PTE Write Essay: template, tips & practice
Write Essay is a PTE Academic Writing task. You are given a prompt, usually an argument, opinion or problem-solution topic, and 20 minutes to write a 200-300 word essay. Because it is scored against fixed criteria, a clean, repeatable template lets you spend your thinking time on ideas rather than structure.
How PTE Write Essay is scored
Write Essay is scored on content (addressing the prompt), form (staying within 200-300 words), development and structure, grammar, vocabulary, spelling and written discourse. Two well-developed body paragraphs, a clear position and accurate grammar score higher than long, loosely-organised writing. Going under 200 or over 300 words is heavily penalised, so the word count is part of the template.
The PTE Write Essay template
- 1Introduction (2-3 sentences): paraphrase the prompt, then state your position clearly. "It is often argued that [paraphrase]. While there are merits to both views, this essay will argue that [your position]."
- 2Body 1 (4-5 sentences): first reason + explanation + a specific example. Start with "One key reason is that..."
- 3Body 2 (4-5 sentences): second reason + explanation + example. Start with "Furthermore,..." or "A second consideration is..."
- 4Conclusion (2 sentences): restate your position and summarise the two reasons. "In conclusion, [restate]. Given [reason 1] and [reason 2], [final stance]."
Worked example
Introduction: It is frequently claimed that technology has made people less social. While screens can isolate, this essay will argue that technology mostly strengthens human connection. Body 1: One key reason is that messaging and video calls let families separated by distance stay in daily contact, something impossible a generation ago. Body 2: Furthermore, online communities allow people with niche interests or health conditions to find support they could not find locally. Conclusion: In conclusion, technology connects more than it isolates. Given its power to maintain relationships across distance and to build communities of shared interest, its social benefits outweigh its costs.
Common mistakes to avoid
- Writing under 200 or over 300 words, both are penalised; aim for ~250 and check the counter.
- Listing many weak reasons; two fully-developed reasons with examples score better.
- Forgetting a clear thesis; the marker (and the AI) must see your position in the first sentences.
- Spending too long planning; use a fixed template so 20 minutes covers planning, writing and a grammar check.
A template for every PTE essay question type
The four-paragraph shape above works for every prompt, but the wording of your introduction and conclusion should change with the question type. These are the four types PTE actually sets, and the opening lines that fit each one.
1. Agree or disagree
The most common type. Pick one side and defend it. Do not sit on the fence, because a clear position scores better on content and development.
Intro: "It is often argued that [paraphrase the prompt]. In my view, [agree / disagree] with this statement, because [reason 1] and [reason 2]."
Conclusion: "In conclusion, I firmly believe that [restate position]. Both [reason 1] and [reason 2] show that [final stance]."
2. Advantages and disadvantages
Give one paragraph to each side, then state which outweighs the other. The mistake here is listing both and never judging.
Intro: "[Paraphrase] has become increasingly common. While it brings clear benefits such as [benefit], it also carries drawbacks including [drawback]. This essay will examine both before concluding that [your judgement]."
Conclusion: "In conclusion, although [drawback] is a genuine concern, the advantage of [benefit] is more significant. On balance, [final judgement]."
3. Problem and solution
Body 1 explains the cause or problem, body 2 proposes a realistic solution. Keep the solution concrete, not "the government should do more".
Intro: "[Paraphrase] is a growing problem in many countries. This essay will outline the main cause of this issue and propose a practical solution."
Conclusion: "In conclusion, [problem] stems largely from [cause]. Addressing it through [solution] would deliver the most meaningful improvement."
4. Discuss both views and give your opinion
This one has two jobs, and candidates routinely forget the second. You must present both views and state your own.
Intro: "Opinions differ on whether [paraphrase]. Some argue that [view A], while others maintain that [view B]. This essay will consider both perspectives before explaining why I support [your view]."
Conclusion: "In conclusion, while [view A] has merit, I believe [view B] is more persuasive because [reason]."
