English for Academic and Professional Purposes.

-Grade 11- 12
Quarter 1/3 – Module 3: Use Various Techniques in Summarizing a Variety of Academic
Texts

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Regional Director: Gilbert T. Sadsad

Assistant Regional Director: Jessie L. Amin

Development Team of the Module

Writer: MARIAN CLAIRE V. TULOD

Editors / Reviewers: GINA B. PANTINO

SONIA V. PRENSADER
JOSALIE T. TONIO
LORAINE T. CHIONG

Reviewers: GINA B. PANTINO and

Masbate Province Division headed by HELEN TITONG

Illustrator / Layout Artist: JOHN MICHAEL P. SARTE

 SHS

English for Academic

and Professional
Purposes
Quarter 1 – Module 3
USE VARIOUS TECHNIQUES IN SUMMARIZING A
VARIETY OF ACADEMIC TEXTS

This instructional material was developed based from the Most Essential
Learning Competencies (MELC) in English for Academic and Professional
Purposes in response to the new normal scheme in learning delivery of the
Department of Education. This module was collaboratively reviewed by educators
and program specialists in the Regional Office V. We encourage teachers and
other educational stakeholders to email their feedback, comments, and
recommendations to the Department of Education at ____________________.

We value your feedback and recommendations.

Department of Education Republic of the Philippines

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 I. INTRODUCTION TO THE LESSON

Have you experienced being asked by your teacher to sum up a plot of a

novel you read or a film you watched? How about reading a long informative
essay and briefly stating its important points after? How did it go?

Did you tell the story as it is from the opening scene to the end credits or did you
simply talk about the essential parts of the novel or movie? Probably, you did the
latter because obviously, it is the more practical choice, and you did the right thing!
More often than not, the gist or the most important part is what is given out to
provide a background, not only in talking about movie plots but also in writing
academic and professional papers.

Welcome to the third module of the first quarter! Here, you will be learning
strategies on how you can simplify longer texts into its most essential parts.

II. OBJECTIVE

Use various techniques in summarizing a variety of academic texts.

CS_EN11/12A-EAPP-Iac-4

III. VOCABULARY LIST

1. SUMMARY— a shortened or simplified version of an original text

using your own words
2. ABSTRACT— a summary of the contents of a study or academic
text.
3. PRĚCIS— a summary or abstract of a text.
4. REPORTING VERB— a word used to discuss another person’s
writings or assertions.

IV. PRETEST

Directions: Write TRUE if the statement is correct and FALSE if it is not.

Write your answers in a separate sheet of paper.

__________ 1. A summary is a brief, clear restatement of the most important

points of a text.
__________ 2. It is safe to include examples and minor details in summarizing.
__________ 3. When writing a summary, it is okay to include any opinions or
background knowledge you have on the topic.
__________ 4. Understanding the text is important in summarizing.

__________ 5. Revising the main idea of the text is not part of summarizing.

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V. LEARNING CONCEPTS

Summarizing a text is a vital skill for your English academic reading

and writing. As you progress in this course, you will be required to read
various types of academic and professional papers. One of the ways for
you to test whether you fully understood what you have read is if you
can make a short, clear summary of the main ideas of the text. If you
cannot do this, then you almost certainly haven’t understood it fully.
Understanding what you read is not just about the words. Rather, it is about
understanding the ideas, how these ideas are organized, and which ideas are more
or less important.
But, before you learn some strategies in summarizing, you need to learn first the
basic concepts about summarizing.

What is a summary?

Also known as abstract or prěcis (pray-see), a SUMMARY is a form of writing that is

a product of careful digesting and relating to a shorter form of any long composition. It
is also a form of note-taking that consists of stating briefly, sometimes in a sentence,
sometimes in a paragraph of your own words, the essential ideas together with some
details of the subject that was discussed at greater length in the original form.
Summaries aim to precisely condense a larger work to present only the key ideas. It
conveys the gist of what has been read, listened to, or viewed.

Simply put, to sum up a text is to simplify, condense, or shorten

it into its most important ideas using your own words.

As you encounter longer articles and even researches, the need for you to digest and
focus on essential ideas increases. Summarizing now in your level is often used to
determine essential ideas in a book article, book chapter, an article or parts of an article.
These essential ideas include the gist or main idea, useful information, or key words or
phrases that help you meet your reading purpose. For example, instead of reading an
entire research paper to get the important points, you can just view the abstract of the
paper which is also its summary. It lessens time and effort.

Why is summarizing a significant critical reading skill?

Barrot and Sipacio (2017) argues that summarizing is an important skill because
it helps you
⮚ deepen your understanding of the text;
⮚ learn to identify relevant information or key ideas;
⮚ combine details or examples that support the main idea and key words
presented in the text; and,
⮚ capture the key ideas in the text and put them together clearly and concisely.

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What is NOT Summarizing?

