Samples of Summary Writing

Summary 1
Read the article about allergies. Then write a summary explaining why some people develop allergies.

Getting Allergies

Allergy has become more and more common over the last 30 years. Now one-third of us are affected by an
allergy at some point in our lives and half of these sufferers are children. In the UK, three million people suffer
from asthma, and five per cent of children suffer from food allergy.

Allergy is a reaction that occurs when the immune system has a strange and unnecessary reaction to a
substance which is normally harmless, such as pollen or peanuts. To defend your body against an attacker, the
immune system remembers these dangerous micro-organisms and attacks them if it meets them again. This
work is done by antibodies. The immune system in allergy sufferers makes antibodies against harmless
substances because it mistakenly believes them to be dangerous.

An allergic reaction may not happen the first time a sufferer meets an allergen (the substance causing the
reaction, such as pollen, milk or strawberries). Sometimes people can eat nuts for years and then suddenly
become allergic to them. What has happened is that the immune system has now decided the substance is
dangerous and has made an allergy antibody. This antibody then attaches itself to cells, which contain
histamine. As they do that, the surface of the cells are broken, and histamine is released. The histamine and
other chemicals inflame the tissues. This leads to the symptoms of allergy, such as swelling, rashes, sneezing,
sore eyes and breathlessness. Anaphylaxis is the most severe allergic reaction of all and is most often triggered
by wasp or bee stings or peanuts. This must be treated immediately.

Some people are born with the ability to make lots of allergy antibodies, and they are more likely to develop
allergies and allergic disorders such as hay fever and asthma. We eat more processed foods, with a wide range
of additives and colourings; more and more people have central heating and double glazing, making our
houses warmer and less draughty-an ideal environment to breed the house dust mite.

There may also be a link between allergies and antibiotics. At one time our immune systems were kept busy
fighting off disease and trying to win the battle for health, but antibiotics have reduced the amount of work our
immune systems have to do. Now experts think they may direct spare energy to harmless substances such as
strawberries.

A good deal of research is being devoted to finding a cure for allergies. Sufferers may be given medicine to
control symptoms, and they may also be offered tests to find out what substances trigger an allergic reaction so
that they can avoid contact with these in future.
Summary 2

Read the following article about the increasing problem of noise in our society.

Write a summary about what we can do to reduce the stress caused by noise.

How much noise are we subjected to in our normal daily lives without noticing it? How much does this noise
affect our body and senses?

Whether it’s a dog barking or the banging of a door, if it’s a sound that disturbs or annoys us, then it’s a sound
that is unwanted. Consciously we may not take today’s noise seriously, but unconsciously our bodies still have
an automatic response that makes us remember when sudden or loud sounds meant danger. Our blood
pressure rises, our heart rate and breathing speed up and subsequently we become hot and sweaty.

Previously, medical science was mostly concerned with noise levels powerful enough to cause hearing damage.
But in the 21st century, where everyday noise is a rule rather than an exception, it is thought that the effects
leave us in a state of almost constant agitation. Experts have researched many ways in which we can counteract
this problem. Let’s consider some of their ideas and suggestions.

Firstly, you should try to start the day with some silence. This means you should get up a little earlier because it
could be the most important bit of relaxation you get all day. For a few minutes, sit completely still with a
straight back and empty your mind. This is not as easy as it sounds, but take a deep breath and quietly repeat
to yourself, “My body is released and relaxed, my heartbeat is normal, my mind is calm and peaceful.” Keep
repeating this until any remaining tension is gone and you will feel much more at ease. Imagine yourself
looking up at a blue sky full of soft, white clouds.

It would also help to stop talking so much and start thinking instead! Although it may sound rude and
unsociable, disciplining yourself to remain silent is a great way to refresh your mind and put things into
perspective. As Professor Stephen Palmer, Director of the Centre for Stress Management, explains, “Peace really
does come from within. To escape unwanted noise and thoughts, I advise my clients to take their minds
through a series of relaxing images. It could be anything from sitting under a cool, shady tree to looking at the
stars at night. The great thing about this exercise is that you can find peace for yourself even when you seem to
be completely surrounded by noise.”

