This week's sessions
Tick each session when you finish it. Your ticks are saved only in this browser.
- Write Essay: plan and developRead this week's lesson and the Write Essay guide. Plan two essays in 3 minutes each: position, two main ideas, one example for each.
- An essay and two summariesDo the writing set below with the timers. Compare each answer with the model, then run the 3-minute error check.
- Write and check a second essayWrite an essay on this topic in 20 minutes, then paste it into the PTE essay checker. Rewrite your weakest body paragraph with a reason and a specific example.
- Grammar and spelling accuracyDo the accuracy set below. Add every word you misspelled, and every grammar point you missed, to your personal error list.
- Speaking: your two weakest tasksRecord five answers for each of the two tasks you chose in week 3. Listen back for pauses and restarts.
This week's lesson: writing for 69
The Writing minimum for Proficient English is 69, so writing is the second big project after speaking. At this level, most people already know the essay structure. What holds them back is usually thin paragraphs, sentences that repeat the same pattern, and small slips in spelling, grammar and punctuation.
Write Essay: 20 minutes, 200 to 300 words
Use the first 3 minutes to plan, 14 to write and 3 to check. A plan for a four-paragraph essay:
- Introduction (2 sentences): rephrase the topic, then give your position. "While I agree that experience matters a great deal, I believe the best approach is to value both."
- Body 1: one main idea, a reason, and a specific example.
- Body 2: a second idea or the other side, again with a reason and an example.
- Conclusion (2 sentences): restate your position in new words.
Aim for 250 to 270 words. Under 200 or over 300 costs marks for form.
Develop each idea
A paragraph that only lists points stays thin. Take each point one step further: claim, reason, example.
Thin: Experience is useful. People with experience work better. Developed: A person who has already worked in a similar role understands the daily demands of the job, so they usually need less training. For example, a graduate with two years of part-time work in a pharmacy is likely to settle into a pharmacy role more quickly.
Vary your sentences
Mix simple sentences with longer ones built with although, because, which, while, as a result. Don't force it: use a complex sentence when the meaning needs it, and only if you can write it correctly.
Templates: structure yes, filler no
A short phrase to open each paragraph is fine. Long memorised sentences that don't answer the question add words but not content. Every sentence should be about this topic.
Summarize Written Text: one sentence, done well
You have 10 minutes to write one sentence of 5 to 75 words. The trick is to join the main idea and the key supporting points with the right connector:
- Contrast: Although X, Y. / X, but Y.
- Cause: Because X, Y. / X, so Y.
- Addition: X, and Y, which Z.
"Desalination plants provide a reliable water supply that does not depend on rainfall, but because they are expensive and use a lot of energy, many authorities use them mainly as a backup."
Check that there's only one full stop, at the end, and that you haven't joined two full sentences with only a comma.
The 3-minute error check
Read your writing once for each of these:
- Spelling, especially long academic words: government, receive, environment, necessary, beginning. Use one spelling style throughout, for example organise and analyse everywhere.
- Subject and verb: The number of students has increased. Writing an essay requires planning.
- Word endings: plurals (-s), past tense (-ed) and -ing after by and before.
- Punctuation: a capital letter at the start, a full stop at the end, no comma splices.
This week
Write one essay and two summaries, then check them with the essay checker and fix every error you find. Keep one short speaking session to hold on to your progress.
Practice for this week
An essay and two summaries
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Grammar and spelling accuracy
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Weekly check: PTE writing practice test
All four tasks that make up the writing score, with timers. Check every answer for word count, one full stop in the summary, and spelling.
When you finish, come back to your plan home: your dashboard updates with the new score.
Answers, explanations and transcripts
Finish the test first, then open each section to check your answers. Every answer has an explanation.
An essay and two summaries
Model answer: Write Essay (20 minutes)
Many employers now say that they value practical work experience more than university qualifications. To what extent do you agree or disagree with this approach?
In many industries, employers increasingly describe practical experience as more valuable than a degree. While I agree that experience matters a great deal, I believe the best approach is to value both, because each offers something the other cannot.
