PTE Academic Summarize Written Text (SWT) Tips, Sample & Practice 2025

The Summarize Written Text (SWT) task in the PTE Academic assesses your ability to read an academic passage, identify its key ideas, and write a concise summary. This task evaluates your reading comprehension, grammar, and writing organization — all under time pressure.

Most students find this section challenging because it requires short, precise academic writing in just 10 minutes.

In this blog, you’ll find:

✔ What Summarize Written Text is
✔ A step-by-step strategy to score higher
✔ Solved sample question + detailed explanation
✔ Four latest practice questions
✔ Smart preparation tips
✔ Helpful interlinks to other PTE resources
✔ Recommended study materials (books available in Australia and UK)

Before we begin, if you want to strengthen your overall PTE routine, check these guides:
👉 Top PTE Academic Preparation Strategies – https://ieltstreasure.blogspot.com/2025/12/top-pte-academic-preparation-strategies.html
👉 How to Practise Effectively for PTE – https://ieltstreasure.blogspot.com/2025/12/how-to-practise-effectively-for-pte.html
👉 PTE Reading Multiple-Choice Multiple Answers Guide – https://ieltstreasure.blogspot.com/2025/10/pte-reading-multiple-choice-multiple.html

You may also find this practice book set useful for Summarize Written Text and many other tasks:
📘 Amazon Australia: https://amzn.asia/d/6q1AszF
📘 Amazon UK: https://amzn.eu/d/ctekcbf

What Is Summarize Written Text (SWT)?

In this task, you are given a 150–300 word academic paragraph on various topics (science, environment, sociology, technology, business, etc.). You must write a one-sentence summary (5–75 words) that:

✔ Captures all main ideas
✔ Uses correct academic phrasing
✔ Is grammatically accurate

Your summary must be only one sentence — no lists or multiple sentences.

SWT Scoring Criteria

You are assessed on:

✔ Content – How well your summary covers the passage
✔ Form – Grammar, vocabulary & sentence structure
✔ General quality – Relevance & precision
✔ Word limit – 5–75 words

To succeed, you must combine critical reading + academic paraphrasing + concise writing.

How to Tackle SWT (Step-by-Step)

Here’s a proven strategy used by high scorers:

1) Read the passage once quickly

Don’t think too much — just identify the general theme.

2) Read again for main ideas

Highlight:
✔ Topic sentence
✔ Supporting ideas
✔ Cause/effect or comparison

3) Identify key points

Typically, passages contain:
✔ Problem / main idea
✔ Explanation
✔ Result / consequences

4) Write a concise sentence

Start with:

• The passage discusses…
• The author explains…
• It highlights…

5) Use academic vocabulary

Replace repetitive words:

• shows → demonstrates
• says → suggests
• big → significant

6) Keep within 75 words

Solved Sample Question + Detailed Explanation

Passage (Example):

Climate change has accelerated in recent years due to increasing greenhouse gas emissions from human activities such as fossil fuel combustion, deforestation, and industrial processes. These changes have amplified global temperatures, disrupted weather patterns, and caused rising sea levels, threatening ecosystems and human livelihoods worldwide. Scientists emphasize the need for immediate global cooperation to reduce emissions, promote renewable energy sources, and implement effective environmental policies to mitigate further damage.

Top-Scoring Summary (Sample):

The passage explains that climate change, driven by human activities such as fossil fuel combustion and deforestation, has intensified global warming and environmental disruptions, and scientists urge immediate global cooperation to reduce emissions and adopt renewable energy and effective policies to mitigate further damage. (52 words)

Explanation of the Solved Answer

✔ Main idea: Climate change is worsening due to human actions
✔ Supporting details: global warming, disrupted weather, rising sea levels
✔ Response/solution: global cooperation, reduce emissions, renewable energy, policies

Why it works:

✅ It's one sentence
✅ Captures all key points
✅ Uses academic vocabulary (intensified, environmental disruptions, mitigate)
✅ Word count within the 75-word limit

Practice Questions (Latest 2025 Set – 4 Items)

Try to finish each within 10 minutes. Write only one sentence (5–75 words).

1.

The expansion of e-commerce has transformed the retail industry by offering consumers convenience and a wide variety of products online. However, it has also challenged traditional brick-and-mortar stores, leading to a significant shift in shopping patterns, increased competition, and changes in supply chain logistics. Retailers are now adopting digital technologies to integrate online and offline services to stay competitive.

2.

Urbanisation is rapidly increasing as more people migrate to cities in search of better employment, education, and living standards. This trend has led to crowded infrastructure, housing shortages, and environmental pressure in major metropolitan areas. Governments are now faced with the challenge of developing sustainable urban policies to manage growth without compromising quality of life.

3.

Artificial intelligence (AI) is increasingly used in healthcare to enhance diagnostic accuracy and personalise treatment. While AI has shown promise in improving patient outcomes and reducing workload for healthcare professionals, concerns remain regarding ethical implications, data privacy, and potential job displacement. Researchers continue to explore AI’s impact on the future of medicine.

4.

Renewable energy sources such as solar, wind, and hydropower are gaining importance in global energy strategies due to the depletion of fossil fuels and environmental concerns. Investments in clean energy technologies have increased, driven by government policies and private sector support. Despite advancements, the transition to renewables still faces financial and technical obstacles.

How to Check Your Answers

Once you’ve written your summaries:

✔ Count the words (must be 5–75)
✔ Ensure one sentence only
✔ Include all main ideas
✔ Use academic phrasing
✔ Avoid personal opinions or extra details

If you want model answers for the four practice questions above, tell me and I’ll generate them for you!

Common Mistakes to Avoid in SWT

❌ Writing multiple sentences
❌ Exceeding word limit
❌ Repeating phrases from the passage without paraphrasing
❌ Including your opinion
❌ Missing key ideas from the text

To avoid these mistakes and improve systematically, follow the practice rhythm and strategies in this guide:
👉 How to Practise Effectively for PTE – https://ieltstreasure.blogspot.com/2025/12/how-to-practise-effectively-for-pte.html

Vocabulary Boost for High Scores

Here’s a small list of academic vocabulary that’s helpful in SWT answers:

Common Word	Academic Equivalent
shows	indicates, demonstrates
makes	results in, leads to
big	significant, substantial
more	increased, greater
less	reduced, diminished

Improving your academic vocabulary helps not just SWT, but also Essay Writing, Summarize Spoken Text, and Reading Tasks. For advanced reading practice, see:

👉 PTE Reading Multiple-Choice Multiple Answers Guide – https://ieltstreasure.blogspot.com/2025/10/pte-reading-multiple-choice-multiple.html

Books and Practice Material Recommendation

To practise Summarize Written Text intensively with model answers, multiple passages, and scoring guides, you may refer to this set of PTE practice books available online:

📘 Amazon Australia: https://amzn.asia/d/6q1AszF
📘 Amazon UK: https://amzn.eu/d/ctekcbf

These books include simulated exam tasks for SWT, helpful explanations, and expert tips — useful for self-study and revision.