PTE Summarize Written Text: one sentence, done right

This task has the strictest formal rule in the whole exam, and it is where strong writers most often lose easy marks. Your response must be a single sentence. Two sentences, however well written, collapse your Form score.

The rule that decides your score

One sentence. That means one full stop, at the very end. No semicolons splitting independent clauses, no colons introducing a second statement, no bullet points.

Aim for roughly 30–40 words. Too short usually means you have missed main ideas; too long usually means the sentence has become ungrammatical.

A method that works every time

Read the passage and identify the main claim — usually in the first or last sentence of the paragraph. Then find the two supporting ideas that matter most.

Join them with a comma plus a connector: and, while, because, although, which. That single construction handles nearly every passage you will meet.

What the scoring rewards

Content: did you capture the main ideas rather than an interesting detail. Form: is it genuinely one sentence in the right length range. Grammar and vocabulary: is the sentence correct and does it paraphrase rather than copy.

Copying long phrases directly from the passage weakens your vocabulary score. Change the wording where you can, but never at the cost of accuracy.

Common mistakes

Writing two sentences. Including a minor example instead of a main idea. Producing a sentence so long it loses grammatical control. Copying the opening line of the passage verbatim.

Read your sentence back once before submitting and check two things only: is it one sentence, and does it still make sense.

Why it is worth practising

Summarize Written Text feeds both Reading and Writing scores, so improvement counts twice.

It is also quick to practise — a few passages a day builds the paraphrasing skill that helps in the essay and in Summarize Spoken Text too.

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