There are clear reasons why employers value experience. A person who has already worked in a similar role understands the daily demands of the job, from meeting deadlines to dealing with difficult customers. As a result, they usually need less training, make fewer costly mistakes in their first months and can contribute to the team sooner. For example, a graduate with two years of part-time work in a hospital pharmacy is likely to settle into a pharmacy role more quickly than one who has only studied.
However, university qualifications provide knowledge and skills that experience alone may not develop. A degree trains people to analyse problems, evaluate evidence and communicate complex ideas in writing. In fields such as engineering, nursing or law, formal study is also essential for safety and professional standards, so experience cannot simply replace it. Moreover, relying only on experience may disadvantage young people who have not yet had the chance to work, even though many of them would learn the job quickly with the right support.
In conclusion, I partly agree with employers who value practical experience, as it shows that a candidate can perform in a real workplace. Nevertheless, I believe that the strongest candidates combine a solid education with relevant experience, and employers should give fair weight to both.
Model answer: Summarize Written Text (10 minutes)
Summarise the text in ONE sentence of 5–75 words.
Desalination plants provide a reliable water supply that does not depend on rainfall, but because they are expensive, use a lot of energy and produce brine that can harm marine life, many authorities use them mainly as a backup alongside cheaper measures such as water saving, recycling and pipe repairs.
Model answer: Summarize Written Text (10 minutes)
Summarise the text in ONE sentence of 5–75 words.
Citizen science projects allow volunteers to collect data over far larger areas and periods than researchers could alone while helping participants learn about science, and although data quality is a concern, projects reduce errors through training, photo or sound evidence and expert checks of unusual records.
Grammar and spelling accuracy
Answer key (10 answers)
| # | Question | Answer | Why |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Which sentence is grammatically correct? | B. The number of students who study online has increased. | 'The number of' takes a singular verb (has increased), while 'students who study' is plural. A mixes these up; C drops the plural -s and the -d ending; D changes 'number' to 'numbers'. |
| 2 | Which sentence would work as one Summarize Written Text sentence? | C. Although desalination is reliable, it is expensive and uses a lot of energy. | C is one correct sentence joined with 'Although'. A has two full stops; B and D join full sentences with only commas (a comma splice), which counts as a grammar error. |
| 3 | Which sentence is spelled correctly throughout? | C. The government should receive more feedback from the public. | 'Government' has an n before the m, 'receive' follows 'e before i after c', and 'feedback' has no plural -s. |
| 4 | Many experts ___ | argue | After 'many experts' (present, plural) we need the base verb 'argue'. After 'to' we need the base form 'access'. Check the word form, not just the meaning. |
| 5 | …could reduce traffic and make it easier for people on low incomes to ___ | access | After 'many experts' (present, plural) we need the base verb 'argue'. After 'to' we need the base form 'access'. Check the word form, not just the meaning. |
| 6 | The survey results were ___ | analysed | A passive verb needs the past participle: 'were analysed' (Australian spelling with -s-). After 'had' we need the past participle 'benefited'. |
| 7 | by a team of researchers, who found that most participants had ___ | benefited | A passive verb needs the past participle: 'were analysed' (Australian spelling with -s-). After 'had' we need the past participle 'benefited'. |
| 8 | Writing a strong essay ___ | requires | 'Writing a strong essay' is a singular subject, so the verb is 'requires'. A 'clear position' is a noun phrase; 'positive' is an adjective. A 'specific example' is the natural collocation. |
| 9 | careful planning. Before you begin, decide on a clear ___ | position | 'Writing a strong essay' is a singular subject, so the verb is 'requires'. A 'clear position' is a noun phrase; 'positive' is an adjective. A 'specific example' is the natural collocation. |
| 10 | choose two main ideas and think of a specific ___ | example | 'Writing a strong essay' is a singular subject, so the verb is 'requires'. A 'clear position' is a noun phrase; 'positive' is an adjective. A 'specific example' is the natural collocation. |
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