By Score Smart Team · 2026-03-30
If you are preparing for the PTE Academic exam, chances are you already know that the Write Essay task is one of the most important sections of the test. It carries significant weight, and a weak performance here can pull down your overall score — even if you do well in other sections.
Here is the hard truth: most students who struggle with PTE essay writing are not struggling because they lack ideas. They struggle because of how they write their sentences. Their grammar is too simple. Their sentences are too short. And the PTE AI scoring system penalises exactly that.
The good news? There is a simple, repeatable formula that fixes this problem immediately. In this post, I am going to walk you through the exact sentence structure strategy that my students use to score 79 and above on the PTE Writing section — even if English is not their first language.
The Real Reason Your PTE Essay Score Is Low
Before we get to the solution, let's understand the problem clearly.
When PTE candidates sit down to write their essay, most of them think about what to write. They brainstorm ideas, pick a side, and start putting their thoughts on paper. That part is actually not that difficult for most students.
The problem comes in how those ideas are expressed.
A typical student might write something like this:
"Online learning is good. It saves time. People can study from home."
These three sentences are grammatically correct. The ideas are relevant. But they are simple, isolated, and short. There is no logical flow between them, no connecting language, and no grammatical complexity. The PTE AI system reads sentences like these and assigns a low score for Written Discourse and Grammar — two of the key scoring criteria for the essay task.
This is why so many students feel frustrated. They feel like they wrote a decent essay, but their score does not reflect that. The issue is not their ideas — it is their sentence structure.
Introducing the Sentence Formation Formula
The solution is to stop writing isolated sentences and start using a three-part structure for every sentence in your essay. I call this the Sentence Formation Formula, and it looks like this:
Statement + Connector + Reason
Let's break down each part:
1. Statement — This is your main point or claim. It is the core idea you want to express in that sentence. Keep it clear and direct.
2. Connector — This is a linking word or phrase that joins your statement to your reason. Words like because, as, since, which means that, thereby, and thus all work as connectors. The connector is what creates grammatical complexity and shows the examiner — and the AI — that you can use a range of sentence structures.
3. Reason — This is the supporting detail that explains or justifies your statement. It answers the question: why is your statement true? A strong reason makes your argument logical and complete.
That is the entire formula. Three parts. Every sentence. Consistent throughout your essay.
Real Examples Using the Formula
Let me show you exactly how this works with two common PTE essay topics.
Example 1 — Traditional Classrooms vs. Online Learning
Suppose you want to make the point that online learning is beneficial. Here is how most students write it:
Wrong - "Online classes are beneficial. It helps us attend classes from anywhere."
Now here is the same idea written using the Sentence Formation Formula:
Statement: Online classes are beneficial
Connector: because
Reason: they help us attend our classes from anywhere and save our time
Correct - "Online classes are beneficial because they help us attend our classes from anywhere, saving both our time and effort."
Notice the difference. The second version is one complete, well-structured sentence. It shows a clear logical relationship between the idea and the reasoning. That is exactly what the PTE scoring system rewards.
Example 2 — Shopping Malls
Now let us try a different topic. Suppose your essay is about the advantages of shopping malls.
Wrong - "Shopping malls are useful. We can find many products there."
Using the formula:
Statement: Shopping malls are useful for us
Connector: as
Reason: we can find a variety of products in one place, helping us save our time and money
Correct -"Shopping malls are useful for us as we can find a variety of products in one place, helping us save both time and money."
Again, one structured sentence replaces two weak ones. The idea is the same — but the delivery is far more impressive.
Connectors You Should Be Using
One of the easiest ways to improve your score immediately is to expand your range of connectors. Here are some of the best ones to use in your PTE essay:
because — for direct cause and effect
as — a slightly softer version of "because"
since — useful when giving background reasoning
which means that — great for showing consequences
thereby — formal and effective, especially in conclusions
thus / hence — academic in tone, strong for argumentative writing
due to the fact that — a longer, more formal alternative to "because"
Try not to repeat the same connector too many times. Using a variety of connectors throughout your essay signals grammatical range — one of the key criteria the PTE examiner looks for.
How to Apply This in Your Full Essay
The Sentence Formation Formula is not just for one or two sentences — it should be the foundation of your entire essay. Here is how to structure your essay using this approach:
Introduction — State your position clearly. Use the formula to introduce your argument in one or two well-structured sentences.
Body Paragraph 1 — Present your first main point. Use the formula to write your topic sentence, then apply it again for supporting sentences.
Body Paragraph 2 — Present your second main point. Same approach. Vary your connectors to show range.
Conclusion — Summarise your argument. Use formal connectors like thus or therefore to wrap up.
Aim for 200 to 300 words in total. Every sentence should follow the formula. By the time you have written your conclusion, you will have produced an essay that is logically structured, grammatically complex, and ready for a high score.
Before You Submit: A Quick Checklist
Run through this before you finish your essay:
Every sentence has a statement, a connector, and a reason
You have used at least three to four different connectors throughout
Your essay has a clear introduction, two body paragraphs, and a conclusion
Your word count is between 200 and 300 words
You have not repeated the same sentence structure two times in a row
Watch the Full Video
I explain this entire formula in detail in my latest YouTube video, with live examples and a walkthrough of the most common mistakes students make. If you are a visual learner, watching the video alongside reading this post will make everything click much faster.
Final Thoughts
The PTE essay is not about writing the most creative or sophisticated content. It is about demonstrating clear, logical, grammatically structured writing — consistently, across every sentence of your essay.
The Sentence Formation Formula gives you exactly that. Statement. Connector. Reason. Apply it to every sentence, vary your connectors, and structure your essay properly — and a score of 79 or above is well within your reach.
Start practicing today, and do not forget to watch the video for a full breakdown.
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