PTE Core · Writing · SW7
PTE Core Writing: Write Email
Write Email gives you an everyday or workplace scenario with three things to cover, and you write an email in about 9 minutes. The target length is 80 to 120 words. It is marked on whether you cover every point and on the organisation, tone, grammar, vocabulary and spelling of your email.
- Items per test
- 2–3
- Time
- About 9 minutes per email
- Target length
- 80–120 words
- Prompt
- A scenario with three points to cover
- Where it sits
- Part 1, after Summarize Written Text
How it works
- 1Read the scenario and note who you are writing to and why.
- 2Plan one short paragraph for each of the three points.
- 3Write the email with a greeting, body and closing line.
- 4Check the word count and each point before time runs out.
Sample task
Original sample · not from an official test
You recently joined a local gym. Write an email to the manager. Say why you are writing, describe a problem with the booking app, and suggest a solution.
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Outline: Dear Ms Collins, I joined the gym last month and I am writing about the class booking app. For the past week, it has shown classes as full even when only a few people attend, so I have missed two yoga sessions. Could you check whether the app is counting cancelled bookings? In the meantime, it would help if members could reserve a place by phone. Thank you for your help. Kind regards, Daniel Ruiz
The email covers all three points in order, uses a polite semi-formal tone for a manager and lands at about 80 words, inside the target range.
Tips that work
- Tick off the three prompt points as you write; missing one is the fastest way to lose content marks.
- Match the tone to the reader: "Dear Ms Collins … Kind regards" for a manager, "Hi Jo … Thanks" for a friend.
- State your reason for writing in the first line so the reader knows the purpose at once.
- Leave a minute to check spelling of names, days and times copied from the prompt.
Common mistakes
- Writing one long block with no paragraphs.
- Adding a story that is not in the prompt instead of covering the three points.
- Going well past 120 words and running out of time to proofread.
Questions candidates ask
How long should a PTE Core email be?
Aim for 80 to 120 words. That range lets you cover three points properly without running short of time.
Is Write Email the same as an essay?
No. PTE Core has no essay task. Write Email is a practical message with a clear reader and purpose.
Do I need a subject line?
Focus on the greeting, clear body paragraphs and a suitable closing. Those carry the organisation and tone of the email.
Other PTE Core Writing tasks
PTE Core overviewPTE Core Writing: all partsPTE Core full mock testsPTE Core articles on the blog