SUMMARY WRITING: THEORY & PRACTICE (2020)

I. What is a summary?
• A summary is a shortened passage, which retains the essential information of the original. It is a fairly
brief restatement – in your own words – of the contents of a passage.
• Note: you simply report back what the writer has said, without making value judgments.
II. Characteristics of a good summary
• Can be understood without reference to the original;
• Is a faithful reproduction of, or contains only the ideas or information of, the original;
• Is brief without any unnecessary detail;
• Is a readable unified whole
III. Techniques in summary writing
1. Paraphrasing: To paraphrase means to completely and correctly express other people's ideas in one's own
words.
Examples:
• You've cooked us all a hot potato. (You have given us a troublesome issue)
• Prevention is better than cure. (It is better to prevent something unpleasant from happening than try to
put it right afterwards.)
Steps of paraphrasing
• Read the original carefully and comprehend its meaning wholly and correctly.
• Consider the original article as a whole, not in isolated sentences.
2. Grasping the central ideas
3. Ways of condensation
• Use synonyms or synonymous phrases
➢ He had a good command of English. (He knew English well.)
• Change the structure of simple sentences
➢ My brother has an appreciation of modern art. (My brother appreciates modern art.)
• Turn complex sentences into simple sentences
➢ He received a welcome that was as cold as ice. (He received an icy welcome.)
• Combine the sentences
➢ Hurry up. If you don't, you'll miss the train. (Hurry up or you'll miss the train.)
4. Finding the topic sentence and making an outline
IV. Necessary elements for a good summary
• Thesis statement (the topic or general subject matter of the text; the author's major assertion,
comment, or position on the topic)
• Supporting ideas (major supporting ideas; relationships among these ideas; no specifics; no personal
opinions, ideas, and inferences.)
• Grammar and the structure of writing: avoid direct quotation; use transitional words
• Length: 1/4 to 1/3 of the original
V. Steps in writing a summary
• Read the article: To understand the article and find the general theme.
• Reread the article: Divide into sections and label each section.
• Understand the important parts => write one-sentence summaries to summarize each section of
thought.
• Formulate the thesis statement: Weave the one-sentence section-summaries together.
• Polish your summary with linking devices.
Notes:
• Eliminate unnecessary words and repetitions.
• Eliminate personal ideas and inferences.
• Use transitions for a smooth and logical flow of ideas.

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PRACTICE:
PARAPHRASE & SHORTEN THESE SENTENCES / SHORT PASSAGES:
A. If you teach your children not to fear a mistake of failure, they will learn faster and achieve success at last.
B. We want to ask for help from our teacher. We can ask for help from our teacher.
C. You can think of a way to manage temper. Here are some tips:
1) We should try to calm down and figure out what we are really upset about. 2) Keep a diary. It can help you
understand more about yourself and your feelings. 3) We can try to talk with our best friends to release stressful
emotions.
D. Nowadays more and more teenagers try to be more independent from their paints and sometimes become
very rebellious. They always want to wear long and strange hair style, which their parents complain about a lot.
They also spend too much time on the Internet and playing computer games.
READ EACH PASSAGE, AND SUMMARIZE IT IN ONE OR TWO SENTENCES.
1. People are living a lot longer now than in the past. Hospitals have very advanced equipment that helps
doctors diagnose and remedy health problems. Doctors are getting state-of-the-art training throughout
the world. Also, doctors are able to prescribe many new medications to help people treat and avoid health
concerns.
Summary ____________________________________________________________
2. Embryonic stem cells are cells that appear in human embryos a few days after fertilization. Because they
can grow into any kind of tissue in the body, they may make medical breakthroughs, such as regenerating
spinal cords, possible. Their use has triggered ethical objections, however, as some believe the cells are
forms of human life and thus should not be destroyed for use in medical experiments.
Summary ____________________________________________________________
3. Modern movies are amazing. They show marvelous special effects created by computers. Computers
allow special effects artists lots of freedom. They are able to make monsters, edit backgrounds, and
modify scenes. In addition, many modern blockbusters cost over 100 million dollars when directors create
them. This huge amount of money allows them to get famous actors and travel to lots of locations.
Summary ____________________________________________________________
4. Computers are becoming more and more powerful. During the 1990s, the memory and processing speeds
of computers were doubling every year or two. This growth has slowed a bit, but they are still growing
very quickly. The size of the hardware needed to store information is also shrinking. 40 years ago, NASA
needed a computer the size of a room to do calculus equations. Now that power can be held in someone's
hand with a calculator.
Summary ____________________________________________________________
5. Divorces are becoming more frequent in industrialized countries. As countries become wealthier, the
status of women often increases. Women are usually added to the workforce. They gain solid jobs and
become more economically independent. An independent woman is more likely to seek a divorce since
she can sustain herself without a husband. Also, the rights of women usually increase as a country
industrializes. In many poor, conservative societies, women do not even have the right to divorce; only
men can.
Summary ____________________________________________________________