Apart from hearing, we have senses of touch, smell, taste and sight – so use them! Here’s an idea… switch off all
of the noise in your house. Turn off the TV and computer, throw away your mobile phone. Take some time to
appreciate your environment by breaking up your day with quiet periods, at least once every couple of hours.
Try to seek out somewhere quiet to get away from noisy situations and make the most of the chances for peace
that you have. Eat your lunch outside on a park bench and not in the office or classroom.

Finding your own moments of peace and quiet is becoming an increasingly important part of maintaining all-
round health. So take a moment to listen to nothing; your body will thank you for it.

Answer

Choose the correct words for the spaces.

Our world can be stressful with so (1)   noise around us, but there are ways to

reduce it. We can turn off any sounds in our home, so then we might start to enjoy our surroundings

(2)   sitting back, closing our eyes and thinking of images that relax us. We can

start this (3)   the beginning of the day (4)   then increase the

frequency by dividing up the day into times (5)   there are quiet periods. If we think

more (6)   about the things that matter we might start (7)   

reduce the sound of our idle chatter as (8)  .

Summary 3

Read the article about a person who survived a shipwreck. Write a summary about what he did to survive.

Shipwreck survivor
A Chinese man, Poon Lim, is famous for being the longest shipwreck survivor. He spent 133 days in the sea
when his ship went down in the South Atlantic after leaving Cape Town. It took just two minutes for the ship to
sink, and the only man who managed to survive was Poon Lim.
Despite the mad chaos of the sinking, exploding ship, Lim was still able to grab a life jacket, which was vital, as
he had never learnt to swim well. He floated in the ocean for what he estimated to be around two hours until
he spotted one of the ship’s life rafts. It was a wooden raft about two and a half metres square, partially covered
by a canvas roof. After much effort, Lim succeeded in reaching it and although weak, managed to pull himself
aboard. Luckily for Lim, on the life raft, there were some bottles of juice and tins of biscuits, together with two
flares, a flashlight and even some chocolate.

Once Lim realised that his emergency provisions were running out, he knew that he had to invent ways to find
food and water. He used the canvas from the roof and his life jacket to make a container to catch rainwater. He
had never been fishing and had no skills to help him, but he improvised by making a fishing hook out of the
wire from the flashlight and the jagged edges of the biscuit tins.

By day 60, he was aware that he was losing physical strength so he began to swim around the life raft twice a
day. This routine continued until a particularly bad storm nearly destroyed his life raft. Against all the odds, he
survived and was able to repair the damage. However, this experience left him feeling even more terrified about
his situation.

Lim had never seen such a variety of beautiful sea creatures and spent many hours observing the fish that swam
around him. However, he was alarmed by the threatening sharks that at times surrounded his life raft, and
occasionally attacked him.

Lim survived for almost five months. On two occasions he spotted a ship, and once a plane passed by near him,
but each time his shouts and frantic waving went unnoticed. The nightmare only came to an end when he was
picked up by Brazilian fishermen on April 5, 1943, about ten miles from land. They sailed to Belem, Brazil, a
town at the mouth of the Amazon River.

Upon arriving in Belem, suffering from severe sunburn, he spent four weeks at the local hospital to recover and
regain his physical fitness. He explained to people that he had worked hard not to lose a sense of hope that he
would finally be rescued. Lim went on to live to the age of 72, and even now, 133 days remains the longest time
for one person to survive being lost at sea in a life raft. When he was told about his record, Lim said: “I hope no
one will ever have to break it.”

Answer:

In this article, it explains how a man called Ponn Lim managed to survive at sea (1)   133

days. The first thing that he did was to grab a life jacket (2)   then swam to a life raft. After

that he (3)   able to use the rations stored (3)   the raft. Once he could see

that these supplies (4)   running short. He found ways to find food and water such

(5)   catching rain water with his life jacket as (6)   as making a fishing
hook to catch fish. (7)   addition to stay fit he would swim around the raft and he would

also never lose the sense (8)   hope that he would survive and be rescued.

