SUMMARY…

What’s a Summary?

Huh…what’s a GIST??? Is it something like

a MIST…like a foggy idea or something???

OH!!! According to the Merriam Webster Dictionary, a GIST is the

main point or part of the text…which means that it’s not

supposed to be foggy at all…>.<

So…A summary is supposed to be INFORMATIVE and

DESCRIPTIVE.

It has to emphasize all of the main points of the textbut must also be significantly SHORTER than the

ORIGINAL.

It is the“GIST”

of a chosen passage!

What’s a Summary for?

Summaries are to…

•Convey a general idea

•Give only necessary information

•Shorten material

•Reference material

•Set up quoted material

•Provide support

•Add credibility

•Establish background

•Offer an overview of a topic

•Describe common knowledge

What are the steps to

writing a Summary?

Understand the question

Pick out key points

Rephrase

Paraphrase

Edit

- Highlight keywords - What is the question asking for?

- Highlight points that answer directly to the question

- Summary = Literal Question + Own Word Question

- Connect key points (use conjunctions)

- Change the sentence structure without changing the meaning

- Original text (use synonyms to paraphrase)

- Change the words without changing the meaning

- Check for errors (grammar, spelling syntax, punctuation)

What is required in a Summary?

• Content (8m): -

• Main points (8)

• Word limit (80)

• Language (7m): -

• Use of Own Words (rephrasing, paraphrasing)

• Use of English (spelling, punctuation, sentence structure)

• Hyphenated words = 1 word

• Contractions = 2 words

Differentiating the Definitions…

• Paraphrasing is restating the idea in your own words.  It can be about the same length or even longer than the original passage.    

• Rephrasing is reorganizing the sentence to state the same idea in a different way.

• Summarizing is restating only the main points of the passage in your own words. It is very brief.    

• Quoting is using the exact words of the author of the passage.

Taken from http://www.beaconlearningcenter.com/WebLessons/ParaphraseCraze/default.htm#page3

Examples…

• Using synonyms…• They put forth a convincing (persuasive)

argument.

• Replacing phrases…• Having eaten his fill (Satiated), Sam

declined a third serving of rice.

• Using both paraphrasing & rephrasing…• They contended persuasively.• Sam refused a third serving as he was

stuffed.

Read the text below and summarise the reasons for the writer’s

enjoyment of the countryside.There is no joy greater than the clean fresh smell of the morning.

Walking out into the fields each morning is like a rebirth of my senses – I feel more alive than I ever am in the stuffy confines of the

rectangular office. Maybe it is the tremendous sense of space that greets me each time I stand before the rolling plains of green, green

and more green. The birds singing in the trees, the cows mooing contentedly in the distance, the ducks quacking away in their watery

space fill my mind. The frantic typing of the typewriter, the harsh clicks of heels on hard floor, the impatient shouts of harried colleagues, the

stress of deadlines – all these melt away as I stand before my paradise.1) Paste into your

notebook.

2) Employ steps 1 – 4 in answering the question

3) For steps 2 – 4, use the table on the right to help you.

Key Points(Copy out the key

phrases)

Rephrase(Link up relevant key

points together)

Paraphrase(Rewrite the rephrased

statements with synonyms)