Summarise the following passages in about 100 words. Try to use your own words as much as possible.
PASSAGE 1:
Weight loss is most likely to be successful when people change their habits. Here are several ways to
make that happen.
Regular physical activity burns calories and builds muscles ---both of which help you look and feel good
and keep weight off. Walking the family dog, cycling to school, and doing other things that increase your daily
level of activity can all make a difference.
One reason people get less exercise these days is because of an increase in “screen time” – the amount
of time spent watching TV, looking at the computer, or playing video games. Limit recreational screen time to
less than 2 hours per day. When you really get away from “screens”, such as TV, computers, IPad or mobile
phones, you will really benefit a lot.

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 Portion sizes are bigger than they used to be, and these extra calories contribute to obesity. Another key
factor in weight gain is that more people drink sugary drinks, such as sodas, juice drinks, and sports drinks. So
choose smaller portions (or share restaurant portions) and go for water or low-fat mild instead of soda.
People who skip breakfast often feel so hungry that they eat more later on. So they get more calories
than they would have if they ate breakfast. In fact, people who skip breakfast tend to have higher BIMs than
people who eat breakfast.
If you really put the above into practice at once, you will definitely reduce your weight gradually. And wish
you have a good figure.

PASSAGE 2:
You may want to offer help if your friend falls into depression. Depression is a complex emotional illness
and it is necessary to do adequate research about the illness. You may access a number of resources to gain
a deep understanding of this emotional condition. You can also find books or magazines in the library. If you
still have some questions, you can see a doctor. In the end, you should have a good idea of what is affecting
your friend.
People with depression are often very afraid of talking to someone except their doctors. They can easily
be ashamed of their condition and consequently they try to hide it. You shouldn’t be surprised if a depressed
friend won’t open up to you. However, when he or she does, you should let the words flow. Don’t be judgmental
and never interrupt! Listening is not an easy skill, as it’s likely that you can’t help voicing your opinion.
If your friend shows likely signs of depression, such as the feeling of worthlessness, a lack of interest in
daily activities and uncontrolled crying, you should contact a doctor, schedule an appointment and accompany
him or her on the first visit. If he or she refuses, let several days go by before making another suggestion. You
should be able to identify moments when he or she seems to have better moods. These moments could be the
right time to ask him or her to see the doctor. Over time, your friend begins to cooperate and see the doctor.
At last, as a caregiver, you also need someone to talk to and perhaps you may join a support group so
you can meet other caregivers. You shouldn’t sacrifice your own physical and mental condition when helping
people with depression. There are cases when caregivers become depressed. If it happens, there is no shame
in seeing a doctor yourself.

PASSAGE 3:
Read the following extract and use your own words to summarize it. Your summary should be about 80
words long.

Eco-labeling is a process in which a product that meets certain environmental standards has a label on
its packaging that tells the consumer the product is environmentally friendly. For example, a notebook that is
made of recycled paper will have an eco-label somewhere on its cover. While the intention of the eco-labeling
system is to promote environmentally friendly production practices, it is largely ineffective for a number of
reasons.

