PTE is not as easy as it sounds, and so is the PTE Written discourse. Aspirants often suffer many sleepless nights because of it. Well, its detailed structure has to be credited for this. The program is so intricately designed that even native speakers have a hard time understanding it. This blog will tell you in detail what is written discourse- its weightage, importance, and many more!
The written discourse plays a very essential role in the Writing section of PTE. Content, development, structure, coherence, form, general linguistic range, grammar usage, and vocabulary are the essence of writing tasks. Excelling in these areas will make you shine brighter in the writing section of PTE.
The written discourse section of the PTE is the one that gives candidates the most anxiety. At each vertical, the PTE tests your comprehension and writing abilities. Being proficient in both of these is in itself a difficult task. It is doubly stressful to perform well during the exam’s tense circumstances. However, we are here to help you out. Let’s get acquainted with PTE written discourse before moving ahead.
What is Written Discourse?
Written discourse refers to the structure, coherence, logical development, and range of linguistic resources in a written text. The linguistic resources in your writing refer to grammar and vocabulary. The variety of grammatical structures and vocabulary is another linguistic resource. In order to get maximum points in this section, you must use a wide range of grammar structures and vocabulary.
Writing discourse involves skill sets such as logical reasoning, appropriate use of linguistic resources, and communication of complex ideas coherently in order to develop a clear understanding of what the author is trying to convey. To make it easier to understand, written discourse refers to the:
- relevance of your text to the
- situation, meaning, and logical sequence of your writing
- sentence structure
- linking the words
- punctuation
- vocabulary that you use while writing
- grammatical correctness and accuracy
All these skills mentioned above are measured in the PTE written section through descriptions of images, paraphrasing, and essay writing.
Importance of Written Discourse:
- With the use of good vocabulary and linguistics, it makes your essay smooth
- The usage of linking words, vocabulary, punctuation, and grammar use shows how the command you hold in the English language
- Since written discourse is an essential part of the writing section, excelling in this area will improve your writing score significantly
Weightage of Written Discourse:
Let us now see the weightage of written discourse in detail.
1. Content in written discourse:
If all the aspects are covered in your essay then you will get a full 3. If you miss 1 aspect then 1 mark will be deducted, getting you a 2. Further, if multiple aspects are missed then you will be given just one mark. And if there is irrelevant content then you will get no marks.
2. Development, Structure in written discourse:
This aspect holds 2 marks. If you have good development and logical structure then you will get a full 2. Less well-structured and poorly linked elements will get you 1 mark. If the writing work contains loose elements then you will get no marks.
3. General Linguistics in written discourse:
A smooth mastery of linguistics will get you two marks. If there is a sufficient range of language then it will get you 1 mark. Basic language and less precision will get you no marks.
4. Grammar Usage in written discourse:
If the written work has consistent grammar and there are no mistakes then you will get a full 2 marks. A few mistakes will lead to a deduction of 1 mark and you will get 1. If the work is full of mistakes then you will get no marks.
5. Vocabulary in written discourse:
Good command over vocabulary will get you 2 marks, and a fair command will get you 1. If you have basic vocabulary then you will get no marks.
6. Spelling in written discourse:
Correct spelling will give you 2 marks, if 1 spelling error then you will get 1 mark. Further, if there is more than 1 error, then you will get 0 marks.
So, how do you excel at PTE written discourse?
The written discourse requires immense dedication to come up with the best results. Since it demands so much from you, trying to keep your attention on so many things at once is difficult. However, here are some expert tips to help you cut down your struggle.
Know the topic well in advance.
The PTE exam greatly emphasizes essay writing as a way to test your written discourse ability. You will need to write an essay on a certain subject. In this case, the first thing that stands out is whether your essay is relevant to the topic. Everything else follows. So ensure that you comprehend the essence of the subject. If you read the topic, again and again, you may eventually discover the answer to these questions:
- How well do you know the topic
- What are the key elements of your topic
- How legitimate is your knowledge?
