PTE: FIVE easy-to-follow steps to write PTE Essays (200-300 words)
How do you produce a decent piece of essay within 20 minutes to achieve your target band? Just follow the steps below:
Step 1: Understand the Question Type. (1 minutes)
Read the question (Is it Agree/Disagree, Advantage & Disadvantage, Describe a Situation, Describe a Case study, Discuss both issues, or a Double Question?)
Paraphrase the topic accordingly based on the question type and take your Positionn
Step 2: Brainstorming. (1-2 minutes)
Think of a couple of main points / specific reasons based on your taken position to be developed into full body paragraphs (of 80-100 words each) .
Step 3: Planning. (1-2 minutes)
Now use a mind mapping, flowcharting or tabling technique to expand the main points. Add specific related details. Think of what example/s (from your experience, observation or knowledge) to use?
Step 4: Writing. (25 minutes)
a. Introduction – (3 sentences of 30-40 words in total, consisting of Background General statement + expansion + Position / Thesis Statement).
b. 2-3 Body paragraphs – 1 sentence of Main Point, 2-3 detailed explanations, 1-2 example sentences AND 1 final Recap to relate back to your Main Point.\
c. Conclusion – 2 sentences of 20-30 words in total, summary / conclusion of your essay + a general reason / prediction / condition / position of the subject matter.
(Timing: Intro 2-3 min + Body 5×2 min + Conclusion 2 min)
Step 5: Checking (2 minutes)
Proofread your essay for Grammar, Vocabulary, Spelling, Punctuation and Relevance / Consistency of Content.
Practise your typing skills too so that you can manage 250-270 words to get Score >=65-79+!
Good luck!
26 September 2017
Telaga
PTE: SEVEN Reading Question Types in MCQ and How to Tacke them
Understanding academic Reading question types and where to look will certainly help you find your answer more quickly! Here are the types
- Main Idea / Gist Question.General Purpose Question.
Read the beginning + the end of the paragraph/s and ask yourself what the THEME is - Detailed Information Question.
Usually located at the beginning and/or the end as well. Ask yourself what the author wants to ACHIEVE by writing the passage. - Organisation Question.
You need to read the whole passage for this. This type usually has the wordings of WHAT, WHO, WHICH, WHERE, WHEN, HOW FAR, etc. - Inference Question.
Ask yourself how two parts of the text are related. (Is it Definition + example? Similarity vs difference? Cause + effect? Problem + Solution? Event 1 + event 2 + event 3?) - Specific Purpose Question.
Ask yourself what implied conclusion can be drawn from the passage / certain aspect in the text. You may need to read the whole passage to understand this. - Tone Question.
Ask yourself WHY the author says something or quote a certain example. You need to spot / match the relevant key words from the options to those in the passage. - Tone Question.
Pay attention to the author’s feeling, attitude and/or degree of certainty. Is it positive, negative or just neutral. The Adjectives / Verbs in the choices may guide you.
Good luck!
26 August 2017
Telaga
PTE: Five Tricks to maximise your Fluency & Pronunciation score in Speaking
You not only have to speak quite fast, but also continuous! Here are some tricks:
Trick 1: Join consonant sound with a vowel.
Example: It’s hard to take it all in at once.
Trick 2: Join the consonant preceding the word ‘of’
Example: A lot of what has been told about him is inaccurate.
Example: It’s still a new drug that is in the experimental phase
(not that you need to join two consonant or two vowel sounds too)
To boost your score in pronunciation, use proper end sounds, syllable and word stress.
Trick 3: Pronounce the end sounds clearly.
Example: _ The custom of marriages arranged by parents still exists in many countries
Trick 4: Use word stress appropriately.
Example: _ The use of animals in scientific tests raises difficult ethical questions.
Trick 5: Be prepared not to stumble on long syllable words.
Example: _ Much of the country is uninhabitable because it is desert.
24 July 2017
Telaga
PTE: Five Things (probably) Nobody Tells you about PTE!
While PTE:
- Problem: Low pronunciation marks.
Positioning the microphone too close to your mouth may adversely affect your pronunciation marks in speaking.
Solution: make sure your breathing ‘noise’ is not recorded. Test it properly before the test commences. You still need to speak enthusiastically throughout the test though.
