TIPS TO SUMMARY WRITING

(1) Read and understand what does the question requires before you read the text.
(2) Mark the material [ from lines.......to .....]
(3) Read through the passage, underlying key words and facts.
(4) Look at the key words and phrases to see if you can change any words or phrases.
(5) Condensing / rephrasing / paraphrasing
(6) Combine the sentences using connectors such as 'as', 'because', 'yet', 'since' etc
(7) Use the 1st ten words given and write a draft on a piece of rough paper.
(8) If you exceed 130 words (the limit), see if you can cut any details or rephrase any sentence.
(9) Leave out examples and irrelevant details.
(10) Rewrite neatly if you have the time, checking to see if you have included all the important
points

COMMON ERRORS IN SUMMARY WRITING

1 Inaccurate information

Some students make the mistake of copying every single word and only stop when they have
reached the limit. One consolation is, if they have chosen the correct paragraph, they might gel
some marks for content. The obvious disadvantage is that they cannot possibly cover all the 10
points. However, for very weak students, this is sometimes recommended.

2 Irrelevant information
Students may make the mistake of providing too many irrelevant details. This shows that they
cannot distinguish between the main points and supporting details. That is why summarising is
said to be the highest skill in language acquisition.

3 Missing information
Some students tend to string half a sentence with another half, leaving out many important
points.

4 The answer lacks cohesion or is poorly organised

Most answers look like a string of sentences strung together into a paragraph. Students need to
use connectors to make it a cohesive piece. Points should also be properly organised.

HOW ARE SUMMARIES MARKED?

Examiners look for students' ability to organise and paraphrase a certain aspect of the text in a
limited time frame The summary should be free of total copying from the text and there
should be no errors in spelling or grammar
 A total of 15 marks is awarded for summary. 10 marks for content, 5 marks for language.

GUIDELINES...

Summary writing is easy. Just keep in mind the acronym BROOMSTICK when you do your
summary.

Bracket - After reading the text carefully, get a clear idea of the question and bracket all the parts
that are relevant to the question.
Rephrase - Look at the bracketed section and rephrase wherever possible.
Omit all irrelevant details like examples, elaborations, long descriptions and explanations,
repetitions,
quotations and figurative language.Text that is not related to the question should be ignored.
Own words - When writing your summary, remember to use your own words as far as possible.
Do
not copy word for word.
Meaning must be retained - Remember that you must not change the original meaning of the
text.
Maintain the original meaning.
Speech - If there is speech in your text, convert it into indirect speech.You cannot use direct
speech
in your summary.
Tenses - Maintain the same tense as in the original text. If the text is in the past tense, your
summary
should also be in the past tense. If it is in the present tense, your summary should also be in the
present tense.
Information must be only limited to what is in the passage. Do not bring outside information or
your
own opinion Into your summary.
Copy out the draft you have made correctly in a paragraph.
Keep to the number of words specified in the question. Do not go over the word limit. After the
130th word, all information will be ignored and marks will not be awarded.