You are NOT summarizing when you

⮚ write down everything;
⮚ write down ideas from the text word-for-word;
⮚ write down incoherent and irrelevant ideas;
⮚ write down ideas that are not stated in the text; or
⮚ write down a summary that has the same length or is longer than the original
text.

Strategies/ Techniques in Summarizing

Summarizing a text has so much to do with comprehension. One

cannot summarize unless he/she is able to understand key ideas of what
is being read. There are some guidelines in summarizing a text but first,
Oxford Online English suggests some strategies/ techniques to help
you better understand what you read.

1. Finding the Main Idea

Every coherent text has one central idea, which connects the different parts of
the text. You need to find this main idea for you to understand and summarize the
text. However, there is not a single way to find the main idea because every text is
different. Instead, you need to look at the whole thing.

Here are some things you should look at:

a. Is there a title or headings? These often highlight important points.
b. What is the first sentence about? Often, the first sentence of a text or a
paragraph will summarize the main ideas. But main ideas can also be
located in the middle or at the last sentence of the text.
c. What does most of the text talk about? Look at each sentence and
paragraph. Is there a single topic that connects them?

2. Separating General Ideas from Details/Examples

To summarize a text, you need to distinguish general ideas from details or

examples. It is important that you do not confuse the general idea from the details
because you might misunderstand the overall meaning of what you are reading.
Unfortunately, there are no clear markers which show you what is general or not. A
single sentence might mix general ideas and details together. So, how ere you going
to separate general ideas from details?
a. First, skim the text, reading fast and trying to understand the overall idea
in a simple way. In order to distinguish general ideas from details, you
need some context. Until you’ve read the whole thing, you will not get the
text’s context or background.
b. Second, look for linking phrases like ‘for example’. ‘for instance’,
‘specifically’, or in ‘particular’. Linking phrases like these show you that
what follows is an explanation of a more general idea that was mentioned
before.

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 c. Third, remember that one sentence can contain both general ideas and
details mixed together.

3. Identifying Key Words

One of the problems you may often encounter when reading English texts is that
there are words which you do not understand. You might have several words which
you do not know and that makes things more difficult but there are strategies you
can use.
1. First, look for proper nouns, which start with a capital letter. Sometimes
you might think that you do not understand a word, but you do not realize
that it is actually a proper noun like a person’s name or a place name. Can
you look for proper nouns in the sentence inside the box below?
Guugu Yimithirr is an indigenous Australian language, spoken in northern
Queensland; the majority of speakers live in the town of Hopevale.

Generally, if a proper noun is important or not widely understood,

it will be explained. For example, ‘Guugu Yimithirr’ is obviously important,
and it is explained in the first part of the sentence. If a proper noun is not
explained, you can usually ignore it, or try to work out the meaning from
the context. For example, even if you have never heard of Queensland or
Hopevale, you can work out that they’re place names because of the use
of the preposition ‘in’.

2. Next, look for words that tell you that an idea is important. You could
look for words like ‘important’, ‘notable’, ‘significant’ or ‘essential’.

3. Another strategy in finding key words is looking for repeated words. if

words are often repeated in a text, that means that word is significant in
giving meaning to a text.

*If you wish to see more about this concept you can watch
this educational video “How to Summarize: Finding
Keywords” of Ana Mascara in this link:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q97YcIFS1zQ

(Published on May 2, 2015 by Ana Mascara)

So basically, the key to making a good summary is to first have a grasp of the
essential ideas presented in the text. You cannot translate into your own words and
shorten something that you do not understand.

5
General Guidelines in Summarizing

Now that you have already learned some techniques on how to better
understand what you are reading, here are some general guidelines in
summarizing as suggested by Barrot and Sipacio (2017):

1. Clarify your purpose before you read.

2. Read the text at least twice until you fully understand its content. Locate the gist
or main idea of the text, which can usually be found either at the beginning, in
the middle, or in the end.
3. Highlight key ideas and phrases; another strategy is to annotate the text.
4. Write all the key ideas and phrases you identified on the margins or on your
notebook in a bullet or outline form.
5. Without looking at the text, identify the connections of these key ideas and
phrases using a concept map.
6. List your ideas in sentence form in a concept map.
7. Combine the sentences into a paragraph. Use appropriate transitional devices to
improve cohesion.
8. Never copy in verbatim a single sentence from the original text.
9. Refrain from adding comments about the text. Stick to the ideas it presents.
10. Edit the draft of your summary by eliminating redundant ideas.
11. Compare your output with the original text to ensure accuracy.
12. Record the details of the original source (author’s name/s, date of publication,
title, publisher, place of publishing, and URL, (if online). It is not necessary to
indicate the page number/s of the original text in citing sources in summaries.
13. Format your summary properly. When you combine your summaries in a
paragraph, use different formats to show variety in writing.

