PTE Academic Writing Skills 3 Flashcards
6 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 6 PTE Academic Writing Skills 3 flashcards as text
Which sentence contains a dangling modifier?
Answer: Walking to the library, the book was found.
"Walking to the library, the book was found" contains a dangling modifier — the participial phrase "walking to the library" incorrectly modifies "the book" rather than a person. Dangling modifiers are common grammar errors in PTE Academic Writing.
Which of the following is an example of a complex sentence?
Answer: Because the student studied hard, she passed the exam.
A complex sentence contains an independent clause and at least one dependent (subordinate) clause. "Because the student studied hard, she passed the exam" has a subordinate clause ("because...") and a main clause.
What is "parallel structure" in academic writing?
Answer: Using the same grammatical form for elements in a list or comparison
Parallel structure means using the same grammatical form for elements joined in a series or comparison. Example: "She enjoys reading, writing, and studying" (not "reading, to write, and study"). It improves clarity and is assessed in PTE grammar scoring.
Choose the correctly punctuated academic sentence:
Answer: However, the results were significant.
Introductory conjunctive adverbs like "however," "therefore," and "furthermore" are followed by a comma. "However, the results were significant." is correctly punctuated. Using a semicolon before it would require it to join two independent clauses.
In a PTE Academic essay, what is the recommended word count and time limit?
Answer: 200–300 words in 20 minutes
The Write Essay task in PTE Academic allows 20 minutes and expects 200–300 words. Responses under 200 words risk losing points for development; responses significantly over 300 words may introduce more errors.
What does "cohesion" refer to in PTE Academic essay writing assessment?
Answer: The use of linking words and devices to connect ideas
Cohesion refers to how ideas are linked within and between sentences using connectors, pronouns, and transitions. It contributes to the Written Discourse score and ensures the essay reads smoothly rather than as disconnected statements.