2. Problem: My pronunciation is ‘hopeless’!
Solution: Improve your speaking speed, continuity and flow, and you’ll eventually pass as Fluency can prop up the Speaking score – a lot!
3. Problem: Never seem to pass the Speaking test because my Fluency and Pronunciation marks never go through the threshold.
Solution: Never ever give up on any question (such as stopping in the middle of a sentence in Repeat Sentence). Some students do score 10 points higher or even more above their Fluency and Pronunciation marks.
4. Problem: Insufficient time in reading.
Solution: Pace yourself for every question. You have between 1.5 to 2.5 minutes for each question, depending on the item type.
5. Problem: Inadequate time in listening.
Solution: Since there are approximately 20 questions and 30 minutes, after discounting the listening time and pauses, you will have about 30 seconds to decide / complete each question.
Good Luck!
24 June 2017
Telaga
Reading B – Questions about recommendations
The reading B test has several common question types that are important to practice. One common question type, which usually asks about the final paragraph, is shown below.
“What is the principal recommendation of paragraph 7?”
As we have discussed in previous posts, it is always important to practice the common question types in Reading B because they make up about half of the exam. With recommendation questions, it is always important to choose the answer that is a recommendation – this sounds obvious, but there are a few tricks to look out for. For something to be a “recommendation”, it needs to use words like “should” or “must” in the text – if the sentence doesn’t have this, then it usually a statement, not a recommendation. Let’s look at a sample question.
“For healthy women with no family history of breast cancer, weighing up the relative benefits and harms of breast screening can be difficult. “Whether you think that the possible benefit is worth the risks I think varies between people,” says Barratt. “For an individual, the most likely outcome of going to screening is absolutely nothing will happen at all – no benefit and no harm,” she says. Women should be given enough information to make an informed decision about whether the small chance of a very large benefit – having your life saved – outweighs the risk of being over-diagnosed and false positives. A 2012 study found that few women were aware of over-diagnosis in breast cancer screening. Evaluation of breast screening in light of evolving evidence is also essential, according to Nickson. “The cost effectiveness and the health benefits of large programs should always be continuously reviewed and evaluated. You don’t just set the ship off and let it go.”
What is the main recommendation proposed by this paragraph?
a) breast cancer screening should be a difficult choice for healthy women
b) women with no family history of breast cancer should not be screened
c) breast cancer experts should reach a consensus on the best approach to screening and treatment
d) women should be aware of the relative risks and benefits of breast cancer screening
There are a few tricks here that are common to these question types. Note that all the answers themselves are phrased as recommendations (using “should”), but the statements they correspond to in the text are not all phrased as recommendations. This is the first common trick in recommendation questions. Answers A and B are wrong, because the corresponding statements in the text do not use the word “should”, and so they are not recommendations. The second trick is that the question asks for the “main” recommendation; answers C and D are both given as recommendations in the paragraph, but answer C is only really mentioned briefly at the end, and is not the main topic talked about in this paragraph. Answer C is thus not as good an answer as D, because D is the main topic covered in this paragraph and so the main recommendation.
As we’ve said, getting good at recognising and dealing with the common question types is an important skill for Reading B. If you get a “main/principal recommendation” question, make sure you pick something that is a recommendation, and is the focus of the paragraph.
PTE: Five Tips to decode the Reading locks!
While PTE Reading passages are shorter and seem ‘easier’ than in IELTS, you need to know what each test type tests you and adapt your strategies accordingly. Here’s how:
- Fill in the Blanks (Reading)
This item tests you grammar, collocation and word forms. Reading ahead before filling out is highly recommended.
2. Fill in the Blanks (Reading with 4 options)
This item tests you grammar, collocation and linking words. Again reading ahead and knowing how much time you should spend will ensure you’ll still have time for tougher item types.
3. MCQ Single Answer
This type tests seven (7) skills in reading: Gist, purpose, details, organisation, inference, critical reasoning and tone. Recognising what skill each question asks you will give you a clue how and where to look.
4. MCQ Multiple Answer
This type tests you to match the options with the facts in the passage. Knowing which paragraph the facts lie (and what to do if there’s only one single paragraph) and how many options to pick will certainly maximise your reading score.
5. Reorder Paragraphs
This type tests your skill in singling out the topic sentence, pair up the remaining sentences and in deciding which pair follows the theme. This is the strategy to save you valuable time and still award you the marks you badly need.
