Topic 2.

Summarizing
Summarizing

A summary is a short retelling of a longer written passage, containing the author’s most
important ideas.

How to Summarize a Paragraph

1. Preview and read. Preview and read the paragraph closely. You probably will find that you
need to read the paragraph more than one time.

2. Make a list or outline. Determine the main idea and the supporting details of the
paragraph. Make a list or outline of these ideas. Be sure to use your own words.

3. Write a summary. Using your list, write a summary of the paragraph. State the main ideas,
followed by important ideas. Limit your summary to just one or two sentences.

4. Read aloud and correct. Read the summary aloud, correcting any mistakes.

EXAMPLE OF A SUMMARY

Original

“The Northern Lights”

There are times when the night sky glows with bands of color. The bands may

begin as cloud shapes and then spread into a great arc across the entire sky. They may fall
in folds like a curtain drawn across the heavens. The lights usually grow brighter, then
suddenly dim. During this time the sky glows with pale yellow, pink, green, violet, blue, and
red. These lights are called the Aurora Borealis. Some people call them the Northern Lights.
Scientists have been watching them for hundreds of years. They are not quite sure what
causes them. In ancient times, people were afraid of the Lights. They imagined that they saw
fiery dragons in the sky. Some even concluded that the heavens were on fire.

Summary 

The Aurora Borealis, or Northern Lights, are bands of color in the night sky. Ancient  people
thought that these lights were dragon on fire, and even modern scientists  are not sure what
they are.

Original

So how do you go about identifying your strengths and weaknesses, and analyzing the
opportunities and threats that flow from them? SWOT Analysis is a useful technique that
helps you to do this.

What makes SWOT especially powerful is that, with a little thought, it can help you to
uncover opportunities that you would not otherwise have spotted. And by understanding
your weaknesses, you can manage and eliminate threats that might otherwise hurt your
ability to move forward in your role.

If you look at yourself using the SWOT framework, you can start to separate yourself from
your peers, and further develop the specialized talents and abilities that you need in order
to advance your career and to help you achieve your personal goals.

Summary

SWOT Analysis is a technique that helps you identify strengths, weakness, opportunities,
and threats. Understanding and managing these factors helps you to develop the abilities
you need to achieve your goals and progress in your career.

Topic 3. Paraphrasing
Paraphrasing

Paraphrasing is restating a passage in simpler language.

It is important to remember two things when you are writing a paraphrase. The

well-written paraphrase has the same meaning as the original passage and is

approximately the same length.

How to Paraphrase a Written Passage

1.Preview and read. Preview and read the passage closely. You will need to read the passage
three or four times for thorough understanding.

2.Underline the key words. Underlining key words will help you decide what is important in
each sentence and, consequently, in the entire passage. Remember to look up any words
you do not know.

3. Rewrite the passage in your own words. Go through the selection and rewrite each
sentence, using different words with the same meaning.

4. Read the paraphrase aloud, correcting any mistakes. To check for a well-     written
paraphrase, ask yourself the following questions:

a. Is the paraphrase approximately the same length as the original

passage?

b. Has any part of the passage been copied word for word? (If so, then

you must rewrite this part.)

c. Does the paraphrase have the same meaning as the passage?

The Koala Bear

 
Original Text Paraphrase

   

The koala bear of Australia is a living “Teddy
Bear.” Its thick coat of gray fur is just as soft as
the beloved toy. The koala has a large head, big
ears and small, dark eyes that look at you
without expression. Its nose, as black as patent
leather, seems too big for the rest of its face.
 
The koala bear lives in Australia. It is really a
“Teddy Bear” that is alive. It
has thick gray fur that feels as soft as that of the
toy bear. The koala has special features: big
head, large ears, and little, dark eyes without
expression. As black as shiny leather, the
koala’s nose appears to be too large for his face.

   

The koala is a gentle little animal. It is almost
defenseless. Only its color protects it from
enemies. The koala makes no nest. It just sits in
the forked branches of a tree. Unlike a bird, it
cannot balance itself with its tail—because it
has no tail. It likes gum trees the best because it
loves entirely on the leaves of the
tree. Sometimes the supply of its special diet is
used up. The koala, rather than seek food
elsewhere, will stay in its own area and starve
to death.
A gentle small animal, the koala has only one
way to defend itself from its enemies. Its color
is its only protection. Making no nest, the koala
just sits where branches fork in a tree. Without
a tail, the koala cannot keep itself balanced like
a bird. The koala eats only the leaves of gum
trees which it likes best. If all of its special food
is eaten, the koala will not look for food outside
its own area. It will remain where it is and die
of starvation.

 
Original Text Paraphrase

   

Despite the undoubted fact that everyone's We all have different ideas about
vision of what constitutes success is success. What's important is that you spend
different, one should spend one's time time defining your version of success. That
establishing and finalizing one's personal vision way, you'll understand what you should be
of it. Otherwise, how can you possibly working toward. You'll also know if your
understand what your final destination might decisions are helping you to move toward your
be, or whether or not your decisions are
assisting you in moving in the direction of the
goals which you've set yourself. 
The two kinds of statement – mission and
vision – can be invaluable to your approach,
aiding you, as they do, in focusing on your
primary goal, and quickly identifying
possibilities that you might wish to exploit and
explore.
goals.
 Used as part of your personal approach to goal-
setting, mission and vision statements are useful
for bringing sharp focus to your most important
goal, and for helping you to quickly identify
which opportunities you should pursue.
 

