This article will continue our strategies to help PTE Academic takers deal with Part 1: Write Essay successfully. We already shared a strategy for facing the Argument type, and today it’s for the Problem-Solution type.
For your study, P1: Write Essay in the Pearson Test of English Academic has three different topics including Argument, Problem-Solution, and Opinion types.
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Argument type: Animals shouldn’t be used for medical research under any circumstances.” To what extent do you agree with this statement? Provide reasons and/or examples to support your ideas.
Problem-Solution type: Stress has emerged as a significant problem in numerous countries worldwide. Why does it happen and what we can do to solve this issue?
Opinion type: Tobacco, mainly in the form of cigarettes, is one of the most widely used drugs in the world. Over a billion adults legally smoke tobacco every day. The long-term health costs are high – for smokers themselves, and for the wider community in terms of health care costs and lost productivity. Do governments have a legitimate role to legislate to protect citizens from the harmful effects of their own decisions to smoke, or are such decisions up to the individual?
All questions are FREE on the PTE Practice Platform – TADE Hub, you can practice them all after creating your FREE account. In this article, we will use the above Problem-Solution type question as a sample to guide you step-by-step on how to deal with it.
Fundamental information
Task: Write a 200-300 word essay about a given topic
Prompt length: 2-3 sentences
Timer: 20 minutes
Frequency: 1-2 questions
Skills assessed: Writing
A unique step-by-step strategy
Our strategy is developed to offer PTE takers feedback based on the same grading elements that Pearson uses to evaluate test-takers' skills including Content, Form, Grammar (Spelling), Vocabulary, Coherence, and Linguistic Range. Check details on how we offer instantly detailed feedback for all question types here.
Step 1. Read, Brainstorm and Take notes
Recommended timer: 5 minutes
1.1. Step one: Read the question carefully Not only Part 1: Write Essay, we need to read questions carefully whenever we face Speaking or Writing questions in order to completely comprehend them and deliver a relevant answer.
Again, this is our Sample question – Question number 0074 on the PTE Practice Platform – TADE Hub.
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Stress has emerged as a significant problem in numerous countries worldwide. Why does it happen and what we can do to solve this issue?
At this stage, we advise PTE candidates to allocate approximately two (02) minutes to thoroughly read and understand the question. It’s essential to grasp the question fully, as this allows you to brainstorm ideas and jot down notes to craft your response later. If you can read and comprehend the question in under a minute, that’s fantastic! However, if not, feel free to take up to two minutes, as the timer for each step has been carefully set. No need to stress—just follow our guidance, practice consistently, and watch your progress unfold.
Once you’re ready, dedicate up to two minutes to carefully read and interpret the question. The sample question provided isn’t too hard to follow, is it? If you haven’t signed up for your FREE account yet, we encourage you to do so! This will allow you to practice directly on the PTE Practice Platform and receive immediate, detailed feedback based on the same scoring criteria Pearson uses to evaluate your performance. The key point of this question asks us “Why has stress become a significant problem in many countries and What can we do to solve it”.
If PTE candidates encounter a difficult question that seems beyond their understanding, they can jot down familiar words and try to infer the main idea. We will provide strategies that students can use universally in case they come across a particularly tough question.
1.2. Step two: Brainstorm and Take notes In this step, you have three minutes to brainstorm and jot down notes about the key points to include in your response. Regardless of the topic, every essay answer follows the same structure: an Opening, a Body (with two supporting points), and a Conclusion. Brainstorming and note-taking should happen simultaneously. In other words, PTE candidates need to write notes while brainstorming. Brainstorming involves visualizing how to approach the question while taking notes to help capture key phrases and ideas from your thoughts to ensure they can be used effectively later (and to prevent forgetting them).
Here is how we apply our sample question in three different parts. a. Opening: Unlike the Argument question type we need to state clearly whether we support or do not support a statement in the question. Instead, we need to go with the flow in this Problem-Solution category. Going with the flow means that we always agree with the information provided. For example, regarding our question sample, we agree with this piece of information “Stress has emerged as a significant problem in numerous countries worldwide.” Only then, we are able to brainstorm ideas to introduce the problem and create a connection with the Body part. The easiest way to write the Opening is to relate to yourself, even if you have to make up the story. Thus, we may have some ideas as follows:
I also face stress at work every day
I have foreign friends who also complain it’s very stressful to work nowadays (I made this up in order to make it relevant to the question, which is crucial to connect to the Body part later)
It’s completely all right if we make up a story, it doesn’t affect your scores because it’s NOT a grading element. Your job is to have ideas and organise these ideas beautifully in your answer.
b. Body: Let’s assume that we write a perfect Opening to introduce the problem. So in this part, we simply need to answer all minor questions thoroughly.
Minor question 1: Why does stress happen in many countries?
Minor question 2: What we can do to solve this issue?
