The Summarize Written Text task in the PTE Writing section requires test-takers to condense comprehensive paragraphs or articles into a single sentence. Topic-wise, environmental and climate-related themes, such as Ocean Health And Climate Change Mitigation, frequently feature in this task. Leveraging the right strategy can significantly improve your score. Below, we will provide you with sample Summarize Written Text exercises related to this important topic and provide sample answers with feedback based on different band levels.
Sample PTE Summarize Written Text Task: Ocean Health and Climate Change Mitigation
Below is a sample task for you to practice the Summarize Written Text section. Summarize the given text in one sentence.
Text:
“Oceans cover approximately 70% of the Earth’s surface and play a vital role in regulating the planet’s climate and supporting marine ecosystems. They act as major carbon sinks, absorbing around 23% of the annual anthropogenic CO2 emissions, as well as distributing heat and contributing to the regulation of global weather patterns. However, human activities such as pollution, overfishing, and habitat destruction have severely impaired the health of marine life and diminished the oceans’ capacity to mitigate climate change. Specific actions, such as imposing stricter regulations on commercial fishing, reducing plastic pollution through global collaborations, and protecting marine habitats through the establishment of marine reserves, are being recognized as fundamental to maintaining ocean health and further enhancing the oceans’ role in climate change mitigation.”
Task requirement:
Summarize the given text in one sentence.
Sample Answers with Band-Level Feedback
Band 80-90 Response:
Oceans, covering 70% of Earth’s surface, are critical in regulating the planet’s climate, but human activities are degrading their ability to mitigate climate change, requiring actions like stricter fishing restrictions, reducing plastic pollution, and creating marine reserves.
- Content: Excellent. This summary captures all key points, including the role of oceans in climate regulation, the impact of human activities, and the actions needed for improvement.
- Form: Perfect – exactly one sentence.
- Grammar: Excellent. The sentence structure is complex yet accurate, with no grammatical errors.
- Vocabulary: Advanced vocabulary such as “mitigate,” “degrading,” and “regulating” is used accurately.
- Spelling: Correct.
Band 60-70 Response:
Oceans are important for mitigating climate change, but human activities like pollution and overfishing damage marine systems, and stricter measures are required to protect them.
- Content: Adequate. This response addresses the main ideas but misses specifics like marine reserves and CO2 absorption.
- Form: One sentence, meets the requirement.
- Grammar: Good, but sentence structure is simpler.
- Vocabulary: Sufficient use of vocabulary.
- Spelling: Correct.
Band 50-60 Response:
The oceans are important to regulate climate change, but humans are harming them with pollution, and we need to protect them.
- Content: Below satisfactory. The response mentions the oceans’ role and human activities that harm them but lacks details about the specific measures like stricter fishing regulations or marine reserves.
- Form: One sentence.
- Grammar: Basic sentence structure with fairly straightforward grammar. No major issues.
- Vocabulary: Limited.
- Spelling: Correct.
Vocabulary and Grammar Breakdown
Here are some useful words and phrases from the sample task to enhance your learning:
-
Mitigation /ˌmɪ.tɪˈɡeɪ.ʃən/ (noun): Action of reducing the severity of something.
Example: “Climate change mitigation is a global priority.” -
Anthropogenic /ˌænθrəpəˈdʒɛnɪk/ (adjective): Caused by human activity.
Example: “Anthropogenic factors, such as fossil fuel consumption, increase CO2 emissions.” -
Carbon Sink /ˈkɑːrbən sɪŋk/ (noun): A natural system that absorbs more carbon dioxide than it produces.
Example: “Forests and oceans are considered major carbon sinks.” -
Overfishing /ˌoʊvərˈfɪʃɪŋ/ (noun): The act of catching too many fish, leading to the depletion of fish populations.
Example: “Overfishing threatens biodiversity in marine ecosystems.” -
Marine Reserve /məˈriːn rɪˈzɜrv/ (noun): An area of the ocean where human activity is restricted to protect marine life.
Example: “The establishment of a new marine reserve has helped recover endangered species.” -
Degrading /dɪˈɡreɪdɪŋ/ (verb): Causing damage to a system, making it worse.
Example: “Pollution is degrading coastal ecosystems worldwide.” -
Ecosystem /ˈiː.kəʊˌsɪs.təm/ (noun): A biological community of interacting organisms and their physical environment.
Example: “Protecting marine ecosystems is essential for sustainable fisheries.” -
Habitat Destruction /ˈhæbɪtæt dɪˈstrʌkʃən/ (noun): The process by which a natural habitat becomes incapable of supporting its native species.
Example: “Coral reefs are at risk due to habitat destruction.” -
Regulate /ˈrɛɡjəˌleɪt/ (verb): To control or maintain the rate or speed of a process.
Example: “Oceans help regulate global temperatures.” -
Collaboration /kəˌlæbəˈreɪʃən/ (noun): Working together toward a common goal.
Example: “International collaboration is necessary to reduce plastic waste in the oceans.”
Conclusion
In the PTE Summarize Written Text task, attention to detail is key. As demonstrated in the sample task on ocean health and climate change mitigation, effective summarization will require a carefully balanced understanding of content, grammar, and vocabulary. The better you use complex sentence structures and advanced vocabulary, the more likely you are to score well. Practice consistently, and develop your strategy for summarizing accurately within the provided sentence-length limit. The topic of ocean plastic pollution solutions is becoming more crucial as well, and mastering related vocabulary will further help you excel in your PTE exams.
Be sure to practice regularly by engaging with diverse topics, especially those relevant to environmental issues, as they appear frequently in PTE exams!
