Academic Writing Skills Flashcards
7 cards from real PTE practice questions. Tap to flip, then mark Knew It or Still Learning — missed cards come back until you master them.
Read the first 7 Academic Writing Skills flashcards as text
When planning a PTE Academic essay, which approach best supports the 'Development, Structure & Cohesion' scoring dimension?
Answer: Outlining an introduction, 2–3 body paragraphs with supporting details, and a conclusion
A clear outline with an intro, developed body paragraphs, and a conclusion demonstrates organized thinking, which is directly assessed by the Development, Structure & Cohesion dimension.
Which cohesive device is most effective for signaling contrast between two ideas in a PTE essay?
Answer: However
'However' is a contrastive cohesive device that clearly signals a shift or opposition between ideas.
A PTE essay prompt says 'Discuss both views and give your own opinion.' Which essay structure is most appropriate?
Answer: Describe one view, then the other, then state and justify your own stance
For a 'discuss both views' prompt, you should present each perspective fairly and then clearly state and support your own position.
What is the primary purpose of a topic sentence in a PTE essay body paragraph?
Answer: To signal the main point of that paragraph
A topic sentence states the controlling idea of its paragraph, helping scorers track the logical development of the essay.
Which type of evidence is most academically appropriate to support a claim in a PTE essay?
Answer: Generalised examples, statistics, or reasoned argument
PTE essay scoring favours academic register, so supporting claims with examples, data references, or logical reasoning is expected.
In a PTE essay conclusion, which action is most appropriate?
Answer: Summarize the main points and restate the position using different wording
A strong conclusion synthesizes the main arguments and restates the thesis using paraphrase, reinforcing the essay's position without adding new content.
How does using passive voice excessively in a PTE essay affect the 'General Linguistic Range' score?
Answer: It may lower the score by reducing syntactic variety
While some passive constructions are appropriate in academic writing, over-reliance limits syntactic variety, which can reduce scores on General Linguistic Range.