The 90-score essay template, sentence by sentence
If you want a template you can memorise and fill in under exam pressure, use this. The word counts are the important part: they land you at roughly 250 words, which is the safest place to be inside the 200 to 300 range.
| Paragraph | Sentences | Words | Job |
|---|---|---|---|
| Introduction | 2-3 | ~45 | Paraphrase the prompt, state your position |
| Body 1 | 4-5 | ~80 | Reason 1, explain it, give a specific example |
| Body 2 | 4-5 | ~80 | Reason 2, explain it, give a specific example |
| Conclusion | 2 | ~45 | Restate position, summarise both reasons |
| Total | 12-15 | ~250 |
Notice that the template itself supplies roughly 60 to 70 words of connective scaffolding. That is deliberate: it means you only need to generate about 180 words of your own content, which is achievable in 20 minutes even on an unfamiliar topic.
Do PTE essay templates still work, or will they be penalised?
Templates still work, and they are not penalised in themselves. This is the question candidates ask most often, usually after reading a forum post claiming templates are "detected". Here is the accurate picture.
PTE Write Essay is machine scored against fixed criteria: content, form, development and structure, grammar, vocabulary, spelling and written discourse. A template helps you directly on development, structure and coherence, because it guarantees a recognisable four-paragraph shape with clear signposting. Nothing in the scoring rewards you for inventing a novel structure.
Where templates go wrong is content. Content is scored on whether you actually address the prompt. A template contributes zero content marks: the scaffolding sentences are about the essay, not about the topic. So a candidate who memorises 150 words of template and writes only 100 words of real argument will score badly, not because the template was detected, but because most of the essay said nothing about the question.
The practical rule: keep your template light, roughly a quarter of the essay, and make sure every body paragraph contains a specific example that could only belong to this prompt. Avoid the overloaded templates circulating as PDFs, where the introduction alone runs 80 words of filler.
How the template maps onto the scoring criteria
It helps to see exactly which marks the template earns you and which it cannot.
| Criterion | Does the template help? |
|---|---|
| Content | No. Only your own ideas and examples score here. This is why a template-heavy essay fails. |
| Form (200-300 words) | Yes. Fixed paragraph lengths keep you inside the range automatically. |
| Development & structure | Yes, strongly. Four clear paragraphs with signposting is exactly what is rewarded. |
| Grammar | Partly. Rehearsed sentences are grammatically safe, but your own sentences still carry most of the mark. |
| Vocabulary | Partly. Vary the connectives so the same five words do not carry every essay. |
| Spelling | Yes. Words you have rehearsed are words you spell correctly under pressure. |
| Written discourse | Yes. Coherence and logical flow are precisely what the template enforces. |
Five of the seven criteria are helped by a template. That is the honest case for using one. The two it does not help, content and the bulk of grammar, are the two you should spend your practice time on.
What separates a 90 essay from a 65 essay
Both essays usually use the same template. The difference is almost never the structure, it is what fills the body paragraphs.
- Specific examples instead of general claims. A 65 essay says "this improves productivity". A 90 essay says "a worker who previously commuted an hour each way gains ten hours a week". The second could only have been written for this prompt, which is what the content criterion rewards.
- Explaining the link. Weaker essays state a reason and jump straight to the next one. Stronger essays add the connecting sentence: why does this reason support the position?
- Grammatical range, not just accuracy. Fifteen short correct sentences score lower than a mix of simple, compound and complex sentences. One relative clause and one conditional per essay is enough to show range.
- Precise vocabulary over inflated vocabulary. "Significant" used correctly beats "paramount" used oddly.
- A conclusion that judges. Weaker conclusions restate. Stronger ones weigh the two reasons against each other and commit to a verdict.
None of these require more time. They require deciding in advance that every body paragraph will contain one concrete example and one linking sentence, which is exactly what the template above reserves space for.
Linking phrases that fit the template
Written discourse is a separate enabling skill, and connectives are the cheapest way to lift it. Rotate these rather than repeating "Firstly, Secondly" in every essay.
- Adding a reason: One key reason is that... / A further consideration is... / Beyond this...
- Giving an example: For instance... / A clear illustration of this is... / This is evident in...
- Contrasting: However... / While this is true, ... / Critics counter that...
- Showing result: As a result... / Consequently... / This in turn means that...
- Concluding: In conclusion... / On balance... / Taking both points together...
