PTE Summarise Written Text Template: one sentence, full marks
Summarise Written Text (SWT) asks you to read a passage of up to 300 words and write a single sentence summary in 10 minutes. It scores Content (did you capture the main idea?), Form (is it one grammatical sentence, 5–75 words?) and Grammar. The template below gives you a skeleton that satisfies all three automatically — fill in the blanks from the passage and you never need to re-read the task instructions.
The one-sentence template
"[Main topic/subject], which [key supporting detail 1] and [key supporting detail 2], [overall conclusion or implication]." Example fill-in: "Urban heat islands, which form when concrete absorbs solar radiation and vegetation is removed, significantly raise city temperatures and increase energy demand for cooling." Notice: one subject, two relative clauses using 'which' or 'that', one main verb at the end. That structure almost always reads as a clean, grammatical sentence.
Alternative openers (vary by passage type)
• Cause-effect passage: "Although [cause], [effect], meaning that [implication]." • Argument passage: "[Author's position] because [reason 1] and [reason 2], despite [counter-argument]." • Process/description passage: "[Topic] involves [step/aspect 1] and [step/aspect 2], resulting in [outcome]." Pick the opener that matches the passage structure, then fill in the rest from the text.
The 4-step method (under 3 minutes)
1. Read the first and last paragraph. The main idea is almost always there. 2. Identify the 2 most important supporting points (not details, not examples). 3. Choose an opener from above and slot in the topic + 2 points. 4. Count the words (aim for 35–55). If over 75, cut one supporting point. If under 5, you have not written a sentence.
What Pearson scores — and what it does not
Pearson scores three traits on SWT: • Content (2 marks): did you include the main idea of the passage? • Form (1 mark): is it one sentence, 5–75 words? • Grammar (2 marks): is it a grammatically correct sentence? Spelling does NOT have its own score on SWT (unlike Write Essay). But a spelling error that makes a word unrecognisable can hurt Grammar. Keep sentences simple rather than impressive — a clean sentence with accurate grammar beats an ambitious sentence with errors.
The most common mistakes
• Writing two sentences. Even joining them with a semicolon can be marked as two sentences. Use a comma + relative clause instead. • Copying full phrases from the passage word-for-word. Paraphrase at least the subject and main verb. • Going over 75 words. Pearson's counter includes every word including 'a', 'the', 'and'. Count before you submit. • Summarising a supporting example instead of the main idea. Skim the passage for the recurring theme, not the interesting anecdote.
Word count targets
• Under 35 words: probably missing a key point — add one. • 35–55 words: the sweet spot. Enough for Content marks, easy to keep grammatical. • 56–75 words: fine if the passage is complex, but check for word count carefully. • Over 75 words: zero Form marks. Cut immediately.