Templates
PTE Core Writing and Speaking Templates
How to structure every PTE Core email, summary and spoken answer for a higher score: what goes in each part, what to include and what to leave out, with model answers and quick drills to make it stick.
1. Learn the shape
Each template is a short chain of parts with a job and a budget. Memorize the chain, not sentences.
2. Learn what to cut
Sort ideas into keep or cut, then see a model answer built from the ones that score.
3. Use it on a real question
In the question bank, the template sits beside the task and ticks off each part as you go.
Writing templates
Two email templates, one for each tone, and the one-sentence summary. Each shows the plan, what to include and leave out, and a model answer with its word count.
Every email shares one frame
The 1-3-1 shape never changes: one opening, one paragraph per theme, one close. Only the tone changes with the reader, so pick it before you write a word.
| Writing to | Open | Sign off |
|---|---|---|
| A company, manager or landlord | Dear Ms Patel, / Dear Customer Service Team, | Yours sincerely, / Kind regards, |
| A colleague, neighbour or friend | Hi Priya, / Dear Sam, | Best wishes, / Thanks, |
Greeting that fits the readerHi Priya, / Dear Ms Patel,
Open: why you are writing12 to 18 words
Theme 1: answer it, add a detail20 to 26 words
Theme 2: answer it, add a detail20 to 26 words
Theme 3: answer it, add a detail20 to 26 words
Close: thanks or a next step8 to 14 words
Sign-off and your nameBest wishes, Alex
Total: about 100 words. The question bank asks for 80 to 120.
Speaking templates
Forty seconds goes fast. Each template splits it into stages with a time budget, and each page has a pacing timer you can practise against out loud, preparation time included.
Tasks that don't need a template
These tasks score delivery and accuracy, not structure. Their guides teach the technique instead.
Good to know
Frequently asked questions
Is it OK to use a template in PTE Core?
Yes, for the structure. What scores poorly is memorized sentences that do not fit the task, which is exactly what Respond to a Situation's lowest Appropriacy band describes. Use the template to decide what goes in each part, then fill it with the details from the question in front of you.
Which PTE Core tasks need a template?
Write Email, Summarize Written Text, Describe Image and Respond to a Situation. These are the tasks where you decide the content, so structure is what separates a high score from a rambling one. Read Aloud, Repeat Sentence and Answer Short Question reward delivery and accuracy instead, so their study guides cover technique rather than a template.
How do I decide what to include in a PTE Core email?
Cover every theme the prompt lists, each in its own paragraph, with one reason or detail. Leave out anything no theme asks for, such as side stories and statistics, and anything that pushes you past 120 words.
Are the templates free?
Yes. Every template and drill is free without an account. To try a template on a real question and get it scored, open the question bank: the template sits beside the task while you practise.