How to improve summary skills

Audi SG

I'd need some tips on how to pick out the points for summary accurately and how to shorten the paragraphs. My teacher always advises us not to change the words in the passage completely, and I dutifully followed that piece of advice. However despite shortening the words, I still find that I can exceed by as much as 20-30 words sometimes. Moreover, the thing is, the last few sentences contain the crucial points while in the middle of my summary, there are bound to be irrelevant points.

Also, how do you know what actually are points required by the questions? Sometimes the sentences are phrased in such a way that you're in a dilemma as to whether to include them in your summary or not...

And, any tips as to how to answer compre questions with great accuracy? (yeah, i know, i must read the passage carefully, blahblah. All that I've done and yet, there are questions which you can only "vaguely" answer. My teacher again said "Practise." I've done much of the TYS passages and yet don't feel really really confident about my compre skills. Confident, yes, but not very sure of it)

So yea, my weakness lies more on Paper 2 because I can do paper 1 pretty well. Hopefully, can garner some useful advice. Thank you!

ViewtyKU990 SG

well this is what my teacher and hope that this helps

read the questions before doing the whole paper, including the summary, this would help you find out relevant points while reading the passage, this would also help you spot points on the way. always underline what the question asks for, if you do that, you would not spend time considering what point to omit, as well as what points to include.

so before reading the passage, try reading the question first, hope this helps.

Cheers!

Daisuke-kun SG

So yea, my weakness lies more on Paper 2 because I can do paper 1 pretty well. Hopefully, can garner some useful advice. Thank you!

join the club!

kopiosatu SG

here's a summary of your problem :

i keep exceeding by 20-30 words every time and i don't know what are the key points that i am supposed to pick out within the passage.

please give me some tips!

just learn to weed out non essentials

yiha093 SG

here's a summary of your problem :

i keep exceeding by 20-30 words every time and i don't know what are the key points that i am supposed to pick out within the passage.

please give me some tips!

just learn to weed out non essentials

u need to define 'point' and 'explaination 'for summary

for me comprehension comes naturally, so i cant exactly teach, my bad.

ItchyArmpit SG

generalise (e.g. my undies, bra, singlet ----> undergarments)

leave out details (e.g. the scorching red ball of fire shining down... --> the hot sun)

dun repeat (e.g. the busy street is full of people ---> the busy street)

answer the question (e.g. the question ask u why man can be successful in their career.......... in general, men not only are diligent and intelligent, but they also have bad manner..... in ur summary, only take in the diligent and intelligent part, big appetite, dun say they got bad manner, leave it out)

read sentence by sentence, ask urself this sentence answer the question anot... slowly.. take ur time... rmb it is wise to have at least 50 mins for summary... summary is there to help u, not to pull u down.

qdtimes2 SG

generalise (e.g. my undies, bra, singlet ----> undergarments)

leave out details (e.g. the scorching red ball of fire shining down... --> the hot sun)

dun repeat (e.g. the busy street is full of people ---> the busy street)

good tips...congrats on reaching 999 posts.. but i always spend about 1 hr 5mins on comprehension alone...how...

syncopation_music SG

Summary writing requires alot of practice

first ,you must established what is the Point required for your summary

Next you must strip away the lengthy detail (eg. scorching heat of the sun changed to hot day)

then you need to link up with suitable conjunctions

As a student who dun have much time

I will suggest you write down all the necessary points and strip away the details

if upon first counting , you have exceeded 20 words ,go back to your points and check if any points is irrelevant

whilst on the other hand, when you short of more than 9 words to the word limit will imply you short of a point

separate a comment from a fact and answer to the question requirement

examiners is not out to fault you .but if you choose not to summarise properly(leaving so many details in the summary) , you wont have high marks

Summary writing in gist is a shorter form of report writing as compared to your paper 1

Recommended time for summary :45 mins

10 mins jotting points

10 mins summarising

10 mins checking grammar

remainining is polishing on conjunction and refinement b4 counting of word limits