 
 

SUMMARIZING AND PARAPHRASING

(DIFFERENCES)
A summary is a brief A paraphrase is a precise

restatement of the content of a restatement, in your own words,

passage, focusing on the of the content of a passage,

central idea and/or the main focusing on the main idea(s)

idea(s) and the example(s) and/or

  details(s)

 
A summary usually follows the A paraphrase changes not only

same order of ideas as the the words but also the sentence

original passage structures of the original

  passage

 
SUMMARIZING AND PARAPHRASING

(SIMILARITIES)

Both are in your own words

 Both do not distort the meaning of the

original passage

Both must be documented – even

though they are in your own words,

the original ideas are not yours

CONTEXT CLUES

1. Definition/ Description clue

The new term may be formally defined, or sufficient explanation may be given within the
sentence. Clues to definition include “that is”, commas, dashes and parentheses

Examples:
-His emaciation, that is, his skeleton-like appearance, was frightening to see

“skeleton-like appearance” is the definition of “emaciation”

-Fluoroscopy, examination with fluoroscope has become a common practice.

The commas before and after “examination with fluoroscope” point out the definition of
“fluoroscopy”.

-The dudeen -a short-stemmed clay pipe – is found in Irish folk tales

The dashes setting off “a short-stemmed clay pipe” point out the definition of dudeen.

2. Example clues
Sometimes when a reader finds a new word, an example might be found nearby that
helps to explain its meaning. Words like including, such as, and for example point out
example clues

Examples:

a. Piscatorial creatures, such as flounder, salmon and trout live in the coldest parts of
the ocean.

Piscatorial obviously refers to fish

b. Celestial bodies including the sun, moon and stars, have fascinated man through
the centuries.
“Celestial” objects are those in the sky or heaven
3. Synonym/Restatement clue
The reader may discover the meaning of an unknown word because it repeats an idea
expressed in familiar words nearby. Synonyms are words with the same meaning.

Examples:

Flooded with spotlights- the focus of all attention- the new Miss America began her year-
long reign. She was the cynosure of all eyes for the rest of evening.

“cynosure” means the focus of all attention

The mountain pass was a tortuous road, winding and twisting like a snake around the
trees of the mountainside.

“tortuous” means winding and twisting

4. Contrast/ Antonym clue

Antonyms are words with opposite meaning. An opposite meaning context clue contrasts
the meaning of an unfamiliar word with the meaning of a familiar term. Words like
“although” “however” and “but” may signal contrast clues.

Examples:
When the light brightens, the pupils of the eyes contract; however when it grows darker,
they dilate.
“dilate” means the opposite of contract

The children were as different as day and night. He was a lively conversationalist but
she was reserved and taciturn

“taciturn” means the opposite of lively conversationalist

5. Mood/Tone clue
The author sets a mood, and the meaning of the unknown word must harmonize with the
mood

Examples:

The lugubrious wails of the gypsies matched the dreary whistling of the wind in the all
but-deserted cemetery.

“Lugubrious” which means sorrowful fits in to the mood set by words “wails” “dreary” and
“deserted cemetery”
 6. Inference clue
Sufficient clue might be available for the careful reader to make an educated guess at
the meaning.

Example:

She told her friend I’m through with blind dates forever. What a dull evening! I was bored
every minute. The conversation was absolutely vapid.

“vapid” means uninteresting

EXAMPLES:

a. My brother said, “I just freed myself from a very loquacious history professor. All he
seemed to want was an audience.

Loquacious-TALKATIVE

b. A combination of fog and industrial smoke, called smog, has vitiated the air in and
around many big cities.

Vitiated- CONTAMINATE

c. Such are the vicissitudes of history. Nothing remains the same. Three hundred
years of peace ended in darkness and confusion.

Vicissitudes- changes

d. The purpose of psychiatrist is to mitigate the suffering of the patient.

Mitigate- MAKE MILDER

e. It is difficult to imagine a surfeit of talent in one individual yet Leonard Bernstein

simply does not have time to make complete use of his talent as conductor,
performer, writer, and lecturer.

Surfeit- VARIETY

CONTEXT CLUES QUIZ

The correct answer is:

1. Please notify us of your plans, in other words, let us know what you are going to do.
→ Synonym or Restatement,
2. You will surely enjoy ball games including basketball, volleyball, football and sepak
takraw.
→ Example Clue,

3. He finished culinary arts, an art of food preparation, in four years.

→ Definition/ Description,

4. It was a pluvious day. The children brought with them their raincoats and umbrellas.
→ Inference,

5. Many lived in poverty while others feast in the power of wealth.

→ Antonym/ Contrast,

6. It was an appalling night. All I can see and hear are the flashing lightning and the roaring
thunder.
→ Tone/ Mood,

 7. Judges decide the legality, or lawfulness of actions.

→ Synonym or Restatement,

8. “Unlike Learni who is loquacious, Thess is very quiet.”

→ Antonym/ Contrast,

9. When the principal announced that Marie won the first prize, the whole class
became jubilant and       called for a party.
→ Inference,

10. Check to see that you have packed adequate rations, that is, be sure you bring enough
food.
→ Definition/ Description
TURN TAKING

A turn is when one of the speakers is talking and the other listens
Turn-taking is the skill of knowing when to start and finish a turn in a conversation

TURN TAKING SKILLS

- Avoid rude interruption (interrupt politely)
- Wait for your turn
- Agree and disagree politely
- Use polite language
- Listen carefully as speaker makes their point

Clues that a speaker finished speaking

- When the speaker pauses
- When the speaker may point or face in your direction
- When the speaker uses fillers. They may give you a hint to interrupt politely
- When a speaker asks a yes or no question then they use a rising intonation. A falling
intonation implies that the speaker has finished speaking.
MINUTE TAKING