Grammar in the Polish B1 exam
In the B1 exam for adults, grammatical accuracy is a separate module of the written part, which you must pass with at least 50% of the points. The scope is set by the list of topics in the standard of requirements: the inflection of nouns, adjectives, pronouns and numerals, the functions of all seven cases, tenses, aspect, the imperative and conditional moods, comparison and complex sentences. Grammar also counts in writing and speaking, so mistakes lower your score there too. At a trial lesson we will show you which topics to revise first.
Where grammar is tested in the exam
In the B1 exam, grammar is tested in three places. First, in the separate "grammatical accuracy" module, which is one of the four modules of the written part. Second, in writing and speaking, where the standard requires you to use structures from the list of topics. Third, indirectly in reading, because to understand a sentence you have to recognise who did what to whom, and that depends on the endings.
We describe how grammar fits into the whole exam in the guide to the B1 exam.
What you need to know – the scope of grammar at B1
The list of topics for the B1 level covers inflection, word formation, syntax and style. Below we have put it together in a practical form, with our own examples.
| Area | What you need to know | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Nouns | inflection in the singular and plural, including irregular words | człowiek – ludzie, tydzień – tygodnia, ręka – w ręce, oko – oczy |
| The masculine personal gender | the difference between people and things in the plural | ci studenci, but te studentki, te stoły |
| Adjectives and pronouns | inflection and agreement with the noun; the pronoun swój | Zabrał swoją kurtkę. |
| Numerals | cardinal and ordinal numerals, collective forms for men | dwaj koledzy / dwóch kolegów, pięciu lekarzy, dwudziesty piąty |
| Tenses | present, past, simple and compound future | pójdę, będę pracować / będę pracował |
| Aspect | perfective and imperfective pairs, their meaning and use | pisałem list (process) – napisałem list (result) |
| Moods | imperative and conditional | Niech pan usiądzie. Pojechałabym, gdybym miała czas. |
| Comparison | adjectives and adverbs, including irregular ones | dobry – lepszy, źle – gorzej, bardziej zmęczony |
| Complex sentences | coordinating and subordinating conjunctions | że, żeby, ponieważ, bo, kiedy, który, jeśli, gdyby, im… tym… |
| Style | distinguishing formal, informal and colloquial style | Czy mógłby Pan…? – Możesz…? |
Cases in practice – what B1 requires
At B1, it is not enough to know the endings – you have to know when to use which case. The situations that cost the most points are those where the case depends on the verb or the preposition rather than on the question "who? what?".
| Case | Typical use at B1 | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Genitive | after negation, after the verbs szukać, potrzebować, bać się, after dużo, mało, kilka, after the prepositions do, z, od, bez, dla, obok | Nie mam czasu. Szukam tańszego mieszkania. Wracam z pracy. |
| Dative | to whom? – also in the constructions podobać się, smakować, pomagać | Ten film bardzo mi się podobał. Pomagam sąsiadce. |
| Accusative | direct object, na and w with direction, duration of time | Czekam na autobus. Jadę na tydzień. |
| Instrumental | profession and description after być, z meaning "together with", place after za, przed, nad, pod, między | Jestem pielęgniarką. Kawa z mlekiem. Spotkajmy się przed kinem. |
| Locative | only with a preposition: w, na, o, po, przy | Mieszkam przy ulicy Długiej. Rozmawialiśmy o pracy. |
| Vocative | addressing a person, also in letters | Droga Aniu! Szanowny Panie Dyrektorze, |
If you still mix up the endings, start with the cases cheat sheet – we have collected all the forms there in tables.
Aspect – the hardest topic for most learners
The perfective aspect describes a completed or one-off action, and the imperfective – a process, repetition or the action itself without a result. In the exam, aspect appears in the past tense, the future tense and the imperative mood.
- Codziennie czytam gazetę (repetition) – Wczoraj przeczytałem cały artykuł (result).
- Będę szukać pracy (a process in the future) – Znajdę pracę (a result in the future).
- Proszę zamknąć drzwi (one action) – Proszę zamykać drzwi (always, every time).
- Kiedy jadłem obiad, zadzwonił telefon – the background (imperfective) and the event that interrupted it (perfective).
The forms of the future tense are particularly treacherous: from a perfective verb only the simple future is formed. The form będę napisać does not exist – the correct forms are napiszę or będę pisać. Practise more aspect pairs.