First, most consumers are largely unaware of the system. When asked, many buyers are unaware of
what an eco-label is, what it signifies, or where it can be found on a product. Furthermore, even when consumers
are aware of the eco-labeling system, the large majority of those consumers do not take the eco-label into
consideration when making a purchase, as consumers are typically far more concerned with the cost of a
product. As a result, eco-labels are ineffective in encouraging consumers to buy more environmentally friendly
products.

Another drawback to the eco-labeling system Is that it Is generally only used by small, local businesses.
Small businesses that operate in a particularly environmentally conscious area may choose to use eco-labels.
The environmental impact of these small companies, however, is minimal compared to that of large multi-
national corporations, few of which use eco-labels.

Finally, eco-labeling puts companies at a significant market disadvantage. The process of eco-labeling is
expensive and drives up the cost of a product. The company must then either decide to take a smaller profit
share in order to offset the cost, or pass on the cost to the consumer, which will hurt the company's sales.

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PASSAGE 4:
Read the following extract and use your own words to summarize it. Your summary should be about 80
words long.

These days it is easier than ever for people to get a college degree, due mostly to online universities.
Previously, one had to find a college that was both close to home and affordable, but this is no longer the case.
Students of online universities can take their classes over the Internet and complete assignments according to
their own schedules. Unfortunately, graduates of online universities are often disappointed to find that many
employers do not take these universities seriously.

Many employers think that online universities are inferior to traditional universities in regard to academics.
One common perception is that the workload is not as heavy for students of online universities, and that the
class assignments are easier. At an online university, students are sent assignments over email, and complete
them on their own time by a certain date. This means they have little help from instructors and fewer
opportunities to learn as they develop their assignments.

Employers may also believe that online university graduates lack appropriate social skills. At a traditional
university, students interact with one another and with professors on a daily basis. This teaches students how
to get along with their peers and superiors in a working environment. Such skills are very important in the work
world. Online university graduates do not have these opportunities, leading employers to fear that the graduates
may not have the interpersonal skills required by most jobs.

Another issue that concerns employers is academic honesty at online universities. They reason that
because students take tests without the direct supervision of instructors, they are more likely to cheat or perform
other dishonest actions. This means that students' final grades may or may not reflect their success in the class.
Therefore, there is no way to know if the students have really learned what they should.

PASSAGE 5:
Read the following extract and use your own words to summarize it. Your summary should be about 80
words long.

A good story encourages us to turn the next page and read more. We want to find out what happens
next and what the main characters do and what they say to each other. We may feel excited, sad, afraid, angry
or really happy. This is because the experience of reading or listening to a story is much more likely to make
us 'feel' that we are part of the story, too. Just like in our 'real' lives, we might love or hate different characters
in the story. Perhaps we recognize ourselves or others in some of them. Perhaps we have similar problems.

Because of this natural empathy with the characters, our brains process the reading of stories differently
from the way we read factual information. Our brains don't always recognize the difference between an
imagined situation and a real one so the characters become 'alive' to us. What they say and do is therefore
more meaningful. This is why the words and structures that relate a story's events, descriptions and
conversations are processed in this deeper way.

In fact, cultures all around the world have always used storytelling to pass knowledge from one
generation to another. Our ancestors understood very well that this was the best way to make sure our histories
and information about how to relate to others and to our world was not only understood, but remembered too.
(Notice that the word 'history' contains the word 'story' – this is not a coincidence!)

Encouraging your child to read or listen to stories should therefore help them to learn a second language
in a way that is not only fun, but memorable.

PASSAGE 6:
Read the following extract and use your own words to summarize it. Your summary should be about 80
words long.

GENE THERAPY

“We used to think that our fate was in our stars, but now we know that, in large measure, our fate is in
our genes”, said James Watson. Watson is a molecular biologist and co-discoverer of DNA structure. Why?
Scientists are seeing that gene therapy is revolutionizing the treatment of disease.