To each minor question, we give it two supporting points. About the first minor question, we brainstorm two Whys. And it’s the same for the second minor question that we offer two solutions.
Our ideas are: Minor question 1: Why does stress happen in many countries?
1st Why: Spend too much time on technological devices
2nd Why: Work too much and less time to relax
Minor question 2: What we can do to solve this issue?
1st Solution: Balance spending time on technological devices and working out
2nd Solution: Create a healthy habit between work and life
c. Ending: In this part, we simply state our opinion again as we do for the Opening. So think of how to paraphrase the Opening part, which is easier and very effective. Moreover, we also need to take notes on how to start the Ending part, and it could be as follows.
To make the long story short
All in all
To summarize
To encapsulate
To recapitulate
In conclusion
It’s done here, we already have basic ideas to write the answer and some important phrases to make our writing coherent. Let’s move on to Step 2: Lay out your structure.
Step 2. Lay out your structure
Recommended timer: 12 minutes 2.1. Show agreement with information provided – Opening Following the previous step, we already have a basic outline for crafting the Opening. Now, the focus is on linking all the points seamlessly to create a well-rounded Opening response.
To start your writing, there is a bunch of ways to do so.
As far as I’m concerned…
In the age of…
Speaking of…
Regrading…
In term of…
When it comes to…
In my humble position…
From my point of view…
From my experience…
Before checking our sample answers, please take your time to write it yourself first. Let’s think of how to start your writing by picking one of the above recommendations.
If you already get it done, let’s check our samples. We have the advanced and basic answers for your study.
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It depends on your English level to write similar to either the Basic or the Advanced openings. Regardless of both ways, we need to include three parts in your opening.
The red words: We have already provided a few approaches to begin your writing. It’s straightforward— PTE candidates simply need to select the one that best fits the question at hand.
The orange words: We brainstormed some ideas in the previous step, so we just use one of them here – we indicate that we agree with the information provided by confirming we also face stress. DO NOT MISS THIS PART as it’s the key content in the Opening.
The blue words: This is used to connect with the Body and make your writing more coherent, so ensure that you never forget it. We have some recommendations for using:
Due to several core reasons;
Driven by a combination of underlying factors;
Attributed to a fusion of critical elements;
Time management and number of words: It completely hinges on the category types to estimate the number of words we at least need to deliver. When it comes to the Argument type, we only need around 25 words as they are enough to deliver all key points. However, in this question category, as you can see in our sample answer we tried to minimize the number of words, but we still had 36. Students could try to write a bit more if they are capable of it in order to meet the word count requirement sooner at 200.
2.2. Answer all minor questions – Body This is the most essential part that we need to answer all minor questions by simply utilising all the ideas we brainstormed in the previous step.
The following are the two minor questions and two complete paragraphs answering them.
Minor question 1: Why does stress happen in many countries?
1st Why: Spend too much time on technological devices
2nd Why: Work too much and less time to relax
First and foremost, I believe one of the key reasons is our excessive use of technological devices. Spending long hours on phones, computers, or tablets not only strains the mind but also limits opportunities for physical and social activities, which are essential for mental well-being. Additionally, many people work too much and rarely allow themselves enough time to unwind. Long working hours combined with little to no relaxation create a cycle of exhaustion and anxiety that contributes significantly to stress.
Minor question 2: What we can do to solve this issue?
1st Solution: Balance spending time on technological devices and working out
2nd Solution: Create a healthy habit between work and life
To address this, I think it’s important to find a balance in our daily routines. For instance, limiting screen time and engaging in physical activitieslike jogging, yoga, or even a simple walk can do wonders for stress relief. Furthermore, developing a healthy habit of balancing work and personal life is crucial. I strongly believe that setting asidespecific times for hobbies, spending time with loved ones, or simply resting helps recharge energy and improve mental health.
Explanation of all highlighted colour words
Blue words: Linking words (transition words) that we used to start the paragraphs or connect sentences with sentences to make an organised writing.
Red words: they are our key ideas from the brainstorming step.
Orange words: they are what we expanded our points to make them stronger.
Do you think you could compose these two paragraphs within approximately eight (08) minutes? (Why eight minutes? We’ll explain shortly.) If you can, that’s fantastic! If not yet, don’t worry—we’ll guide you through the process of writing similar paragraphs. We firmly believe that with consistent and well-structured daily practice, your skills will improve significantly.
Here is your secret: We do it by expanding our answers and using linking words to connect bullet points with bullet points and sentences with sentences.
a. Expanding your answers There are three ways to expand answers: Elaborate answers, Share opinions, and Give examples.
Elaborate answers: Elaborate means we give more details to key ideas from the brainstorming step as long as detailed information is related to the answer (or the key ideas that we are proving). In the first minor question, we elaborated a lot that we shared two reasons why Stress has become a significant problem in many countries.