Use these keys and you’ll go through the gate, and keep good time too, before the time is up!
30 May 2017
Telaga
PTE: Five Tips on How to bust the ‘Speaking Monsters’!
While many students choose PTE over IELTS to pass Writing, many struggle and are put off by the so-called by speaking ‘monsters’! No worries anymore just bust ‘em! Ready?
- Run like hell – or heaven if you like.
Yes, I mean speak really FAST. Don’t mind if you trip over some banana skin.. er… i mean mistakes.. Just SPEAK, SPEAK and SPEAK. And don’t even look back!
Ignore the ‘grammar monster’.
No worries about grammar, present or past, singular or plural forms. Just SPEAK, SPEAK and SPEAK. And don’t even look back!
Beat the ‘Vocab monster’.
No worries about paraphrasing. Don’t even bother. Just press on and don’t even hesitate to think!
Forget the ‘Worry monster’ or ‘Nervous monster’ or whatever you call it!
Don’t even worry of the worry monsters. Do you still have time to worry when you’re dating the PTE beauty or handsome? Seriously!
Ignore the ‘neighbour monster’.
Yes, I mean you just focus on your stuff in front of you. Don’t even turn your eyes at your neighbour test takers. Even if they scream ‘HELP!!’ or shout ‘FIRE’!!
Take this weaponry with you and you’ll fly over the finish line!
30 April 2017
Telaga
PTE: Five Tips on How to excel in PTE Writing
While many students would agree that the Writing section is the hardest to pass in IELTS, they find that, to their amazement, PTE Writing is the ‘easiest’ skill to score high. That’s right, if only you know these secrets!
Know how to write the essay.
The structure of the introduction and body paragraphs depend on what type of question it is. There are six (6) types in PTE, including two types unseen in IELTS.
Know what to include in summaries.
In Summarise Written Text, you have to know where the main points are usually placed, when the text has 1, 2 or 3-5 paragraphs,
Know how to take notes.
In Summarise Spoken Text, what and how much do you need to take down and how do you ‘transfer’ these bullet points into interconnected academic sentences?
Know what phrases to use.
Yes, you’re right. You can memorise and copy some phrases from our resources and the computer won’t penalise you!
Know what topics wil be examined.
Yes, you can know what the essay questions may be, so you can brainstorm ideas and prepare how to explain the points and what examples to use BEFORE the exam!
Okay! Once you are familiar with these ‘secrets’, the PTE Writing section will just taste like a piece of cake!
Enjoy!
27 March 2017
Telaga
PTE: Five Tips How Not to Lose Marks
While passing the three other skills, there are incidents where students got a score of 63 or 64 instead of 65 in just one skill, which inevitably requires them to retake the whole test. To avoid such annoyance, it’s worth knowing some ‘hidden’ hurdles which can negatively impact your marks.
Know how many maximum errors are possible.
In Highlight Incorrect words, how many minimum and MAXIMUM errors are possible?
Know how many maximum options to choose.
In Listening and Reading choose multiple answers, how many options EXACTLY do I need to select if there are 5, 6 or 7 options available? Can I just mark one choice instead if that is the only one I’m sure of?
Know whether to write on the notepad first or type instantly.
In Listening fill in the blanks, there are instances where you’d better type instantly and note down the words first. You need to fit the tactics with the gaps.
Know what English to use in Writing.
Can I use American and British English interchangeably or do I have to stick to either from the very beginning?
Know how detailed to speak.
In Describe Image for example, if there are eight or even ten names of countries, do I have to mention them all? Then, do I need to describe the figures for each of the elements?
Knowing the answers to above questions will surely save you from unnecessary disappointments!
Good luck!
17 February 2017
Telaga
PTE TIP!
Many students find the reading section the hardest section of the test because it relies on your fast high level reading skills, wide vocabulary, and strong familiarity with written expressions and collocations. So from now until you pass your test read for at least one hour everyday, in quiet,
without stopping to use a dictionary. Choose a book with a good story so you want to read, and use your finger or a pen as a guide to force you to read at a good speed. If you’re not used to reading then this takes practice, but it won’t take long to get your reading speed and comprehension up to
300+ words per minute. We don’t need luck 😉
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