IGCSE Summary Writing Cambridge FLE 0500 Ms. Asmaa Barakat Abu Auf Humanities Lecturer 01 General Skills for Writing Summary 01 General Skills for Writing Summary 01 General Skills for Writing Summary A summary is a shortened version containing the key points in as few words as necessary. It tests the candidate’s ability to form content points in a clear and concise approach to continuous writing. Writing a summary emphasises four basic skills: identifying key points of the passage, articulating in your own words, and sequencing points cohesively all within the given word count. Content. Answer the question directly and focus on relevant points only! Use as much of the material as possible, however, be wary of some parts that are not covered in the question. Be reminded that points must be taken from the passage, and do not repeat similar points even if it was made twice. Everything must be directly connected to the passage and supported using references. As such, adding facts or opinions are not suggested. This exercise is meant to sum up the passage and not to add original ideas. Content marks will only be obtained when the required content is provided. Language. Write in your own words as much as possible. Although the message needs to be the same, wordings need to be different. It is important that the replaced words convey the essence of the point. No need to find synonyms for technical objects, e.g. solar heaters, and only change words when appropriate. Lifting a few words is acceptable as long as it is evident that you understand and focus on the key details of the passage. Do avoid over-lengthy lifting and quoting straight from the passage. Find precise words to use and vary your choices. Writing style. Express the key points clearly, succinctly and fluently using a formal tone of writing. There is no need for an introduction and conclusion. Start by rewording the question and make the ending string. Moreover, do not include examples, repetition, direct speech, figurative language, and minor details. Organise and sequence points cohesively by connecting your ideas into a paragraph. Aim to write in complex sentences rather than simple or compound structures and make sure that the spelling, punctuation, and grammar are correct. Writing style. Express the key points clearly, succinctly and fluently using a formal tone of writing. There is no need for an introduction and conclusion. Start by rewording the question and make the ending string. Moreover, do not include examples, repetition, direct speech, figurative language, and minor details. Organise and sequence points cohesively by connecting your ideas into a paragraph. Aim to write in complex sentences rather than simple or compound structures and make sure that the spelling, punctuation, and grammar are correct. Writing style. Express the key points clearly, succinctly and fluently using a formal tone of writing. There is no need for an introduction and conclusion. Start by rewording the question and make the ending string. Moreover, do not include examples, repetition, direct speech, figurative language, and minor details. Organise and sequence points cohesively by connecting your ideas into a paragraph. Aim to write in complex sentences rather than simple or compound structures and make sure that the spelling, punctuation, and grammar are correct. Writing style. Express the key points clearly, succinctly and fluently using a formal tone of writing. There is no need for an introduction and conclusion. Start by rewording the question and make the ending string. Moreover, do not include examples, repetition, direct speech, figurative language, and minor details. Organise and sequence points cohesively by connecting your ideas into a paragraph. Aim to write in complex sentences rather than simple or compound structures and make sure that the spelling, punctuation, and grammar are correct. Word Limit. Always write within the word count as this exercise assesses the ability to write concisely. There are no penalty marks for writing more or less, however, it may be self-penalising to write more than suggested. Exceeding the word limit may indicate that the summary is not structured effectively or ideas are not expressed clearly. If there are needed points inside the excess words, it would not be marked and would be crossed out. On the other hand, writing way too little than the limit may mean that the response does not have sufficient coverage of the passage’s content. For example: if the question requires words within 200 to 250, but you only provide 180 words, there is a chance that you miss a few essential points. Before the exam, check how many words you write on a line, so you will know the approximate number of lines that you require. Lastly, do not write beyond the lines given, to avoid your answers not being able to fit into the scanned screen. Practice Writing Summaries CIE recommends this five-step process to practise writing summary: 1. Read and underline the relevant material in pencil (so that you can change your mind easily if needed) 2. Transfer the points into a plan, whilst changing them into your own words 3. Group the points logically (using arrows/brackets); put them in order (using numbers), and decide which ones can be combined into one sentence 4. Write the summary in one or two paragraphs using complex sentences 5. Check the summary for accurate expression; adapt the length and improve if necessary by adding material overlooked or by removing repetition. Aspects of English First Language Summary 1. Keep within the word limit. 2. Do not drift away from the passage. 3. Show evidence of a clear and concise summary style throughout. 