PTE Core Writing · Summarize Written Text
PTE Core Summarize Written Text Template
Four pieces joined into one compact sentence of about 40 words: what the text says, the two points that support it, and where it leads. Content and Form, both covered at once.
10 minutes · 25 to 50 words · aim for 35 to 45
The one-sentence summary: remember it as
- Frame
- Main idea
- Support
- Result
When to use it: Every Summarize Written Text item. The passage is up to 200 words and you have 10 minutes to read it and write 25 to 50 words.
The template
Each part has one job and a word budget. Fill every blank from the question in front of you: the score rewards answers to this task, not memorized sentences.
- 1
Frame
3 to 7 wordsA short lead-in that says where the idea comes from.
Starters
- The passage explains that blank
- According to the text, blank
- A study of blank found that blank
Put in
- A neutral reporting verb: explains, argues, shows, found
Leave out
- "In this passage, the author talks about the topic of": long, and says nothing
- Your own opinion ("I think")
Earns:FormGrammar
- 2
Main idea
10 to 18 wordsThe passage's central claim or finding, in your own words.
Starters
- blank has led to blank
- blank is more effective than blank at blank
- although blank, blank remains blank
Put in
- The point the whole passage is making, not its first sentence
- Your own paraphrase where you can manage one
Leave out
- A detail or an example in place of the main idea
- Long phrases copied word for word from the passage
Earns:ContentVocabulary
- 3
Support
8 to 15 wordsThe two strongest supporting points, joined with a connector.
Starters
- , highlighting blank and blank,
- , mainly because blank and blank,
- , while blank,
Put in
- Two points at most, the ones the passage spends longest on
- A connector that joins them to the main idea: highlighting, because, while
Leave out
- Statistics and examples that only illustrate a point
- A list of every point in the passage
Earns:ContentGrammar
- 4
Result
5 to 10 wordsWhere it leads: the conclusion, consequence or recommendation.
Starters
- , which blank.
- , so blank.
- ; as a result, blank.
Put in
- The passage's conclusion, if it has one
- A full stop at the end
Leave out
- A second sentence joined with a bare comma (a comma splice)
- Padding to sound complete when you are already near 50 words
Earns:ContentGrammar
What to put in, what to leave out
The test for every idea: does the task ask for it? If not, it costs you words you need for the parts that score.
Put in
- The main idea of the whole passage
- Two supporting points, no more
- The conclusion or recommendation, if the passage has one
- Connectors that join ideas: that, which, while, because, so
- Normal punctuation and one paragraph of 25 to 50 words
Leave out
- Examples, names and statistics used only as illustration
- Points that repeat another point in different words
- Your opinion
- Bullet points, numbering or capital letters (Form drops to zero)
- Long phrases lifted straight from the passage
Keep or cut?
Here are points from the passage below. Sort each one before you see the model summary.
The passage
A two-year study of 1,200 office employees across three companies found that staff who worked from home two or three days a week reported higher job satisfaction and produced measurably more output than staff who worked entirely on site or entirely from home. Researchers linked the gain to fewer interruptions during focused tasks and to reduced commuting fatigue. However, the same study found that fully remote employees reported feeling less connected to their teams and were more likely to say they had missed important updates. The authors concluded that a hybrid schedule, rather than a fully remote or fully on-site model, best balanced individual productivity with team cohesion, and recommended that companies treat the specific mix of in-office days as a variable worth testing rather than a fixed rule.
1 of 7
0 right
See it in action
The model summary, with each part labelled by the piece of the template it fills.
The passage (129 words)
A two-year study of 1,200 office employees across three companies found that staff who worked from home two or three days a week reported higher job satisfaction and produced measurably more output than staff who worked entirely on site or entirely from home. Researchers linked the gain to fewer interruptions during focused tasks and to reduced commuting fatigue. However, the same study found that fully remote employees reported feeling less connected to their teams and were more likely to say they had missed important updates. The authors concluded that a hybrid schedule, rather than a fully remote or fully on-site model, best balanced individual productivity with team cohesion, and recommended that companies treat the specific mix of in-office days as a variable worth testing rather than a fixed rule.
A study of office workers found that a hybrid schedule of two or three home days a week raised both job satisfaction and output by reducing interruptions and commuting fatigue, while fully remote staff felt less connected, so companies should test the right mix of office days.
- 1. Frame · 7 words
- 2. Main idea · 17 words
- 3. Support · 13 words
- 4. Result · 10 words
Why it scores: It states the main finding, folds in the two reasons and the contrast with fully remote work, and ends on the recommendation, all inside one correctly joined sentence. It sits comfortably inside the 25 to 50 word band and paraphrases more than the guide's version, which helps Vocabulary.
Make it stick
Two quick rounds: rebuild the summary in the right order, then spot the line that scores.
Rebuild the summary
Tap the part that comes first.
Write this, not that
1. Which scores higher?
2. Which scores higher?
3. Which scores higher?
4. Which scores higher?
Mistakes that cost marks
- Summarizing the first sentence instead of the main idea of the whole passage.
- Packing in every point and running past 50 words.
- Joining two sentences with a comma instead of a connector.
- Writing bullet points or capitals, which drops Form to zero.
- Spending most of the 10 minutes reading: two passes, then write.
Free to try
Use this template on a real Summarize Written Text question
Open a question in the question bank. The template sits beside your answer and ticks off each part against its word budget as you type, then the AI scores you on the same traits Pearson uses.
Practise Summarize Written TextKeep going
Good to know
Frequently asked questions
Does a PTE Core summary have to be one sentence?
No. Form depends on word count and formatting only: 25 to 50 words, normal punctuation, no list or capitals. One well-joined sentence is simply the fastest way to stay compact, so the template uses one.
Can I copy words from the passage?
Some overlap is fine, especially key terms. A summary built mostly from copied phrases shows weaker Vocabulary, so paraphrase the main idea where you can.
What if my summary is 52 words?
It still earns a partial Form mark: 51 to 60 words is not a zero. But cutting one supporting detail is usually easy and brings you back to full marks.