Write Essay is the last task in PTE Academic Part 1: 20 minutes to write 200 to 300 words on a prompt. It is a PTE Academic task — PTE Core does not have it, and has Write Email instead.
Twenty minutes for 250 words is tight. That is why the structure has to be decided before you read the prompt, not after.
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| Element | Detail |
|---|---|
| Time | 20 minutes |
| Word count | 200-300 |
| Part | Part 1, Speaking and Writing — the final task |
| In PTE Core? | No — Core has Write Email instead |
| Spell-checker | None |
| Paragraph | Content | Words |
|---|---|---|
| Introduction | Paraphrase the prompt, then state your position clearly | 45-55 |
| Body 1 | Your strongest argument, explained, with one example | 80-95 |
| Body 2 | Your second argument, or the counter-argument answered | 80-95 |
| Conclusion | Restate the position; add nothing new | 35-45 |
| Total | — | 240-290 |
| Minutes | Task |
|---|---|
| 0-2 | Read the prompt twice. Identify the question type and underline the instruction |
| 2-4 | Plan: your position, two arguments, one example each. Four lines maximum |
| 4-7 | Introduction |
| 7-12 | Body 1 |
| 12-17 | Body 2 |
| 17-19 | Conclusion |
| 19-20 | Check the word count, then scan for spelling, articles and subject-verb agreement |
The two minutes of planning is the highest-return time in the twenty. Skipping it produces an essay that changes direction in paragraph three.
| Type | Prompt ends with | Non-negotiable |
|---|---|---|
| Opinion | Do you agree or disagree? / To what extent… | A clear position in the introduction |
| Argument | Discuss both views / What is your view? | Both sides plus your position |
| Advantages and disadvantages | What are the advantages and disadvantages? | Both sides; a verdict if asked |
| Problem and solution | What problems… and what can be done? | Solutions attached to named problems |
| Cause and effect | What are the causes and effects of…? | Both, roughly equally |
Prompt: Some people believe that governments should invest in public transport rather than building new roads. Do you agree or disagree?
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It is frequently argued that public funds are better directed towards buses and railways than towards additional road capacity. While there are contexts in which road building remains necessary, I largely agree with this position, for two reasons: new road capacity tends to generate the traffic it was built to relieve, and public transport serves people who cannot drive at all. The first argument concerns induced demand. When a congested route is widened, journeys previously deterred by delay become worthwhile again, and within a few years the additional capacity fills. Studies of urban motorway expansion have repeatedly found traffic growth close to the capacity added, which means the original congestion returns after the construction cost has already been paid. Public transport does not behave in the same way, because a fuller train remains a functioning train whereas a fuller road becomes a slower one. The second argument is distributional. A substantial proportion of any population does not drive: the young, the elderly, those with disabilities that preclude driving, and those who cannot afford a vehicle. Road expenditure delivers nothing directly to these groups, whereas a bus route reaching a peripheral district changes what its residents can access, including employment and healthcare. Investment in roads therefore benefits those who already possess the greatest mobility. In conclusion, while rural connectivity can justify road construction, the case for prioritising public transport in urban areas is strong, since it avoids the self-defeating logic of induced demand and reaches people whom road spending cannot help. |
247 words. A position in the introduction, one idea per body paragraph, and a conclusion that adds nothing new.
Prompt: Air pollution is a serious problem in many cities. What causes it, and what measures could reduce it?
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Urban air pollution has become one of the more intractable problems facing large cities, and its causes are more varied than the usual focus on private cars suggests. This essay identifies two principal sources and proposes measures directed at each. The first cause is road transport, though the composition matters. Passenger cars contribute a large share of emissions, but delivery vehicles have grown considerably as a proportion of urban traffic and are disproportionately damaging because they stop frequently and idle. A measure aimed specifically at this source is the consolidation centre, in which parcels from several carriers are combined at the edge of a controlled zone and delivered by a single vehicle. Where authorities have made access to the zone conditional on using such a service, the reduction in vehicle movements has been substantial. The second cause is domestic and commercial heating, which is frequently underestimated because its output is dispersed rather than concentrated on major roads. Solid-fuel heating in particular produces high concentrations of particulate matter in residential areas during winter. The appropriate response here is regulatory rather than infrastructural: restricting the sale of the most polluting fuels, combined with grants for replacement heating systems, addresses the source directly and does not depend on individual choice. In conclusion, air pollution in cities arises from both mobile and stationary sources, and measures that target only one of them will produce disappointing results. Consolidated delivery and heating regulation together address a far larger share of the problem than either does alone. |
249 words. Each solution attaches to a named cause, which is the requirement this question type sets.
