Summary Writing
Overview
Summary writing asks you to do two things at once: read a text well, and write about it concisely. You are given a focus, such as 'the reasons the festival was cancelled', and asked to pull out only the points that answer it, then re-tell them in your own words inside a tight word limit. It is one of the most trainable tasks on the whole paper, because the method is fixed: find the relevant points, reword them, join them, stop at the limit.
This lesson teaches that method step by step and models it on short texts of our own. You will see exactly how a weak summary that copies and over-writes loses marks, and how a strong one that selects, rewords and organises gains them. Master this and you bank a block of reliable marks every session.
Objectives
- Select the relevant content points a summary task asks for.
- Connect the points into one continuous paragraph using your own words.
- Keep within the word limit and leave out examples, repetition and opinion.
Audio Lesson
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Flashcards
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Lesson Note
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Lesson Evaluation
Congratulations on completing the lesson on Summary Writing. Now that youve explored the key concepts and ideas, its time to put your knowledge to the test. This section offers a variety of practice questions designed to reinforce your understanding and help you gauge your grasp of the material.
You will encounter a mix of question types, including multiple-choice questions, short answer questions, and essay questions. Each question is thoughtfully crafted to assess different aspects of your knowledge and critical thinking skills.
Use this evaluation section as an opportunity to reinforce your understanding of the topic and to identify any areas where you may need additional study. Don't be discouraged by any challenges you encounter; instead, view them as opportunities for growth and improvement.
- A summary focus asks 'why did the cafe close?'. The text says the owner had loved baking since she was a child and closed when the rent doubled. Which is the relevant content point? A. The owner had loved baking since childhood B. The rent had doubled C. The owner was a child once D. Both ideas are equally relevant Answer: B
- A text says: 'the pay was poor; the wages barely covered her bills; she could save nothing'. In a summary these should be treated as: A. Three separate content points B. One point about low pay C. Background to be ignored D. A reason to write more than the limit Answer: B
- Which is the most concise version of a content point for a summary? A. Every single morning, without ever missing a day, she would get up extremely early and travel a very long way to reach her workplace B. Her daily journey to work was long and tiring C. She rose at five, walked two miles in the dark, waited for a late bus, then travelled an hour to work D. She had to get to work somehow like everyone else Answer: B
- Why is going over the stated word limit costly in Exercise 4? A. The examiner deducts a fixed penalty for length B. Correct content points written after the limit cannot be credited C. Long summaries are always badly written D. The limit is only a suggestion, so nothing happens Answer: B
- What is the best first step in a summary task? A. Copy the first sentence of the text to begin B. Read the focus, underline its key words, then select only points that answer it C. Write a short introduction about the topic D. Count to the word limit before reading Answer: B
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