Writing a summary also depends on certain disciplines and each discipline would
require specific guidelines. Academic writing would require you to adhere to these
guidelines and structures retrieved from University of New South Wales
(htttp://student.unsw.edu.au/paraphrasing-summarizing-and-quoting) as cited in Barrot
& Sipacio. (2017)

● Publishing companies, libraries, or movie catalogue—do not give away the

actual content of the material in writing the summaries—it simply piques the
interest of the target audience. (Descriptive Abstracts)
● Research papers—readily present the key ideas and major findings of the study.
(Summative Abstracts)

General Rule in Writing Precis, Abstract or Summary:

condense information into around 15% of the original length of the text
A 6000-word research article for an academic journal requires only 200 to 250
words for its abstract.

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Structure of an Abstract, a Precis, or Summary

Research Abstract
✔ Usually contains 150 to 300 words;
✔ It does not use any citation;
✔ It does not include specific result statistics;
✔ Last to be written.
Research Abstract Structure:
● Rationale (around 20%)
● Research problems (around 10%)
● Methodology (around 20%)
● Major findings (around 40%)
● Conclusion and implications (around 10%)

Sample Research Abstract

Previous studies revealed that Meaning-Focused Instruction (MFI) and

Form-Focused Instruction (FFI) are two of the most effective approaches in
developing the overall language skills of second language learners, separately.
However, no experimental studies have been conducted to prove their effectiveness
when integrated. This study, therefore, aims to fill in this gap by investigating the
effects of combining MFI and FFI in developing the speaking, writing, and grammar
skills of selected secondary ESL students in public high schools in the Philippines.
The participants involved in this study are 480 third year high school students.
These students were divided into four groups: Group A (n=120) received both the
MFI and FFI, Group B (n=120) received MMI only, Group C (n=120) received FFI
only , and Group D (n=120) received the standard English programme for
secondary ESL students.
Findings revealed that students from Group A, B, and C significantly
improved in their speaking, writing, and grammar skills but not group D. Based
on ANOVA, findings further showed that students from Group A have
outperformed students from Group B, C, D. From these findings, it is concluded
that combining MFI and FFI is an effective way in significantly improving the
language skills of students. Future directions and implications for teaching are
also discussed.
Source:
Barrot & Sipacio. (2017). Communicate Today ENGLISH for Academic & Professional Purposes for
SHS. Quezon City: C&E Publishing, Inc.

Summary of Expository Texts

✔ Condenses information into 15 to 30% of the original text;
✔ It is achieved by getting the thesis statement of the text and the main idea
or topic sentence of each paragraph;
✔ Main ideas are combined into a paragraph using cohesive devices;
✔ Name of the author and the title of the article are indicated in the first
sentence.

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 Sample Non-Research Academic Text

Original Text

Several instructional design models were proposed. The model of highest

interest among teachers and practitioners are the classroom-oriented models
because they are directly related to teaching or instruction. As defined, classroom-
oriented models relate themselves to how teaching or instruction should be
undertaken. There are four models under this type.
The first classroom-oriented model was proposed by Gerlach and Ely
(1980). Generally, the model exhibits linear but somewhat recursive and
simultaneous activities. It includes the following components in chronological
order: objective specification, content specification, assessment of entry
behaviors, five simultaneously-performed activities (determining strategy,
organizing groups, allocating time, allocating space, and selecting resources),
performance evaluation which is directly related to objectives, and analysis of
feedback which involves the evaluation of objectives and strategies used in the
model.
Several instructional design models were proposed. The model of highest
interest among teachers and practitioners are the classroom-oriented models
because they are directly related to teaching or instruction. As defined, classroom-
oriented models relate themselves to how teaching or instruction should be
undertaken. There are four models under this type.
The first classroom-oriented model was proposed by Gerlach and Ely
(1980). Generally, the model exhibits linear but somewhat recursive and
simultaneous activities. It includes the following components in chronological
order: objective specification, content specification, assessment of entry
behaviors, five simultaneously-performed activities (determining strategy,
organizing groups, allocating time, allocating space, and selecting resources),
performance evaluation which is directly related to objectives, and analysis of
feedback which involves the evaluation of objectives and strategies used in the
model.
Several instructional design models were proposed. The model of highest
interest among teachers and practitioners are the classroom-oriented models
because they are directly related to teaching or instruction. As defined, classroom-
oriented models relate themselves to how teaching or instruction should be
undertaken. There are four models under this type.
The first classroom-oriented model was proposed by Gerlach and Ely
(1980). Generally, the model exhibits linear but somewhat recursive and
simultaneous activities. It includes the following components in chronological
order: objective specification, content specification, assessment of entry
behaviors, five simultaneously-performed activities (determining strategy,
organizing groups, allocating time, allocating space, and selecting resources),
performance evaluation which is directly related to objectives, and analysis of
feedback which involves the evaluation of objectives and strategies used in the
model.

