9 Tips for English Summary Writing (O Levels)
O-Level Comprehension: Summary Writing
The summary question is usually the last question in Paper 2 Section C (non-narrative comprehension) and it carries 15 marks. For this question, you are required to condense the main points of certain paragraphs into 80 words or fewer.
To score well for the summary question, you need to pay attention to the two main components that make up the marking rubrics: Content and Language. Content is worth 8 marks; Language is worth 7 marks.
So how do we go about maximising our scores for the summary question?
But before you go on reading… You might want to download a pdf copy of this article as it is quite long!
Click the blue download button, enter your email, and the pdf file will be delivered to your inbox! (Remember to check spam!)
1. Allocate Sufficient Time for Summary
Students with poor time management tend to leave very little time for summary and end up having to rush through the segment.
As a result, they either write a half-baked summary, or worse, not attempting it at all. This is such a pity because it is not difficult to score well for the summary question. A well-planned and well-written summary can mean the difference between an average Paper 2 score and an excellent one.
So allocate 25 – 30 mins for it. Give it the time it deserves!
2. Use Synonyms of Question Keywords to Help You Search for Content Points
It’s crucial that you identify the focus of the summary question. To write any good response, you first need to know the question requirements.
After you identify the keywords in the question. try penning down synonyms for these keywords.
This is helpful because the passage very often uses synonyms of the keywords as signposts or signal words. This makes your task of searching for content points much easier!
Do not make the fatal mistake of diving into your search for points without fully understanding the question. You might include the irrelevant points or miss out on a potential content point.
Let’s apply this tip and see how we can break down the 2017 O-Level summary question:
3. Identify the Number of Parts That Constitute the Question
A summary typically consists of one or two parts. Here’s a table to show you the trend of past year summary questions:
| Year | Question | No. of parts |
| 2021 | The ways in which robotic technology can be helpful to humans |
1 |
| 2020 | The appearance and behaviour of penguins on land, and in the water |
2 |
| 2019 | The actions the organising committee have to take before and during the race to make it a Gold Label marathon |
2 |
| 2018 | The difficulties linked with Brazil nut trees for both commercial growers and private individuals |
2 |
| 2017 | The challenges that road builders have faced, and the improvements they have made to overcome each of them, during the twentieth and twenty-first centuries. |
2 |
| 2016 | The ways in which elephants were used by human beings in the past, and are still used today. |
2 |
Notice that the parts are joined by the conjunction “and”. This means that to identify the parts, you can simply look out for the word “and”!
Bonus tip: Most of the time, students are required to look for 4-5 content points per part. So tally up the number of points you have for each part and check if you’ve got 4-5 content points per part.
Now, let’s look at how to search for content points.
4. Search for Relevant Content Points
Don’t let exam stress take over. Firstly, select points only within the designated paragraphs! You will not be given credit for points from other paragraphs.
Do not rush your search.
For every sentence you come across, ask yourself if it addresses the summary requirements. If it does, label the content point; if it doesn’t, move on to the next sentence.
What if you’re not sure if it is a content point? When in doubt, make a little note. Perhaps you could add a question mark after labelling the content point.
Pay close attention to connectors, conjunctions, and transitional devices. They are signposts that help you determine whether the content point is relevant! Here are some common connectors that are found in text passages:
- Connectors of addition: Additionally, also, and
- Connectors of cause and effect: Thus, Therefore, so, because
- Connectors of contrast: but, yet, however, nevertheless
Make sure you have at least 8 content points.
Bonus tip: Since content is worth 8 marks, it is recommended that you give an extra content point (9 points in total) just in case one of the content points is incomplete or inaccurately conveyed.
5. Leave Out Unnecessary Information
Many students have problem differentiating “important information” from “unimportant information”. “Everything looks important to me!” Does this sound familiar? If you try to include every detail in the text, you’re not doing it right. If everything is important, nothing is important. So, focus on the main points and leave the rest out.
Do not include the following in your summary (unless otherwise specified):
- Examples
Examples are there to illustrate the author’s main point. They often come in the form of quotes, statistics, date, facts and figures, etc. Common connectors that are used as signposting include “for example”, “for instance”, “such as” or “like”. Include the main point; leave out the example.
- Irrelevant details
Every detail must address the summary question. If it doesn’t, it is irrelevant. Be sure to ask and answer the question “Is this relevant to the summary requirements?” each time you label a content point!