Second worked example: advantages and disadvantages
The earlier example was an agree/disagree essay. This one applies the same template to a different question type, so you can see what changes and what stays fixed.
Prompt: Many people now work from home. Do the advantages outweigh the disadvantages?
Remote work has become common since employers adopted flexible arrangements. While it brings clear benefits such as time savings, it also carries drawbacks including professional isolation. This essay will examine both before concluding that the advantages are greater. One key reason is that eliminating a daily commute returns significant time to employees. A worker who previously spent an hour travelling each way gains ten hours a week, time that can go to family, exercise or rest, all of which support long-term productivity. However, critics counter that remote workers lose the informal contact that builds relationships. A junior employee who never shares an office may receive less mentoring and feel disconnected from decisions, which can slow career progress. On balance, although isolation is a genuine concern, it can be managed through scheduled in-person days, whereas commuting time is lost permanently. Taking both points together, the advantages of working from home outweigh its disadvantages.
The PTE essay topics that actually come up
PTE essay prompts are drawn from a fairly narrow set of everyday themes. You do not need specialist knowledge, and you will never be asked about something technical.
- Education: online versus classroom learning, university fees, whether exams measure ability.
- Technology: social media, screen time, automation and jobs, artificial intelligence.
- Work: remote work, work-life balance, retirement age, job security.
- Environment: individual versus government responsibility, public transport, recycling.
- Health and society: junk food advertising, sport funding, ageing populations.
- Culture and media: globalisation, advertising, whether television harms children.
A useful shortcut: prepare two flexible examples per theme rather than memorising essays. An example about commuting time works for work, environment and health prompts alike. That is where preparation time pays off, because the template already handles the structure.
How to practise with a template
A template only helps if it is automatic by test day. The fastest way there is repetition under the real clock:
- Write out the template from memory until you can reproduce it in under two minutes.
- Practise only the introduction and conclusion on five different prompts, so the parts the template covers become mechanical.
- Then write three full essays at 20 minutes each, timed, without pausing to look anything up.
- Check the word count every time. If you consistently land under 220 or over 280, adjust how many words your template contributes.
- Sit a full scored mock so you see the Writing score the template actually produces, along with your grammar, vocabulary and spelling enabling skills.
For the other written task the same logic applies with a tighter word limit: see the Summarize Written Text guide, and the full set of PTE templates for every other task. To understand how the enabling skills interact, read how PTE is scored.
PTE Write Essay FAQ
How long should a PTE essay be?
Between 200 and 300 words. Writing fewer than 200 or more than 300 words is heavily penalised, so aim for roughly 250.
How much time do you get for the PTE essay?
You have 20 minutes to plan, write and check a single Write Essay response.
Is one essay template enough for PTE?
Yes. A four-paragraph template (introduction, two body paragraphs, conclusion) works for almost every PTE essay prompt and frees your time for ideas and grammar.
Do PTE essay templates still work in 2026?
Yes. PTE Write Essay is machine scored against fixed criteria, and a template directly helps five of the seven: form, development and structure, spelling, written discourse and part of grammar and vocabulary. Templates are not penalised in themselves. What fails is a template-heavy essay with too little real content, because content is scored only on how well you address the actual prompt.
What happens if I write more than 300 words in the PTE essay?
Going over 300 words or under 200 is heavily penalised on the form criterion, and in the worst case the response can score zero for form. Aim for roughly 250 words, which leaves a safe margin at both ends, and check the on-screen word counter before you finish.
Should a PTE essay be four paragraphs or five?
Four. In 200 to 300 words a fifth paragraph forces every paragraph to be too short to develop properly, and development is a scored criterion. Two fully-developed body paragraphs, each with a reason, an explanation and a specific example, outscore three thin ones.
Can I use I in a PTE essay?
Yes. Many PTE prompts explicitly ask for your opinion, so first person is appropriate and expected in the introduction and conclusion. Keep the body paragraphs focused on reasons and evidence rather than personal anecdote.
Do I need to memorise the PTE essay template word for word?
Memorise the structure and the connective phrases, not a fixed block of text. You should be able to write the skeleton in under two minutes, leaving the remaining 18 minutes for ideas, examples and a grammar check. A rigid memorised paragraph tends to fit the prompt badly and costs content marks.