PTE Academic · Guides · October 24, 2026 · 6 min read

PTE Summarize Written Text: word limit, tips and examples (2026)

In PTE Summarize Written Text you read a passage of up to about 300 words and have 10 minutes to write a summary in one sentence of 5 to 75 words. The word limit and the one-sentence rule are not style advice: a separate scoring trait, Form, checks them, so the first job is to stay inside them. The second is to get the passage’s main ideas into that sentence, correctly connected.

What the task looks like

The word counter on screen shows your total as you type. A single sentence means it starts with a capital letter and has only one full stop, at the end; commas, semicolons and linking words are allowed inside it.

How it is scored

Four traits are scored:

• Content. Does the sentence carry the main ideas of the passage, accurately and without important omissions?
• Form. Is it one sentence of 5–75 words? Two sentences, a list of notes or a text outside the word range breaks the form.
• Grammar. Is the sentence grammatically correct and its parts properly linked?
• Vocabulary. Are the words appropriate and precise?

Prep sites give different numbers for each trait, so we describe them in words only. Since 2025 Pearson says some answers are also reviewed by human experts, and stitched-together phrases copied from the passage, or memorized templates, lose content marks.

A worked example

Here is a practice task from Nomto, a passage of about 250 words called “Shared gardens in cities”. It says, in four paragraphs:

1. Empty city land is being turned into shared gardens, usually started by neighbours.
2. They give fresh food, but their main value is bringing neighbours together.
3. They also help the city: cooler streets, rain absorbed by soil, a place for schools.
4. They are insecure because the land often belongs to someone else, so supporters want cities to give longer agreements.

Notice the pattern: a topic, two benefits (with one marked as more important), a third benefit, and a “however” with a solution. A summary has to keep that shape.

A model sentence from our bank (43 words):

Shared gardens on empty city land give residents fresh food and, more importantly, bring neighbours together while cooling streets and absorbing rain, but because the land often belongs to others they can be lost quickly, so supporters want cities to offer longer agreements.

Why it works:

• it covers all four ideas, including the problem and the proposed solution at the end;
• it keeps the passage’s emphasis (“more importantly”);
• linking words (while, but, because, so) show how the ideas relate, which is exactly what a list of facts cannot do;
• it is well inside the limit, with room to spare.

A second practice task from Nomto, on spaced study, gives this model sentence (41 words):

Although cramming feels effective, spreading study across several sessions and testing oneself produces longer-lasting memory because effortful recall strengthens it, yet students still cram since spacing feels harder and needs planning, so teachers may need to build reviews into their courses.

Here the sentence opens with “Although” to set up the contrast the passage is built on.

A simple method for 10 minutes

1. Read once for the topic (about 2 minutes). What is the passage about, and what is its main claim?
2. Find one idea per paragraph (about 2 minutes). Write each as three to six words in your notes. Watch for “however”, “but” and “the main point”.
3. Choose the main clause. The central idea becomes the subject and verb of your sentence.
4. Attach the rest with linkers (about 3 minutes). Use although, while, because, so, but, and which.
5. Check form and grammar (about 2 minutes). One full stop, word count between 5 and 75, every clause has a verb, subject and verb agree.

Tips for Summarize Written Text

1. Aim for about 30–55 words. That is enough to cover three or four ideas; near 75 words the sentence becomes hard to control.
2. Include the “but”. Many passages turn on a contrast or a problem near the end. Leaving it out loses a key idea.
3. Use your own connecting words, the passage’s key nouns. Keep technical terms as they are (you cannot paraphrase “spaced practice” well), but build the sentence yourself.
4. Avoid semicolon chains. A sentence of four clauses joined by semicolons is grammatically one sentence but reads as a list. Linking words show relationships.
5. Do not add examples or numbers unless they are the main point.
6. Do not add your opinion. The task is to summarize the writer’s ideas.
7. Check spelling and capital letters. The last minute should go to proofreading.

Common mistakes

• Two sentences. A full stop in the middle breaks the form. Watch abbreviations like “e.g.” too, and avoid them.
• Copying the first sentence of each paragraph. It rarely gives the main ideas and usually produces a grammatically broken string.
• Missing the conclusion. The last paragraph often holds the writer’s point.
• One very long run-on. 75 words joined only by “and” is hard to read and easy to get wrong.
• Ignoring the word counter. Check it before you move on.

A word on templates

Templates such as “The passage discusses… and states that… while also highlighting…” add words without adding content, push you towards the 75-word limit, and are easy to recognize. A minimal frame is enough:

• “Although [contrast], [main idea], because [reason], so [result].”
• or “[Main idea], which [detail], but [problem], so [solution].”

Choose the shape that fits the passage, not the other way round.

Common questions

What is the word limit for Summarize Written Text? One sentence of 5–75 words.

Can I use a semicolon in Summarize Written Text? Yes, a semicolon does not end a sentence. But a sentence built only from semicolons usually reads as a list; linking words work better.

How long is the passage? Up to about 300 words. You have 10 minutes for each.

Is there negative marking in Summarize Written Text? No. It is scored on content, form, grammar and vocabulary, not by subtracting points for wrong answers.

Is Summarize Written Text the same as Summarize Spoken Text? No. The spoken version is a listening task with a 50–70-word summary that can be several sentences; see Summarize Spoken Text.

Practise it in the Nomto trainer

The Summarize Written Text trainer gives you a passage, a 10-minute timer and a live word count, as on the test. Your sentence gets feedback on content, form, grammar and vocabulary, an approximate estimate on the 10–90 scale, and the passage’s key points with a model sentence to compare. The same Speaking & Writing part also includes the Write Essay task, and you can practise the whole part in the mock tests.

PTE Academic™ is a trademark of Pearson. Nomto is independent and not affiliated with or endorsed by Pearson.