Summarize Spoken Text: How to Structure Your Answer Well

The Summarize Spoken Text question is a critical part of the PTE Academic Listening section. It evaluates both your listening and writing skills, challenging you to listen to a short spoken recording and then summarize its content clearly and concisely in 50 to 70 words.

Understanding the Task

In this question type, you will hear a recording that is 60 to 90 seconds long. You will listen to it only once, and the audio will play automatically. After listening, you will be required to write a summary based on what you heard. You will have 10 minutes to complete your response. During this time, you can use the cut, copy, and paste functions to organize your answer efficiently. A word count is visible on screen to help you stay within the required 50–70 words.

Prompt Length	Skill Assessed	Time to Answer
60-90 seconds	Listening and Writing	Not Applicable

What the Task Assesses

• This task measures your ability to:

• Listen to and understand spoken English

• Identify the main idea and essential supporting points

• Summarize information clearly and accurately

• Write in grammatically correct English with appropriate vocabulary Scoring Criteria: This question type is evaluated on the following parameters: Content

2: You included the main idea and most or all important details. 1: You included the main idea, but missed one or two key points.

0: You missed or misunderstood the main idea, or your summary was not correct.

Form:

2: Your summary has 50–70 words and is written correctly (full sentences, good format).

1: Your summary is a bit too short (40–49 words) or too long (71–100 words).

0: It’s too short<40 or too long >100, or written in all caps, bullet points, or concise phrases.

Grammar:

2: Your grammar is correct and your sentences are easy to understand. 1: Some small grammar mistakes, but your summary still makes sense. 0: Many grammar errors that make it hard to understand your meaning.

Vocabulary:

2: You used the right words for the topic and showed good vocabulary. 1: Some small vocabulary mistakes, but your meaning is still clear.

0: A lot of vocabulary mistakes make it difficult to understand

Spelling:

2: No spelling errors.

1: One small spelling mistake.

0: Two or more spelling mistakes.

How to Answer This Question

To complete this task successfully, follow these steps:

1.  Listen Carefully and Take Notes

As the audio plays, focus on identifying:

• The main idea of the spoken text

• Supporting points, such as examples, facts, statistics, or explanations

• The tone and purpose of the speaker (informative, persuasive, analytical, etc.)

• Use your erasable notepad to jot down key words and phrases—don’t try to write full sentences during the listening phase.

Available Functions During Writing

• Cut: Remove selected text from your answer.

• Copy: Duplicate selected text without removing it.

• Paste: Insert the previously cut or copied text where your cursor is positioned.

Use these tools strategically to rearrange or revise your summary as needed.

How to Structure Your Answer

To create a high-scoring summary, use the following structure:

1. Main Idea (1 sentence)

Open with a sentence that clearly states the central topic or purpose of the audio.

Example: The speaker explained the effects of globalization on local economies.

2.  Supporting Points (1–2 sentences)

Include the most relevant details or examples that support the main idea.

He mentioned increased trade as a positive outcome and the job loss in certain sectors as a negative effect.

3.  Optional Conclusion (1 sentence)

If there’s room, finish with a short summary or implication of the discussion.

The speaker concluded that balanced policies are needed to maximize benefits while minimizing harm.

Make Clear Notes During the Recording

Why it matters: You get to hear the audio only once, and it may be up to 90 seconds long. Writing down important points while listening helps you remember what was said and structure your response later.

• Use the erasable notepad provided during the test.

• Don’t try to write everything. Just write key points:

• Main topic or theme

• Names, dates, or numbers (if relevant)

• Cause-effect relationships

• Examples or comparisons

• Use symbols and abbreviations to save time.

For example:

• “+” for advantage/positive

• “–” for disadvantage/negative

• “govt” for government

• “env” for environment

Example Notes (during audio):

Topic: online education

• flexible & cheap

• – lack of interaction

• COVID → rise in popularity

• speaker = support blended learning

These notes will help you reconstruct the summary even if you forget exact words.

