SUMMARY WRITING

THINGS TO DO & REMEMBER

Read the question and determine the parts you have to summarise.
(e.g. use only the material from line 10 to 54)
1
Identify the stipulated area (from line ... to line ..) and box the area. Do not lift
information outside the box drawn.

Identify the keywords of the task you are required to do based on the bullet
points. Task is usually set on:

- problems faced by writer

2 - feelings of the writer
- action/s taken by him / her
- causes of a certain incident
- effects of the incident
- process and procedure

Read the passage. Identify the content points relevant to the task and
3 number them. You need to find 10 points. A summary passage usually has 13 -
15 points.

Write out your summary by adding proper linkers.

Addition – again, also, and, furthermore, besides, moreover
Comparison – likewise, similarly
4
Result – accordingly, consequently, hence, then, thus
Contrast – but, however, nevertheless, yet, despite
Listing – firstly, next, finally

5 Begin with the 10 words given.

Pay attention to the tense and the pronouns in the 10 words given. Change
6
direct speech into indirect speech.

a. Use your own words where possible. BUT make sure meaning is not
7 changed.
b. Do not include examples and elaborations.

8 Edit verb tense for consistency. Let meaning flow.

 Count and write the total number of words at the bottom right of the
summary. The summary must not exceed 130 words.

COUNTING THE NUMBER OF WORDS IN A SUMMARY:

The words Counted as

Proper Jalan Tun Abdul Razak 4 words
Nouns Catherine MacPhail 2 words
Contractions I’m won’t 2 words
He’s haven’t
wouldn’t aren’t
9
they’ll isn’t
Can’t / cannot 1 word
Hyphenated Sister-in-law 1 word
words Ice-cream
Well-being
Numbers Twenty two 2 words

22 1 word

SAMPLE: QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS FOR SUMMARY

3 There are countless ways for people to show acts of kindness. It is not
limited to giving money by donating to a needy cause, but we can also
take time out to listen to someone who has a problem and needs a
friend. “Somebody paid for my order at a restaurant once,” says Syed
Haizir. “It really made my day, so I try to do something similar as often as I
can,” he adds. Au Yeong, a student, also found inspiration from the movie,
Pay It Forward. On some days, he buys copies of newspapers and puts a
note between the pages saying, “Enjoy reading …. From someone who just
wants to be kind,” Then he gives the newspapers free to people waiting at
the bus-stop or at the train station.

4 A little creativity is very helpful in making people happy. If you come

across a humorous comic strip or an inspiring article, cut it out. Pass it
on to someone who might be interested in reading it. This will put a smile
on their faces. Put together writing kits with stationery, envelopes, stamps
or art supplies and hand them over to patients at a hospital. These items
will come in handy to help patients keep in touch with friends as well as to
keep them occupied. You can give students inexpensive raincoats which
they can keep in their bags. On rainy days, these will really be appreciated;
textbooks and uniforms can be kept dry, and cold may be prevented. A small
act of kindness goes a long way.
Task

Based on the passage given, write a summary of:

 the ways in which people can show acts of kindness, and
 the benefits that can be experienced from acts of kindness

Credit will be given for use of own words but care must be taken not to change the original
meaning. Your summary must
 be in continuous writing form (not in note form)
 use material from line 13 to line 40
 not be longer than 130 words, including the 10 words given below

Begin your summary as follows:

One of the many ways to show kindness is to ……………..

SAMPLE ANSWER

1: Lifting

One of the many ways to show kindness is to give money by donating to a needy cause
and take time out to listen to someone who has a problem and needs a friend.

2: Attempts at using own words

One of the many ways to show kindness is to donate to a needy cause. We can also
take time out to listen to someone who has a problem and needs a friend.
Additionally, we can also pay for someone’s order at a restaurant.
PRACTICE 1

Section C
[25 marks]
[Time suggested : 50 minutes]

Question 26 to 31 are based on the following passage.

(The following passage is about Daniel’s experience when he went on a mountain-climbing

trip and disaster struck on the last day when he was in a chalet.)

1 It was the beginning of the wet season. After a tiring descent from the
mountain, Daniel decided to spend a night at a chalet before continuing his
journey home the next morning. There were not many mountaineers at that time
because of the unfavourable weather conditions.

2 That night, Daniel was woken up by a loud roar of thunder. Suddenly, it 5

dawned on him that there was a terrible storm outside. The sound of the howling
wind echoed through an open window. As he was about to get up to close it, his bed
started trembling. He screamed as the windows, walls and ceilings crashed around
him without any warning. Seconds later, when the chaos had subsided, he tried to
sit up but instead bashed his head against something hard. It felt like concrete. It 10
was then, he realised with horror that the chalet had collapsed and he was trapped!

