For those planning to study, work, or migrate to countries that use the English language, the Pearson Test of English; also known as PTE, is a popular English proficiency test. One of the components of the “Summarise Written Text” exercise, the analysis of complex texts and the ability to condense them into the simplest statement is crucial for estimating your general understanding level. In addition to having strong English language skills, getting good grades in this area also requires careful planning and the appropriate methods.
What is PTE Summarised Written Text?
The Writing section of the PTE Academic exam comprises the “Summarise Written Text” task. Like the previous exercise, this task requires you to trim a 200–300 word passage down to a standardised 75 words for the statement. The difficulty is maintaining the text’s primary concepts while ensuring your phrase is clear, short, and grammatically sound.
Each summary takes ten minutes, and your test may include one or two assignments. The assignment assesses your capacity to:
- Recognise complex written paragraphs.
- Determine the primary concepts and important illustrative details.
- Put these concepts briefly in a single sentence.
Why is PTE Summarise Written Texts Important?
This task is essential for assessing several critical language skills:
- Reading comprehension: Even if a section is complex or dense, you must still understand the text’s central idea.
- Writing Clarity: You must condense your thoughts into a single, grammatically correct sentence.
- Time management: This assignment and the entire PTE exam require the ability to summarise well under time pressure.
Tips to Excel
1. Recognise The Passage’s Structure
Read the passage thoroughly to comprehend its structure before attempting to paraphrase it:
- Introduction: Typically, the opening provides background information and a broad overview of the subject.
- Body: The primary ideas and illustrative details are frequently found in this section.
- Seek out a concluding statement or notion to summarise.
It will be simpler to extract the core concepts if you can identify these crucial areas.
2. Determine the Primary Concept
Instead of getting distracted by instances or small details, concentrate on the passage’s main ideas as you read it. Consider this:
- What message does the author want to get across?
- What is the passage’s main point or theme?
You can create a summary that captures the main concepts of the text by identifying the main message. A chapter discussing climate change, for instance, might focus more on the causes and effects of global warming than on particular case studies.
3. Make Good Use of Keywords
The accuracy of your summary can be improved by including keywords from the original passage. Lengthy statements should not be copied directly, as this could make your summary repetitious or ambiguous. Keep an eye out for these kinds of words:
- Key ideas: Words that appear frequently or are highlighted in the text.
- Transitional words are those that connect concepts, like “however,” “therefore,” or “as a result.”
- Using keywords can help you stay on topic and preserve the text’s original meaning.
4. Write a Complicated Phrase
You must compose a single sentence for the PTE Summarise Written Text problem. This implies that to seamlessly connect various ideas. You must utilise punctuation, such as commas, semicolons, and conjunctions. This is how a typical summary statement may appear:
“Ecosystems, weather patterns, and human societies are all impacted by climate change, mostly caused by human activity. As a result, immediate global action is needed to mitigate these challenges.”
5. Steer clear of fluff and repetition
For this work, conciseness is essential. Every word must have a meaning because you are limited to 75 words. Steer clear of excessive fillers like “it is important to note that” and only use meaningful terms. For example, you may say, “The passage states that human activities cause climate change,” rather than, “The passage discusses the idea that human activities are causing climate change.”
6. Preserve Coherence
A well-written synopsis should be organic. This implies that your ideas should be expressed logically and that your statement makes sense. Conjunctions such as “and,” “but,” or “because” assist in linking disparate sentence elements without causing misunderstandings. Always check your sentences for Coherence to ensure they flow well from beginning to end.
7. Develop Time Management Skills
Each summary takes ten minutes, so time management is essential. This is a proposed breakdown:
- During the first three to four minutes, carefully read the piece and note its central theme and supporting facts.
- The following three to four minutes: Ensure your summary statement encapsulates the main ideas.
- Final two to three minutes: Check your summary’s word count, Coherence, and grammar.
8. Check for spelling and grammar
Always check your summary for spelling and grammar mistakes before submitting it. A summary containing numerous errors may lose points even if it is well-written. Ensure your sentence is no more than 75 words, that the subject and verb agree, and that you have used the correct punctuation.
9. Practice, practice, practice
As with any skill, your ability to summarise written texts will improve with practice. To enhance your capacity to swiftly understand various chapters’ main ideas, try exposing yourself to multiple themes, from history and politics to science and technology. You can use articles from news websites, blogs, or journals or locate many practice passages online. To improve, try summarising them in no more than 75 words.
Conclusion
Although the PTE Summarise Written Text task may appear complicated, you can succeed using the appropriate techniques. You will succeed in this task if you comprehend the passage’s structure, recognise its key ideas, and construct a brief sentence. Always strive for accuracy and clarity in your summaries, practice frequently, and use your time wisely. I wish you luck as you prepare for the PTE!