8
 The last model under the classroom-oriented models is the Morrison, Ross,
and Kemp model (2001) which focuses on curriculum planning. It is a learner-
centered model that incorporates nine essential elements to instructional
development plan. These elements are listed as follows (p.6): (1) identification of
instructional problems and specification of goals for designing instructional
programs; (2) examination of learners’
characteristics needed when making instructional decisions; (3) identification of
content and analysis of task components against the stated goals and objectives;
(4) specification of instructional objectives; (5) logical sequencing of content; (6)
designing of instructional strategies to accomplish objectives; (7) planning and
developing the instruction; (8) development of evaluation tools to assess
objectives; and (9) selection of resources to support instruction and learning
activities. All of the presented models are highly encompassing as they are
applicable to multiple courses and subjects not specifically for language teaching.
Source: Gustafson, K., & Branch, R. (2002). Survey of instructional development
models (4th ed.). Sycracuse, New York: ERIC Clearing house on Information and
Technology.

Sample Summary of Expository Text

In the book of Gustafson and Branch (2002) titled “Survey of Instructional

Development Models,” they presented four models that are classified as
classroom-oriented models. These models include Gerlach and Ely model (1980),
Heinich, Molenda, Russell and Smaldino model (1999), Newby, Stepich, Lehman,
and Russell model (2000), and Morrison, Ross, and Kemp modeel (2001). Gerlach
and Ely (1980) follows a linear but recursive pattern in its activities. Heinich,
Molenda, Russell, and Smaldino model (1999), on the other hand, follows the
ASSURE sequence which stands for analysis of learners, statement of objectives,
selection and utilization of media and materials, requirement for participation
among learners, and evaluation. Unlike the first two models, Newbym Stepich,
Lehman, and Russell model (2000) is more learner-centered model that follows
the planning-implementation-evaluation sequence. Finally, there is the Morrison,
Ross, and Kemp model (2001) that incorporates nine essential elements in its
instructional design.
Source:
Barrot & Sipacio. (2017). Communicate Today ENGLISH for Academic &
Professional Purposes for SHS. Quezon City: C&E Publishing, Inc.

Formats in Summarizing

The three formats that you may use in writing summaries are the following:

1. Idea Heading Format

In this format, the summarized idea comes before the citation.

Example:

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 Benchmarking is a useful strategy that has the potential to help public
officials improve the performance of local services (Folz, 2004;
Ammons, 2001). Once the practice of a particular city is benchmarked, it
can bbe a guidepost and the basis for the other counterparts to improve its
own.

2. Author Heading Format

In this format, the summarized idea comes after the citation. The author’s
name/s is/are connected by an appropriate reporting verb.

Example:
The considerable number of users of FB has led educators to utilize FB for
communicating with their students (Grant, 2008; as cited in Donmus,
2010). The study of Kabilan, Ahmad and Abidin (2010) shows that the
students perceived FB as an online environment to expedite language
learning specifically English. Donmus (2010) asserts that educational
games on FB fecundate learning process and make students’ learning
environment more engaging. As regards literacy, this notion reveals that
FB could be used as a tool to aid individuals execute a range of social acts
through social literacy implementation (ibid). Blackstone and Hardwood
(2012) suggest the facilitative strength of FB as it elicits greater
engagement on collaboration among students.

3. Date Heading Format

In this format, the summarized idea comes after the date when the material was
published.

Example:

On the other hand, active participation of the citizens in development

contributes to a sound and reasonable government decisions. In their
2004 study on the impact of participatory development approach,
Irvin and Stansbury argue that participation can be valuable to the
participants and the government in terms of the process and outcomes
of decision making.

Using Reporting Verbs when Summarizing

A reporting verb is a word used to discuss another person’s writings or assertions.
They are generally used to incorporate the source to the discussion in the text. To
illustrate, see the sample text below. Reporting verbs are italicized.
Having syntactically correct sentence is not enough to create
meaning. As Noam Chomsky pointed out, a sentence can be perfect in
terms of syntax and still not make sense. He showed this by coming up
with the famous sentence, “Colorless green ideas sleep furiously”
(Chomsky, 1957).

10
 To make your summary more interesting and to show importance to each of your
sources, you should vary the verbs you use. You can use the past or the present tense
of the verb depending on your meaning.

⮚ Use the past tense if you think the idea is outdated and you want to negate
it.
⮚ The use of the present tense, on the other hand, indicates that you view the
idea to be relevant or agreeable.
⮚
Reporting verbs are used according to discipline. Hyland (1999) lists a frequency of
reporting verbs according to discipline.
Reporting verbs from left to right,
Discipline
most common to least common
Biology Describe Find Report Show Suggest Observe

Marketing Suggest Argue Find Demonstrate Propose Show

Linguistics Suggest Argue Show Explain Find Point out

Sociology Argue Suggest Describe Note Analyze Discuss

Philosophy Say Suggest Argue Claim Point out Hold Think

Overall Suggest Argue Find Show Describe Propose Report

I hope you have fully understood what you have just read. Let us
check your understanding. Write your answers in a separate sheet of
paper or on your notebook.