Summary 4
Read the article about new medical gadgets. Then write a summary explaining the aims behind the development
of the technology and the issues that need to be addressed if the gadgets are to be suitable for the home.

Brushing your teeth twice a day should keep the dentist away. But if a group of scientific researchers have their
wish, it will make the rest of your body healthy too. A toothbrush that checks blood sugar and bacteria while
you brush is currently in development in the USA. It is one of many gadgets proposed by engineers and doctors
at the Center for Future Health in New York –others include a pair of spectacles that help to jog your memory,
and a home camera designed to check for cancer.

The devices seem fanciful, but the basic principles are simple. The gadgets should make it easy for people to
detect illness long before it strikes and so seeks treatment far earlier than normal. Instead of relying on hi-tech
hospitals, the emphasis is shifted to the home and easy-to-use gadgets. In the long run, the technology may
even prevent illness by encouraging us to lead healthier lives.

Intelligent bandages are a good example. Powerful sensors within the bandage could quickly identify tiny
amounts of bacteria in a wound and determine which antibiotics would work best. The cut could then be
treated instantly, so avoiding possible complications.

Socks are long overdue for a makeover. In the future, they will be able to automatically detect the amount of
pressure in your foot and alert you when an ulcer is imminent.

All the projects should have far-reaching implications, but the biggest single development is a melanoma
monitor designed to give early warnings of cancer. The device could be used to take a picture of your body
each week, then compare it to previous images. If a problem is found, the system would advise you to get a
check-up at your doctor’s surgery.

If all this sounds nerve-wracking, then help is at hand. Experts are also working on a ‘digital doctor’, complete
with a comforting bedside manner. A standard computer would be able to understand your voice and answer
questions about your symptoms in plain English and in a way which would calm your nerves.
Stress is no sweat either. A portable communication aid could recognise certain phrases and tones and let you
know when you are about to lose your temper. The software would also suggest ways of keeping your cool.

Computer therapists are a little way off yet, but the projects are ready to be prototyped and trialled.
Researchers are still struggling, however, with making the technology cheap and simple enough for the
domestic user. Thatis going to be the difficult part.

Answer :

Summary 5
Answer
Exam Questions

Read the article about a man called Marco who lives and works alone on a tiny island off the coast of the
UK.

Write a summary about the duties Marco is required to carry out as part of his job. Your summary
should be about 100 words long (and no more than 120 words long). You should use your own words as
far as possible. You will receive up to 8 marks for the content of your summary and up to 8 marks for the
style and accuracy of your language.

Marco’s island life

Have you ever wondered what it would be like to live by yourself on an island? Well, Marco Moran is
doing just that on a tiny, uninhabited island off the east coast of the UK, where for the last four years
he’s been employed by the local tourist board. One of his tasks is to keep the beaches free of rubbish,
which he is very keen to do, having previously organised beach-cleaning events back in his hometown.
Some people would consider life there quite hard, considering the strong winds that regularly blow in
off the sea, but Marco’s interest in the environment and nature makes spending time outdoors a
pleasure. He’s also responsible for doing any repairs on the island’s structures, such as the visitor centre,
which was only built a couple of months before he started his job, and which is a popular place for the
island’s tourists to visit.

One of the things that appealed to him about the job was that he could live a very eco-friendly life. He
gets most of the power that he needs from the solar panels he asked to have put on his roof, so he’s not
lacking in modern technology. In addition, Wi-Fi was installed on the island last year, and Marco now has
to upload data on the island’s native species, which goes into a national database. The tourist board has
also recently established an online booking system for the boat tours he leads around the various islands
on that part of the coast. This means he no longer has to sell boat tickets. Once he’s given his safety talk
to the passengers, there’s nothing he enjoys more than watching people’s faces as they spot seals and
dolphins.

