CXC English A What is a summary/report?

This is a visual representation of what you do when you summarize a written passage.

English A - Writing a summary A summary is a brief restatement--in your own words--of the contents of a passage. Why do we need to make summaries?

Sometimes someone may ask us to tell them what a movie or a class was about. At that point, they dont expect teacher said. Instead, they expect us to give them the main plot of the movie or the main topic of the class and the movie or the class. In the same way, a summary is the way in which we are asked questions such as, what was the movie about? how did the game go? and what did I miss in class today? you must be able to summarize.

Your questioner doesn't want to know every word and action in the movie, every play in the game, or every word and summarize them.

Similarly, when you summarize a reading you need to be able to find the important data and then present it as cle How to write a summary The following are the six (6) steps for writing a summary 1. Find the main idea of the passage: Read the passage the first time for understanding. (So you can get a sense of what point they are trying to make.) Ask yourself, What was the passage about? (You should answer yourself with a sentence or a phrase)

Hint: If you are having problems, scan the passage to see which 'topic' word appears most often. This is likel Now you have to figure out what is being said about the topic. Read the passage a second time.

What is the overall point being made about the topic word? You need to be able to see the "big picture" being presented by the passage. This is the main idea of the who Never start writing a summary before you read the passage for a second time.

2. Find the supporting ideas in the passage: (Supporting ideas are used to develop, explain or expand on the main idea.) While "skimming" (reading through quickly) the passage for the third time, look for the supporting ideas by reading over the opening sentences of the paragraphs. (A paragraph expresses and develops one main idea or point) Underline topic sentences in the paragraphs and the key ideas in them.

3. After reading the passage for the third time, write one or two summary sentences for each paragraph descri

If you see yourself repeating the same ideas, you will need to read the passage again to get a clearer picture a

4. Join together the main idea of the passage and your paragraph summary sentences by using transitional word These transitional words/phrases do three things: 1) They give your summary a sense of being a "whole" - not just a group of unconnected sentences. 2) They also make your summary "flow" smoothly when reading 3) They reinforce and support the main idea being expressed in the passage. 5. Reread (and edit if necessary) the summary to make sure it clear and to-the-point. Eliminate repetitive words, too many descriptive words (adjectives and adverbs)and non-essential sentences. The final version should read like a whole, sensible piece of writing. **Check your spelling and grammar. 6. Finally, check your summary against the authors original. Have you correctly described the authors main idea and the essential s upporting points?

Example of a summary

Make any necess

Original passage: Selection from Edgar Rice Burroughs: The Man Who Created Tarzan.

Aside from his efforts to explain the origins of the Tarzan idea, Ed was at times drawn into a discussion of the theories or philosophies he was trying to develop in his story, or those that others believed were inherent in the story. In relation to this, the question was also asked, what does Tarzan, as a human in an animal environment, represent or symbolize?

The philosophic themes that were generally associated with Tarzan of the Apes may be listed as follows: the conflict of heredity environment; the lone man pitted against the forces of nature; the search for individual freedom; escapismflight from the bori routines of daily life; a destructive civilization, with man, its representative, displaying all its vices, as opposed to the simple vir of natures creatures.

Regarding the basic scientific controversy of heredity vs. environment, Ed stated, I liked to speculate as to the relative values o heredity, environment, and training in mental, moral, and physical development in such a child, and so in Tarzan I was playing w this idea.

At present, environment is viewed as the decisive force in shaping or conditioning the individual. Possibly without being aware Ed, in Tarzan of the Apes, created a unique situation in which heredity, within a civilized setting the lesser influence, now emerg the greater. Clearly, hereditys victory in the conflict was inevitable. Tarzan, even the infant Tarzan, could not repress his human attributes, his intelligence. These led to his curiosity about his surroundings and about his parents, his observation of differences between the apes and him, his discovery of weapons, his motivation to learn to read, and eventually his rejection of jungle life a return to civilization. The outcome might be interpreted in another way: Tarzan and his circumstances represent abnormality; wi this strange situation natures irresistible pressure for a righting, a balance, forces heredity to assume is proper place.

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Here is the scoring rubric for CXC English A su

This is a tool that you can use to help assess your skill level in w

It can also be used to diagnose where you are having problems in your summary writing and thus direct y

Skill levels 1= Ready for the CXC English A exam 2= More practice needed 3= Practice and peer coaching needed 4= Professional coaching needed 5= Intense professional coaching needed

CXC Summary criteria

1 Length

The summary The summary The summary The summary The summary is within the is a bit longer is much longer is as long as is somewhat stated word than the than the stated the original longer than limit stated word word limit passage. the stated limit. (>6) (>18). word limit. (>12)

The summary The summary The summary The summary is written in is written in is written in is written in paragraph paragraph paragraph note/bullet form form form form 2 Form There are few There are There are There several mistakes in several many mistakes in grammar and mistakes in mistakes in grammar and punctuation. grammar and grammar and punctuation (>6). punctuation punctuation (>12) (>12). (>18).

The summary is written in note/bullet form There many mistakes in grammar and punctuation (>18)

3 Content

Main idea of Main idea of Main idea of the passage the passage the passage is stated in is stated in is stated at the first the middle of the end of sentence or the the sentences. summary. summary.

Main idea of The main idea the passage is of the passage not stated at is not stated, all, it is suggested or suggested implied in the or implied. summary.

The writer uses only essential information from the 4 passage to Content 2 support the main idea of the summary.

The writer The writer The writer The writer uses uses mainly uses minor uses mainly personal essential details and personal knowledge and information non-essential information to non-essential and some information support the details from minor details from the main idea of the passage to from the passage to the summary. support the passage to support the main idea of support the main idea of