Two short sentences can pass an A2 writing task. One sentence that flows can make an examiner nod.
The Dutch A2 writing exam (part of the inburgering exam programme) asks you to write short, practical messages: a note to a neighbour, an email to your landlord, a reply to a gemeente letter, a message to a colleague. You are not writing an essay. But examiners do look at whether your ideas hang together. That is where linking words come in. The right Dutch A2 writing exam phrases turn a list of facts into something that reads like a real message from a real person.
This article gives you the connectors that actually work at A2 level, the ones that are too risky, and how to practise them so they come out automatically on exam day. You do not need a huge vocabulary. You need maybe fifteen to twenty small words used well. Check the exact format, timing, and scoring of your exam on DUO and inburgeren.nl, or in Mijn Inburgering, because details can change and differ per exam variant.
Why linking words matter more than long words
At A2, examiners are checking whether you can communicate a simple message clearly. Coherence is part of that. If you write Ik kom niet. Ik ben ziek. it is correct but flat. If you write Ik kom niet, omdat ik ziek ben. you have shown you can combine ideas, and the message sounds natural.
You do not get extra points for using desalniettemin. In fact, using a word you half know is a risk: wrong word order, wrong meaning, or a construction that collapses halfway through. Stick to connectors you have used in your own sentences at least twenty times. Simple and correct beats fancy and broken, every time.
Think of linking words as joints. Without them, your text is a pile of sticks. With them, it becomes a frame. The examiner can follow your logic without re-reading.
The core Dutch A2 writing exam phrases you can trust
These are the workhorses. Learn them in full sentence patterns, not as isolated words, because Dutch word order changes depending on the connector.
Adding information
- en (and): Ik heb een vraag en ik hoop dat u mij kunt helpen.
- ook (also): Ik werk op maandag. Ik werk ook op woensdag.
- maar (but): Ik wil graag komen, maar ik heb geen vervoer.
- daarnaast (in addition, slightly formal but safe): Daarnaast wil ik graag weten hoe laat het begint.
Daarnaast is a nice upgrade from ook when you are writing a slightly more formal email, for example to the gemeente or your landlord. Keep it to once per text.
Giving a reason
- omdat (because, sends the verb to the end): Ik kan niet komen, omdat ik moet werken.
- want (because, normal word order): Ik kan niet komen, want ik moet werken.
- daarom (that is why): Ik ben ziek. Daarom kom ik niet.
The omdat versus want difference trips up almost everyone. Omdat pushes the verb to the end of its clause. Want does not. If you are unsure under exam pressure, want is the safer choice because the word order stays the same as a normal sentence. But practise omdat too, because it is extremely common and examiners expect to see it.
Contrasting
- maar (but)
- echter (however, formal, use sparingly): Ik heb gebeld. Ik heb echter nog geen antwoord gekregen.
- helaas (unfortunately, very useful in bad-news messages): Helaas kan ik niet aanwezig zijn.
Helaas is one of the most useful single words in the Dutch A2 writing exam. It softens bad news and sounds natural in almost any message where you are cancelling, declining, or complaining.
Time and sequence
- eerst (first), daarna (after that), dan (then), ten slotte (finally)
- vorige week, gisteren, morgen, volgende maand
Time markers make a short text feel organised. Even in a five-line message, Eerst ... Daarna ... helps the reader follow what happened.
Condition and request
- als (if): Als u vragen heeft, kunt u mij bellen.
- graag (please, gladly, the Dutch politeness workhorse): Ik wil graag een afspraak maken.
- kunnen for polite requests: Kunt u mij laten weten of dit mogelijk is?
Graag is worth its weight in gold. Dutch directness is a stereotype, but in writing, especially to institutions, graag and alstublieft do a lot of social work.
Openers and closers that sound natural
Examiners read many texts that start with Hallo and end with Groetjes. That is fine, but you can vary it depending on who you are writing to.
Openers
- Formal email: Geachte mevrouw De Vries, or Beste mevrouw De Vries,
- Neutral: Hallo mevrouw, or Beste meneer,
- Friendly: Hoi Jan, or Beste buurman,
- Opening line: Ik schrijf u omdat... (I am writing to you because...)
- Opening line: Ik heb een vraag over... (I have a question about...)
- Opening line: Naar aanleiding van uw brief... (Following your letter...), useful for gemeente replies
Closers
- Formal: Met vriendelijke groet, (with kind regards)
- Neutral: Groeten, or Hartelijke groet,
- Friendly: Groetjes, or Tot snel,
- Closing line: Ik hoop snel van u te horen. (I hope to hear from you soon.)
- Closing line: Alvast bedankt. (Thanks in advance.)
- Closing line: Laat u het mij weten? (Will you let me know?)
Pick one opener and one closer per register and rehearse them until they are automatic. You should not be inventing your salutation during the exam.
"I kept writing 'because' as 'want' because I was scared of the verb at the end. My teacher made me write ten sentences with 'omdat' every day for a week. Now it just comes out. In the exam I used it twice and didn't even think about it."
