PTE Academic Practice Questions — All Questions

Which sentence is written in correct academic English?

• a.The experiment was consisted of three stages.
• b.The experiment consisted of three stages.✓
• c.The experiment was consist of three stages.
• d.The experiment consisting of three stages.

'Consist of' is not used in the passive; it is active: 'consisted of three stages'. Adding 'was' before it is a common error.

Which sentence corrects the error in 'This research is different than previous studies'?

• a.This research is different to than previous studies.
• b.This research is more different than previous studies.
• c.This research is different from previous studies.✓
• d.This research is differ from previous studies.

In formal written English, 'different' is followed by 'from': 'different from previous studies'. 'Different than' is considered nonstandard in academic writing.

Which sentence uses the academic phrase correctly?

• a.The data suggest that the effect is significant.✓
• b.The data suggests to that the effect is significant.
• c.The data is suggesting that the effect is significant.
• d.The data suggest about that the effect is significant.

'Data' is treated as plural in formal writing ('data suggest'), and 'suggest' is followed directly by a 'that' clause. No preposition comes between them.

Which sentence is free of usage errors?

• a.There is a number of factors that affects the outcome.
• b.There is a number of factors that affect the outcome.
• c.There are a number of factors that affects the outcome.
• d.There are a number of factors that affect the outcome.✓

'A number of factors' is plural, so it takes 'are', and the relative clause verb also agrees with the plural 'factors': 'that affect the outcome.'