The PTE (Pearson Test of English) Speaking & Writing section includes a task where test-takers are required to complete the Summarize Written Text. This task assesses not only their grasp of English but also their ability to condense long passages into a single sentence. One common theme in recent PTE exams is on Public Health Campaigns And Effectiveness, reflecting real-world importance. This article will provide a well-structured example of the Summarize Written Text task with potential responses for practice.
Example Summarize Written Text Task: Public Health Campaigns and Effectiveness
Read the passage below and summarize it in one sentence in 10 minutes. Your response must be between 5 and 75 words.
Public health campaigns play a critical role in promoting healthier behaviors among populations. These campaigns have been successful in areas such as reducing smoking rates, encouraging vaccination, and increasing awareness of chronic diseases like diabetes. However, the effectiveness of these campaigns is often dependent on how well they target specific audiences, use appropriate messaging, and deploy media effectively. Additionally, socio-economic factors and cultural barriers can significantly influence the reach and impact of public health campaigns. While some initiatives have shown marked success, others fail to resonate, often due to insufficient funding or the complexity of changing deeply ingrained behaviors.
Sample Responses
Band 90 Response (Top Score)
Public health campaigns have contributed to promoting behaviors like reduced smoking rates and encouraging vaccinations, but their effectiveness is often constrained by targeting issues, cultural barriers, and economic factors.
Content: Excellent coverage of all key points, including successful campaigns, audience targeting, socio-economic factors, and cultural barriers.
Form: Meets the word count requirement and is structured as one complete sentence with a clear subject and predicate.
Grammar: Grammatically accurate, no errors.
Vocabulary: Uses precise academic language such as “promoting behaviors,” “effectiveness,” and “constrained by.”
Spelling: No spelling mistakes.
Band 80 Response
While public health campaigns have been successful in areas such as reducing smoking and increasing awareness of chronic diseases, their impact is often reduced by cultural and economic factors, as well as insufficient targeting.
Content: Covers most key points, but doesn’t mention media deployment.
Form: Proper sentence structure, meets word count limits.
Grammar: Generally accurate, though slightly less concise in the final clause.
Vocabulary: Effective word choice with terms like “impact,” “awareness,” “cultural and economic factors.”
Spelling: No errors.
Band 70 Response
Public health campaigns can be effective in reducing smoking and promoting vaccination, but their success is limited by many factors such as how well they reach their target audiences and cultural differences.
Content: Adequate coverage, but lacks mention of socio-economic factors and media effectiveness.
Form: Fits the word count and is a well-formed sentence.
Grammar: A clear attempt at accuracy but could be more sophisticated.
Vocabulary: Some general phrases like “cultural differences” could be enhanced.
Spelling: No issues.
Band 60 Response
Public health campaigns have been successful in areas like smoking and vaccination, but often fail due to factors like cultural or societal aspects.
Content: Limited detail, only touches on smoking and vaccination, but lacks discussion of other issues such as media use and socio-economic challenges.
Form: Within word count but verging on simplicity.
Grammar: Grammatical structure is basic but correct.
Vocabulary: Uses simple, non-specific terms like “factors” and “societal aspects” which aren’t academically precise.
Spelling: No problems.
Band 50 Response
Public health campaigns help reduce smoking and help vaccination but fail because of culture and other issues.
Content: Very simplistic and lacks detail about specifics like socio-economic status or targeting audiences.
Form: Very basic sentence structure, within word count.
Grammar: Grammatically sound but lacks complexity.
Vocabulary: Rudimentary and not academic enough for PTE standards.
Spelling: No mistakes but very basic words used.
Vocabulary and Grammar
Below are some key vocabulary words from the passage to help you improve your understanding and prepare for the PTE exam. These words often come up in discussions about public health and campaign effectiveness.
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Promote /prəˈmoʊt/ – verb: To encourage or advocate for something.
Example: The government promoted healthy eating through various public health campaigns. -
Chronic /ˈkrɒnɪk/ – adjective: Persisting for a long time or constantly recurring.
Example: Diabetes is a chronic condition that requires lifelong management. -
Effectiveness /ɪˈfɛktɪvnəs/ – noun: The degree to which something is successful in producing the desired result.
Example: The effectiveness of the campaign was measured by the reduction in smoking rates. -
Target /ˈtɑːɡɪt/ – verb: To aim something at a specific group or audience.
Example: The ad campaign was targeted at young adults. -
Barrier /ˈbæriər/ – noun: An obstacle that prevents movement or access.
Example: Cultural barriers can hinder public health campaign outreach. -
Complex /ˈkɒmplɛks/ – adjective: Consisting of many different and connected parts, not simple.
Example: Changing ingrained behaviors is a complex challenge for public health officials. -
Socio-economic /ˌsəʊsiəʊ ˌɛkəˈnɒmɪk/ – adjective: Relating to or concerned with the interaction of social and economic factors.
Example: Socio-economic disparities can often limit the reach of public health campaigns. -
Deploy /dɪˈplɔɪ/ – verb: To strategically place or utilize resources for optimal effect.
Example: The campaigns were deployed across several social media platforms. -
Initiative /ɪˈnɪʃətɪv/ – noun: An act or strategy intended to resolve a difficulty or improve a situation.
Example: A government health initiative was launched to introduce vaccinations. -
Ingrained /ɪnˈɡreɪnd/ – adjective: Firmly established and difficult to change or remove.
Example: Smoking is an ingrained habit for many people, which makes it hard to quit.
Conclusion
Summarizing written text in the PTE exam can be a challenging task, but topics around Public Health Campaigns and Effectiveness are highly relevant and increasingly appearing in actual exams. The provided example and sample answers reflect how you can approach this task by being concise, specific, and adhering to PTE scoring guidelines. Practice regularly with similar themes and make sure to tune your skills for precision and accuracy. Let’s practice more! Leave a comment if you have any questions or thoughts on these exercises.