- Redundancy or repetition of ideas
The same point can be conveyed using different phrasing. Authors sometimes do this for emphasis. It’ll be your duty to recognise that the same idea is being repeated and to exclude that as a content point.
This brings us to the next problem — students not including necessary supporting details.
6. Do Not Leave Out Necessary and Important Details
Another common mistake is that students take only the main point and leave out supporting details of the point. This is a mistake when the details are important and necessary!
A main point without important details is considered an incomplete content point. This means you do not get awarded that content point.
Important reminder: Some students think that all adjectives and adverbs can be excluded. This is a misconception! It depends on the focus of the summary question; adjectives and adverbs are sometimes very relevant to the question. If so, remember to include them as part of your content point.
Here’s an example of how to apply Tips 5 and 6. Let’s practise using the summary question and text from the 2021 O-Levels:
| 4 |
Summarise the ways in which robotic technology can be helpful to humans. Use only information from Paragraphs 4 and 5. There is no doubt that human beings have essential qualities that go beyond productivity – empathy, compassion, dedication, and the ability to make fine judgements, to name a few. These cannot be provided by a robot worker, meaning human beings are still essential in most fields of work. There is also a growing belief that we should seek to use artificially intelligent machines alongside human workers, allowing robots to, for example, retrieve dangerous materials that may harm a human. They could also do time-consuming, laborious jobs which demand a meticulous approach free from human error, such as inspecting every pipeline |
25
30
35
|
Can you distinguish between the relevant and irrelevant details? Try this out on your own and compare your answers with ours on the next page.
| # | From the Passage | Is this relevant? | Reason |
| — | There is no doubt that human beings have […] to name a few. | x | This is about the qualities of humans, not robots. |
| — | These cannot be provided by a robot worker, meaning human beings are still essential in most fields of work. | x | No mention of how robotic technology is useful. |
| — | There is also a growing belief that […] alongside human workers, | x | No mention of how robotic technology is useful. |
| 1 | allowing robots to, for example, retrieve dangerous materials that may harm a human. | √ |
Although the phrase “for example” is used, the “example” here is one way in which robots can be helpful. It is a main point for this summary. |
| 2 | They could also do time-consuming, laborious jobs | √ | Definitely a main point. |
| 3 | which demand a meticulous approach free from human error, | √ | Notice that being meticulous and error-free is distinct from being “time-consuming” and “laborious”. This is therefore relevant additional information |
| — | such as inspecting every pipeline and bolt on a ship | x | Example of Point 2 |
| 4a | Robots can also work in extreme environments, | √ | Definitely a main point. |
| — | such as deep in the oceans or on hostile planets in outer space, | x | Example of Point 3. |
| 4b | where human limitations and vulnerabilities may hinder progress. | √ | Explains why the robots’ ability to work in extreme environments is helpful to humans. Leaving this out renders the content point incomplete. |
| — | Mining robots help save lives as they work deep underground, | √ | Similar to Point 3; working deep underground is an example of “extreme environments”. Recommended to subsume this under Point 3. |
| 5 | in addition to enhancing efficiency by mining around the clock, which can lead to increased profits. |
√ |
Definitely a main point. |
The remaining points are found in the other paragraph. Now that you have learnt how to select content points, let’s move on to the next step!
7. Paraphrase by Changing Word Forms or Using Synonyms
Here’s a word of warning: it is not recommended to do a word-for-word substitution using synonyms. You risk distorting the meaning of the content point and this will cost you marks for both content and language! Only use synonyms if you are confident that they convey the same meaning and can be used in the same context.
Don’t fret if you do not have a wide vocabulary. A simple way to paraphrase is to play around with the parts of speech or word classes.
There are four main word classes: nouns, verbs, adjectives, and adverbs. Transforming words from one word class to another ensures that you retain the meaning.
It is recommended that you use a blended approach: combine the use of synonyms with the transformation of word classes.
Let’s look at an example using the 2021 O-Level summary question:
Robots can be used to support human activity when they…
| From the passage | Paraphrased |
| … retrieve dangerous materials that may harm a human. | … handle hazardous substances which can threaten humans’ safety |
| They could also do time-consuming, laborious jobs which demand a meticulous approach free from human error | do time-consuming, labour-intensive tasks that require precise and error-free execution |
The most important thing is that you have accurately conveyed the author’s meaning. Always prioritise securing your marks for content before considering ways to improve on your choice of synonyms.
Effective paraphrasing goes beyond basic word substitution. Simply using synonyms without paying attention to collocations and sentence structure can result in awkward expression, which will impact your marks for Language.
