The Summarize Written Text task in the PTE Speaking and Writing section is vital for assessing your reading and writing skills. It asks test-takers to condense a written passage into one single sentence while maintaining its main ideas. One of the recurring themes highlighted in PTE exams is public health – specifically, Public Health Issues In Remote Regions. In this article, we provide sample Summarize Written Text exercises and detailed analyses to help you excel in this task type.
Sample Summarize Written Text Exercise
Exercise 1: Public Health Challenges in Remote Areas
The following is the text you need to summarize. Write your response in one sentence (5 to 75 words) using correct grammar, vocabulary, and spelling.
“In many remote regions, delivering healthcare is a significant challenge due to harsh geographic conditions, lack of infrastructure, and limited access to essential health services. Areas located far from urban centers often suffer from a shortage of healthcare workers, inadequate medical supplies, and poor transportation networks, complicating the timely delivery of care. These challenges are exacerbated by communicable diseases such as malaria, tuberculosis, and various water-borne illnesses, putting further strain on healthcare systems. Overcoming these obstacles often requires substantial governmental and international investment in technology innovations and personnel training to improve accessibility and healthcare quality across these regions.”
Response Examples and Analysis
Band 90 response:
“Healthcare delivery in remote areas faces challenges like poor infrastructure, limited access to medical supplies and personnel, and widespread communicable diseases, which can be mitigated by technological investments and training to enhance accessibility.”
- Content: This response contains all key points from the passage, effectively summarizing the challenges and the solutions.
- Form: 35 words. The length adheres to the word limit, making it acceptable.
- Grammar: The clause structure is complex yet clear, using words like “can be mitigated” correctly.
- Vocabulary: Advanced words such as “mitigated”, “personnel”, and “accessibility” are used properly.
- Spelling: No spelling mistakes are detected.
Band 75 response:
“Delivering healthcare in remote areas is difficult due to poor infrastructure, lack of medical supplies, and the presence of diseases, but it can improve through investments and training.”
- Content: This response touches on the main ideas, though it simplifies some aspects, particularly the variety of diseases mentioned.
- Form: 28 words. The word count is below 35 but still provides a coherent summary.
- Grammar: The sentence is grammatically correct but could benefit from additional linking words.
- Vocabulary: Safe choices like “poor infrastructure” and “medical supplies” are used. More advanced vocabulary is lacking.
- Spelling: No spelling issues.
Band 60 response:
“Remote regions have bad healthcare systems because of bad infrastructure and not enough health workers and supplies.”
- Content: The summary is too vague, omitting specific details such as diseases and potential solutions like investments and training.
- Form: 17 words. This is too short and doesn’t fully capture the original text’s complexity.
- Grammar: There are redundant terms (e.g., using “bad” twice), and clearer expression is needed.
- Vocabulary: Basic vocabulary (“bad”, “not enough”) is used, failing to show the depth of understanding.
- Spelling: No errors in spelling.
Band 50 response:
“There are many issues in remote regions that deal with healthcare and diseases.”
- Content: This response barely touches on the core ideas and misses crucial details such as infrastructure, medical supplies, and solutions.
- Form: 12 words. Far too short and lacks completeness in summarizing the passage.
- Grammar: Sentences are grammatically correct, but the expression is too simple.
- Vocabulary: Extremely basic, showing little use of advanced terminology.
- Spelling: No spelling problems.
Vocabulary and Grammar
Here are some of the key vocabulary words and phrases from the exercise that might be useful for similar tasks:
-
Infrastructure /ˈɪn.frəˌstrʌk.tʃər/ (n) – The physical facilities and services needed for a community, industry, or region to function.
Example: Many remote areas suffer from poor infrastructure, affecting their healthcare delivery. -
Personnel /ˌpɜː.sənˈel/ (n) – The people who work for an organization or are available for a task.
Example: More personnel are needed in remote regions to manage healthcare effectively. -
Communicable /kəˈmjuː.nɪ.kə.bəl/ (adj) – Able to be spread from one person to another, especially of diseases.
Example: Communicable diseases such as malaria are rampant in rural zones. -
Exacerbate /ɪɡˈzæs.ə.beɪt/ (v) – To make something that is already bad even worse.
Example: Limited access to clean water exacerbates the spread of diseases in remote locations. -
Mitigate /ˈmɪt.ɪ.ɡeɪt/ (v) – To make less severe or reduce the impact.
Example: Governments need initiatives to mitigate the healthcare challenges in distant areas. -
Essential /ɪˈsen.ʃəl/ (adj) – Absolutely necessary or extremely important.
Example: Access to essential health services is limited in many remote regions. -
Timely /ˈtaɪm.li/ (adj) – Occurring at a favorable or useful time.
Example: Timely healthcare interventions can save lives in remote regions. -
Innovations /ˌɪn.əˈveɪ.ʃənz/ (n) – New methods, ideas, or products introduced for the first time.
Example: Healthcare innovations are required to overcome the remoteness of certain areas. -
Strain /streɪn/ (n) – Pressure or tension caused by challenging circumstances.
Example: The strain on healthcare systems in secluded areas usually results from a lack of resources. -
Investment /ɪnˈvest.mənt/ (n) – The action or process of putting financial or other resources into something in order to achieve a return.
Example: Governments must increase investment in rural healthcare services to address health disparities.
Conclusion
The sample task provided here emphasizes public health issues in remote regions, a topic frequently revisited in the PTE Summarize Written Text section. Practicing tasks like this, along with analyzing responses across different band levels, allows you to improve your performance incrementally. If you want more practice, feel free to comment below with your response, and we’ll provide feedback.