What is a SUMMARY? Write other terms for summary.

Complete the graphic organizer by supplying missing information. Write only key words/
phrases on a separate sheet of paper.

WRITING A
SUMMARY

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VI. PRACTICE TASKS
PRACTICE TASK 1

Now that you have already learned the techniques in

understanding a text—getting the main idea, separating general idea
from details, and identifying key words— let us check whether you can
arrive at the summary of the text below.
Directions: Skim read each text and identify its most appropriate summary. Write only
the letter/s of your choice on a separate sheet of paper. Each item is worth 5 points.
From Bowie to McCartney, Oasis to Coldplay and a thousand other acts
you’ve probably never heard of—Toots and the Maytals, anyone?—if you make
your living from music, there is only one place to play the ultimate gig: a field in
the south-west of England in the last week of June. This is the Glastonbury
Festival, the largest music event in the world, which takes place nearly every
summer, come rain or shine, and attracts both the biggest star names and the
largest crowds. Though it started fairly small in 1970, these days over 100,000
people attend, the majority of whom stay for the full five days, camping overnight
in tents.

It’s not just about music. To give it its full name, the Glastonbury Festival
of Contemporary Performing Arts promises a diverse program, including circus
acts, experimental theatre and new-age dance, but also yoga sessions, palm
readers, demonstrations of vegan cooking, and the usual crowd of money-makers
found at any large public gathering. The thousands surely come for the headline
bands, but many veterans claim it’s the bits away from the main stage that really
create the memories. After all, when Paul McCartney plays, you’ll be standing half
a mile away; it’s the closer encounters with pioneers of reggae like Toots and the
Maytals—as you munch on your veggie burger—that make Glastonbury the
glorious experience it is.

Source: https://www.oxfordonlineenglish.com/how-to-summarise-text

1. Which do you think is the best summary of the text?

A. The text describes the Glastonbury Festival as two very different events –
one with big name rock stars and the other with musicians who are not
famous, but just as good.
B. The text describes the history of the Glastonbury Festival, how many
people go to it and some of the big names who have played there.
C. The text describes who you can see at the Glastonbury Festival, including
the world's most famous music stars and lesser-known bands or non-
musicians who are even more memorable.

12
 Guugu Yimithirr—an unusual Australian language

Guugu Yimithirr is an indigenous Australian language, spoken in northern

Queensland; the majority of speakers live in the town of Hopevale. The English
word ‘kangaroo’ originates from Guugu Yimithirr, but the language is perhaps
more notable for entirely lacking ‘egocentric’ directions. This means that there are
no words for ‘left’, ‘right’, ‘backwards’ or ‘forwards’, and speakers of Guugu
Yimithirr give directions exclusively using points of the compass. For example, you
might hear “Your pen is on the table, just north of the fruit bowl.” While this
sounds strange in English, a Guugu Yimithirr speaker would see nothing odd
about it. Linguists and anthropologists investigating this unusual trait discovered
that Guugu Yimithirr speakers use subtle environmental cues to orient themselves
to the points of the compass; specifically, they use the position of the sun, the
position of landmarks, or the way that plants grow. In this way, they are always
aware of where north, south, east and west are, although they can temporarily
lose this ability if they move a large distance, for example if they fly to another
region. A group of Guugu Yimithirr speakers who were flown to Brisbane—a
journey of around 2000km—were unable to identify compass directions for around
one week after their journey; thereafter, they became oriented and were able to
communicate direction and position as they usually would.
Source: https://www.oxfordonlineenglish.com/how-to-summarise-text

2. Which do you think is the best summary of the text?

A. This text is about Guugu Yimithirr, and it gives some information about
the history of the language and how it has changed over time.
B. The text is about indigenous Australian languages which are spoken in
northern Australia, and which are often different from European
languages in interesting ways.
C. The text is about Guugu Yimithirr, an Australian language which is
unusual because it does not have words for ‘left’, ‘right’, ‘forwards’ or
‘backwards’.
It’s not what you say – it’s what you don’t!
Euphemisms are metaphorical expressions which we say in order to avoid
using words that sound unpleasant or uncomfortable. English is not alone in
having plenty of them, but they are certainly in common use, particularly in
Britain, where the cultural sensitivities of the 19th century still linger in many
parts of society. Back then, if you needed to go to the toilet, you couldn’t simply
announce the fact using the word ‘toilet’. Women might say they were “going to
powder their nose” while men would “go to the little boys’ room” and people of
either sex could “spend a penny”—this being the original price of using a public
lavatory in London. All three euphemisms, and many more, are still used
regularly.
English probably has an indirect way of avoiding almost any topic you can
think of, from embarrassing intimate things like romance— “are they stepping
out?”—to the most intrusive of matters to the English mind: how much money
someone earns— “I bet he takes home a packet”. Yet, there is no subject more
laden with euphemisms than the one thing that’s going to happen to every one of
us. Whether he “goes to meet his maker”, “kicks the bucket”, “pops his clogs”,
“bites the dust” or “breathes his last”, when
13 an Englishman dies, the last thing he
wants is for anybody to actually say it.
Source: https://www.oxfordonlineenglish.com/how-to-summarise-text
 3. Which is the best summary of the text?
A. The text is about the alternative expressions, called euphemisms, which
English people can use to avoid mentioning uncomfortable topics, such as
death.
B. The text is about why English people prefer to use alternative expressions
rather than talking about death, romance, money and going to the toilet.
C. The text is about metaphorical expressions which we say in order to avoid
using words that sound unpleasant or uncomfortable.