Bonus tip: do you know you can use antonyms to paraphrase too? For example, when describing a robot that “keeps on working”, we can use “working nonstop” or “working ceaselessly”. So when you can’t think of a synonym, try thinking of an antonym instead.
8. Use Linking Devices to Improve the Flow of Your Points
To bring cohesion to your summary and improve fluency, use sentence connectors to link your points together.
- Addition connectors: and, additionally, furthermore, moreover, besides etc.
- Cause-and-effect connectors: therefore, hence, because, thus etc.
- Contrast connectors: however, although, yet, unlike, contrarily, whereas etc.
Be smart! Avoid using connectors that take up multiple words like “in addition”, “as a result”, “on the other hand” etc.
Using the right conjunctions or connectors can increase your language score
9. Check Your Work!
After writing your summary, count the number of words and make sure you haven’t exceeded the word count.
Warning: All summary responses are counted and any content in excess of 80 words will be crossed out.
So what should you do if you have exceeded it? Check that your response does not include:
- unnecessary details (examples, repeated ideas, irrelevant details);
- long-winded expressions
As a rule of thumb, each content point should span an average of 10 words.
Lastly, run through this checklist of questions before submitting your work:
- Did I make any Subject-Verb Agreement (SVA) errors?
- Did I make any Tense errors?
- Did I use any incomplete sentence fragments?
- Did I use any comma splices?
Bonus tip: use a variety of simple, compound and complex sentences if possible.
This concludes our 9 tips on how to effectively tackle the summary question. Apply these tips when working on your summary practices to improve your confidence during exams. All the best for your exams!
You might want to download a pdf copy of this article for future reference!
Click the blue download button, enter your email, and the pdf file will be delivered to your inbox! (Remember to check spam!)
See more related articles and information on Writing Samurai:
Follow Writing Samurai on Telegram for the latest tips and strategies for English, Chinese, and Creative Writing! Pssst... We will also share the latest compo topics during test or exam season!
Click this link to follow our channel >>> https://t.me/writingsamurai
………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….
9 Tips for English Summary Writing (O Levels)
O-Level Comprehension: Summary Writing
The summary question is usually the last question in Paper 2 Section C (non-narrative comprehension) and it carries 15 marks. For this question, you are required to condense the main points of certain paragraphs into 80 words or fewer.
To score well for the summary question, you need to pay attention to the two main components that make up the marking rubrics: Content and Language. Content is worth 8 marks; Language is worth 7 marks.
So how do we go about maximising our scores for the summary question?
But before you go on reading… You might want to download a pdf copy of this article as it is quite long!
Click the blue download button, enter your email, and the pdf file will be delivered to your inbox! (Remember to check spam!)
1. Allocate Sufficient Time for Summary
time management
Students with poor time management tend to leave very little time for summary and end up having to rush through the segment.
As a result, they either write a half-baked summary, or worse, not attempting it at all. This is such a pity because it is not difficult to score well for the summary question. A well-planned and well-written summary can mean the difference between an average Paper 2 score and an excellent one.
So allocate 25 – 30 mins for it. Give it the time it deserves!
2. Use Synonyms of Question Keywords to Help You Search for Content Points
Keyword search
It’s crucial that you identify the focus of the summary question. To write any good response, you first need to know the question requirements.
After you identify the keywords in the question. try penning down synonyms for these keywords.
This is helpful because the passage very often uses synonyms of the keywords as signposts or signal words. This makes your task of searching for content points much easier!
Do not make the fatal mistake of diving into your search for points without fully understanding the question. You might include the irrelevant points or miss out on a potential content point.
Let’s apply this tip and see how we can break down the 2017 O-Level summary question:
Annotation
3. Identify the Number of Parts That Constitute the Question
A summary typically consists of one or two parts. Here’s a table to show you the trend of past year summary questions:
Year Question No. of parts
2021 The ways in which robotic technology can be helpful to humans
1
2020 The appearance and behaviour of penguins on land, and in the water
2
2019 The actions the organising committee have to take before and during the race to make it a Gold Label marathon
2
2018 The difficulties linked with Brazil nut trees for both commercial growers and private individuals
2
2017 The challenges that road builders have faced, and the improvements they have made to overcome each of them, during the twentieth and twenty-first centuries.
2
2016 The ways in which elephants were used by human beings in the past, and are still used today.
2
Notice that the parts are joined by the conjunction “and”. This means that to identify the parts, you can simply look out for the word “and”!