He’s taken the opportunity to set up his own personal website, where people from all over the world
regularly log in to see some of the photos he uploads, mostly of wildlife. He enjoys the contact he has
with these people through messages on social media; it’s a break from work, and he receives some great
feedback on his photos. He also keeps the information displays in the visitor centre updated. These are
really popular with the tourists that come to hear the monthly lectures he’s responsible for giving.
His house is small, but has the most incredible view. During the evenings, once he’s completed his
paperwork on visitor numbers, there is nothing he enjoys more than looking out at it. He breathes in the
smells of the sea, or the scent from the flowers in the garden that he’s created in his spare time. The
island is so beautiful that, unlike most of us who are desperate to travel somewhere new for a couple of
weeks during the summer, he spends his annual holiday there! During the quieter wintertime, there’s
still plenty to do. This is when the sea is too rough to go sailing, so he has time to check the boat’s
engine in preparation for the next season.

It’s a job that might not suit everyone, but Marco couldn’t imagine living anywhere else.

Answer

1. keep the beaches free of rubbish

2. do any repairs on the island’s structures

3 .upload data on the island’s native species

4 .lead boat tours

5 . give safety talks

6 .keep information displays updated

7 . give monthly lectures

8 . complete paperwork on visitor numbers

9 . check boat’s engine

Read the article about banana farming. Write a summary about how one banana farm in Costa Rica is
becoming more environmentally friendly. Your summary should be about 100 words long (and no more
than 120 words long). You should use your own words as far as possible. You will receive up to 8 marks
for the content of your summary, and up to 8 marks for the style and accuracy of your language.

Banana farming – becoming more environmentally friendly

Rainforest Alliance is an organisation that works in 76 countries around the world. Its aims are to
conserve rainforests, support the communities that live and work in them, and to restore balance to our
planet.

The banana industry used to be known for environmental destruction. However, many farms have
managed to turn this reputation around by following Rainforest Alliance guidance. I visited one farm in
Costa Rica to see this for myself.

Standing on a platform overlooking the farm, there were banana plants as far as I could see, and
bunches of green bananas hung down from the plants. Apart from the soft purple banana flowers, all I
could see was green.

This is such a contrast to many other banana farms. On a conventional farm, it would be considered bad
practice to let grasses and flowers grow on the ground beneath the banana plants. On this farm,
however, they are not removed. The farm therefore doesn’t need to use chemicals, unlike other farms
that rely on them to destroy the grasses and flowers. This is not only a financial benefit, but also an
environmental one.

I watched some workers checking fruit for size. When the bananas are large enough to harvest, a worker
cuts off the stem of the plant which the fruit is growing from. He then quickly slices the stem into small
pieces, and drops them around the base of the plant. By covering the ground in this way, farmers are
preventing the soil from being washed away when there is heavy rain. Over time, the pieces will
eventually break down. Using parts of the plants to improve the soil is not generally done on
conventional farms. However, Rainforest Alliance is helping farmers to see the advantages of doing this.
For example, most conventional banana farms have to replace their plants every few years so that the
quantity of fruit they produce is consistent. But this farm hasn’t yet had to replace its plants, which is
better for the environment. Also, its production rate has remained consistent year after year.

I asked why many of the bunches of bananas were covered in blue plastic bags, as this didn’t seem
particularly environmentally friendly to me. The farmer explained that a bag helps to keep insects off the
fruit, and they also ripen faster in a bag. On conventional farms, much of this kind of plastic waste is
discarded, and ends up polluting rivers and lakes; sometimes it is even burned, which is worse still.
Neither of these practices takes place on this farm. Instead, the plastic is given a second purpose – it is
cut into strips that are put around the boxes of bananas when they are ready for transportation.

At the packing area, the bunches of bananas are washed in huge tubs of water, before being dried and
packed for export. The farmer has learned from Rainforest Alliance what the benefit of saving this water
is: it can be used again to water the banana plants in the fields.

