PTE Write from Dictation: 50 Practice Sentences and the Method to Score Full Marks

Why Write from Dictation matters more than its size suggests

Write from Dictation (WFD) is the last task type in the Listening section. You hear a short sentence once, then type it exactly. It looks small, but it is one of the most valuable tasks in the exam for two reasons. First, it is double-counted: the words you type contribute to your Listening score and to your Writing score at the same time, so a handful of WFD sentences can move two band scores at once. Second, the scoring is mechanical. You earn one point for each correct word, spelled correctly and in the right place. Crucially, a wrong or extra word scores zero, it is never deducted, so you should always type every word you can remember, even if you are unsure. See how raw marks map to your overall result on our PTE score chart.

The four-step method that actually works

1. Capture content words, not full sentences. While the audio plays, use the erasable notepad to jot the nouns, verbs and numbers, plus the first letter of smaller words. You cannot write fast enough to catch everything, so catch the words that carry the meaning.
2. Chunk the sentence. An eight to twelve word sentence is usually three meaning groups, for example “the research team / collected data / from remote locations”. Hold the chunks, not 12 separate letters.
3. Echo, then type immediately. The instant the audio ends, repeat the sentence silently in your head and start typing while it is still fresh. Every second you wait, memory fades.
4. Proofread once, then stop. Read your sentence back a single time and check the four things that quietly cost marks: a capital letter at the start, the articles “a” and “the”, plural endings (an “s” you dropped), and past-tense “ed” endings. Do not keep re-checking. Over-editing past a few seconds adds errors more often than it removes them.

How to practise this pack

The 50 sentences below are written to the real exam register: academic, factual, and 8 to 15 words long, on the everyday university topics WFD draws from. Use them two ways. To train spelling and typing, cover the sentence, read it once, then type it from memory and compare. To train the harder listening half, where the sentence is spoken once and never repeated, run them through our free Write from Dictation drill, which plays each sentence aloud exactly once and marks your answer word by word.

Pack 1: Starter sentences (6 to 9 words)

1. The library extends its hours during the examination period.
2. Most students underestimate how long revision actually takes.
3. The lecture has been moved to a larger hall.
4. Researchers collected data from over forty different countries.
5. The committee will publish its findings next month.
6. Regular exercise improves both memory and concentration.
7. The museum offers free entry to all students.
8. Several competing theories attempt to explain this phenomenon.
9. The professor recommended two additional reading sources.
10. Online courses have grown rapidly in recent years.
11. The deadline for submissions is the end of March.
12. Clean drinking water remains scarce in many regions.
13. The survey revealed a surprising shift in opinion.
14. Volunteers planted hundreds of trees along the river.
15. The new policy takes effect at the start of term.

Pack 2: Exam-level sentences (10 to 13 words)

16. The university has invested heavily in renewable energy across its main campus.
17. Students are advised to submit their assignments well before the final deadline.
18. The report concludes that early intervention reduces long-term costs significantly.
19. Many historians still disagree about the precise causes of the conflict.
20. The department offers scholarships to students from low-income backgrounds.
21. Regular feedback helps learners identify and correct their mistakes early.
22. The experiment was repeated several times to confirm the original results.
23. Air pollution has become a serious problem in most major cities.
24. The author argues that technology has completely reshaped the modern workplace.
25. Participants were asked to complete a short questionnaire about their habits.
26. The council has approved funding for a new public library.
27. Economic growth does not always lead to improved living standards.
28. The tutorial covers the key concepts introduced in the lecture.
29. Researchers found a strong link between sleep and academic performance.
30. The seminar will focus on recent developments in artificial intelligence.
31. Students must register for their courses before the semester begins.
32. The findings have important implications for future public health policy.
33. A balanced diet is essential for maintaining good physical health.
34. The conference attracted scholars from a wide range of disciplines.
35. The journal publishes original research from across the social sciences.

Pack 3: Challenge sentences (14 to 15 words)

36. The committee recommended that the proposal be reviewed again before any final decision is made.
37. Students who attend regularly tend to perform better than those who study alone at home.
38. The study suggests that access to green spaces has a measurable effect on wellbeing.
39. Many of the materials used in construction today are designed to be recycled later.
40. The lecturer explained that the theory had been widely accepted for over a century.
41. Government investment in education is often seen as the foundation of long-term economic success.
42. The research team spent several years collecting and analysing data from remote locations.
43. The library has digitised thousands of rare manuscripts to make them available to everyone.
44. Critics argue that the policy fails to address the underlying causes of the problem.
45. The university encourages students to gain practical experience alongside their academic studies.
46. Scientists believe that small changes in temperature can have far-reaching effects on ecosystems.
47. The museum's latest exhibition explores the relationship between art and emerging digital technology.
48. Most experts agree that prevention is considerably cheaper than treatment in the long run.
49. The professor reminded the class that the final essay would account for half the grade.
50. The organisation provides training and support to teachers working in under-resourced schools.

The spelling and grammar traps that cost the most marks

• Articles. Dropping “a” or “the” is the single most common lost point. They are easy to miss while listening, so check for them in your proofread.
• Plural and past-tense endings. “Student” and “students”, “reduce” and “reduced”, are different words to the scorer. A missing “s” or “ed” is a missing mark.
• Homophones. Train your ear for their or there, affect or effect, principal or principle, and to, too or two. Context tells you which one fits.
• Capital letters. Start every sentence with a capital and capitalise proper nouns. You do not need to type in all capitals, and doing so wastes time.
• British or American spelling. Both are accepted (analyse or analyze, organisation or organization). Pick one and stay consistent.

A 10-minute daily routine

Consistency beats marathon sessions. Practise 10 to 15 sentences a day with audio, and keep a simple error journal: write the sentence as you typed it next to the correct version. Within a week or two the same mistakes will repeat, usually a few stubborn spellings and the articles, and those become your personal checklist. When you are catching most words at normal speed, sit a full mock test so you practise WFD with a tired ear at the end of the Listening section, which is exactly where it appears on test day.