PTE Summarize Spoken Text template

Five sentences for each of the 7 kinds of lecture, with the reporting verbs and the word limits that matter.

By Thanh Tran, PTE and IELTS coach
Updated October 2026

Page 2 of the Summarize Spoken Text template PDF

Page 4 of the Summarize Spoken Text template PDF

The first page of the Summarize Spoken Text template PDF

Which lecture is it?

The cheat sheet has a page for each of the 7 kinds of lecture. Find yours here, then turn to its page.

How something works
Explains how something happens, step by step
Page 4
Two things compared
Compares two things, or two kinds of one thing
Page 5
A change over time
Tells how something changed over the years
Page 6
Causes and effects
Explains why something happens, and what it leads to
Page 7
A problem and a solution
Names a problem, then says what can be done
Page 8
A claim and the reasons
Makes a claim, then gives research or reasons for it
Page 9
A term explained
Explains what a word or an idea means
Page 10

Also in the PDFHow it's markedForm: the rules that score 0Your ten minutesSpellingReporting verbsLinking wordsCheck before you submit

How to use it

While the lecture plays, write key words, not sentences: the topic first, then arrows.
Find the kind of lecture in the table below. Its page gives you five sentences, one for each step.
Fill every blue gap from your notes. Write only what the speaker said.
Write 50 to 70 words. Under 40 or over 100 scores 0 for the whole task.
Learn the shape, not the sentences. Keep the last 3 minutes to count words and check spelling.

The how something works template

Page 4 of the cheat sheet, as it prints. Pick one option for each sentence and fill the blue gaps.

Blue: take it from your notes.Bold: a linking phrase.

How something works

Page 4

The topic
- A processThe speaker explains how rain forms in the water cycle.
- A machine or the bodyThe lecture describes how the ear turns sound into signals.
The first stage
- What starts itFirst, the sun heats water, which evaporates and rises as vapour.
- In the bodyTo begin with, sound hits the eardrum and makes it vibrate.
The next stage
- The next stageAs the vapour cools, it condenses into droplets and forms clouds.
- ThenThen the vibration moves the fluid inside the ear.
The last stage
- The last stageThen the droplets join until they are heavy enough to fall as rain.
- Until it endsFinally, tiny receptors turn this movement into an electrical signal.
The main point
- It repeatsFinally, the cycle repeats, giving plants, animals and people the water they need.
- Why it mattersOverall, this process lets us hear, and it is remarkable.

Your summary

¹The speaker explains how rain forms in the water cycle. ²First, the sun heats water, which evaporates and rises as vapour. ³As the vapour cools in the sky, it condenses into droplets and forms clouds. ⁴Then the droplets join until they are heavy enough to fall as rain. ⁵Finally, the cycle repeats, giving plants, animals and people the water they need.

Practise Summarize Spoken Text for free Are templates allowed in PTE?

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Common questions

Are templates allowed in PTE Summarize Spoken Text?

Pearson tells you not to use memorised answers or templated sentences, and an answer learned by heart can score 0 for content. The cheat sheet gives you sentence plans with gaps, and you fill every gap from your notes. Learn the shape, not the sentences, and every answer you give is about the question in front of you.

How many words in Summarize Spoken Text?

Write 50 to 70 words for full marks on form. Under 40 or over 100 words scores 0, and then the whole summary scores 0.

How is Summarize Spoken Text marked?

Out of 12: content 4, form 2, grammar 2, vocabulary 2 and spelling 2. It counts for listening and for writing. If content or form is 0, the whole summary scores 0.

How should I use the 10 minutes?

While it plays, write key words, not sentences. Use the first 7 minutes to write five sentences, one for each step on the page. Use the last 3 to count your words and check every word for spelling.

Is the PDF free?

Yes. Enter your email and it downloads at once. Your email also opens a free Leap Exam account, where you can practise with real exam questions and get a score for your answers. Every free PDF on this site is open to that account.