PTE Essay Writing:
The Sentence-by-Sentence Outline
Most students lose marks because they copy a template from the internet instead of answering the question. This outline tells you what to write in every sentence.
Write four paragraphs: an introduction, two body paragraphs, and a conclusion. The introduction has four sentences plus a filler. Each body paragraph has five sentences. The conclusion has three sentences. Write more than 220 words in 20 minutes, and answer the question directly.
Most PTE essays do not fail because of grammar. They fail because the student writes a general essay that could answer any question. This outline stops that. It tells you the job of every sentence, so you always know what to write next.
Outline — 01Two Body Paragraphs, Not Three
Most academic essays use three body paragraphs. That does not work in PTE. Your essay is only 200 to 300 words, so three body paragraphs makes each one too short.
Use two. Think of your essay as a burger. The introduction and conclusion are the buns. The body paragraphs are the meat. The meat should be bigger than the bread.
Thin buns, thick filling. If your introduction and conclusion are bigger than your body paragraphs, your essay is the wrong shape.
Outline — 02The Introduction: 4 Sentences + a Filler
Each sentence has one job. Do not add anything extra.
Outline — 03Each Body Paragraph: 5 Sentences
Body 1 and Body 2 use the same five sentences. Only your ideas change.
Sentence 4 is the one students get wrong. "Specific" means you name something real: a city, a country, a university, or a newspaper. Use a name, and your example sounds like your own idea.
Outline — 04The Conclusion: 3 Sentences
Do not add new ideas or new examples here. Just repeat what you already said, in different words.
Important — 05How to Reach 220 Words
It only tells you the job of each sentence.
Keep the main part of each sentence short — about 7 to 9 words. But 17 short sentences will not reach 220 words.
So add a sentence starter in front of each one. In my classes, I give students a set of sentence starters to use. They make your sentences sound structured, and they give you the extra words you need.
You can also write your own sentence starters. Just make sure the grammar is correct.
Every sentence has two parts: a starter + a 7 to 9 word main part.
Word Count — 06Write More Than 220 Words
You have 20 minutes. You must write more than 220 words.
Count the sentences you actually write: 4 in the introduction, 5 in Body 1, 5 in Body 2, and 3 in the conclusion. That is 17 sentences. The filler is not counted here, because it never changes — you reuse the same sentence every time. With a starter on each of your 17 sentences, plus the filler, you will pass 220 words easily.
Do not stop at 210 words or less. I tested this on the real exam. I wrote essays of 201 to 210 words and lost points, even though the writing was fine. Stay above 220 and you avoid the problem.
Frequently Asked Questions
Four. One introduction, two body paragraphs, and one conclusion. Three body paragraphs is normal in academic writing, but your PTE essay is only 200 to 300 words, so each one would be too short.
Write more than 220 words. I tested essays of 201 to 210 words on the real exam and lost points, so 220 keeps you safely above that range.
Four sentences plus a filler. Paraphrase the topic, expand it, answer the question, then answer the second question. The filler sentence says you will give reasons and examples — it finishes the paragraph and adds words.
You name something real: a city, a country, a university, or a newspaper. A named example sounds like your own idea, not a template.
Yes, if you use a fixed outline. When you already know the job of every sentence, you do not waste time deciding what to write. You just write.
The outline only tells you the job of each sentence. Add a sentence starter in front of each one. In my classes, I give students a set of starters to use, but you can write your own — just make sure the grammar is correct.
No. Templates from the internet give general answers that do not match the real question. Phrases like "the benefits outweigh the drawbacks" show you memorised something, and that loses marks.
Write single digits as words (one, eight). Write double digits as numbers (15, 40). Do not mix both in the same sentence.
No. A hook is for getting attention. A thesis answers the question. Just paraphrase the topic and get to your answer.
Write Essays That Answer the Actual Question
Every technique taught in our program is tested against the real PTE exam under the current scoring system.
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