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 In gene therapy, healthy genes are introduced into defective cells to prevent or cure disease. While
much of the research is in the beginning stages, some successes point to the real benefit of the therapy. In
Italy, doctors have recently treated one genetic disease with gene therapy. This disease most often begins to
destroy the brain when children are between 1 and 2, stopping them from walking and talking. By inserting
normal, healthy genetic material into a virus and then infecting the patients, scientists seem to be able to cure
the disease. Although the children given the therapy still need follow-up treatments, they now lead a relatively
normal life.

Gene therapy has also been used to help older patients. These people suffer from a disease that causes
slow movement and uncontrollable shaking because part of the brain dies. Those treated with gene therapy
showed a 23.1 percent improvement when tested six months later. Gene therapy appears to be a more positive
alternative to surgery or medicine and is an exciting new approach that is just making the news. Researchers
hope that in the coming years, every genetic disease will have gene therapy as its treatment. But more research
is needed to assure its safety.

PASSAGE 7:
Read the following extract and use your own words to summarize it. Your summary should be about 80
words long.

Most people feel lonely sometimes, but it usually only lasts between a few minutes and a few hours.
This kind of loneliness is not serious. In fact, it is quite normal. For some people, though, loneliness can last for
years. Now researchers say there are three different types of loneliness, namely, temporary loneliness,
situational loneliness, and chronic loneliness.

The first kind of loneliness is temporary. This is the most common type. It usually disappears quickly
and does not require any special attention. The second kind, situational loneliness, is a natural result of a
particular situation - for example a family problem, the death of a loved one, or moving to a new place. Although
this kind of loneliness can cause physical problems, such as headaches and sleeplessness, it usually does not
last for more than a year. The third kind of loneliness is the most severe. Unlike the second type, chronic
loneliness usually lasts more than two years and has no specific cause. People who experience habitual
loneliness have problems in socializing and becoming close to others. Unfortunately, many chronically lonely
people think there is little or nothing they can do to improve their condition.

Psychologists agree that one important factor in loneliness is a person’s social contacts, e.g. friends,
family members, co-workers, etc. We depend on various people for different reasons. For instance, our families
give us emotional support, our parents share similar interests and activities. However, psychologists have found
that, though lonely people may have many social contacts, they sometimes feel they should have more. They
question their own popularity.

PASSAGE 8:

Read the following passage and use your own words to summarize it. Your summary should be
between 100 and 120 words.
"I haven't paid an electricity bill since 1970," says Richard Perez with noticeable glee. He can afford to
be smug. He lives "off-grid" - unconnected to the power grid and the water, gas and sewerage supplies that
most of us rely on. He generates his own electricity, sources his own water and manages his own waste disposal
- and prefers it that way. "There are times when the grid blacks out," he says. " I like the security of having my
own electricity company."
Perez is not alone. Once the preserve of mavericks, hippies and survivalists, there are now
approximately 200,000 off-grid households in the US, a figure that Perez says has been increasing by a third
every year for the past decade. For people who live off-grid, self-sufficiency means guilt-free energy
consumption and peace of mind. " It feels brilliant to use clean, free energy that's not from fossil fuels," says
Suzanne Galant, a writer who lives off-grid in rural Wales. "And if something goes wrong, we can fix it
ourselves." Now even urbanites are seeing the appeal of generating some if not all of their own power needs.
So is energy freedom an eco pipedream or the ultimate good life?
Well, there's only one way to find out: begin to explore the possibilities of solar, wind or hydro-power.
But unless you live on a sunny, south-facing hillside with access to a nearby river or stream, that might prove
prohibitively expensive!
There is no doubt that being off-grid has its problems, and it is not always the cheapest way to get your
energy. Even so, pioneers like Perez have proved that it can be done, and without giving up a 21st-century

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lifestyle: "I've got five computers, two laser scanners, two fridge-freezers, a microwave, a convection oven,
vacuum cleaners - you name it," says Perez. "There's an external beam antenna on the roof for the phone and
a satellite dish for an Internet connection. I've got 70 kWh in batteries that could last me five days. I have too
much electricity." Too much electricity and no more bills. That's got to be worth aiming for.

