How To Improve Your Essay Score
Tip 1. Keep your writing simple.
The test assessors are looking for clear, logical sentences. This does not mean you should only write short, simple sentences. You do need to show you can write complex sentences, but the more you try to write long, grammatically-complicated sentences the greater your chance of making errors.
Here is an example of a very long sentence that could be simplified:
A parent-teacher meeting will be held at the school on Tuesday September 11th at 4pm for you to meet your child’s teachers and to discuss his/her progress, but please note you must inform us by September 4th if you are coming and, if English is not your first language, whether or not you require an interpreter.
Simplified version:
A parent-teacher meeting will be held at the school on Tuesday September 11th at 4pm. You will be able to meet your child’s teachers and discuss his/her progress. Please inform us by September 4th if you are coming. Also, if English is not your first language let us know if you require an interpreter.
Tip 2. Plan your main points.
Do not start writing your essay as soon as you have read the topic. First, think about what you will write. You might believe the sooner you start the essay the better, or you will run out of time, but if you do not think first about what you are going to write you might get stuck or even write your points in the wrong order. Take a couple of minutes to think about and jot down your main points in order, so that when you write your essay each point or idea flows logically on to the next one. This tip is related to the next one on essay formats. The format you use can determine how many points you write about or their order.
Tip 3. Use a PTE essay-writing format.
There are various ways to write an essay in terms of structure and format. The PTE essay only has to be 200–300 words long, and you have just 20 minutes to write it, so it is important to use a suitable format. You could use one of the following:
1. Choose one side and stick with it.
- Paragraph 1: Introduce the topic
- Paragraph 2: Argument 1 (e.g. against)
- Paragraph 3: Argument 2 (e.g. against)
- Paragraph 4: Conclusion — summarize arguments from paragraphs 2 & 3
2. Weigh the arguments.
- Paragraph 1: Introduce the topic
- Paragraph 2: Arguments (for)
- Paragraph 3: Arguments (against)
- Paragraph 4: Conclusion — say which argument is most convincing in your opinion
Tip 4. Read every day!
Memorizing word lists is not the way to build your vocabulary bank. The best way is reading real language in books, magazines and newspapers. Make it a daily habit and you will quickly learn and remember more words and the ways they are used by native speakers. You will also improve your grammar! Language learners and test takers understandably try to use “new” or “big” words, however they often use them incorrectly. This is why memorizing word lists is a bad habit, because it does not teach you how to use words in the right context. Reading should also be enjoyable, so make sure you read material you are interested in — do not just read books on how to take the PTE!
If you like what you’ve read today and would like to maximise your chance of scoring high, you can create a free account and start practicing on the platforms we built for you. Here at Pineapple Studio, we truly believe that practice makes perfect! You can download the mobile app or visit the desktop version. Get ready with our real condition mock tests!
