PTE Summarize Written Text Practice: Mental Health Services in Public Healthcare

Overview of Summarize Written Text Task in PTE

The Summarize Written Text task in the Speaking & Writing section of the PTE exam requires test-takers to analyze a given passage and condense it into a single sentence. This part of the exam assesses the ability to capture the key message of the text while adhering to grammatical conventions and sentence structure. One of the common themes in PTE exams is related to healthcare, particularly topics like mental health services in public healthcare. Understanding how these subjects appear in actual PTE tasks is essential for achieving strong performance.

In this article, we have crafted a Summarize Written Text task based on the widely discussed topic of Mental Health Services in public health systems, providing you with sample answers and analysis to guide your preparation.

Sample Exam Task – Summarize Written Text

Read the passage below and summarize it in one sentence. Your response must be between 5 and 75 words.

Mental health services play an essential role in public healthcare by addressing issues such as depression, anxiety, substance abuse, and other psychological conditions that severely affect individuals’ well-being. A balanced, inclusive approach to mental health can benefit not only the individuals who need care but also society as a whole by reducing the long-term impact on economic productivity, lowering healthcare costs, and improving overall quality of life. However, the availability of accessible mental health care varies widely across different regions, which makes it significant to focus on public health infrastructure reform to ensure equitable access to these services.

Instructions: Write your summary below using one sentence.

Sample Answers and Analysis

Band Score 90:

Effective and accessible mental health services integrated into public healthcare can positively impact individual well-being, reduce economic costs, and enhance quality of life, but disparities in regional infrastructure highlight a need for reforms to ensure equitable care.

Analysis:

• Content: The summary accurately conveys the central idea of the original passage, including a nuanced understanding of the benefits of mental health services in public healthcare and the challenges posed by disparities in access.
• Form: This summary complies with the word limit (46 words).
• Grammar: The sentence demonstrates excellent grammatical accuracy, with proper subject-verb agreement and complex sentence structures.
• Vocabulary: Advanced vocabulary is used, such as “integrated,” “equitable,” and “disparities.”
• Spelling: No spelling errors.

Band Score 80:

Access to mental health services varies by region, making healthcare reform important to provide equitable care, which benefits individuals and society by enhancing quality of life and reducing economic costs.

Analysis:

• Content: The summary captures the important points about mental health service disparities and the societal benefits.
• Form: The summary is concise and within the word limit (35 words).
• Grammar: Clear and coherent, though it uses simpler sentence structures compared to the Band 90 response.
• Vocabulary: The vocabulary is accurate but less sophisticated than in the higher band score.
• Spelling: No spelling errors.

Band Score 70:

Public mental health services can greatly benefit society by improving well-being and lowering costs, but unequal access remains a significant challenge.

Analysis:

• Content: The main ideas are outlined, though the summary misses some of the nuance about infrastructure and reform.
• Form: The summary meets the word limit (22 words).
• Grammar: The grammar is correct but the sentence could benefit from more complex structures.
• Vocabulary: Vocabulary usage is accurate but basic.
• Spelling: No spelling errors.

Vocabulary and Grammar Analysis

Here are some challenging words from the passage with their meanings and usage:

1. Inclusive /ɪnˈkluːsɪv/ (adj.): Including all sections of society.
   E.g., The inclusive nature of public health ensures that everyone receives care regardless of their background.

2. Equitable /ˈɛkwɪtəbl/ (adj.): Fair or impartial.
   E.g., Providing equitable access to mental health services is essential for a just healthcare system.

3. Substance abuse /ˈsʌbstəns əˈbjuːz/ (n.): The overindulgence in or dependence on an addictive substance.
   E.g., Public health programs must address substance abuse as part of their mental health services.

4. Infrastructure /ˈɪnfrəˌstrʌktʃər/ (n.): The basic physical and organizational structures needed for the operation of a society or enterprise.
   E.g., Mental health services often struggle in regions with underdeveloped public health infrastructure.

5. Psychological /ˌsaɪkəˈlɒdʒɪkl/ (adj.): Relating to the mind or mental processes.
   E.g., Psychological conditions such as anxiety and depression need to be addressed by public healthcare.

6. Societal /səˈsaɪɪtəl/ (adj.): Relating to society or social relations.
   E.g., Societal benefits of mental health services include increased economic productivity.

7. Disparities /dɪˈspærɪtiz/ (n.): A great difference.
   E.g., There are significant disparities in the availability of mental health services across different regions.

8. Productivity /ˌprɒdʌkˈtɪvɪti/ (n.): The effectiveness of productive effort.
   E.g., Improved mental health can lead to higher economic productivity.

9. Reform /rɪˈfɔːrm/ (n.): The improvement or amendment of what is wrong or unsatisfactory.
   E.g., Healthcare reform is required to address unequal access to mental health services.

10. Accessible /ækˈsɛsɪbl/ (adj.): Easily reached or entered.
    E.g., Governments must ensure that mental health services are accessible to all citizens.

Conclusion

Mental health services in public healthcare systems demonstrate their value through improvements in individual well-being and reduced economic burdens. However, access disparities across regions highlight the urgent need for healthcare reform to ensure equitable care. Regular practice with Summarize Written Text tasks on relevant topics, like mental health, will help improve your skills and confidence for this task in the PTE exam. For further exploration of public health issues, you can check out this article on Public health infrastructure in cities. We encourage you to give it a try and share your answers in the comments below.