Word order traps that cost points
Linking words are only useful if the sentence after them is correct. These are the traps that show up again and again in A2 writing.
Because-clause order
Ik kom niet, omdat ik ziek ben. Not omdat ik ben ziek. The verb goes to the end. This is the single most tested structure at A2.
Inversion after a fronted element
If you start with a time word or connector, the subject and verb swap: Daarna ga ik naar huis. Not Daarna ik ga naar huis. Same with Daarom, Eerst, Morgen, Helaas.
Want keeps normal order
Ik kom niet, want ik ben ziek. Subject, verb, rest. No swap, no verb at the end.
Als-clause
Als u vragen heeft, kunt u mij bellen. The als clause sends the verb to the end, and the main clause inverts. Two rules in one sentence. Practise this pattern until it is boring.
Do not stack connectors
Maar echter is not a thing. Omdat want is not a thing. One connector per link. If you catch yourself adding a second, delete one.
Build a personal phrase bank and drill it
Do not try to memorise a list from a website (including this one). Build your own bank of phrases you will actually use, based on the task types you expect. Common A2 writing tasks include:
- Writing to a neighbour about noise, a package, or a shared hallway
- Replying to an invitation (accepting or declining with a reason)
- Writing to the gemeente about a form, a permit, or a missed appointment
- Messaging a huisarts practice to make or change an appointment
- Writing to a shop or company about a problem with a product
- Writing to a colleague or classmate about a schedule change
For each task type, write three sentences you would genuinely use, with a connector in each. That gives you a bank of roughly eighteen phrases. Then practise them out loud, then in writing, then under a timer. The mock exam is a good place to test whether your phrases survive pressure.
If you want structured practice with feedback, the A2 inburgering track covers writing alongside the other components, and the spreken module helps because speaking and writing share the same connector instincts. Many learners find that practising connectors out loud makes them stick for writing too.
What not to do in the exam
A few habits that quietly cost points:
- Translating from English word for word. "Moreover", "furthermore", "nevertheless" do not map cleanly onto A2 Dutch. Use the simple Dutch equivalents.
- Using connectors you have never written before. The exam is not the place to debut desalniettemin.
- Writing one long sentence with five clauses. Short sentences linked cleanly beat one sentence that loses its way. If you feel the sentence wobbling, put a full stop and start again.
- Forgetting the greeting and closing. These are easy marks. Do not leave them out because you ran out of time.
- Ignoring the task instructions. If the prompt says write about three points, cover three points, and use a connector to move between them.
Also: read the prompt twice. A2 writing tasks often include a small detail (a date, a time, a name) that you must include. A well-linked text that misses the detail still loses points.
Your practice checklist
- Write out your five go-to openers and five go-to closers by hand.
- Write ten sentences with omdat and ten with want, and check the word order each time.
- Write five sentences starting with Daarna, Daarom, Helaas, Eerst, Morgen, and check inversion.
- Write one short message for each of the six task types above, using at least two connectors per message.
- Read your messages aloud. If a sentence sounds wrong, it probably is.
- Do one timed practice session using the mock exam.
- Check the official exam format and rules on DUO and in Mijn Inburgering before exam day.
- If KNM is also on your list, the KNM module covers the knowledge component, which uses the same everyday Dutch you are practising here.
FAQ
How many linking words do I need for the Dutch A2 writing exam?
Around fifteen, used confidently, is plenty. Focus on en, maar, omdat, want, daarom, daarnaast, helaas, eerst, daarna, als, graag, plus openers and closers. Depth beats breadth.
Is omdat or want better in the exam?
Both are correct and both are common. Want is safer if you are worried about word order, because the verb stays in normal position. Omdat sends the verb to the end and is very common in written Dutch, so learn it properly rather than avoiding it.
Can I use formal phrases like derhalve or desalniettemin?
You can, but you should not need to. At A2, formal connectors are rarely required and are easy to misuse. Daarnaast, echter, and helaas give you enough formal range without the risk.
How long should my text be?
Follow the instructions in your exam. Do not invent a length. The prompt will tell you what is expected, and the official guidance on DUO and inburgeren.nl is the source of truth. Writing far more than asked can introduce errors and eat your time.
Where can I check the exact exam rules and scoring?
Always check DUO, inburgeren.nl, and your Mijn Inburgering account. The CvTE also publishes official information about the exams. Details such as timing, number of tasks, and pass requirements are set there, not on practice sites.
Does practising connectors help my speaking too?
Yes. The same words (omdat, maar, daarom, eerst, daarna) carry your speaking answers. Practising them in writing makes them available when you talk, and the spreken module is a good place to put that to the test.
If you want a wider set of everyday Dutch practice alongside exam prep, Dutch Fluency has material for the situations you will actually meet: the huisarts, the gemeente, the Albert Heijn checkout, the borrel where nobody slows down for you. The exam phrases are a small, sharp tool. The rest is mileage.