PASSAGE 9:
Read the following passage and use your own words to summarize it. Your summary should be
between 100 and 120 words.
The word ‘grandparents' is descriptive of the unique dual parenting role that this generation assume. It
emphasises the vital part they play in family life. With a wealth of old-world experience behind them, and with
the unique ability to metamorphose from advisers or mediators into listeners or friends, they can offer support
and stability in an ever-changing world.
The underlying sense of responsibility that goes with this is tremendous. Grandparents perform a
balancing act between the needs of their adult children and those of their grandchildren. This role is varied. It
is imperial at times, muted at others. It goes underground whenever required, but it is solid and absolutely
dependable.
Grandparents often bridge the gap between parents and their children. Rebellious, independent children
who are trying to find their feet are almost always at loggerheads with their parents. The role of grandparents
can be very important provided they act as impartial judges and are able to convey this feeling to both parties.
Grandchildren, in most cases, prefer to listen to their grandparents rather than their parents, who often find
themselves up against a brick wall.
One important thing, which seems to be missing in the lives of children today, is a sense of family, values,
beliefs and principles. This is where the grandparents step in. However, instilling beliefs and values is not as
easy as it was fifty or sixty years ago. Then, no questions were asked and there was an implicit sense of trust.
With changing times and changing outlooks, children have started to question the validity of everything around
them. Globalisation has eroded their sense of belonging and weakened identification with their roots. Science
and technology force them to doubt every traditional belief.
Parents, who have so many demands on their time, are perhaps not in the best position to instill traditional
values in their offspring. Children are very demanding and grandparents, without appearing to be pushy, have
both the time and the experience to deal with tantrums. They can appease, soothe and impart values with
tremendous ease. Any nation’s traditional culture is rich and varied, but how many children recognise this?
Grandparents can teach them to value cultural traditions and thereby inform their moral development.

PASSAGE 10:
Read the following passage and use your own words to summarize it. Your summary should be
between 100 and 120 words.
One day, a middle-aged man asked a taxi to take him to see Chelsea play Arsenal at football. He told the
driver "Stamford Bridge", the name of Chelsea's stadium, but he was delivered instead to the village of Stamford
Bridge in Yorkshire. Of course, he missed the match.
What had happened? With the Sat-Nav system in place, the driver in this story felt he did not need to
know where he was going. He confidently outsourced the job of knowing this information to the Sat Nav. Using
an Internet search engine takes a broadband user less than a second. And with smartphones at hand, people
will be online almost all of the time.
The same could be true of university education. Today, the average student seems not to value general
knowledge. If asked a factual question, they will usually click on a search engine without a second thought.
Actually. knowing the fact and committing it to memory does not seem to be an issue, it's the ease with which
we can look it up.
However, general knowledge has never been something that you acquire formally. Instead, we pick it up
from all sorts of sources as we go along, often absorbing facts without realizing. The question remains, then: is
the Internet threatening general knowledge? When I put that to Moira Jones, expert in designing IQ tests, she
referred me to the story of the Egyptian god Thoth. It goes like this: Thoth offers writing as a gift to the king of
Egypt, declaring it an "elixir of memory and wisdom." But the king is horrified, and tells him: "This invention will
induce forgetfulness in the souls of those who have learned it, because they will not need to exercise their
memories, being able to rely on what is written."
Who wants to be a millionaire finalist David Swift, responding to the same question, recognizes that there
was a problem of young people saying: "I don't need to know that", but he is far more excited about the
educational potential of the Internet. "There is so much more information out there, giving people opportunities
to boost their general knowledge."
After all, the Internet might just help us to forget more and more. But meanwhile, the continuing popularity
of quizzes and game-shows shows us that general knowledge is strong enough to remain.

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