PTE Core Write Email: a simple structure that covers every point (50 to 120 words)
In PTE Core Write Email, most people do not lose marks on grammar. They lose them because they forgot one point in the task, or wrote to a friend like they were writing to a bank.
You get a short situation and about 9 minutes. You write an email of 50 to 120 words. The task usually gives you two or three things to include. Every one of them matters.
Read the task like a checklist
Before you type anything, find every point the task asks for and number them in your head. That is your email. Nothing more, nothing less.
Your neighbour’s dog barks every night. Write an email to your neighbour. Explain the problem, say how it affects you, and suggest a solution.
The structure
- Greeting that fits the person: “Hi Sam,” for a friend, “Dear Mr Lee,” for a neighbour, “Dear Sir or Madam,” for a company.
- Why you are writing, in one sentence.
- One or two sentences for each point in the task, in the same order.
- A polite close: “I look forward to hearing from you.” or “See you soon!”
- Your name.
Tone: talk to the person, not the computer
Ask yourself: who am I writing to? A friend gets “Guess what?” A manager gets “I would like to ask...”. The same message, said in a different way. Getting this right is part of your score.
Writing to a friend to say you cannot come to their party.
Your 9 minutes
- 1 minute: number the points in the task.
- 6 minutes: write, one point at a time.
- 2 minutes: check every point is there, the word count is between 50 and 120, and the spelling is right.
Want to practise this properly? My interactive e-book Think Like the Scorer walks you through it step by step. You answer, it checks you, and it shows you why. Reading tips is not the same as using them.
Exam rules change. Always check with the exam provider and the organisation you are applying to.
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Book a class and we work on it together, build your free roadmap to see where you stand, or ask us a question first.