2.  Don’t Aim for Perfection – Focus on Clarity and Completeness

Why it matters: Focusing on making your summary “perfect” slows you down and may cause leaving important ideas. The goal is to express the main idea clearly and key points in a well-structured paragraph, not to impress with fancy words.

• Focus on getting the idea right.

• Use simple, clear language.

• Don’t overcomplicate your sentence structure. Including one main idea and at least one or two supporting points can be good strategy
• Better to write a clear 60 word summary than a complex one filled with unclear or irrelevant details.

3.  Avoid Copying Exact Phrases – Paraphrase Effectively

Why it matters: Copying the speaker’s exact words does not demonstrate language skills. Paraphrasing means that you understand the meaning and can express it in your own words, which improves your vocabulary and grammar scores.

What to do:

Replace phrases with synonyms:

The speaker talked about…→ The speaker discussed… is very important → is essential”

Change sentence structure:

Original: Climate change affects farming in many ways.

Paraphrased: The speaker explained how agriculture is impacted by climate change.

Use general language if you forget specifics:

Instead of “In 2019, the company launched a new app,” you can write “The speaker mentioned a recent product launch.”

Practice paraphrasing regularly to get more comfortable with it before the test.

4.  Proofread Your Summary in the Last 1–2 Minutes

Why it matters: Grammar, spelling, and small errors can reduce your score. A quick check at the end helps you fix any mistakes and stay within the 50–70 word limit.

What to do:

• Check your word count first. If it’s below 50 or above 70, adjust accordingly.

• Read your summary out loud in your mind to hear if it sounds natural.

Look for:

• Spelling errors (common mistakes: recieve → receive, goverment → government)

• Grammar issues (e.g., subject-verb agreement: “students learns” → “students learn”)

• Punctuation (missing periods or commas)

• Check for repetition. Avoid using the same word more than twice.

A precise and clear summary shows good writing skills and increases the chance of getting higher scores.

5.  Practice Regularly with Sample Recordings

Why it matters: This task combines listening, comprehension, note-taking, and writing—skills that improve only through consistent practice.

What to do:

• Use official PTE practice tools, YouTube recordings, or apps like E2Language, PTE Tutorials, or Pearson’s official resources.
• After listening to a sample, write your summary, then:

• Compare it to model answers

• Check if your word count is correct

• Identify what you missed or overemphasized

• Practice timing yourself; listen once, then complete your summary in 10 minutes.

Track your progress. Reduce your dependency on notes and focus more on understanding the big picture.

Practice Questions:

Audio Transcript:

Biodiversity means the wide variety of living things on Earth—like plants, animals, tiny organisms, and the places they live in. Biodiversity has important role to play in keeping the nature balanced. For example, it supports processes such as pollination, keeping the soil fertilized, cleaning water, and regulating the climate. When there’s more biodiversity, nature

can handle problems better—like diseases or extreme weather. But right now, biodiversity is in danger. Human activities like deforestation, polluting the different forms of environment, overfishing, and climate change are major threats to biodiversity When we lose species, it doesn’t just hurt nature—it also affects people, especially those who depend on nature for their food, water, and jobs. It is important that we work together worldwide to protect biodiversity by controlling irresponsible human activities. These steps include but not limited to making use of land responsibly and efficiently, protecting natural habitats by stopping deforestation, and making stronger environmental rules against illegal activities. Saving biodiversity isn’t just about protecting rare animals. It’s also about keeping the whole life system on Earth healthy and balanced. When we protect biodiversity, we are taking a right step for our future generation to live healthy.

Sample Answer:

Biodiversity, which includes all forms of life on Earth, is important for ecosystem’s stability and processes such as pollination and climate regulation. However, it is increasingly getting threatened by irresponsible human activities such as deforestation and pollution. As a result, the ecosystem suffers, and whole biodiversity well-being is affected. Therefore, it is crucial to protect biodiversity through conservation and sustainable practices so that both the planet and future generations can thrive.