PTE Academic · Task guide 11 · 4 min read

PTE Summarize Written Text: format, scoring and tips

PTE Academic Summarize Written Text explained: one sentence, 5–75 words, 10 minutes. Scoring traits, common mistakes and a routine.

What you see and do

A reading passage of up to about 300 words appears on screen. Below it is a text box. You write a summary of the whole passage in one single sentence of between 5 and 75 words.

The word count is shown under the box as you type. You can cut, copy and paste within your answer, but there is no spellchecker.

Timing

Unused time does not carry over to the next item.

How it is scored

Summarize Written Text counts towards Reading and Writing. It is judged on:

Form acts as a gate. If your answer is more than one sentence, or falls outside the word range, it may score zero on every trait.

Common mistakes

• Writing two sentences. A second full stop, or a sentence joined only by a comma, can break the form rule.
• Copying the first lines of the passage. The first lines are rarely a full summary. Cover the whole text.
• A long list joined by "and". It may be one sentence, but it reads badly and often loses grammar marks.
• Missing the writer's conclusion or contrast. Many passages turn on a "however".
• No final check. Spelling errors and a missing full stop are easy to catch in the last minute.

A short routine

1. Read the passage and identify the main idea in a few words (about 2 minutes).
2. Pick two or three key supporting points, especially any contrast or conclusion (2 minutes).
3. Build one sentence around the main idea, joining points with linkers such as "while", "although", "because", "which" and "so that" (4 minutes).
4. Check that there is exactly one full stop, at the end, and that the word count is within range (1 minute).
5. Proofread for spelling and agreement (1 minute).

Exam tip: aim for about 30 to 50 words. That is long enough to cover the key points and short enough to keep the grammar under control.

Illustrative example

This passage and summary were written for Fable Tests. They are not taken from any official material.

Passage (shortened for illustration):

For centuries, sailors relied on lighthouses to warn them of rocks and guide them into harbour. Each lighthouse had a keeper, who lived on site and kept the lamp burning through every storm. During the twentieth century, electric lamps and automatic timers gradually made keepers unnecessary, and by the end of the century almost every lighthouse in many countries was run without staff. Satellite navigation has since reduced the importance of the lights themselves. Even so, many lighthouses remain in operation as a back-up for when electronic systems fail, and a number have found new lives as museums, holiday cottages and wildlife observatories.

One-sentence summary (54 words):

Although lighthouses once depended on resident keepers to guide sailors safely, automation during the twentieth century removed the need for staff and satellite navigation has reduced their importance, yet many still operate as a back-up to electronic systems while others have been converted into museums, holiday homes and wildlife observatories.

Notice how "although", "and", "yet" and "while" join the key points into a single, readable sentence.

Useful linkers

Key points

• You write one sentence of 5–75 words in 10 minutes.
• It counts towards Reading and Writing.
• Scoring traits are content, form, grammar and vocabulary.
• Form is a gate: break the one-sentence rule and the item may score zero.
• Cover the main idea and key points from the whole passage, then proofread.

For the official current format, see pearsonpte.com. More guides are on the PTE hub.