An essay structure that scores

Form first

The PTE essay awards a Form mark that is binary: between 200 and 300 words you get it, outside that range you get zero and the whole response is capped. Before you think about argument quality, guarantee the count.

The template

Introduction (45–55 words) — Paraphrase the prompt in one sentence. State your position in one sentence. Preview two supporting reasons in one sentence.

Body paragraph one (70–85 words) — Topic sentence naming the first reason. Two sentences of explanation. One concrete example. One sentence linking back to your position.

Body paragraph two (70–85 words) — Same shape, second reason.

Conclusion (35–45 words) — Restate the position in different words. Name both reasons. One forward-looking sentence.

That is 220–270 words without padding.

What actually loses marks

Not weak arguments — vague ones. "Technology has many advantages" scores nothing. "Automated dispatch reduced delivery times in our city by roughly a third" scores across Content, Vocabulary and Development at once.