From farm to grocery store, the banana supply chain is long and complex. It might seem that each
action described here is not very significant on its own, but added together, these actions bring great
benefits not only to farmers, but to the environment too.
Answers

 following Rainforest Alliance guidance

 letting grasses grow / not removing flowers
 not using chemicals
 preventing soil being washed away
 covering ground with (pieces of) stem / covering ground with (pieces of) plant
 using (parts of) plants to improve soil
 not replacing plants
 not discarding plastic / not burning plastic
 giving plastic second purpose / putting plastic around bananas /used for transportation
 saving water
 using water again (to water banana plants)

Read the article about an organisation called The Seabin Project. Write a summary about what
The Seabin Project hopes to achieve in the future. Your summary should be about 100 words
long (and no more than 120 words long). You should use your own words as far as possible. You
will receive up to 8 marks for the content of your summary, and up to 8 marks for the style and
accuracy of your language.

The Seabin Project

The Seabin Project was set up by two keen surfers, Andrew Turton and Pete Ceglinski, who had
one simple mission: to get rid of pollution in the world’s oceans. They wondered if they could
find a solution by adapting the simple concept of the rubbish bins we use every day on land.
After securing enough funding, they created a team to research the idea, and together they
came up with what they called the Seabin. It was then just a case of working hard to get
sufficient financial support to allow production to begin. In 2017, the first Seabin was installed in
Finland, and since then many have been put in place around the world. One of the team’s goals
is to make Seabins available in the maximum number of locations.

A Seabin is a floating rubbish bin that is placed in the water at marinas, docks, yacht clubs and
commercial ports. It moves up and down with the tide, collecting any floating rubbish. It needs
to be carefully positioned so that the wind and the movement of the water push rubbish directly
towards it. Currently, a Seabin can be installed anywhere the water is relatively calm and
electricity is available to power the pump. However, the team is optimistic that they will find a
way to install Seabins in the open ocean before long.

Water is pumped into the Seabin from the surface, and then flows through a catch bag before
being pumped back into the sea. Any rubbish is trapped inside the catch bag, which can hold up
to 20 kilograms. The bag needs to be checked regularly and emptied when necessary. The
 rubbish they collect also serves a scientific purpose: the Seabin Project team is analysing what is
collected in the Seabins with a view to gaining a clearer understanding of the state of our
oceans. Then, finally, the rubbish can be disposed of properly.

The Seabin Project is about far more than just the product. In fact, the team would be happy if
there was no longer any need for Seabins. They want to educate people to get rid of rubbish
properly, and to do this they are investing in programmes in schools and businesses. In
particular, their vision is to change people’s attitudes towards plastic. Plastic in the oceans is one
of the world’s greatest environmental problems, and even though they have calculated that in
one year, one Seabin can collect approximately 90000 plastic bags, 35700 disposable plastic
cups, 16500 plastic bottles, plus a lot more rubbish, Seabins alone will not clean up the oceans.
A greater emphasis on recycling around the world is therefore something the Seabin Project
would like to see.

At the same time, the project’s scientists are working hard to improve the Seabin itself. To do
this, they need to attract more funding to support their work. As this is such an important cause,
and they are able to demonstrate how effective their product is, they remain optimistic.

Answers
 get rid of pollution in the (world’s) ocean(s)
 make Seabins available in the maximum number of locations
 install Seabins in the open ocean
 gain (a clearer) understanding of the state of our oceans
 (for there to) no longer be any need for Seabins
 educate people to get rid of rubbish properly
 change (people’s) attitudes towards plastic
 greater emphasis on recycling
 improve the Seabin
 attract (more) funding (to support their work)

4 Read the article written by a journalist about teaching school children about money. Write a summary
about the financial skills that school children should learn AND the problems of teaching finance in
schools. Your summary should be about 100 words long (and no more than 120 words long). You should
use your own words as far as possible. You will receive up to 8 marks for the content of your summary,
and up to 8 marks for the style and accuracy of your language.

Are school children learning the right things about money?

 Many schools around the world now teach financial education alongside other subjects to prepare
young people for the decisions they will need to make later in life. But is this financial education focusing
on the right things? How relevant, for example, is it to teach teenagers about tax or pensions? By the
time these young people are old enough to have to deal with these things, the regulations will most
probably have changed.

