Essay Writing 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 Essay Writing flashcards as text
A student writes: 'The government should invest in renewable energy. This will reduce pollution. This will create jobs. This will save money.' What is the main stylistic problem?
Answer: The sentences are too short and lack cohesion
Stringing together very short, disconnected sentences results in poor cohesion; they should be combined with linking words to show logical relationships.
Which PTE essay prompt type requires the writer to remain neutral throughout most of the response?
Answer: 'Discuss the advantages and disadvantages'
'Discuss the advantages and disadvantages' prompts require balanced, objective analysis without strongly advocating for one side.
What is the most accurate description of 'lexical sophistication' as rewarded in PTE essay scoring?
Answer: Employing precise, contextually appropriate, and varied vocabulary beyond basic words
Lexical sophistication means choosing words that are accurate, varied, and suitable for an academic context rather than relying on basic or repetitive vocabulary.
In PTE academic writing, what is a 'general statement' and where does it appear?
Answer: A broad opening sentence in the introduction that contextualizes the topic
A general statement opens the introduction by providing broad context about the topic before narrowing down to the specific issue and thesis.
A student uses the phrase 'In today's modern world' to open their PTE essay. Why might examiners view this negatively?
Answer: It is an overused, clichéd phrase that suggests a memorized template
Overused opening phrases like 'In today's modern world' are widely recognized as template starters and can signal a lack of original thought to PTE's scoring engine.
Which sentence structure would best improve the complexity score of a PTE essay?
Answer: 'Although cars are convenient, their contribution to air pollution represents a serious environmental challenge that requires urgent policy intervention.'
A complex sentence that uses a subordinating conjunction and embeds multiple ideas into one grammatically accurate unit demonstrates high grammatical range.
In PTE essay writing, what is the recommended approach when you are unsure how to spell a specific word?
Answer: Use a simpler synonym you can spell correctly
Using a synonym you can spell accurately is safer than risking a spelling error, since PTE's scoring penalizes incorrect spelling under the Vocabulary criterion.