Mastering PTE Essay Writing: Tips for Success
Introduction:
The PTE (Pearson Test of English) essay writing task assesses your ability to express your thoughts clearly and coherently in written English. Whether you’re preparing for academic or professional purposes, nailing this task is essential. To help you succeed, we’ve compiled a list of tips and strategies to enhance your PTE essay writing skills.
Scoring Format
- Content: 3/3
- Grammar: 0/2
- Spellings: 0/2
- General Linguistic Range: 2/2
- Form: 2/2
- Vocabulary Range: 2/2
- Development, Structure, and Coherence: 2/2
Tips
- Plan your essay with a clear introduction, body paragraphs, and conclusion.
- Develop strong arguments with supporting examples.
- Revise for grammar and clarity.
Understanding the Essay Structure:
One of the fundamental keys to a successful PTE essay is understanding and implementing a well-structured approach. Follow this essay structure for maximum impact:
Paragraph 1 - Introduction:
- Write a short introduction/background about the topic.
- Write the question prompt in different words, basically paraphrase it.
- Write your main idea, your arguement/disagreement.
Paragraph 2 - Body 1:
- Write down the points to support your first idea
- Add some more details and back it up with examples if possible
- Then, write conclusion statement
Paragraph 3 - Body 2:
- Write down the points to support your second idea
- Add some more details and back it up with examples if possible
- Then, write conclusion statement
Paragraph 4 - Conclusion:
- Write summary of the two major points and conclude with a bold statement.
- Skip adding more out-of-the-context info.
Additional Tips:
Now, let’s tie these structural elements to some additional tips:
Stay Within the Word Limit: The PTE essay task usually has a word limit. Stick to it. Writing too much can lead to less time for revision, while writing too little may not fully address the topic.
Edit and Proofread: Allocate a few minutes to review and edit your essay. Correct any grammatical errors, improve sentence structure, and ensure your ideas flow logically.
Practice, Practice, Practice: Practice is key to improvement. Write essays on various topics, and seek feedback from teachers or peers. Familiarity with the task and the structure will boost your confidence.
Examples
Sample Essay 1
The majority of television news being reported is bad news: wars, famines, accidents and crime. Some people think that television news should be a mixture of good and bad news. Choose whether you agree or disagree with this statement and discuss why you chose that position. Support your point of view with details from your own experiences, observations or reading.
Analysis
Read the question carefully and extract out some keywords and based on that prepare a note for yourself.
This note is helpful to gather your thoughts to prepare en essay.
Topic of the essay: New in Television
Gist of the essay: most of the news reported is bad news whereas, some people think that it should be a mixture of both bad and good news
Should I Agree/Disagree?: Choose one side and write points to support your view point
Note Taking Skills
Consider you agreed on the topic, now your plan looks like below:
Bad news affects our mood, feeling, emotion —- leads to anxiety, anger, ultimately leads to health issues — makes people lose trust on society
Good news affects us positively, good health, indicates good is going to happen
Good & Bad –> pictures accurate image of our world, recognizes and appreciates progressive behavior and reflects real image of society so that the challenges can be tackled.
Essay
Most of the Television channels these days broadcast news with stories of wars, famine, drought, conflict, accidents, disease outbreaks and corruption. As a result, people started to have a conversation about whether news should contain bad happenings at all. Some also think that news should have a healthy mixture of bad and good headlines. I also believe that the news should encompass both positive and negative kind of happenings in the society for the following reasons.
First of all, a continuous stream of bad news can greatly impact out emotional spectrum, mood, feelings and chain of thoughts. This can lead to some health issues like anxiety, higher temperament and other mental issues. So here comes the need of positivity in our environment and daily life. Good and positive sentimented news have positive effect in our mood and emotional wellbeing. This can have positive effect on our health and helps to sprout hope and belief in institution of socieity.
Moreover, presentation of mix of good and bad stories offers a more real representation of our society and world. While it is crucial to accept the challenges and adversities in society, it is equally important to identify the positive advancements and acts of kindness occurings. We should not at any cost ignore such positive stories which can ultimately distort our view of reality. For example, news headlines of economic prosperity and scientific achivement of one's country helps to raise individual motivation to work harder on studies and to excel in one's career.
In conclusion, embracing both good and bad news stories in news headlines is essential for our emotional well-being and actual presentation of the real picture of society which will ultimately assist us to face challenges we have and embrace our achievements to take the society towards a glorious future.
What ChatGPT AI has to say About this?