Numerals with nouns
The numeral determines the case of the noun and the form of the verb. This is one of the favourite traps in grammar tasks.
| Number | Things and women | Men (the masculine personal group) |
|---|---|---|
| 2, 3, 4 | dwa stoły stoją, trzy koleżanki przyszły | dwaj koledzy przyszli or dwóch kolegów przyszło |
| 5 and more | pięć stołów stoi, sześć koleżanek przyszło | pięciu kolegów przyszło |
| 22, 23, 24 | dwadzieścia dwa stoły | dwudziestu dwóch kolegów |
You will find full inflection tables in our guide to numerals.
Exercise: insert the correct form
The sentences were prepared by the Pol-Langua editorial team. The "word form in brackets" format is one of the best ways to practise grammar before the exam, because it forces you to choose an ending rather than merely recognise it.
- Od miesiąca szukam (nowa praca) …
- Wczoraj nie było (mój brat) … w domu.
- W naszej firmie pracuje (pięć / pięciu) … (inżynier) …
- Gdybym (mieć) … więcej czasu, (zapisać się) … na kurs tańca.
- Jutro (zrobić) … zakupy i (ugotować) … obiad dla gości.
- Spotkajmy się przed (główny dworzec) …
- Ta książka bardzo (ja) … się podobała.
- To jest kolega, (który) … pożyczyłem rower.
Key: 1. nowej pracy (szukać + genitive); 2. mojego brata (nie było + genitive); 3. pięciu inżynierów (men – the masculine personal form, the noun in the genitive, the verb in the singular: pracuje); 4. miał / miała, zapisałbym / zapisałabym się; 5. zrobię, ugotuję; 6. głównym dworcem (przed + instrumental); 7. mi (podobać się + dative); 8. któremu (pożyczyć komu? – dative).
Why sentence 3 is tricky: after a numeral from five upwards, the verb is in the singular and the neuter gender in the past tense (pracowało pięciu inżynierów), not in the plural. Learners often write pięć inżynierów pracują – two mistakes in one sentence.
How to revise grammar before the exam
It is best to revise grammar in sentences about yourself, not in isolated tables. Make up your own sentences on topics from the B1 catalogue – work, housing, health, free time – and use one difficult construction in each.
- Diagnosis: write down the three topics in which you make the most mistakes (e.g. aspect, numerals, the instrumental).
- One topic a week: the rule, ten sentences of your own, exercises with a key.
- Revision in writing: a short email in which you deliberately use the construction you are practising.
- Check: every few weeks, grammar tasks against the clock and a list of the mistakes that keep recurring.
We have collected learners' most common mistakes – not only grammatical ones – in our list of mistakes that cost points in the B1 exam. If you want someone to correct your sentences as you go, start with a trial lesson.
Frequently asked questions
Is grammar a separate part of the B1 exam?
Yes, in the adult group grammatical accuracy is a separate module of the written part, alongside listening, reading and writing. Each of these modules has to be passed separately.
Do I need to know the names of the cases in the exam?
You do not have to name them – the tasks test whether you can use the correct form. The names do help in your studies, though, because they let you quickly find the rule in a textbook or a table.
Which grammar topic should I start my B1 revision with?
Usually with the genitive and aspect, because they appear in almost every sentence. After that, it is worth moving on to numerals with nouns and the conditional mood.
Do grammar mistakes in an essay lower the writing score?
Yes. The standard of requirements assumes that grammatical topics are also tested in writing and speaking. At B1, minor mistakes are acceptable if they do not significantly hinder communication.
Sources
- Regulation of the Minister of Science and Higher Education of 14 February 2025 on exams in Polish as a foreign language (Rozporządzenie w sprawie egzaminów z języka polskiego jako obcego), Dz.U. 2025 item 217 – § 14(1)(1)(c), § 23(1)(b), Annex 1 (B1 level, grammatical accuracy – the list of grammar topics)
Online B1 course with mock exams and feedback on writing and speaking. Start with a trial lesson and a level diagnosis.
See also
- Polish casesAll seven cases in one place: questions, endings, prepositions and examples.Read →
- Verb aspectRobić or zrobić? Verb pairs, clue words, tenses and typical mistakes.Read →
- Common mistakesThe mistakes that most often cost points – in strategy, grammar, writing and speaking – with corrections and ways to avoid them.Read →