3 Not long after, he heard a rumbling, gushing sound. Water! Just then, a
mixture of water and mud rushed through the gaps above his head, filling the small
space. Instinctively, he knew that he was in the midst of a landslide. Desperately, he
tried to lift himself up but he was unable to do so. Feeling completely helpless, he 15
knew that he had no choice but to wait for help. Time seemed to pass very slowly
and he was beginning to lose all his hope of ever being rescued. He thought of his
loving wife and his baby son who would be waiting for his return.

4 It had been ten hours since his last meal and he was tired, hungry and thirsty.
He knew he had to keep warm. He felt a cotton cover at the end of the bed. 20
Stretching down, he ripped a piece of the material free. It just covered his stomach
and thighs. Next, he found a jacket he had left on the bed and struggled into it. He
felt warmer and more comfortable after that.

5 Meanwhile, rescue operations were underway. Eleven hours after the incident,
workers and volunteers were still clearing the rubble – pieces of shattered concrete, 25
furniture, bricks and timber. Firefighters crawled over the rubble and peered into
gaps, yelling, “Rescue team above – can you hear me?” Initially the only sounds
were from the birds overhead and the gurgle of water beneath the rubble. Just as
they were about to give up and leave that spot, suddenly they heard Daniel’s faint
voice, “Help! Help!” coming from beneath. 30

6 News of the survivor spread quickly and the recovery team worked tirelessly
to save him. After an hour, workers exposed a huge slab of concrete just above
Daniel. Through a jagged, half-metre-wide opening, they heard Daniel’s voice
sounded more clearly now. The rescuers realised he was just beneath them. They
wriggled into a small chamber and began clearing more rubble. Soon they 35
discovered another concrete slab two metres lower. After three hours of digging, a
rescuer’s light lit up a crack in the lower slab.
7 Against the dim light, Tony, a fireman, saw a hand emerging through a crack.
“There’s someone down there,” he shouted. The rescue workers started digging in
that particular area immediately. They knew that they were racing against time. 40
Despite feeling exhausted, they continued digging. After removing two boulders,
they could hear a voice. Realising that they had to rescue the victim quickly, the
team took prompt action.

8 The rescuers started cutting a hole through the slab above the victim, using a
circular saw. Once that was done, the hole was now large enough for Jim, a 45
paramedic, to enter. Jim quickly slid into the cavity to prepare his patient so that he
could be moved to safety. He carefully placed a harness around Daniel’s waist,
making sure that Daniel would not feel any discomfort. He gently pulled Daniel until
his head was just beneath the hole. Then, all the other rescue workers above the
hole slowly hoisted Daniel to the surface. 50

9 Just before he was airlifted to a nearby hospital, Daniel thanked the rescue
team for having saved his life. The doctors at the hospital were astonished to
discover that he suffered only dehydration and superficial cuts. Daniel was
hospitalised for three days. Despite the ordeal he had gone through, he had this to
say: “Mountain-climbing has always been my passion. I can’t wait for my next 55
mountain-climbing expedition.”

Adapted from Reader’s Digest, June 2000

31 Daniel was trapped in his room during a landslide. Based on the passage given,
write a summary on what the rescuer did to save him.

Credit will be given for use of own words but care must be taken not to change the
original meaning.

Your summary must:

 be in continuous writing form (not in note form)

 use materials from line 25 to line 50
 not be longer than 130 words, including the 10 words given below

Begin your summary as follows:

Rescue workers and volunteers started by clearing the rubble and ……

[ 15 marks ]
…………………………………………………………………………………………………………

…………………………………………………………………………………………………………

…………………………………………………………………………………………………………

…………………………………………………………………………………………………………

…………………………………………………………………………………………………………

…………………………………………………………………………………………………………

…………………………………………………………………………………………………………

…………………………………………………………………………………………………………

…………………………………………………………………………………………………………

…………………………………………………………………………………………………………

…………………………………………………………………………………………………………

…………………………………………………………………………………………………………

…………………………………………………………………………………………………………

…………………………………………………………………………………………………………

…………………………………………………………………………………………………………

…………………………………………………………………………………………………………

…………………………………………………………………………………………………………

…………………………………………………………………………………………………………

…………………………………………………………………………………………………………

…………………………………………………………………………………………………………

…………………………………………………………………………………………………………

…………………………………………………………………………………………………………

…………………………………………………………………………………………………………

…………………………………………………………………………………………………………

…………………………………………………………………………………………………………

…………………………………………………………………………………………………………
PRACTICE 2

Section C
[25 marks]

[Time suggested: 50 minutes]

Questions 26 – 31 are based on the following passage.