4. Make sure to structure your answer, sequence your ideas, and use a wide range of original and appropriate language. Aspects of English First Language Summary Try to learn the meaning of common prefixes so that you can guess the definitions of confusing words. Combine simple sentences into complex sentences, using a range of connectives and participles. Above all avoid using ‘and’, ‘but’ and ‘so’. Practise turning passages into news reports; they have a particular style and structure which are different from any other kind of writing. Lifting of words for more than two points is not credited. Copying big chunks of texts is not going to show your understanding, just your handwriting! Double-check for any grammatical errors and incorrect spellings that affect the accuracy of an idea. Reading and summarizing: Summary writing is one of the main tasks that you will be required to do in an examination. This is an exercise that tests both your reading and writing skills, and you will be assessed on how well your answers meet the following Assessment Objectives. Although the task involves writing, it is your reading skills that will really determine your success in a summary question. It is also important that you keep a clear head when attempting the task. What does summary writing involve? Summaries come in different forms. You may have to: » read one lengthy passage and summarise only the points contained in one or two paragraphs of it » read one lengthy passage and summarise points related to a particular aspect or aspects of it which occur throughout the passage » read two lengthy passages and summarise all the points relating to a particular aspect or aspects of them. What does summary writing involve? No matter what form the question takes, the basic principles of summary writing remain the same. What is important is that you show evidence that you: » have understood what you have read » can select relevant information » can show your understanding of what you have read through using your own words where possible and in a shorter form than in the original. Some practical guidelines Whatever level of examination you take, your summary writing can be improved if you keep the following points clearly in your mind. » Summary writing needs good planning and cannot be rushed. » Most examination questions will give a clear indication of the number of words that you should aim to write, for example, ‘You should write between 200–250 words.’ Sometimes this might be expressed as something like ‘about one side of the answer booklet’. » As you can see, the writing itself will not take very long; the most important part of the process is deciding what to include and what should not be included – that’s why your active reading skills are essential. Some practical guidelines » It is important to organise your time efficiently when answering a summary task and, as part of your preparation for an examination, you should look closely at past papers and decide how long you have available to answer the question. Remember that this time allowance includes reading the original passage(s), making notes of the relevant points and planning your answer. It is important that you spend most of the time available on these aspects of answering the question: if you have a clear understanding of what you are going to write for your final version, the actual writing of it will not take very long at all. Once you have this basic approach clearly in mind, you can begin the task with confidence. Don’t panic: remember, all the information you need to include will be in the original passage(s), so all you have to do is identify the really important points. Some practical guidelines Writing a summary: The following guidelines apply particularly to writing the type of summary based on aspects of a single, lengthy passage. Step 1: Read the question carefully This is very important, as it is unlikely that you will be required to summarise the whole of the original passage(s). The wording of the question will direct you towards the points you should include. For example, the whole passage may be about everyday life in Japan, but you may be asked to summarise only what it tells you about going to school in that country. You must, therefore, keep the wording of the question clearly in mind when reading the passage(s). Writing Step a 2: Read passage(s) summary: right once throughthe This will allow you to gain a good, overall understanding of what the material is about. Remember that it is important that your summary shows that you have a clear overview of your subject matter. Step 3: that identify the information is relevant Refresh your memory of what the question asks you to do and then read through the passage(s) again very carefully. At this stage you should underline or highlight on the question paper all the information that is relevant to the question. You must be ruthless. Ignore anything that is not relevant, no matter how interesting you may find it. Writing Step a 4: Make words summary: notes in your own Now is the time to put pen to paper. You should make rough notes of the points you have identified, using your own words as far as possible. Remember, the use of your own words is important as this is a way of showing that you have understood the passage(s). Try to: » paraphrase (rephrase) parts of the text to which you refer » use synonyms instead of the exact words from the text. This will make it very clear that you understand what you have read. Writing Step 5: a summary: Count the main points Once you have noted all the main points, count how many you have identified. If you have identified 20 points and you are aiming to write a