Summary Writing

Summary Writing

To start your summary, use BRIEF technique:

• B - Box

• R - Read

• I - Identify

• E - Extract

• F - Finalize

General guidelines

• In summary writing, you are required to summarise material from a selected part in the text, for eg: lines 11 to 34.

• Marks are given based on 2 categories: Content (10 marks), Style and Language (5 marks).

General Guidelines (cont.)

• Mark the selected text

• Focus on the facts or ideas

• Come up with at least 10 content points.

• Write the points in continuous form in 1 paragraph.

• Begin your summary by using the 10 opening words given.

• Write the summary using your own words.

• Keep to the word limit (130 words including 10 opening words given).

How do you start?

• Mark the part that you are to summarise

• Identify and underline the main ideas.

• Watch out for ideas which are repeated. DO NOT REPEAT them too.

• Always keep on referring to the question.

• Link your points with suitable sentence connectors.

• Do not change the tense used in the passage.

• Do not change the meaning of the content.

Let's do some exercises first...

Sentence Connectors

Multiple Choice

There is no more food left. ___ there is plenty of drinks.

• Therefore

• However

• Moreover

• Beside

Multiple Choice

The retailer has been making losses. ___ he intends to wind up his business.

• However

• Despite

• Therefore

• In addition

Multiple Choice

I’ve never been to the US ___ having friends and relatives there.

• in spite of

• although

• however

• therefore

Multiple Choice

My sister works three jobs in a day; ___ she doesn’t earn much money.

• even as

• moreover

• however

• beside

Multiple Choice

We went out ___the cold weather.

• despite

• although

• besides

• then

Trimming Down Excess Material

How to write a summary

Leave out unnecessary details and relative clauses

• The boy studied from morning till evening without much rest in between, obtained the best results in the school.

• MAIN IDEA: obtaining the best results

• UNNECESSARY DETAIL: studied from morning till evening without much rest in between

• SUMMARY: The boy obtained the best results in the school.

Do not include examples and lists that are unimportant.

• Nisha wrote in her shopping list that she needed to buy stationery such as pencils, pens, a ruler, an eraser, a sharpener and a test pad for her examination.

• MAIN IDEA: Nisha needed some stationery.

• UNNECESSARY DETAIL: pencils, pens, a ruler, an eraser, a sharpener and a test pad (examples often follow words like "such as", "like" and "for example".

• SUMMARY: Nisha bought some stationery for her examination.

Do not include elaboration.

• Henry came home late. It was after midnight that is after 12.30a.m. He had been out with his friends.

• MAIN IDEA: the time that Henry came home

• UNNECESSARY DETAIL: the exact time when Henry came home and what he was doing.

• SUMMARY: Henry came home late.

Leave out repetition and redundant sentences.

• He is a very fat man. He certainly is not thin. It is difficult for him even to pass through the door.

• MAIN IDEA: that the man is fat.

• UNNECESSARY DETAIL: the he is not thin and that it is difficult for him to pass through the door.

• SUMMARY: He is a very fat man.

Do not include details, unnecessary adjectives and lengthy descriptions.

• She wore a pretty dress. It was made of pink lace with a huge bow at the back. There were sequins which glittered under the light, all over the dress.

• MAIN IDEA: what the girl wore

• UNNECESSARY DETAIL: the type of dress and colour

• SUMMARY: She wore a pretty dress.

Multiple Choice

Which one is the main idea of this paragraph?

Aisha, my best friend who sits next to me in class and is not only rpetty but also helpful, kind and generous, always helps me when I have problems.

• my best friend

• description fo the friend: pretty, helpful, kind and generous

• friend who sits next to me in class

• the friend who always helps

Multiple Choice

Which one is the best summary of this paragraph?

My good friend, Priscilla was born in a small town called Raub in Pahang which is about 120 kilometres from Kepong. It is not a very big town and is still not well developed.

• My good friend, Priscilla was born in a small town called Raub in Pahang.

• My friend, Priscilla was born in Raub which is not a very big town and is still not well developed.

• My good friend, Priscilla was born in Raub.

Example of Summary Writing

“The Northern Lights”

There are times when the night sky glows with bands of color. The bands may begin as cloud shapes and then spread into a great arc across the entire sky. They may fall in folds like a curtain drawn across the heavens. The lights usually grow brighter, then suddenly dim. During this time the sky glows with pale yellow, pink, green, violet, blue, and red. These lights are called the Aurora Borealis. Some people call them the Northern Lights. Scientists have been watching them for hundreds of years. They are not quite sure what causes them. In ancient times people were afraid of the Lights. They imagined that they saw fiery dragons in the sky. Some even concluded that the heavens were on fire.

SAMPLE ANSWER (SUMMARY)

The Aurora Borealis, or Northern Lights, are bands of color in the night sky. Ancient people thought that these lights were dragon on fire, and even modern scientists are not sure what they are.

Let's do some exercises

Paraphrasing

Multiple Choice

People didn't want to give him anything more.

• nobody

• refused

• called out

• returned

Multiple Choice

No man ever saw Wayland at work.

• Anyone

• Nobody

• Everyone

• Returned to

Multiple Choice

Men came back for their horses.

• truly

• called out

• returned

• arrived

Multiple Choice

The farmer said loudly: "Smith, here is work for you!"

• shouted

• called off

• called out

• screamed of

Multiple Choice

The young man sincerely wished Wayland well.

• truly

• aggressively

• hopefully

• carefully

Multiple Choice

You need a lot of skills to be in charge of a large department.

• run

• set

• prioritize

• win

Multiple Choice

I think it is very hard to deal successfully with failure.

• delegate

• cope with

• set off

• trust

Multiple Choice

Puck decided to punish the farmer.

• that time

• truly

• kick off

• teach a lesson

REMEMBER:

• include the 10 opening words given in the box you have drawn.

• draw boxes and write one word for each box.

• do not repeat the points.

• use the same tense.

• If the passage uses 'I' for the subject, then, in your summary, do not use 'I'. You may change to 'The writer' or 'he' or 'she'.

That's all for today.

Thanks for reading my lesson. Thanks for answering the quizzes.

Have a nice day!