In PTE exams, test takers usually find Repeat Sentence as one the most challenging questions, and this is the most important question type due to its marks which is 13. But with effective strategies, students can score high on this question type. This question type contributes not only to the Speaking Module but also to the Listening Module.
Understanding the Task
The Repeat Sentence task is part of the Speaking section of the PTE Academic exam. Here’s how it works:
- Listen to the Sentence: The audio will play automatically, and you will hear a sentence spoken by a native English speaker.
- Repeat the Sentence: After the sentence finishes, you need to repeat it exactly as you heard it. The microphone will turn on, and the recording status box will say “Recording.”
- Speak Clearly: You must speak as clearly and accurately as possible. There’s no need to speak fast.
- End Before the Progress Bar: Try to finish speaking before the progress bar reaches the end. Your recording will be marked as “Completed” once you’re done.
| Prompt Length | Skill Assessed | Time to Answer |
| 3-9 seconds | Speaking & Listening | 15 seconds |
Scoring Criteria:
Content:
In content, errors include only replacements, omissions (missing words), and insertions (extra words). Hesitations (pauses), filled pauses (like “um” or “uh”), and extra or missing words at the start or end of a sentence don’t count in the score for content.
Scoring:
- 3: All the words in the response are in the correct order from the prompt.
- 2: At least 50% of the words are in the correct order from the prompt.
- 1: Less than 50% of the words are in the correct order from the prompt.
- 0: Almost none of the words from the prompt are in the response.
Pronunciation:
- 5 –Native-like: The speaker pronounces all vowels and consonants clearly, so native speakers can easily understand them. They use natural speech patterns, and stress is placed correctly in words and sentences.
- 4 – Advanced: Most vowels and consonants are pronounced clearly. There might be a few small mistakes with sounds or stress, but it doesn’t affect understanding. The speaker is easy to understand, and stress is mostly correct.
- 3 – Good: Most vowels and consonants are correct, but there are some regular mistakes that may make a few words unclear. Some consonants might be mispronounced or left out. Stress on some words may not always be correct.
- 2 – Intermediate: Some vowels and consonants are pronounced incorrectly, making them harder to understand. About two-thirds of the speech is clear, but listeners might have to adjust to the accent. Some consonants might be missing or changed, and stress is sometimes wrong.
- 1 – Intrusive: Many vowels and consonants are mispronounced, making the accent forceful. About one-third of the words might be hard to understand. Some consonants are missing or changed, and stress is placed incorrectly in words or sentences.
- 0 – Non-English: The pronunciation sounds disparate from English. Many vowels and consonants are mispronounced, and more than half of the speech is hard to understand. The stress on words is also incorrect, and some words may have the wrong number of syllables.
Fluency:
- 5 – Native-like: The speech is smooth and flows well. There are no pauses, repeats, or mistakes that make it sound non-native.
- 4 – Advanced: The speech has a good rhythm with clear phrasing and word emphasis. There might be one pause, repeat, or mistake, but it’s still easy to understand.
- 3 – Good: The speech is at a good speed but may not always be even. There might be a few pauses or repeats, but most of the speech is clear and continuous. There are no long pauses.
- 2 – Intermediate: The speech might sound uneven or choppy. If the speaker says six or more words, there will be at least one smooth phrase. There might be a few pauses or repeats, but no more than two or three.
- 1 – Limited: The speech has irregular rhythm, with lots of pauses, repeats, or mistakes, making it hard to follow. Long sentences might have pauses, and the stress on words may be wrong.
- 0 – Disfluent: Disfluent speech is when talking is slow and hard to follow. There are many pauses, stops, mistakes, and simple words. The words may sound separate, and there might be long pauses between them.
Key Tips for Acing the Repeat Sentence
1. Listen Carefully to Stress and Intonation
The way the sentence is spoken is key to your success. Pay attention to:
- Stress: Which words are emphasized in the sentence?
- Intonation: How does the speaker’s tone change throughout the sentence?
Try to follow the speaker’s stress patterns and intonation in your response. Try to keep yourself natural while speaking.
2. Focus on Oral Fluency
Fluency plays an important role too high in this question type. You should aim for:
- Smooth, natural speech: Speak without hesitation or pauses. Your speech should flow naturally, just like a regular conversation.
- Appropriate phrasing: Break the sentence into chunks if needed and ensure you speak at a consistent pace.
- No false starts or repetitions: Avoid stumbling or repeating words. These mistakes will reduce your score.
Remember, fluency counts for 5 marks, so make sure your response sounds natural and effortless.
3. Focus on Pronunciation
Pronunciation is another important area, and it is of 5 marks. Your pronunciation score is based on how well you can replicate the sounds of the sentence in a way that’s understandable to most English speakers. Here’s how to focus on it:
- Practice vowel and consonant sounds: Ensure your vowels and consonants are pronounced clearly.
- Stress the right words: Pay attention to which words are stressed and follow them in your response.
An effective strategy is that your pronunciation should be clear enough to understand easily.
4. Do Not Overthink the Content
While the content is important but you need to pick as many words as possible from the sentence; fluency and pronunciation are given more weight in the scoring system. Here’s what you should do:
- Use the words you remember: Don’t worry if you forget a few words. Focus on using the ones you do remember and speak smoothly.
- Don’t panic if you miss a word: Simply move on and do your best with the rest of the sentence. You should always try to speak confidently.
5. Stay Calm and Keep Your Eyes on the Screen
There’s no beep before the recording starts, so it’s easy to feel rushed. But don’t panic! Stay focused:
- Keep your eyes on the screen: This will help you stay engaged with the task without losing your place.
- Stay calm: Take a deep breath and focus on repeating the sentence as accurately as you can.
6. Practice Is A Must
Practice is important to score well in this question type. Here are some ways you can practise:
- Listen to English audio clips: Pay attention to how sentences are spoken, and practice repeating them out loud. Retention is important to memorize the word.
- Use PTE practice tests: Familiarize yourself with the test format and timing to feel more confident when it’s your turn.
- Record yourself: Listen back to your recordings to identify areas where you can improve fluency and pronunciation.
- Practice Shadowing: Shadowing is when you immediately repeat what you hear as you hear it. This technique helps improve fluency and pronunciation, making your speech more natural.
- Use Mental Chunking: Break the sentence into chunks to help you remember it better. You can then repeat each chunk in a smooth sequence.
- Minimize Pauses: Pauses can negatively impact your fluency score. If you’re unsure of a word, move forward confidently without pausing for too long.
Common Mistakes to Avoid
- Rushing your response: This can lead to unclear speech and missed words. Focus on clarity instead of speed.
- Overlooking intonation: Ignoring how the speaker uses stress and tone can affect the natural flow of your answer.
- Hesitation: This can reduce your score in fluency. If you’re unsure of a word, keep going with what you remember.
By focusing on fluency, pronunciation and trying to pick the maximum word to give an accurate response as you can. Also, you should focus on following the speaker’s stress and intonation to present your response effectively.
Test takers can also use Sumlingo PTE practice software for pte exam preparation.
