One of the question in the writing section is essay writing which assesses writing as the main communicative skill. It also contributes marks towards the following enabling skills: grammar, spelling, vocabulary and written discourse. There are different types of essays in PTE Academics but it is comforting to know that even though essay questions vary each time, the essay type remains the same. All the test taker has to do is to be familiar with the types of essay popular in PTE Academics and prepare accordingly.

In essay writing, the test taker is expected to write a 200-300 words long essay in 20 minutes. The scoring criteria for both communicative and enabling skills are comprehensive, complex and intricate. Therefore it is beneficial for the test taker to be familiar with the score criteria in order to answer questions as per the requirement and to obtain high marks.

Types of essays in PTE Academics

1. The “do you think” essay
This type of essay is persuasion essay and although it is similar to discussion essay, persuasion essay requires the test taker choose the side of the argument of the topic and to persuade the examiner that the chosen side is the correct one. The test taker has to support the chosen side with a positive argument and maybe discredit the side of the argument he/she is against. Example of the essay topic for this type of essay. “Do you think that formal written examinations are a good way to assess knowledge at school?”

How to answer the “do you think” essay

The structure

The essay should have an introduction, 2 paragraphs in the body and the conclusion. The introduction introduces the topic without giving much information away. It should also be enticing and make the reader look forward to reading the rest of the essay.

The body discusses both sides of the topic either by predicting the consequences or counter-arguments. Predicting the consequence helps the reader to understand in case something happens or fails to happen. It is normally represented with “if………” to convince the reader. For example “if the focus is only on formal education and there is no investment initiation in skills development, then the system is discouraging entrepreneurship.

Counter-argument presents points that are against the proposed topic. This means it is opposing or discrediting the reasoning of predicting the consequences. It normally starts with although, however, etc. For example “although it has been suggested that education is the key to success, there are lots of graduates who are highly qualified but unemployed. Moreover, but lack the necessary skills to make a living without employment. ”

“Do you support it or not” essay

It the type of essay that requires the test take to either agree or disagree with the proposed topic. It is similar to the persuasive essay in that the writer needs to pick a side and support it with points in order to convince the reader that the chosen side is the correct side. In addition, the test taker has to provide counter-argument to provide a perspective of both views. The conclusion state the main points of the chosen side in closing the argument. The typical example of this type of essay is “Successful sports stars and glamorous film stars are a role model for youngsters. Do u support it or not? (Agree/Disagree)”

The “benefits and problems” essay

The essay discusses the pros and cons of the topic hence it is a discussion essay. Both sides of the topic should be discussed fairly with the test taker providing a conclusion about the side he favours. The discussion can either be factual based on what has already been discussed about the topic before or it can be the writer’s opinion. Here is a typical example of this type of essay. “Any recent invention that you think proved beneficial or detrimental to society.

How to answer the above-mentioned essay

The essay should have an introduction and conclusion that serves the same purpose as the other essays. The body should at least be two paragraphs with each paragraph discussing either the pros or the cons.

“Many people think that” essay

This is the opinion type of essay which discusses the topic according to the writer’s view. It can also be described as the discussion essay since it requires the test taker to present counterpoints opposing the viewpoint. Discussion essay differs from the persuasive essay in that both sides of the argument have to be discussed fairly. The conclusion, however, will be the part where the test taker states his final view on the matter. Here is an example of the topic for this essay. “Many people think regions affect successful persons. What are your opinion about native regions and accomplished person influence on the regions they belong to?”

“It is argued that” essay

This one is self-explanatory; it is an argumentative essay. It requires the test taker to discuss both the negative and the positive sides of the topic by presenting information that supports the argument and also information that opposes the proposed topic. Even though the approach is to represent both sides, the conclusion should be on the side that the test taker mostly supports.

The important note to remember during essay writing and essay preparation are that you are the storyteller. The art of storytelling requires versatility and to think outside the box. The essay doesn’t need to represent your life experience it needs logical thinking and to make the story convincingly your own. It is also about the way you represents your points and how you support them.

Most of the essay topics require the test taker to review two sides of the topic; that is the positive and the negative sides. It would feel natural to list the points in point form but this an essay writing question, therefore, the points requires a clear discussion. The structure of the essay needs to be coherent and flow naturally from paragraph to paragraph. A poorly written essay lacks coherence; that is the content is confusing to the reader, it is not logical and finally, it contains a lot of jargon information.

Keep it simple and adhere to the topic!