Writing Section - PTE (Part 1)

Dear Readers

Welcome to my second post on PTE.

In this post I will be discussing the writing section of PTE. Now, lets start

Keep in mind the below points while preparing for the Writing Section of PTE.

1. The Grammar used in sentences should be correct. (Refer to my previous post on Grammar Brush Up)
2. Punctuation should be on point. (I will cover this separately below)
3. Vocabulary should be diverse. Use of same words repeatedly is best avoided. (Refer to my previous post on vocabulary building)
4. Spelling should be correct.
5. Summaries and essays should have some structure and logical flow to it, especially if more than 1 sentence.
6. Type your practice answers in MS Word so that basic grammatical or spelling mistake can be identified. 

Now, lets discuss Punctuation first (Refer below)

The below table briefly outlines the types and rules for using these punctuations. This is a handy guide for quick reference.

In PTE, you'll be tested on the below

• Summarize Written Text (one sentence)

0. 
   
   0. What to expect
      
      
      In this section, you are given a passage on screen and need to summarize it using one sentence. You have 10 minutes to finish the task. Your response is judged on the quality of your writing and how well your response presents the key points in the passage.
      There can be 2 items sets from this section. Each passage will be between 200 to 350 words long. 
      
      
      How you are scored
      Content:
      2 Provides a good summary of the text. All relevant aspects mentioned 
      1 Provides a fair summary of the text but misses one or two aspects
      0 Omits or misrepresents the main aspects of the text
      
      
      

      Form:
      1 Is written in one, single, complete sentence
      0 If summary is not written in one, single, complete sentence or contains fewer than 5 or more than 75 words. 0 also if summary is written in capital letters
      
      Grammar:
      2 Has correct grammatical structure
      1 Contains grammatical errors but with no hindrance to communication
      0 Has defective grammatical structure which could hinder communication
      
      Vocabulary:
      2 Has appropriate choice of words

      1 Contains lexical errors but with no hindrance to communication 
      0 Has defective word choice which could hinder communication 
      
      
      

      Strategy
      
      
      

      The idea here is to simplify the text into one grammatically correct sentence. The use of conjunctions over here can be employed, if suitable. Go through the passage given and understand what is being presented. There may be several facts and figures presented, and you do not need to include them all in your summary. You should have one crisp sentence that conveys the general idea that the passage is trying to convey.

      
      

      The summary sentence word count needs to be 5-75 words. Anything shorter or longer and you get zero score. Make sure your grammar and spellings are correct. A general rule is to avoid using any word of which spelling you are unsure. The summary made should make sense if viewed in conjunction with any of the other sentences in the main passage. 

      
      

      Actual Examples from PTE Exam

      
      

      Question 1
      
      

      Read the passage below and summarize it using one sentence. You have 1 0 minutes to finish this task.
      
      Your response will be judged on the quality of your writing and on how well your response presents the
      
      key points in the passage.
      
      How do we measure efficiency? To economists - or to a certain type of economist - it is simply a
      
      question of profitability, even when it concerns what most people consider a social provision such as
      
      public transport. What is lost when railway lines and bus routes to small, out-of-the-way communities
      
      are cut in the name of efficiency? After all, if a line or a route is only used occasionally by a few people,
      
      it would be much cheaper to rip up the lines and let everyone use their cars.
      
      For many governments, the way to turn inefficient national services into profitable businesses has been
      
      to sell off these services - and their responsibilities - to private enterprises. Cost, in terms of profit and
      
      loss, is of course an important factor, but other factors need to be considered when dealing with the
      
      livelihoods of whole communities, however small. Among these are the social, environmental, human
      
      and cultural costs incurred by cutting off more remote communities from greater opportunities, including
      
      economic activities that benefit society as a whole.
      
      Taking away such links - the usual result of privatization - may well lead to economic benefits in the
      
      short term, but, as the last twenty to thirty years have shown, also leads to long-term social and cultural
      
      damage. Of course, no business with its eye on profits is going to "waste" money supporting underused
      
      services. Only large collective bodies such as national and local governments can do that. These services
      
      
      are, after all, a social provision, not businesses.
      
      Question 2
      
      Read the passage below and summarize it using one sentence. You have 1 0 minutes to finish this task.
      
      Your response will be judged on the quality of your writing and on how well your response presents the
      
      key points in the passage.
      
      Is the purpose of history to promote a strong national identity and support national myths? Certainly,
      
      it has been used in this way for centuries, and this is often reflected in the history curriculum. We can
      
      all remember history at school as being a matter of learning lots of facts and dates, and long lists of
      
      kings and queens - a grand narrative of how we got from a· not so civilized past to the great nation we
      
      are today. Putting aside the fact that national identity is a complex and divisive question - especially in
      
      countries like the UK, which is comprised of several nationalities - this approach to history emphasizes a
      
      broad understanding, rather than a detailed understanding.
      
      Yet history is, or should be, a critical, skeptical discipline: some historians see their work as disproving
      
      myths, demolishing orthodoxies. and exposing politically-motivated narratives which claim to be
      
      objective. What students need to develop are more critical and analytical skills; in other words, to think
      
      for themselves. They can do this by studying certain historical problems in depth. This involves being
      
      critical of the narratives presented by historians and skeptical of the myths preserved in the national
      
      
      memory.
      
      Answers
      
      Question 1
      
      Closure or privatization of inefficient national services may have short-term economic benefits, but can cause long-term damage both socially and culturally because some services are social provisions, not businesses.
      
      Question 2
      
      History should not be used to promote national myths by glorifying a country's great victories and figures, but rather it should be approached in an analytical and critical way.