PRACTICE TASK 2

It seems like you already know how to digest the essential parts of the
text to arrive at a possible summary. Did the previous discussion help you?
Great! This time, you will be the one to find the key ideas and phrases in
the following texts.

Directions: Read carefully the following texts. Underline/ highlight the key ideas and
phrases in the text. Write a summary of one to two sentences of the selection using as
many of the main idea words as possible. Write your summary in another sheet of paper.

Imagine you only have Php30.00 for each text and that each
word you use is worth one peso. Let’s see how much money you will
save at the end of this task!

Your summary will be rated using the rubric below.

4 3 2 1
Length Number of Number of Number of Number of
words is less words is more words is the words
than half of than half of same as that exceeded that
the original the original of the original of the original
text text text text
Accuracy All statements Most Some Most
are accurate statements are statements statements
and verified by accurate and cite outside cite outside
the text. verified by the information or information or
text. opinions. opinions.
Paraphrasing No more than One sentence Two sentences 3+ sentences
4 words in a contains more contain more contain more
row taken than 4 words than 4 words than 4 words
directly from in a row taken in a row taken in a row taken
the text directly from directly from directly from
the text the text the text
Focus Summary Summary Summary Main idea of
consists of consists of consists of the text is not
main idea and main idea and main idea and discussed.
important some minor lots of minor
details only. details. details.

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Conventions No more than 2-3 4-5 6+
one punctuation, punctuation, punctuation,
punctuation, grammar, and grammar, and grammar, and
grammar, or spelling errors spelling errors spelling errors
spelling error

Text 1
When one hears the term “reality” applied to a television show, one might
expect that the events occurred naturally or, at the least, were not scripted, but
this is not always the case. Many reality shows occur in unreal environments,
like rented mansions occupied by film crews. These living environments do not
reflect what most people understand to be “reality.” Worse, there have been
accusations that events not captured on film were later restaged by producers.
Worse still, some involved in the production of “reality” television claim that the
participants were urged to act out story lines premeditated by producers. With
such accusations floating around, it’s no wonder many people take reality TV to
be about as real as the sitcom.
Summary:

_______________________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________________

Total Number of Words: ______________

Amount saved: ______________
Score based on rubric:
_____/ 20

Source: https://www.ereadingworksheets.com/free-reading-worksheets/reading-comprehension-
worksheets/summarizing-worksheets-and-activities

Text 2

There are many types of lethal venom in the animal kingdom, but perhaps
no stranger carrier than the platypus. The platypus is one of few venomous
mammals. Males carry a venom cocktail in their ankle spurs that paralyzes victims
with excruciating pain. Stranger still, the platypus is the only mammal that uses
electroreception. What this means is that the platypus uses its bill to sense the
electricity produced by the muscular movements of its prey. The platypus neither
sees, hears, nor smells its prey while hunting but, rather, pursues it through
electroreception. Perhaps most odd, the platypus is the only mammal that lays
eggs rather than giving birth to live young. The platypus is an odd creature indeed.
Summary:____________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________________

Total Number of Words: ______________

Amount saved: ______________
Score based on rubric:
_____/ 20
Source: https://www.ereadingworksheets.com/free-reading-worksheets/reading-comprehension-
worksheets/summarizing-worksheets-and-activities

15
Text 3
Women entrepreneurs in the developing world often face challenges that
limit their chances for success and growth. They often have less access to
education than men and have difficulty getting financing on their own. But with
an understanding of the essential aspects of doing business – such as planning,
financing, networking and marketing – they can overcome those obstacles. That's
where the 10,000 Women Initiative comes in. As Faiza Elmasry tells us, it's an
investment in education with dividends that benefit the businesswomen, their
local communities and their national economies.
Summary:

_______________________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________________

Total Number of Words: ______________

Amount saved: ______________
Score based on rubric: _____/ 20
Source: Goldman Sachs invests in Educating Women in Business, Voice of America, voanews.com

PRACTICE TASK 3

Nice! You are showing good progress by being able to summarize a paragraph in your
own words. I hope you’ll do well again in your next task.

