SUMMARY WRITING

What is Summary Writing?

A summary is a condensed form of a longer essay/reading. The purpose of summary
writing is to to give basic ideas of the original writing. To write a summary, you need
to use your own words and express briefly the main idea of certain piece of reading.
In Section C of the SPM 1119 paper, which carries a substantial 25 marks, is divided
into two parts, reading comprehension and summary writing. Ten marks are allocated
for reading comprehension and 15 for summary writing.

Example of Summary Writing.

Base on this article, write a summary of 130 words.
1. The tiger, the largest cat in the world, is one of the most majestic animals on land
and is found only in Asia. It is also one of the most powerful mammals, yet it is on
the brink of extinction. In the 1900s, the tiger population was more than 100,000.
Today, the number has dwindled to less than 10,000 worldwide. Nepal has only 200
tigers, India has about 4,000, while Malaysia has less than 500. The reason for the
decline in numbers is poaching.
2. Tigers are hunted not only by human beings but also by other predators such as
elephants, bears and large buffaloes. The only defence tigers have against their
enemies are their razor-sharp claws, their strong teeth and their sheer weight. The
weight of a tiger, which can range between 200 and 300 kilogrammes, can kill an 10
average sized human being.
3. Tigers have fascinated human beings for several reasons. For instance, marks on
their forehead resemble the Chinese character wang, which means king. Furthermore,
the markings on a tigers forehead and the stripes all over its body are like finger
prints. Experts can tell individual tigers apart by observing the markings and stripes
closely. This is because no two tigers have identical markings. The patterns of their
stripes vary immensely, especially from one sub-species to another. The Sumatran
tiger has the most stripes and markings while the Siberian tiger has the fewest. The
stripes of a tiger always run at right angles to its body and not along its bodyline.
Otherwise, it would be very conspicuous and find it impossible to camouflage itself.

4. These carnivorous beasts thrive well in areas of dense vegetation with ample
sources of water and large populations of hoofed animals. They instinctively avoid
human beings and only attack people if they are provoked, injured or unable to hunt
for their usual food.
5. Despite their prowess, tigers are unable to protect themselves from their greatest
threat human beings. These magnificent creatures have been hunted for hundreds of
years for sport as proof of ones strength and manliness, and for their skin. They have
also been trapped and poisoned by farmers to protect their livestock. As a result, the
Caspian, Javan and Bali tigers have become extinct. In many Asian countries, tigers
are killed for their precious claws. It is believed that wearing a talisman made of a 30
tigers claw can protect its wearer. It is almost impossible to ascertain whether a
tigers claw has any supernatural powers, but what is certain is that many a tiger will
lose its life so that someone can profit from it.
6. Other than that, tigers have been hunted for their body organs, which are believed
to be a cure for many ailments. This superstition may have resulted from the
connection 35 made with their masculinity and strength. This has resulted in massive
poaching of tigers for their whiskers, eyes, teeth, penises, liver and fat.
7. Hunting of tiger prey has also caused the number of tigers to dwindle. Tigers
usually feed on hoofed animals such as deer, wild boar and buffaloes. The hunting of
these animals by human beings has caused tigers to starve to death.
8. Serious action has to be taken to ensure the survival of this majestic creature.
Although the tiger has been labelled an endangered species and the sale of
tigerrelated products has been banned in many countries, these measures have
backfired, with illegal poaching of tigers for their fur, bones and other organs
becoming rampant. Some countries, such as India, have allocated millions of dollars
to set up tiger reserves to protect these animals but even these are not safe. Poachers
completely wiped out wild tigers in the Sariska Tiger Reserve in India. To ensure the
survival of the tiger, conservation efforts need to be improved to reduce threats to
tigers.Efforts must also be made to improve tiger habitats and to increase tiger prey
populations so that they will not starve to death in the wild. There must be more
stringent controls on the demand for tiger parts. When there is no demand, there will
be no supply. To drive the message home, poachers should be punished severely.
Otherwise, they will not stop their illegal activities.

Here is a sample summary using phrases and sentences from the passage.
The tiger population has suffered a serious decline because tigers have been hunted
for sport as proof of ones strength and manliness and for their skin. Besides, tigers
have been killed by farmers to protect their livestock. These beasts have also been
killed for their claws which are believed to protect the wearer. Worse still, tigers are
killed for their body organs, which are believed to cure many ailments. Moreover,
hunting of tiger prey has caused tigers to starve to death. Stern measures must be
taken to protect them. For instance, conservation efforts and tiger habitats must be
improved. To prevent tigers from starving, tiger prey populations must be increased.
Most importantly, there must be more stringent controls on the demand.

(121 words)
Tips in writing a summary:
1) Read the text given carefully.
2) Identify and underline the important points.
3) Start writing the summary based on the main points you have gathered.
4) Rephrase the important points and use our own words.
5) Organize your ideas/points in the manner which they are found in the text.
6) Adhere to the word limit.
7) Write the summary in one paragraph only!
8) Check and edit your summary if necessary.