking About a Topic
About 2 minutes on a topic, no preparation time: a 5-phase plan and 4 model talks.
Business Letters & Emails (DIN 5008)
Phrases for subject, deadlines and sign-off plus ready-to-use email templates.
Prepositions with Genitive in Business
Mastering aufgrund, während, trotz correctly while avoiding common dative traps.
Frequently asked questions
Is the “Bitte um Information” a task in telc B2 Beruf?
No. In telc B2 Beruf (DTB B2) you write a reply to a complaint and a forum post. The request for information is a common letter at work and good practice for polite Konjunktiv II questions, the DIN 5008 letter form and a formal register, all of which you also need for the reply to a complaint.
How much time do you get for the writing part of telc B2 Beruf?
The writing tasks sit in two subtests: the reply to a complaint in "Lesen und Schreiben" (20 minutes, together with 2 reading items) and the forum post in "Sprachbausteine und Schreiben" (35 minutes, together with 12 gaps).
How long should the information request be?
Long enough for every question to be asked clearly and with a short reason, usually one paragraph per topic. For practice letters we recommend about 150 words; no word count is set for the texts in telc B2 Beruf.
Do you write “Betreff:” in front of the subject line?
No. Under DIN 5008 the subject line has no “Betreff:” label, is set in bold and has no full stop at the end, for example: Anfrage zu Ihren Schulungsangeboten.
Is there a comma after “Mit freundlichen Grüßen”?
No, German puts no comma after “Mit freundlichen Grüßen”. A comma does follow the salutation (“Sehr geehrte Damen und Herren,”), and the body then starts with a lowercase letter unless the first word is a noun.
How many points do you need to pass telc B2 Beruf?
telc B2 Beruf has four skills worth 60 points each, 240 in total: reading, listening, writing (including Sprachbausteine and the phone note) and speaking. You pass with at least 144 of 240 points in total and at least 36 of 60 in at least three of the four skills; one weaker skill is compensated if it has 24–35 points.
Practise writing with sentence templates
Use the LexDeutsch writing trainer: sentence building blocks for the reply to a complaint and the forum post, model sentences and useful phrases (Redemittel).