Aside from getting the gist or main ideas of the text in order for you to write only the
essential points and details, you also have to cite the source of the text (if the source is
given), employ summarizing format, and use appropriate reporting verbs.
Below is no longer a paragraph but an essay for you to summarize.

Directions: Read and understand the content of the essay. Using the techniques and
guidelines you learned, summarize the text in your own words. Be guided by the rubric
below.
RUBRIC FOR EVALUATING A SUMMARY

VGE GE SE (LE) N
CRITERIA
(5) (4) (3) (2) (1)
The summary accurately reflects the
message of the original text.
The summary reworded the key ideas in the
original text without compromising the
accuracy or content.
The summary incorporates only the key
ideas.
The summary does not contain any
personal comments or opinions.
The summary cites sources properly.
The summary is shorter than the original
text.
The summary uses appropriate reporting
verbs.

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The summary uses different heading
formats.
The summary has smooth transitions.
The summary is free from grammatical
errors
TOTAL
SOURCE:
Barrot & Sipacio. (2017). Communicate Today ENGLISH for Academic &
Professional Purposes for SHS. Quezon City: C&E Publishing, Inc.

Legend: VGE- To a very great extent; GE- To a great extent; SE- To some extent;
LE- To a little extent; N- Not at all
Rating: VGE: 41-50; GE: 31-40; SE: 21-30; LE: 11-20; N:10

So That Nobody Has to Go to School If They Don't Want To

by Roger Sipher

A decline in standardized test scores is but the most recent indicator that
American education is in trouble.

One reason for the crisis is that present mandatory-attendance laws force
many to attend school who have no wish to be there. Such children have little
desire to learn and are so antagonistic to school that neither they nor more highly
motivated students receive the quality education that is the birthright of every
American.

The solution to this problem is simple: Abolish compulsory-attendance laws

and allow only those who are committed to getting an education to attend.

This will not end public education. Contrary to conventional belief,

legislators enacted compulsory-attendance laws to legalize what already existed.
William Landes and Lewis Solomon, economists, found little evidence that
mandatory-attendance laws increased the number of children in school. They
found, too, that school systems have never effectively enforced such laws, usually
because of the expense involved.

There is no contradiction between the assertion that compulsory

attendance has had little effect on the number of children attending school and
the argument that repeal would be a positive step toward improving education.
Most parents want a high school education for their children. Unfortunately,
compulsory attendance hampers the ability of public school officials to enforce
legitimate educational and disciplinary policies and thereby make the education a
good one.

Private schools have no such problem. They can fail or dismiss students,
knowing such students can attend public school. Without compulsory attendance,
public schools would be freer to oust students whose academic or personal
behavior undermines the educational mission of the institution.

17
 Has not the noble experiment of a formal education for everyone failed?
While we pay homage to the homily, "You can lead a horse to water but you can't
make him drink," we have pretended it is not true in education.

Ask high school teachers if recalcitrant students learn anything of value.

Ask teachers if these students do any homework. Quite the contrary, these
students know they will be passed from grade to grade until they are old enough
to quit or until, as is more likely, they receive a high school diploma. At the point
when students could legally quit, most choose to remain since they know they are
likely to be allowed to graduate whether they do acceptable work or not.
Abolition of archaic attendance laws would produce enormous dividends.
First, it would alert everyone that school is a serious place where one goes
to learn. Schools are neither day-care centers nor indoor street corners. Young
people who resist learning should stay away; indeed, an end to compulsory
schooling would require them to stay away.
Second, students opposed to learning would not be able to pollute the
educational atmosphere for those who want to learn. Teachers could stop policing
recalcitrant students and start educating.
Third, grades would show what they are supposed to: how well a student
is learning. Parents could again read report cards and know if their children were
making progress.
Fourth, public esteem for schools would increase. People would stop
regarding them as way stations for adolescents and start thinking of them as
institutions for educating America's youth.
Fifth, elementary schools would change because students would find out
early they had better learn something or risk flunking out later. Elementary
teachers would no longer have to pass their failures on to junior high and high
school.
Sixth, the cost of enforcing compulsory education would be eliminated.
Despite enforcement efforts, nearly 15 percent of the school-age children in our
largest cities are almost permanently absent from school.
Communities could use these savings to support institutions to deal with
young people not in school. If, in the long run, these institutions prove more
costly, at least we would not confuse their mission with that of schools.

Schools should be for education. At present, they are only tangentially so.
They have attempted to serve an all-encompassing social function, trying to be all
things to all people. In the process they have failed miserably at what they were
originally formed to accomplish.
Source:

Sipher, Roger. “So That Nobody Has to Go to School If They Don't Want To.” The
New York Times, 19 Dec. 1977, p. 31.