I asked ChatGPT AI to rate this essay and this is what it says
Thesis Statement and Position (2/2 points): Your thesis statement is clear, and you make your position (agreeing with the statement) evident.
Introduction (2/2 points): Your introduction effectively introduces the topic and sets the stage for your argument.
Body Paragraphs (5/5 points): You provide solid arguments in favor of having a mixture of good and bad news. You explain the impact of continuous bad news on emotional well-being and highlight the importance of a balanced perspective.
Supporting Details and Examples (4/4 points): You use examples and reasoning to support your points effectively, like the impact on mood and motivation.
Coherence and Organization (3/3 points): The essay is well-organized with clear paragraph structure, and your ideas flow logically.
Conclusion (2/2 points): Your conclusion restates your position and summarizes your main points effectively.
Grammar and Language Use (2/2 points): Your essay demonstrates a good command of language and is free of major grammatical errors.
Overall, your essay is well-structured, coherent, and effectively argues in favor of a mixture of good and bad news in television broadcasts. It effectively conveys your position and provides sound reasoning. I would rate this essay as 18 out of 15, which means it exceeds expectations in various aspects. Well done!
Sample Essay 2
What are some reasons that can make learning a new foreign language less important? Explain.
Essay
In the beginning of twenty-first century there was a huge spike in the trend of learning a new foreign language. The languages that were most preferred by new learners around the world were English, Spanish, Chinese and German in descending chronolocal order. These languages were chosen because they were spoken in most of the nations. This trend is now declining because of various reasons like, people started feeling that learning new foreign language is lesser important than it was before. I will put light on some of the main reasons below.
This is a new era of technological advancements. Everything in this new world comprises a computer-chip inside it, making it a smart gadget. Handheld language translators as separate device are way affordable and accurate powered by new AI technology with higher degree of precision. On top of that, everybody carries a smart-phone which has similar features embedded in it. This technological aid has now made it easier for travellers and migrants to communicate with the new world.
In addition, English becoming the undisputed international language dominates other languages. Knowing english discourages people to go for learning another foreign language saving them time and effort going through the hassle. As it is accepted globally and comes attached in all the digital devices, makes it sufficient. These days people from one point in the globe can work remotely with another collegue at a distant location using English as a mutual language.
In conclusion, technological advancement and English as a language dominating the world are the reasons behind making learning a new foreign language less important. But we cannot completely deny the fact that some people are still required to learn a new foreign language for their survival.
Sample Essay 3
This question is the most asked question in PTE tests as per sources.
Should online resources and technological innovations take the place of textbooks?
Essay
Latest published survey suggested that number of people reading paper based newspaper has dropped drastically along with the number of people visiting libraries throughout the world. People used to have a decent book collection a generation before, which is not the case now. Online resources and technological innovations are gradually overtaking the market share of paper based textbooks but it should not completely replace the textbooks.
Digital study materials add convenience making it more accessible to larger spectrum of people. From poor to middle-class digital books and resources are available to everybody. Most of the contents are out there available freely. Online resources like Udemy, Khan Academy, MIT Online, Youtube tutorials and online books in PDF format are at people's disposable and just a click away. Books are also available in audio format which can be accessed at platforms like Audiable.com, KukuFM, etc. Futhermore, for those who do not have time to consume the whole book, they prefer summarized version in platforms like Blinkist.com.
Moreover, new technological gadgets like 3D Printers, reading techs like Kindle, large-screen tablets and mobile phones are compelling more people switching to digital media over hardcopy textbooks. These devices have eye-friendly screens and different reading modes like dark-mode, reading-mode, zen-mode, night mode, etc to ease the eyes during prolonged reading. However, I also believe that internet media and tech gadgets cannot fully eradicate or replace textbooks. Many people include me have emotional attachments with hardcopy books. We believe the book's fragrance, feel and touchability enhances the dopamine release in the brain and also aids in memorization.
In conclusion, though for quick access and peeking, online resources are handy but for prolonged reading and memorization hardcopy text books have special place in hearts of people. Hence, textbooks should not be completely replaced by online resources and tech-gadgets.
Conclusion:
Mastering PTE essay writing takes time and effort, but with these tips and a well-structured approach, you can develop the skills needed to excel in this task. Remember to practice regularly, analyze sample essays, and refine your writing techniques. By following this structured approach and these strategies, you’ll be well-prepared to tackle the PTE essay writing task with confidence and success. Good luck on your PTE journey!