| # | Prompt | Type |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | University education should be free for all students. Do you agree or disagree? | Opinion |
| 2 | Some believe technology has made society less social. To what extent do you agree? | Opinion |
| 3 | A four-day working week would improve productivity. Do you agree? | Opinion |
| 4 | Governments should tax unhealthy food. To what extent do you agree? | Opinion |
| 5 | Some argue examinations measure ability poorly; others defend them. Discuss both views. | Argument |
| 6 | Some think employers should fund training; others say individuals should. Discuss both views. | Argument |
| 7 | Some believe environmental protection is a national duty; others say it needs international agreement. Discuss. | Argument |
| 8 | What are the advantages and disadvantages of studying abroad? | Advantages and disadvantages |
| 9 | Do the benefits of remote working outweigh the drawbacks? | Advantages and disadvantages |
| 10 | What are the advantages and disadvantages of privatising public services? | Advantages and disadvantages |
| 11 | What problems does traffic congestion cause, and how can cities address them? | Problem and solution |
| 12 | What difficulties arise from an ageing population, and what can be done? | Problem and solution |
| 13 | What problems does misinformation cause, and how might they be reduced? | Problem and solution |
| 14 | What causes staff turnover in some industries, and what are its effects? | Cause and effect |
| 15 | What causes declining physical activity, and what are the consequences? | Cause and effect |
| 16 | Cities should restrict private cars in their centres. Do you agree? | Opinion |
| 17 | Prison should focus on rehabilitation rather than punishment. To what extent do you agree? | Opinion |
| 18 | Should governments fund the arts as well as essential services? Discuss both views. | Argument |
| 19 | What are the advantages and disadvantages of a single global language? | Advantages and disadvantages |
| 20 | What causes housing shortages in large cities, and what measures could help? | Problem and solution |
| Function | Frames |
|---|---|
| Paraphrase the prompt | It is frequently argued that… / [Topic] has become… |
| State a position | I largely agree with this position, for two reasons… / On balance I believe… |
| Open a body paragraph | The first argument concerns… / The second cause is… |
| Explain a mechanism | This happens because… / The effect operates through… |
| Give an example | Studies of X have found… / [Sector] illustrates this… |
| Concede and counter | Those who disagree point to…, but this overlooks… |
| Conclude | In conclusion, while…, the case for… is strong, since… |
| Error | Why | Fix |
|---|---|---|
| Under 200 or over 300 words | Penalised on length | Target 250-270 and count at minute 19 |
| No clear position where one is required | The heaviest content penalty | State it in the introduction and repeat it in the conclusion |
| Answering a slightly different question | Content score drops sharply | Re-read the final sentence of the prompt before planning |
| Five undeveloped points | Development is what is scored | Two arguments, each with explanation and an example |
| Memorised paragraphs | Rarely fit the prompt, and detectable | Memorise structures and frames, not sentences |
| Spelling and typing errors | Scored, with no spell-checker | Leave the last minute for a spelling scan |
| New arguments in the conclusion | Damages coherence | The conclusion restates only |
| Invented statistics | Add nothing and often produce awkward sentences | Use named mechanisms and cases instead |
Between 200 and 300, with 250 to 270 as the practical target. Falling outside the range is penalised, and the upper end is risky because 300 words in 20 minutes usually costs accuracy.
Twenty minutes, and it is the final task in Part 1 of PTE Academic. Two to three of those minutes should go on planning, which is what prevents an essay that changes direction halfway through.
No. Write Essay is PTE Academic only. PTE Core has Write Email in its place, with a 9-minute limit and an 80 to 120 word response.
No. Spelling and grammar are scored and you have no assistance, which is why the final minute should go on a spelling and agreement scan rather than on adding another sentence.
Memorised structures and sentence frames, yes. Memorised content, no — it rarely fits the specific prompt, and answering a slightly different question is the most heavily penalised error in this task.
Only real ones you are confident about, and they are rarely necessary. Invented figures add nothing to any scoring criterion and often produce awkward sentences. A named mechanism explained clearly does the same job better.
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