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Write your summary on a separate sheet of paper.
SUMMARY:
_____________________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________

Congratulations! Getting this far means you can already use the
different strategies and techniques in summarizing academic texts. I
hope all those practice tasks helped you get through with it. Now, why
don’t we go check how much you learned in this module?

VII. POST-TEST

Directions: Write E if the statement shows an effective strategy in writing an abstract,

precis, or summary; and N if not.

__________ 1. David copies in verbatim some of the sentences from the original
text.
__________ 2. Hazel highlights the key ideas in the original text while reading it.
__________ 3. Glenn adds his own explanation to some of the key ideas he
writes in his summary.
__________ 4. Monica uses appropriate reporting verbs in her summary.
__________ 5. Sarah reads the original text several times until she fully
understands it.
__________ 6. Anjo concentrates on the important details.
__________ 7. Irene writes a research abstract without any major findings in it.
__________ 8. Aimee reads her summary and compares it to the original text.
__________ 9. Marionne presents her summary in bullet form.

__________ 10. Pio writes in his summary how he feels after reading the text to be
summarized.
__________ 11. Vanessa looks for key words and phrases.

__________ 12. Darwin simplifies ideas.

__________ 13. Giovani does not acknowledge the original source in his summary.
__________ 14. Lily revised the main idea of the text.
__________ 15. Sheila extended the message of the text and included some of her
interpretations.

19
VIII.ASSIGNMENT

Choose your favorite book or movie and write a summary of its

plot. Make sure to follow the format below. Write your summary
in a separate sheet of paper.
● Times New Roman, 12
● 1.5 Spacing
● 1” margin on all sides
● Short bond paper
ANSWER KEYS

PRETEST
1. TRUE
2. FALSE
3. FALSE
4. TRUE
5. FALSE

LEARNING CONCEPTS
SUMMARY— (Students may give different definitions of summary based on their
understanding, but teacher should see to it that it is still aligned to the concept.)

OTHER TERMS: gist, précis, abstract, synopsis

TECHNIQUES:
✔ Finding the main idea
✔ Separating general idea from details
✔ Finding key words

SIGNIFICANCE
✔ deepen your understanding of the text;
✔ learn to identify relevant information or key ideas;
✔ combine details or examples that support the main idea and key
words presented in the text; and,
✔ capture the key ideas in the text and put them together clearly and
concisely.
FORMATS
✔ Idea heading format
✔ Author heading format
✔ Date heading format
GUIDELINES
(Students may give any of the guidelines given in the discussion)

PRACTICE TASK 1
1. C
2. C
3. A

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PRACTICE TASK 2
Total number of words used, and amount saved by every student may vary.

TEXT 1 EXAMPLE SUMMARY

Reality TV shows are not very realistic because they are filmed in
unrealistic places, may contain restaged events, and may be scripted.

TEXT 2 EXAMPLE SUMMARY

The platypus is a strange mammal because it has venom, uses its beak to
sense prey, and lays eggs.

TEXT 3 EXAMPLE SUMMARY

The 10,000 Women Initiative helps women entrepreneurs in developing
nations to understand the cornerstones of the business world, overcoming
various challenges and helping their communities and countries.

PRACTICE TASK 3

EXAMPLE SUMMARY
Roger Sipher (1977) makes his case for getting rid of compulsory-
attendance laws in primary and secondary schools with six arguments. These fall
into three groups—first that education is for those who want to learn and by
including those that don't want to learn, everyone suffers. Second, that grades
would be reflective of effort and elementary school teachers wouldn't feel
compelled to pass failing students. Third, that schools would both save money
and save face with the elimination of compulsory-attendance laws.

POST TEST
1. N 9. N
2. E 10. N
3. N 11. E
4. E 12. E
5. E 13. N
6. E 14. N
7. N 15. N
8. E

21
 REFERENCES

Barrot & Sipacio. (2017). Communicate today ENGLISH for academic & professional

purposes for SHS. Quezon City: C&E Publishing, Inc.

Gustafson, K., & Branch, R. (2002). Survey of instructional development models (4 th ed.).

Sycracuse, New York: ERIC Clearing house on Information and Technology.

Ibones, J. et al. (2014). Worktext for english I: Study and thinking skills. Mutya

Publishing House: Malabon City.

https://www.oxfordonlineenglish.com/how-to-summarise-text

ACTIVITIES

https://www.ereadingworksheets.com/free-reading-worksheets/reading-

comprehension-worksheets/summarizing-worksheets-and-activities/

https://owl.purdue.edu/owl/research_and_citation/using_research/quoting_paraphr

asing_and_summarizing/paraphrasing_sample_essay.html

https://owl.purdue.edu/owl_exercises/esl_exercises/paraphrase_and_summary_exerc

ises/basic_level_paraphrase_and_summary_writing.html

22