Summarize Written Text: Economic Growth and Environmental Limits in PTE Speaking & Writing

In the PTE exam, the Summarize Written Text (SWT) section in the Speaking & Writing part is designed to test both your reading comprehension and your ability to express key ideas concisely. One common topic that frequently arises in this section is the balance between economic growth and environmental limits. As environmental sustainability becomes a pressing issue, this topic remains highly relevant, making it essential for test-takers to be familiar with it.

This article will provide you with sample SWT prompts, sample answers for different proficiency bands, and analysis based on the official PTE scoring criteria.

Economic Growth and Environmental Limits: Sample SWT Prompts

Example 1: The Challenge of Economic Expansion

Economic growth has traditionally been seen as a marker of prosperity, but it often comes at a cost, particularly to the environment. Rapid industrialization leads to increased greenhouse gas emissions, deforestation, and depletion of natural resources, all of which contribute to climate change. While some argue that technological innovation can mitigate environmental damage, others believe that there are inherent limits to how much the earth’s resources can sustain continued growth. This debate is especially prominent in developing nations, where economic progress is prioritized but often leads to unregulated environmental damage in the process. Thus, a balance must be struck between fostering economic development and protecting the environment.
Summarize the paragraph in one sentence. Your response must be between 5 and 75 words.

Example 2: Renewable Energy Transition Challenges

As countries grow economically, their energy consumption increases, often relying on fossil fuels that cause environmental degradation. Renewable energy has been proposed as a solution, offering a way to reconcile economic growth with environmental protection, but the transition comes with its own set of challenges, particularly in developing nations where infrastructure and funding are scarce. Large-scale renewable projects require immense investment, and without international cooperation and policy support, global aims to limit climate change might remain out of reach.
Summarize the paragraph in one sentence. Your response must be between 5 and 75 words.

Learn more about the challenges in the renewable energy transition here.

Sample Answer Responses: Analyzing by Band Score

Band 79+ Response

Economic growth often results in environmental degradation, making it essential to strike a balance between development and protecting the earth’s finite resources, especially in developing countries.

Analysis:

• Content: This response covers the main points: the trade-off between growth and environmental sustainability, and the challenges faced by developing nations.
• Form: The response fits within the required word limit and condenses the information succinctly into one coherent sentence.
• Grammar: No grammatical mistakes; correct use of complex sentence structure.
• Vocabulary: Strong academic vocabulary is used, including “finite resources” and “degradation.”
• Spelling: No spelling errors.

Band 65-78 Response

Economic progress often leads to environmental problems, but countries need a balance between development and protecting natural resources.

Analysis:

• Content: The key points are addressed but in less detail than the previous answer, making it less sophisticated.
• Form: The sentence length is appropriate.
• Grammar: Proper grammar is used, but the sentence could be more complex to improve band score.
• Vocabulary: Vocabulary is sufficient, but more sophisticated words could be used.
• Spelling: No spelling mistakes.

Band 50-64 Response

Economic growth damages the environment, so countries need to protect resources.

Analysis:

• Content: The ideas are very general. Important details, like the focus on developing countries, are missing.
• Form: Fits within the word limit but is overly simplified.
• Grammar: The sentence is grammatically correct but lacks complexity.
• Vocabulary: Basic vocabulary is used.
• Spelling: No spelling mistakes.

Band Below 50 Response

Economic growth harms nature.

Analysis:

• Content: The response is overly simplified and misses many of the important points from the passage.
• Form: It falls within the word count but lacks completeness.
• Grammar: The sentence is grammatically correct but very basic.
• Vocabulary: Insufficient; lacks necessary language to address the task properly.
• Spelling: No spelling errors, but the brevity of the response hinders its quality.

Vocabulary and Grammar Review

Here is a list of important vocabulary terms from the sample texts:

1. Degradation /ˌdɛɡrəˈdeɪʃən/ (noun) – The process of something being made worse.
   Example: The environmental degradation caused by industrial activity is a growing concern.

2. Finite /ˈfaɪnaɪt/ (adjective) – Having limits or bounds.
   Example: Earth’s natural resources are finite, which is why sustainability is crucial.

3. Mitigate /ˈmɪtɪɡeɪt/ (verb) – To make something less severe or harmful.
   Example: Technological innovations can help mitigate environmental damage.

4. Sustainability /səˌsteɪnəˈbɪləti/ (noun) – The ability to maintain balance in the environment over time.
   Example: Sustainability practices are essential for preserving the environment for future generations.

5. Deforestation /diːˌfɒrɪˈsteɪʃən/ (noun) – Clearing forests in a large scale, damaging ecosystems.
   Example: Deforestation leads to loss of biodiversity and accelerates climate change.

6. Unregulated /ʌnˈreɡjʊleɪtɪd/ (adjective) – Without rules or controls.
   Example: Unregulated industries often cause severe environmental harm.

7. Infrastructure /ˈɪnfrəˌstrʌkʧər/ (noun) – The basic physical and organizational structures needed for the operation of a society.
   Example: Developing countries often lack the infrastructure to support renewable energy.

8. Cooperation /kəʊˌɒpəˈreɪʃən/ (noun) – Working together towards a common goal.
   Example: International cooperation is required to succeed in the fight against climate change.

9. Policy /ˈpɒləsi/ (noun) – A proposed or adopted course of action or rule.
   Example: Governments must establish environmental policies to manage resource use effectively.

10. Investment /ɪnˈvɛstmənt/ (noun) – The action of putting money into something for profit or growth in the future.
    Example: Large-scale investments are critical for renewable energy infrastructure.

Conclusion

Summarizing complex topics such as economic growth and environmental limits is essential for performing well in the Summarize Written Text part of the PTE exam. The practice prompts given in this article offer a real-world simulation of what to expect, and analyzing samples for different band scores provides insight into how your answers should be structured.

For those looking to dive deeper into environmental topics and how they relate to economic growth, exploring the challenges of renewable energy as well as its application in developing nations could be useful preparation. Understanding these themes will give you a major advantage, not only in your PTE test but also in future real-world applications.

Looking for insights on renewable energy in developing nations? Check out our full article here.