summary of about 200 words, then, as a rough guide, try to write about ten words for each point.. Writing Step 6: a summary: Write the summary Once you have written rough notes in your own words, you should write them up as a piece of continuous prose, trying to keep your expression as concise as possible. If your notes are sufficiently detailed, this may only be a Fine-tuning job. Writing Step 7: a summary: Final check Once you have written your summary, read it through to check that it makes sense. You may not have to count the number of words you wrote. If, for example, you know that you usually write about eight words per line, then a quick count up of the number of lines you have filled will give some indication of how many words you have written in total. Writing Step 7: a summary: Final check It is likely that the question will give a minimum and maximum number of words that you should aim to write. If you plan your summary carefully through the notes you make, you will almost certainly write an answer that is within the required word limit. Do not let yourself become obsessed with writing an exact number of words as by doing so, it is very likely that your written expression will be affected. Writing a Style matters summary: In many summary questions, in addition to marks being awarded for a selection of the correct points, such as those listed below, further marks may be available for written expression. It is, therefore, important that you take care with the quality of your writing as well as the content, as these marks could have a significant influence on your overall grade. Guidance as to what is good summary style is contained in the bullet points below. Note that the copying of chunks of material directly from the passage will not score highly – this is because copying the text does not prove that you have understood it. It is important that what you write shows that you have understood the text and can interpret what you have read. The following points should be followed very carefully; they contain some important advice. Writing a Style matters summary: » Concision of expression is something which typifies the very best summaries. This can be achieved by making sure that you focus clearly on only the points stated in the wording of the question. » One way of doing this is to make sure that you don’t include any irrelevant comments; a generalised introductory paragraph is not necessary and simply uses up unnecessary words. » Lifting (or quoting) whole phrases or sentences from the original does not give a clear indication that you have understood the text. » A summary should be written using an objective, impersonal register; there is no need to comment or to write in the first person – even if that is the way in which the original has been written. 02 Examples Example of a summary question Here is an example of a typical summary question, along with the text, to use for practice. In the following passage the writer describes his experience of a hot-air balloon flight over southern Turkey. 03 03 Activities You can enter a subtitle here if you need it 03 Activities You can enter a subtitle here if you need it 03 Activities You can enter a subtitle here if you need it Writing a summary: You will notice that in the list of points in the model response (which is similar to those that would appear in an examination mark scheme), some of the words have been underlined. This indicates that the words are essential for the point to be credited. Other words are placed within, indicating that these details are not necessarily required. You will notice that the points that have been highlighted do not fall neatly into two groups. It is, therefore, important that you reorganise them so that you have two sets of points relating to the two prongs of the question. You can then attempt to turn them into two paragraphs (one for what the writer saw and the other for his thoughts and feelings) which develop them into clear sentences. Manipulating and rearranging the details in your notes in this way is a way of using your own words and showing that you have clearly understood the passage that you are summarising. 03 Activities You can enter a subtitle here if you need it Practice writing a summary Having looked at the example and the model summary, you should now be able to write your own version. The following exercise is to those that might appear in Cambridge IGCSE First Language English examination papers; use all or a selection of them as appropriate to practise your skills. 03 Activities You can enter a subtitle here if you need it Sample Answer Hawaii is an extraordinary land with stunning landscapes and powerful volcanoes. Each Hawaiian island has been formed by submarine volcanoes, thrusting them 6,100 meters above the ocean floor. As the islands drift away from the hotspot, their volcanoes become dormant and sink back into the sea. Hawaii Island is the newest and still growing, boasting two active volcanoes over 4,000 meters tall. The volcanic activity in the region is ever-changing, with new land being created and destroyed. In 1988, an eruption formed a pristine two-mile-long beach of jet-black sand overnight. The power of the volcanoes is both destructive and creative, engulfing whole towns and reshaping the landscape. The southern coast, abandoned by the Hawaiians 150 years ago due to devastating tidal waves, lacks any towns today. Exploring the volcanic areas comes with risks, as new lava is unstable and may collapse, and hydrochloric acid clouds should be avoided. Despite the dangers, witnessing the volcanic eruptions and experiencing the rough and rugged terrain leaves a lasting impression.
