What Summarize Written Text is
Summarize Written Text is the longer of the two writing tasks in PTE Core. You read a passage and compress its main points into a single sentence in the box above — no second sentence, no bullet points. It is an integrated Reading and Writing task, and the real test shows one question.
The one-sentence rule and the 25–50 word band
The instruction in the tool above is short but absolute.
| This practice tool | Pearson's PTE Core task | |
|---|---|---|
| What it asks | “A one-sentence summary of the key information in 25–50 words.” | “Read the text. Then write a short 25–50 word summary.” |
| Word band | 25–50 words; the counter turns green inside it | 25–50 words |
| Outside the band | The count turns red; form suffers | Below 25 or above 50 words is not scored |
| Passage and time | One bank question; untimed | Text up to 200 words; 10 minutes |
| Form | Exactly one sentence, one full stop | One or more complete sentences; you may write a single sentence |
Because the response sits inside one grammatical structure, the task tests how well you join ideas.
How to find the main idea fast
You have 10 minutes on test day, so read in this order:
- The first and last sentences — the first names the topic and claim; the last restates what mattered.
- The repeated idea — rarely repeated in the same words, so watch pronouns and synonyms.
- What the middle adds — causes, effects, examples. Examples go; causes and effects stay.
- Then write subject, claim, strongest supporting point.
One check before you type: is it a claim or a label? “Rooftop solar has become cheaper” is a label; “falling prices have made it mainstream” is a claim.
Four connector patterns that hold a one-sentence summary together
A single sentence needs joints, and only a few patterns carry the weight.
| Pattern | Its job | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Subordination with because or although | Attaches a cause or concession to the claim | “Although remote work reduces commuting, it shifts heating and equipment costs onto employees.” |
| Relative clause with which, who or that | Inserts a fact inside the sentence | “Remote work, which grew out of pandemic restrictions, has become permanent.” |
| Participial phrase | Adds a consequence without a new subject | “Cities are redesigning office districts, converting empty towers into housing.” |
| Coordination with and or but | Joins two equal points | “Businesses save on rent, but they lose the shared office's exchange of ideas.” |
Use one pattern per answer, not four — PTE templates page.
Worked example: passage to one sentence
Here is the kind of passage this task uses. Read it once, then look for the topic, the repeated idea and the limit in the last sentence.
Why it works: one sentence, one full stop, inside the band, covering the claim, both effects and the conclusion with nothing added from outside.
Submit it and the scorer returns a PTE score, a CLB Writing level, marks for content, grammar and vocabulary, form, and the key points you left out.
What is scored: content, form, grammar, vocabulary
Pearson lists four scored traits: content, formal requirements, grammar and vocabulary. This tool reports the same four, form capped at 1.
- Content /2: are the passage's main points present, with nothing imported from outside? Missing the main claim is the expensive error.
- Form /1: one sentence, inside 25–50 words — the cheapest mark to earn and the easiest to lose.
- Grammar /2: verb forms, agreement, articles, punctuation, capital letters.
- Vocabulary /2: precise word choice; Pearson suggests using words from the passage but trying synonyms.
How this differs from Summarize Spoken Text
Both tasks ask you to compress, and both pay into your Writing score.
| Summarize Written Text | Summarize Spoken Text | |
|---|---|---|
| Input | Read a passage, text up to 200 words | Listen to a recording, played once |
| Length | 25–50 words | 20–30 words on the real test |
| Form | One sentence only | Complete sentences; no one-sentence rule |
| Time and skills | 10 minutes; Reading and Writing | 8 minutes; Listening and Writing |
Written Text lets you reread, but everything must fit one sentence. Spoken Text gives the ideas once by ear, but allows two or three sentences: Summarize Spoken Text practice.
The three most common mistakes
- Writing two sentences. A full stop in the middle, a capital after a semicolon, or “However” starting a new sentence breaks the rule, and form can score nothing.
- Listing details instead of synthesising. Five facts and no claim reads as a list. Fix: subject, claim, one supporting point.
- Falling outside 25–50 words. On the real test that response is not scored. At 22 words state the conclusion; at 55 drop an example.
Frequently asked questions
How many words is Summarize Written Text?
25–50 words. The counter turns green inside that range, and Pearson states that below 25 or above 50 words is not scored.
Does Summarize Written Text have to be one sentence?
In this tool, yes — one sentence with one full stop. Pearson notes you may write your summary as a single sentence.
How long do I get for Summarize Written Text?
Pearson publishes 10 minutes to read and write. This page is untimed, so run a clock yourself.
What is Summarize Written Text scored on?
Content, form, grammar and vocabulary; this tool returns content, grammar and vocabulary out of 2, form out of 1.
Do I need to include examples from the passage?
No. Pearson's guidance is to summarise the key points and leave out examples.
How is this different from Summarize Spoken Text?
Summarize Written Text summarises a passage in one sentence; Summarize Spoken Text summarises a recording, with no one-sentence rule.
What to practise next
This is one of two writing tasks, so rotate the tasks below.