To template or not to template? The PTE Essay Question

If you are preparing for the PTE essay, you have probably seen much debate about templates online. Some say: "Never use a template! Pearson will score you 0!" Others say: "Use a template! It's the secret to a top score!"

I say: meh. Everyone calm down.

Yes, you should use a template for the PTE essay. But you should use a template for structure, not memorise an entire essay. That difference matters.

Why I Recommend Using a PTE Essay Template

In the PTE essay, you have very limited time to plan, write, and check your response. You do not want to waste that time wondering how to start, what your second paragraph should do, how to introduce the other side, or how to finish.

A good template removes those decisions. For example, you can learn simple but highly useful phrases such as: Firstly, This is because, For example, Secondly, On the other hand, It could be argued that, However, and In conclusion.

These phrases are NOT your essay. They simply give your essay a clear structure. Structure is about 25% of your essay score. Automatising structure also means you can spend more of your time thinking about the important part: what you actually want to say about the question.

If you want, you can drop the phrases from your essay entirely. The point is the structure, not the words. So if you have better words or different words to create a good essay structure, go for it.

What I Don't Recommend

I do not recommend memorising a huge template that already contains most of your essay.

You have probably seen these online. They are very long, very confident, and try to answer every possible topic at once. Impressive. Also not very helpful.

The problem is simple: if most of your essay is already written before you even see the question, how much of your response is actually answering the question?

Students can become so focused on remembering the template correctly that the content becomes weak, vague, or irrelevant. That is exactly what you want to avoid.

What Should a PTE Essay Template Actually Do?

A useful template should tell you where to put your ideas. It should not give you the ideas.

A good structure might look like this:

• Introduction: Theme. Your position.

• Body Paragraph 1: Point. Explanation. Example. (Remember PEE :))

• Body Paragraph 2: Point. Explanation. Example.

• Body Paragraph 3: Counterargument. Crush the counterargument.

• Conclusion: Restate your position. Recommend something.

  
  

That structure is the basics of a good template.

Click here to see my full template: TEMPLATE

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But you must adapt that structure depending on the question.

My Shortcut Strategy

In my YouTube video PTE Essay | A Template that Still Works, I show exactly how I use this simple structure in real time.

The shortcut strategy is: position → two reasons → counterargument → conclusion.

For a lot of students, this alone makes the PTE essay much less stressful. Instead of trying to invent a completely new essay structure every time, they already know what they are doing before they start writing.

But You Can't Use the Template Blindly

This is the part students often miss.

I absolutely recommend learning one simple basic template, but that does not mean EVERY PTE essay question should be answered in exactly the same way. Different questions require you to do slightly different things.

Some essays want your opinion. Some want solutions to a problem. Some want advantages and disadvantages of an issue. Some want a balanced discussion of both sides of an issue. The basic essay template can help you do any of these, but you need to adapt it to the question.

For example, a balanced discussion essay should switch from the template above to:

• Introduction: Theme. Brief introduction to both views.

• Body Paragraph 1: View 1. Point. Explanation. Example. (Remember PEE :))

• Body Paragraph 2: View 2. Point. Explanation. Example.

• Conclusion: (Finally!) give your opinion, but re-state that you have considered both views.

  
  

The original template remains useful. But you must rearrange the template to fit the question.

This is Where My Book Goes Further

My YouTube video shows the shortcut strategy and demonstrates how the simple template works.

In PTE Writing Made Clear, I go further. I show you extended strategies for adapting the same simple foundation to different PTE essay question types.

That is important because I do NOT want you to memorise ten completely different essay structures! You have enough pressure on your brain with the rest of PTE! But I also do not want you to force every question into one template.

The goal is to learn one flexible system. Know the basic template well enough that it becomes automatic, but understand when and how to adjust it to the question.

Do Higher-Scoring Students Need a More Complicated Template?

Not necessarily. More words do not mean more marks. The exam is not paying you by the syllable.

A higher score does not mean you suddenly need an enormous, complicated template. Start with a clear structure, then improve the quality of the language and ideas if your English level allows you to do that accurately.

A stronger student can use more precise vocabulary, more varied grammar, and more sophisticated development. Complicated language does boost your score - IF IT IS CORRECT AND RELEVANT!

However, complicated language in a template is usually NOT relevant.

Clear and correct gets you a better score better than fancy and incorrect... or, worse, fancy and irrelevant.

So, Should You Use a Template for the PTE Essay?

Yes.

Use a template to make the structure automatic. Memorise useful academic phrases and know what each paragraph is supposed to do.

But do not memorise an entire essay, and do not become so dependent on your template that you forget to answer the question! Honestly - it happens all the time. Easy points lost.

A good PTE essay template should make it easier to express your ideas. It should never replace them. It is a template, not a personality.

If you want my basic essay template, click here: TEMPLATE.

It will put you on my mailing list too - you'll get announcements of free and discounted offers. I don't spam.

And if you want to learn how to adapt that basic structure to different PTE essay question types (and different essay topics!), I explain the extended strategies in PTE Writing Made Clear.

Conclusion

In summary, using a template for your PTE essay can significantly enhance your performance. It provides a clear structure, allowing you to focus on your ideas rather than getting bogged down in formatting. Remember, the key is to adapt the template to fit the specific question. This flexibility will empower you to express your thoughts effectively and confidently.

So, embrace the template, but make it your own. Happy writing!