Instead, financial education should perhaps concentrate on things like comparing the advantages and
disadvantages of different products. Being able to do this effectively is essential nowadays for young
consumers, who are faced with increasingly complicated choices of goods in shops. Just as important for
modern consumers is the ability to decide whether special offers are worth it, so that they understand
what is really being sold. And with more and more shopping being done online, knowing how to do this
safely is something that should certainly not be overlooked.

The consequences of young people growing up without an understanding of money can be considerable.
If people do not make the right financial decisions, this can have a long-lasting impact on them and on
their families as well. So it is no surprise that many countries have introduced financial education into
the school curriculum. Unfortunately, however, subjects like this are often not seen as a priority, as
schools tend to focus on academic subjects like English and maths instead. In addition, while most other
subjects have a head of department, a recent survey showed that the majority of UK schools do not
have a member of staff who is responsible for financial education in their school.

Despite these difficulties, there are some simple but effective ways that schools can teach financial
education. It is important for children to get into the habit of saving when they have spare money, even
if it is just a little, and some schools have started using virtual money games to encourage children to do
this. Elsewhere, schools have organised competitions in which teams are given a task and are challenged
to save as much money as they can. Activities like games and competitions can make a real difference
because they are motivating and fun, and do not need to take up a lot of classroom time.

Another factor that could prevent schools from introducing a new subject like financial education into
the curriculum is that there is often little money to buy new teaching resources. However, this should
not be an issue as there is plenty of free material available online. Many teachers also say they are not
trained to teach financial education. What they do not realise is that there is expert help available to
schools from banks and local businesses, often for free.

A good financial education can help young people to make effective career and education choices
throughout their lives and successfully participate in modern society. So let’s make sure the skills that
young people are taught today are the right ones for their future.

Financial skills that school children should learn:

 comparing (the advantages and disadvantages of different) products

 deciding whether special offers are worth it / understand what is (really) being sold
 shopping online safely
 making right financial decisions
  saving habit /saving spare money

Problems of teaching finance in schools:

 regulations change (by the time young people are old enough to have to deal with these things)
 not (seen as) priority / tend to focus on academic subjects
 no member of staff responsible (for financial education)
 little money to buy (new teaching) resources
 teachers not trained (to teach financial education)

Read the article about tourism in the Galapagos Islands. Write a summary about the problems
tourism can cause AND the measures put in place to deal with these problems. Your summary
should be about 100 words long (and no more than 120 words long). You should use your own
words as far as possible. You will receive up to 8 marks for the content of your summary, and up
to 8 marks for the style and accuracy of your language.

Tourism in the Galapagos Islands

 With over 150000 tourists visiting each year, the Galapagos Islands, situated off the west coast
of South America, are an extremely attractive holiday destination. Many visitors want to come
to these beautiful islands to experience their unique wildlife including giant tortoises, marine
iguanas and penguins, as well as the stunning landscapes. But what impact do all these visitors
have, and how can they continue to visit the islands without destroying them in the process?

When people first started visiting the islands on holiday many years ago, they tended to sleep
and eat on their cruise ships. These ships brought all the supplies that were essential for keeping
their customers happy for the duration of their holiday. Today, however, there are so many
people visiting who choose to stay on the islands instead that local farmers and fishermen
cannot produce enough food to keep up with their requirements. Food is therefore imported to
the islands from the mainland in order to solve this problem.

Increased competition among providers of island accommodation has meant that it is now
cheaper to stay in an island hotel than ever before. When tourists do stay on the Galapagos
Islands, they spend money in the local community, and provide employment opportunities for
locals. However, the increasing number of tourists staying has resulted in growing concerns
about the amount of rubbish being created. As more and more people visit the islands,
international investors have been interested in building there in order to get a share of the
lucrative tourism industry. While the islands’ National Park areas are protected from
development of this kind, the areas outside them are not, and many new buildings have been
constructed. This helps the islands to cope with visitors, but there is always the risk that nearby
wildlife is put in danger.

