SUMMARY WRITING

rs/gcenglish/smsj/2005

How much do you know about Summary Writing?

How much time do you have for this section? How long must you write?
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How much do you know about Summary Writing?

How many paragraphs must you write? Can you write in note form? How are the marks awarded?
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1. Read the instructions / questions carefully . 2. Read the passage first to get the general idea. 3. Bracket the relevant part of the passage. 4. Read the question again to make sure you know what you have to summarise. 5. Read over a second or third time if necessary to get a better understanding of the passage.
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THE TIPS

6. Underline in pencil the important points. 7. Jot down in order the main points in the passage. 8. Write a rough copy of the summary as far as possible in your own words, if you can, without changing the meaning of the original passage. If you cant, just replace words with their synonyms or long expressions with one word or two.
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9. Omit all examples. 10. There should be continuity of ideas written in simple English. It should not be a patch work of sentences and phrases taken here and there from the original passage. 11. Do not exceed the number of words allowed.
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12. Use the same tense as that in the passage. The summary should be written in the third person and in the past tense for narrative. (Third persons are: he, she, it and they). For expository writing, use the present tense. 13. Indirect speech is used for the dialogues. 14. Write the exact number of words at the foot of the summary. Do not cheat.
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15. Do not waste time during the examination. You only have a limited time. To save time draw column lengthwise and write one word in each column in your rough copy. 16. Finally, read the neatly written summary and check if : a) there are mistakes in spelling or grammar. b) the summary is accurate.

rs/gcenglish/smsj/2005

Strategies for Summary Writing

TASK 1: GIVE A GENERAL TERM
1. Durians, bananas, pineapples, mangoes 2. Tables, chairs, beds, cupboard 3. Fork, spoon, knife 4. Orchid, lily, daisy, rose 5. People of no fixed home 6. not fit to be eaten
rs/gcenglish/smsj/2005

fruits. ... ...

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TASK 2: ONE WORD FOR TWO

1. go into 2. take out 3. go with 4. talk about 5. talk softly 6. asked for 7. picked out 8. put emphasis on 9. go beyond rs/gcenglish/smsj/2005 10. write down ___enter____ ___________ ___________ ___________ ___________ ___________ ___________ ___________ ___________ 10 ___________

TASK 3: ONE WORD FOR A PHRASE

1. in a short while soon/shortly 2. all of a sudden ______________ 3. little by little ______________ 4. as time passed ______________ 5. last of all ______________ 6. for the time being - ______________ 7. time and again ______________ 8. once in a while ______________ 9. all the time ______________ rs/gcenglish/smsj/2005 10. Now and then ______________

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TASK 4: REPLACE THE UNDERLINED WORD WITH A WORD FROM THE BOX
witnesses swift-footed threefold instantaneous peak hour function launched investigate thronged needed

1. This medicine has an immediate effect on the user. 2. It is very difficult to hunt fast animals. 3. The main use of this gadget is to provide purified water.
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4. The population of Kuala Selangor has increased three times. 5. Traffic is very slow because this is the busiest time. 6. A large crowd saw the arrival of the latest technology solar car. 7. Hundreds of people congregated at the small temple. 8. The school carried out a cleanliness campaign last week.
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ANSWERS FOR TASK 4

1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. swift-footed function threefold peak hour witnessed thronged launched instantaneous
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2 important criteria

ability to rephrase ability to reorganise

ability to rephrase to say the same thing using different words to make the meaning clear

ability to reorganise using the words from text and rearranges them

MARK SCHEME
Style: paraphrase

Use of English: grammar

Content

: 5 marks

Language : 5 marks

Total

: 10 marks

FAQS about summary-writing

1. If you exceed, any points that come after the 60th word will be ignored.

rs/gc english/smsj/2005

FAQS about summary-writing

2.You will be penalizing yourself! You need the 60 words to write your summary.

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FAQS about summary-writing

3. Yes! 4. No. The examiner will count dont as two words. You should stick to formal language for summary-avoid contractions e.g. cant, wouldnt, mustnt, dont

FAQS about summary-writing

5. No. However the words are designed to lead you to the first available point. Also, the examiner will count the first word as no. 11, so you have not gained extra 10 words!!

FAQS about summary-writing

6. You should write in one paragraph

FAQS about summary-writing

7. You will be given marks for content but you automatically do not gain marks for style/language. Answers in note form are not a good idea!

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