The following passage is about a professional hunter of wild animals such as tigers, wolves
and leopards that prey on livestock.

1 I have spent 20 years hunting wild
leopard is one of the most unpredictable
cunning animal, it will change its direction
faced numerous encounters with ferocious
leopard did, the day it attacked me.
animals in the Sarawak jungles. The
animals I have ever come across. A
for no obvious reason. Although I had
creatures, none scared me the way the
5

2 On January 24, a goat was killed at a nearby farm. Two weeks earlier,
farmers had reported missing livestock. A leopard had been seen around the area
at dusk. On that very day, fifteen experienced men volunteered to track it. Before
the hunting party arrived, I went out to look for the tracks. Without a thought, I left
my rifle in the car and that was the worst mistake of my life. Unarmed, I was 10
exposed to danger.

3 I stepped into the bushes where the goat was killed. Suddenly, I sensed
danger from behind. I looked around and there, under a tree, all set to strike, was
an adult leopard. I remembered my rifle and turned back to my car to get it.

4 Then it happened. The leopard leapt onto my back. I heard nothing when it 15
hit me as it happened very fast. The impact was enough to set me off balance. For
a moment I felt dizzy, as if the surroundings were spinning. I could not make sense
of the things around me. They seemed to be blurring. Before I realized it, I slumped
onto the ground with the leopard clawing at my back. I could faintly hear the
grunting from the leopard. Although I could feel sharp pain all over my back, I still 20
managed to gather enough strength to roll over. My sudden action took the creature
by surprise – I had caused it to let go of me and I was free for a short time.

5 That was the best chance I had to run away. However, before I could do
anything, the creature had grabbed my right shoulder. This time, the leopard
became more aggressive. It was certainly not going to let me escape and started 25
shaking me vigorously. The sheer strength of the mighty animal was incredible.
There was simply nothing I could do to stop it. At that instant, I was sure I was going
to die.

6 Without thinking, I placed my hand on the leopard’s neck. I realized that to

gain control over the animal, I had to act swiftly before it could overpower me. This 30
was something I had learned from my past hunting experience. I never hesitated. I
wrestled with the leopard’s head and neck over my chest. Knowing that it was either
me or the leopard, I had to fight for my life. There was no time to waste. With
whatever strength that was left in me, I wrapped my left arm tightly round the
leopard’s neck, trying to choke it. Furious with my action, the animal let out a loud 35
and deafening growl. In fighting back, it struggled with such force that I had to put
pressure on its neck.
7 A young man, who was a member of the hunting group, was scouting the
area. Suddenly, heard a loud growl. Sensing someone was in danger, he rushed
towards the scene. He stood hesitatingly about three metres away from the leopard, 40
not knowing whether he could shoot accurately. Frantically, I yelled at him to move
nearer. Bang! The first shot went off target. Then the second shot hit the leopard in
the spine. This time he did it. There was a loud growl before it went limp. Seeing
the lifeless animal next to me, I was overcome with relief.

8 Looking back, I think the leopard had every reason to attack me. It was 45
starving. When I looked straight into its face, I felt sorry. This was the closest
encounter I have ever had with such a fierce animal.

(Adapted from Reader’s Digest, July 2003)

31 Based on the passage given, write a summary:

 of how the leopard attacked the writer and

 what he did to save himself

Credit will be given for use of own words but care must be taken not to change the
original meaning.

Your summary must:

 be in continuous writing form (not in note form)

 use materials from line 15 to line 42
 not be longer than 130 words, including the 10 words given below

Begin your summary as follows:

He realized he was being attacked by a leopard when …..

[ 15 marks ]

……………………………………………………………………………………………………………

……………………………………………………………………………………………………………

……………………………………………………………………………………………………………

……………………………………………………………………………………………………………

……………………………………………………………………………………………………………

……………………………………………………………………………………………………………

……………………………………………………………………………………………………………
……………………………………………………………………………………………………………

……………………………………………………………………………………………………………

……………………………………………………………………………………………………………

……………………………………………………………………………………………………………

……………………………………………………………………………………………………………

……………………………………………………………………………………………………………

……………………………………………………………………………………………………………

……………………………………………………………………………………………………………

……………………………………………………………………………………………………………

……………………………………………………………………………………………………………

……………………………………………………………………………………………………………

……………………………………………………………………………………………………………

……………………………………………………………………………………………………………

……………………………………………………………………………………………………………

……………………………………………………………………………………………………………

……………………………………………………………………………………………………………

……………………………………………………………………………………………………………

…………………………………………………………………………………………………………