Bonus tip: Most of the time, students are required to look for 4-5 content points per part. So tally up the number of points you have for each part and check if you’ve got 4-5 content points per part.
Now, let’s look at how to search for content points.
4. Search for Relevant Content Points
treasure hunt
Don’t let exam stress take over. Firstly, select points only within the designated paragraphs! You will not be given credit for points from other paragraphs.
Do not rush your search.
For every sentence you come across, ask yourself if it addresses the summary requirements. If it does, label the content point; if it doesn’t, move on to the next sentence.
What if you’re not sure if it is a content point? When in doubt, make a little note. Perhaps you could add a question mark after labelling the content point.
Pay close attention to connectors, conjunctions, and transitional devices. They are signposts that help you determine whether the content point is relevant! Here are some common connectors that are found in text passages:
Connectors of addition: Additionally, also, and
Connectors of cause and effect: Thus, Therefore, so, because
Connectors of contrast: but, yet, however, nevertheless
Make sure you have at least 8 content points.
Bonus tip: Since content is worth 8 marks, it is recommended that you give an extra content point (9 points in total) just in case one of the content points is incomplete or inaccurately conveyed.
5. Leave Out Unnecessary Information
Many students have problem differentiating “important information” from “unimportant information”. “Everything looks important to me!” Does this sound familiar? If you try to include every detail in the text, you’re not doing it right. If everything is important, nothing is important. So, focus on the main points and leave the rest out.
unnecessary details
Do not include the following in your summary (unless otherwise specified):
Examples
Examples are there to illustrate the author’s main point. They often come in the form of quotes, statistics, date, facts and figures, etc. Common connectors that are used as signposting include “for example”, “for instance”, “such as” or “like”. Include the main point; leave out the example.
Irrelevant details
Every detail must address the summary question. If it doesn’t, it is irrelevant. Be sure to ask and answer the question “Is this relevant to the summary requirements?” each time you label a content point!
Redundancy or repetition of ideas
The same point can be conveyed using different phrasing. Authors sometimes do this for emphasis. It’ll be your duty to recognise that the same idea is being repeated and to exclude that as a content point.
This brings us to the next problem — students not including necessary supporting details.
6. Do Not Leave Out Necessary and Important Details
attention
Another common mistake is that students take only the main point and leave out supporting details of the point. This is a mistake when the details are important and necessary!
A main point without important details is considered an incomplete content point. This means you do not get awarded that content point.
Important reminder: Some students think that all adjectives and adverbs can be excluded. This is a misconception! It depends on the focus of the summary question; adjectives and adverbs are sometimes very relevant to the question. If so, remember to include them as part of your content point.
Here’s an example of how to apply Tips 5 and 6. Let’s practise using the summary question and text from the 2021 O-Levels:
4
Summarise the ways in which robotic technology can be helpful to humans.
Use only information from Paragraphs 4 and 5.
There is no doubt that human beings have essential qualities that go beyond productivity – empathy, compassion, dedication, and the ability to make fine judgements, to name a few. These cannot be provided by a robot worker, meaning human beings are still essential in most fields of work. There is also a growing belief that we should seek to use artificially intelligent machines alongside human workers, allowing robots to, for example, retrieve dangerous materials that may harm a human. They could also do time-consuming, laborious jobs which demand a meticulous approach free from human error, such as inspecting every pipeline
and bolt on a ship. Robots can also work in extreme environments, such as deep in the oceans or on hostile planets in outer space, where human limitations and vulnerabilities may hinder progress. Mining robots help save lives as they work deep underground, in addition to enhancing efficiency by mining around the clock, which can lead to increased profits.
25
30
35
Can you distinguish between the relevant and irrelevant details? Try this out on your own and compare your answers with ours on the next page.
# From the Passage Is this relevant? Reason
— There is no doubt that human beings have […] to name a few. x This is about the qualities of humans, not robots.
— These cannot be provided by a robot worker, meaning human beings are still essential in most fields of work. x No mention of how robotic technology is useful.
— There is also a growing belief that […] alongside human workers, x No mention of how robotic technology is useful.
1 allowing robots to, for example, retrieve dangerous materials that may harm a human. √
Although the phrase “for example” is used, the “example” here is one way in which robots can be helpful.
It is a main point for this summary.