For visitors who are staying on board a cruise ship, the authorities closely control the routes
these ships can take when touring the islands. If badly maintained, the ships can pollute the
seawater with oil. In order to monitor them closely, all boats and ships must have a licence,
which is given out by the National Park authorities. The majority of cruise ship companies,
however, run well-organised trips, and they do their best to provide their customers with a
memorable, once-in-a-lifetime experience.

Wherever visitors choose to stay, a tour guide is required for each group that is exploring a
particular area. This is of course an advantage to the visitors themselves, as they can find out far
more about the amazing creatures they’re seeing than they would do alone. More recently,
tourists have been drawn to activity-based holidays. In the Galapagos, this demand has seen the
development of holidays featuring a range of activities, such as horseback riding, camping, sport
fishing and kayaking, which are proving to be very popular. This unique and beautiful area is
certain to continue to be a fascinating destination for visitors from all over the world.

Problems tourism can cause:

 many people choose to stay on the islands
 local people cannot produce enough food
  (amount of) rubbish created
 nearby wildlife is put in danger (because buildings have been constructed)
 ships can pollute seawater (with oil)

Measures put in place to deal with these problems:

 food imported
 buildings have been constructed to cope with visitors
 (authorities) control the routes ships take/(authorities) control ships touring the islands
 boats (must) have a licence/ships (must) have a licence
 tour guide required (for each group exploring particular area)

Read the article about the differences between using cameras and using phones to take photographs.
Write a summary giving advice on using a phone to take photographs. Your summary should be about
100 words long (and no more than 120 words long). You should use your own words as far as possible.
You will receive up to 8 marks for the content of your summary and up to 8 marks for the style and
accuracy of your language.

Is it better to take photos with a camera or a phone?

There are several advantages to using a phone rather than a camera to take photos, and the most
obvious is convenience. Unless you’re a professional photographer, it’s unlikely you’ll carry a camera
with you every day, whereas your phone is always with you. Remember to wipe the lens on it frequently
though – a dirty lens will affect your photos.

Phones connect easily to the internet, meaning you can share photographs with other people within
seconds. Sharing photos from a camera is trickier, though not impossible. However, cameras have their
advantages too. The main one is picture quality, particularly in terms of well-focused pictures. There are
things you can do to improve the images you take with your phone, though. For example, you can tap
the screen to indicate where you want to focus. You can also use apps to alter the appearance of the
photos you take with your phone. Phones are fine for photographing subjects in good light, but if you
use the flash, you’ll often get a picture which looks too white or unclear. It’s best to just use natural
light, or take a camera if you know you’re going to be taking pictures in poor light.

Cameras contain a device called a stabiliser, which reduces the chance of a blurred or shaky image when
shooting fast-moving action or using the zoom lens. The stabilisers on phones reduce picture quality,
however. Using both hands to keep the phone steady will help if you have no choice but to photograph
fast action with one. Even the way you take a picture with a camera helps to give a better image. On a
phone, you touch a circle on the screen, which often causes you to move the phone just as you shoot.
Luckily, you can also take a picture by using the volume button on the side of the phone – similar to
what you do with a camera – which helps you keep the phone still.
Professional photographers often use the settings on their camera to deliberately blur the background,
making it look out of focus so the main subject stands out. If you’re using your phone, the best you can
do is to keep the background as simple as possible, as blurring it might not be possible.

A key advantage of a good camera is having a zoom lens to capture a distant subject. Although some
phones have a zoom feature, using one can result in a poor image. With a phone, it’s preferable to
simply get closer to whatever you want to photograph.

Modern cameras can take hundreds of photos on only one battery charge, whereas phones tend to run
out of power quickly. On days when you want to use your phone to take pictures, avoid shooting too
many videos.

So is a camera better than a phone? If you’re a more serious photographer who wants to experiment
and develop your photography skills, then probably yes. If, on the other hand, you simply want to take
pictures and share them, then stick with your phone.

Answers:

 wipe lens / clean lens

 tap to focus
 apps alter appearance / apps edit
 (use) natural light / (use) good light / avoid flash
 use both hands / keep phone steady
 use volume button
 (keep) background simple
 get close(r) / don’t zoom
 don’t run out of power / avoid shooting videos