Share opinion: The second solution in the minor question 2 sample answer is Sharing opinion from the author. PTE takers simply share what they think about the matter (solution, idea, or argument), which also helps reinforce the key idea.
Give examples: In the answer to the second minor question, we also see an example given to the first solution, which makes it clearer and easy to follow.
Admittedly, it’s not easy to use any above tips. Everything needs practice aside from advancing your General English skills every single day. Nevertheless, to make it a bit easier, PTE takers can try to combine two tips in one paragraph like the answer to the second minor question that we shared opinion and gave a strong example to justify our point.
b. Using linking words Some students refer to linking words as transition words. Regardless of the term you prefer, their purpose remains the same: to create a logically cohesive response by connecting key points, sentences, and paragraphs seamlessly. The PTE Practice Platform provides access to sixteen categories of linking words, which you can explore anytime with a Premium account.
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If you notice, all the Blue words that we used in our sample answers can be found in these lists. To illustrate, the word “additionally” is used to introduce the second reason in the first minor question is in the Addition category. If words are in the same category, we can use any of them for the same purpose.
Effectively incorporating linking words into our Writing and Speaking responses can be challenging! It requires dedicated time and effort to practice and learn, particularly by analyzing Sample Answers provided on the PTE Practice Platform after users submit their practice responses.
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The sample answer provided above is an example for you to carefully review. Compare it with your own response to gain new insights, ideas, vocabulary, and more. While practicing on the PTE Practice Platform, if you come across many new concepts in a sample answer, try rewriting the response at least once and incorporate the newly learned elements into your practice.
Time management and number of words: We have twelve (12) minutes in this step: Lay out your structure. We utilise the first two minutes for the Opening and the rest two minutes for the Ending, so we have around eight minutes left to deliver the Body. Of course, students can slightly adjust it to the question they are facing to have a more effective result. With two minor questions, we have 157 words besides 36 words in the Opening (if we choose the Basic answer), so we totally have 193 words by this time.
2.3. Deliver a conclusion – Ending
Part 1: Write Essay requires students to write at least 200 words, so we need to have at least 7 words in this Ending part as we already had 193 words in the Opening and the Body, which is a piece of cake.
In our Brainstorming part, we have some ways to start the Ending part, such as To make the long story short and All in all. Please pause your reading, go write the Ending by yourself and review our sample answer right below.
All in all, stress is a serious issue, but I believe with mindful habits and balanced routines, we can significantly reduce its impact and lead happier, more fulfilling lives.
“All in all” is actually a linking word, and we have tons of other similar phrases that you can use to start your ending. Students can check them in the Summary category in the Linking word page. The rest is just how we rewrite our perspective or paraphrase the Opening to concrete our idea.
Consistently practicing general English every day is vital for improving your skills, as it forms the foundation for achieving your desired scores. Tips and strategies are helpful but play a secondary role. Don’t hesitate to check out the article, “Guide to Enhance Your Writing Skill” and dedicate yourself to regular practice.
Time management and number of words: We have two minutes in this part to deliver our conclusion. The number of words is 29, which exceeded 22 words as needed. So, our complete essay has 222 words.
Step 3. Double check your essay
Recommended timer: 3 minutes Why is this step so important? It plays a key role in helping PTE candidates reduce grammar and spelling errors, while also refining phrases or words to produce a more structured and cohesive response. Remember the grading criteria for this question type, which include Grammar (Spelling) and Coherence? Any unchecked mistakes will lead to score deductions in these areas.
This approach doesn’t just apply to Part 1: Write Essay—it is equally relevant for other Writing question types, such as Part 1: Summarize Written Text and Part 3: Summarize Spoken Text. To enhance your scores in these sections, it’s essential to carefully review your work as well.
Since we’ve already provided detailed guidance on how to double-check your essay in the P1. Write Essay_Argument question type, we won’t repeat it here as the process remains exactly the same.
Things to avoid
Here are cases in which test-takers will be given zero:
The response is NOT in English;
Test-takers write a very short or very long essay;
Test-takers don’t use punctuation;
Test-takers use bullet points or very short sentences;
The response is written in capitals;
There is no written response.
The PTE Practice Platform and PTE Mock Tests
If PTE takers practice any Part 1: Write Essay question on the PTE Practice Platform, they will receive the following feedback based on six grading elements: Content, Form, Grammar (Spelling), Vocabulary, Coherence, Linguistic Range. Or you can review this video sample feedback for a better understanding.
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Our goal is to assist millions of students worldwide by offering the most effective PTE Practice Platform, which delivers instant, detailed feedback on all question types. With a Premium account, PTE candidates can enjoy the following benefits:
Thousands of practice questions similar to the real ones;
Instantly detailed feedback for all question types;
Same grading elements as Pearson;
10 Full 2-hour mock tests with estimated scores
Three supportive vocab lists;
And many other supporting self-study features.
Go visit the PTE Practice Platform, create your free account and start boosting your PTE Academic scores today.