2 They could also do time-consuming, laborious jobs √ Definitely a main point.
3 which demand a meticulous approach free from human error, √ Notice that being meticulous and error-free is distinct from being “time-consuming” and “laborious”. This is therefore relevant additional information
— such as inspecting every pipeline and bolt on a ship x Example of Point 2
4a Robots can also work in extreme environments, √ Definitely a main point.
— such as deep in the oceans or on hostile planets in outer space, x Example of Point 3.
4b where human limitations and vulnerabilities may hinder progress. √ Explains why the robots’ ability to work in extreme environments is helpful to humans. Leaving this out renders the content point incomplete.
— Mining robots help save lives as they work deep underground, √ Similar to Point 3; working deep underground is an example of “extreme environments”. Recommended to subsume this under Point 3.
5 in addition to enhancing efficiency by mining around the clock, which can lead to increased profits.
√
Definitely a main point.
The remaining points are found in the other paragraph. Now that you have learnt how to select content points, let’s move on to the next step!
7. Paraphrase by Changing Word Forms or Using Synonyms
Paraphrase
Here’s a word of warning: it is not recommended to do a word-for-word substitution using synonyms. You risk distorting the meaning of the content point and this will cost you marks for both content and language! Only use synonyms if you are confident that they convey the same meaning and can be used in the same context.
Don’t fret if you do not have a wide vocabulary. A simple way to paraphrase is to play around with the parts of speech or word classes.
There are four main word classes: nouns, verbs, adjectives, and adverbs. Transforming words from one word class to another ensures that you retain the meaning.
It is recommended that you use a blended approach: combine the use of synonyms with the transformation of word classes.
Let’s look at an example using the 2021 O-Level summary question:
Robots can be used to support human activity when they…
From the passage Paraphrased
… retrieve dangerous materials that may harm a human. … handle hazardous substances which can threaten humans’ safety
They could also do time-consuming, laborious jobs which demand a meticulous approach free from human error do time-consuming, labour-intensive tasks that require precise and error-free execution
The most important thing is that you have accurately conveyed the author’s meaning. Always prioritise securing your marks for content before considering ways to improve on your choice of synonyms.
Effective paraphrasing goes beyond basic word substitution. Simply using synonyms without paying attention to collocations and sentence structure can result in awkward expression, which will impact your marks for Language.
Bonus tip: do you know you can use antonyms to paraphrase too? For example, when describing a robot that “keeps on working”, we can use “working nonstop” or “working ceaselessly”. So when you can’t think of a synonym, try thinking of an antonym instead.
8. Use Linking Devices to Improve the Flow of Your Points
To bring cohesion to your summary and improve fluency, use sentence connectors to link your points together.
Addition connectors: and, additionally, furthermore, moreover, besides etc.
Cause-and-effect connectors: therefore, hence, because, thus etc.
Contrast connectors: however, although, yet, unlike, contrarily, whereas etc.
Be smart! Avoid using connectors that take up multiple words like “in addition”, “as a result”, “on the other hand” etc.
Using the right conjunctions or connectors can increase your language score
9. Check Your Work!
editing 3
After writing your summary, count the number of words and make sure you haven’t exceeded the word count.
Warning: All summary responses are counted and any content in excess of 80 words will be crossed out.
So what should you do if you have exceeded it? Check that your response does not include:
unnecessary details (examples, repeated ideas, irrelevant details);
long-winded expressions
As a rule of thumb, each content point should span an average of 10 words.
Lastly, run through this checklist of questions before submitting your work:
Did I make any Subject-Verb Agreement (SVA) errors?
Did I make any Tense errors?
Did I use any incomplete sentence fragments?
Did I use any comma splices?
Bonus tip: use a variety of simple, compound and complex sentences if possible.
This concludes our 9 tips on how to effectively tackle the summary question. Apply these tips when working on your summary practices to improve your confidence during exams. All the best for your exams!
You might want to download a pdf copy of this article for future reference!
Click the blue download button, enter your email, and the pdf file will be delivered to your inbox! (Remember to check spam!)
See more related articles and information on Writing Samurai:
How to Write Argumentative Essays
How to Write Discursive Essays
Benefits of Secondary English Tuition
Follow Writing Samurai on Telegram for the latest tips and strategies for English, Chinese, and Creative Writing! Pssst… We will also share the latest compo topics during test or exam season!
Click this link to follow our channel >>> https://t.me/writingsamurai
BY JERRY LEE | OCTOBER 26, 2023 | ONLINE TUITION | 0 COMMENTS |
Jerry Lee
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