The first step toward writing your essay is to read the essay title carefully and try to understand its meaning deeply. Focus on understanding the essay topic for at least a minute or two.
So, if you had to write an essay on this subject: In the past 100 years, there have been many inventions, such as antibiotics, airplanes, and computers. Which do you think is the most important invention and why?’
In this case, the topic is about great inventions in modern times, and the question asks which you believe to be the most significant one; then you must choose one and explain why you believe that.
Write a well-framed outline
Having completed the topic analysis, it’s time to focus on structuring your paper. It should adhere to the standard structure. In general, it should begin with an introduction, followed by two main body paragraphs with reasons, and end with a conclusion. Unless you have all of these parts in your text, you’ll get a low score.
Using the above topic as an example, you might introduce your first main body paragraph as follows: Firstly, computers have had an enormous positive impact on communication at work.
There are a number of academic terminology and collocations used here to create a powerful, impactful beginning to your paragraph. The linking word, firstly, indicates it is the start of the main argument, and academic words like, have an enormous positive impact on… and the workplace is effective, natural-sounding choices to make your initial point in a powerful way.
The above example is very similar to the statement Computers are very helpful to use at work. Despite the fact that this second version is correct, it sounds much less formal/academic and has less impact. However, at the same time, make sure not to go overboard with complicated vocabulary that you don’t understand!
If you do this, the speech may sound ‘flowery’ and unnatural (overly wordy) and thus lack clarity. And definitely, you are not aiming for this.
Similarly, do not write: Computerized systems have encroached into our world of work to exponentially enhance our work experience and add significant value to our workplace practices.
It’s bizarre as it’s so convoluted, and the reader is left wondering: what does that actually mean, and what is wrong with the writer as it sounds so strange!
Pay attention to sentence structure and punctuation.
Look at this example using simple sentences only.
‘I really need a holiday. He doesn’t have money. I don’t have the time.’
How does that sound to you?
Would you be interested in reading this?
Sorry, but I can’t. I think it’s pretty boring.
Here’s another example using compound clauses.
‘I really need a holiday, but I don’t have the money, and I don’t have the time.’
Do you find it interesting to read? Absolutely! It’s interesting. The key to creating effective sentences is variation. Play with the clause structure, use compound, and complex sentences, and use appropriate punctuation. These things will make your text intriguing and engaging to the reader.
Lastly, the flow and development of ideas must be logical. As an example, we could conclude the paragraph by providing an example that supports our main point and a concluding sentence that relates back to the topic sentence and overall essay topic.
Be selective with your word choice.
Make sure you use only formal words and a formal tone when completing an exam. Casual expressions have no place in an exam and are not appropriate. Keep jargon and slang aside and use academic language. Consider using the words “myriad”, “asserts”, “substantiates”, etc.
Maintain the word limit
Be mindful of the word limit to score high in the summary and essay writing. Make sure you stick to it. Don’t write less than 50 words or more than 70 words if the summary writing limit is between 50 and 70 words. It will have a great impact on your written discourse score if you write 75 words in your summary. It also holds true for essays.
Make sure you are regularly analyzed.
Simply practicing by yourself will not suffice. When you believe that you can score well on the PTE exam just by taking a practice test without any evaluation or real-life training, then you are going the wrong way. Ensure that you monitor your practice sessions. In addition to it, the PTE experts will monitor your performance. Take note of your weaknesses. It is only possible to achieve all of these things if you hire an online tutor from a reputable source. Edutrainex’s online courses will help you understand the proper exam structure and your position in the exam. This will allow you to score well on the exam.
Get to know more about Edutrainex by getting enrolled in its courses!
Improve Writing skills
Your next steps should be to improve your writing skills. You can do that by joining Edutrainex or you may also choose to read our blog on improving writing skills. Always be up-to-date with the latest PTE information by subscribing to our Youtube Channel.