SENIOR HIGH SCHOOL

English for Academic and

Professional Purposes
Quarter 1 – Module 1 (Week 1 & 2)
Reading and Writing Academic Texts

Department of Education ● Republic of the Philippines

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 LESSON 1

LANGUAGE USE IN ACADEMIC

WRITING

WHAT I NEED TO KNOW

Learning Objectives: At the end of the lesson, the learners are expected to:
1. determine language style in academic writing;
2. differentiate language style used in academic texts from
various disciplines; and
3. construct paragraphs using academic language.

WHAT'S IN

Let’s Recall!

☺ A well -structured text enables the reader to follow the argument and
navigate the text.

☺ A clear structure and a logical flow are imperative to a cohesive text.

☺ Most acad emic texts follow established structures such as: the three -
part essay structure and the IMRaD (Introduction, Methods, Results and Discussion)
structure.
☺ Structure should be considered on all levels of text so; you will also find
information on structuring paragraphs.

WHAT'S

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 WHAT I KNOW

ACTIVITY 1. Let’s Answer This!

Directions: Use the given subject and verb in constructing your own sentence.
Observe subject-verb agreement in your sentences. You may add “s” or “es” or
change the verb to past tense. Write your answer in your answer sheet.

SUBJECT VERB SENTENCE

United States Make

The students Excel

English language Help

The books Improve

The journey Enhance

The patient Cry

Mrs. Cruz Appeal

Filipino people Provide

A child Love

The lecturer Explain

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 WHAT'S NEW

Let’s Move On!

ACTIVITY 2. Spot the Difference!

Directions: What is the difference in the following pairs of sentences? Explain
your answer. Write your answer in your answer sheet.

Pair 1
S1: It was raining cats and dogs.
S2: It was raining very heavily.
Pair 2
S3: We believe the practice is unsustainable.
S4: It is believed the practice is unsustainable.

WHAT IS IT

What is an Academic Language?

Academic language represents the language demands of school

(academics). Academic language includes language used in textbooks, in
classrooms, on tests, and in each discipline. It is different in vocabulary and
structure from the everyday spoken English of social interactions. Each type of
communication (both academic and social) has its purpose, and neither is
superior to the other.
Academic writing is generally quite formal, objective (impersonal) and technical
as illustrated in the diagram below.

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 Objective
-avoid personal or
direct reference to
people or feelings

Formal
Technical
-avoid casual or
-use vocabulary
conversational such
specific to the
as contractions and
discipline
informal vocabulary

Academic
Language

It is formal by avoiding casual or conversational language, such as

contractions or informal vocabulary. It is impersonal and objective by avoiding
direct reference to people or feelings, and instead emphasizing objects, facts
and ideas. It is technical by using vocabulary specific to the discipline.
Furthermore, you can make your writing more formal, objective and
technical by following examples below.

Formal Objective Technical

Choose formal instead of
informal vocabulary. For
example, ‘somewhat’ is more
formal than ‘a bit’, ‘insufficient’
is more formal than ‘not
enough’.
Move information around in the
sentence to emphasize things
and ideas, instead of people
and feelings. For example,
instead of writing ‘I believe the
model is valid, based on these
findings’, write ‘These findings
indicate that the model is valid’.
You need to develop a large
vocabulary for the concepts
specific to the discipline or
specialization you’re writing for.
To do this, take note of
terminology used by your
lecturer and tutor, as well as in
your readings.

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Avoid contractions. For
example, use ‘did not’ rather
than ‘didn’t’.
Avoid evaluative words that are
based on non-technical
judgments and feelings. For
example, use ‘valid’ or ‘did not
demonstrate’ instead of
‘amazing’ or ‘disappointment’.
Be careful about the meaning of
technical terms. Often the same
word has a different meaning in
another discipline. For example,
‘discourse’ is a technical term
used in multiple disciplines with
different meanings.

Avoid emotional language. For
example, instead of strong
words such as ‘wonderful’ or
‘terrible’, use more moderate
words such as ‘helpful’ or
‘problematic’.
Avoid intense or emotional
evaluative language. For
example, instead of writing
‘Parents who smoke are
obviously abusing their
children’,
write ‘Secondhand smoke has
some harmful effects on
children’s health’.
Use the key categories and
relationships in your discipline,
that is, the way information and
ideas are organized into
groups.
For example, in the discipline of
Law, law is separated into two
types: common law and statute
law.

Instead of using absolute
positives and negatives, such
as ‘proof’ or ‘wrong’, use more
cautious evaluations, such as
‘strong evidence’ or ‘less
convincing’.
Show caution about your views, Knowing these distinctions will
or to allow room for others to help you structure your writing
disagree. and make it more technical and
For example, instead of writing analytical.
‘I think secondhand smoke
causes cancer’, write ‘There is
evidence to support the
possibility that secondhand
smoke increases the risk of
cancer’.

Find authoritative sources,

such as authors, researchers
and theorists in books or
articles, who support your
point of view, and refer to
them in your writing. For
example, instead of writing
‘Language is, in my view,
clearly something social’, write
‘As Halliday (1973) argues,
language is intrinsically social’.

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 WHAT'S MORE

Let’ s Practice!

ACTIVITY 3.
Directions: What do you think is the most correct answer in the following
instances. Write your answer in your answer sheet.

1. Instead of the informal 'I have read', use (I think, The essay has)
2. The phrase 'turn out to be' is informal. Instead, use: (become, end up)
3. Instead of 'paid for', use (given, funded)
4. ‘Job' is a little too informal. Instead write (role, gig)
5. Instead of ‘funny’ use (laughable, ironic)
6. Instead of 'picked out', use (selected, taken)
7. Rather than “stand for” write (be, represent)
8. The term 'music fans' is informal. Instead, use (audience, goers)
9. As a substitute for 'killing', use (assassination, political murder)
10. Instead of 'given off', use (created, done)

WHAT I CAN DO

Let’s Do It!

ACTIVITY 4. Sentence Construction

Directions: Transform the simple sentence into compound or complex
sentences. Write your answer in your answer sheet. The first one is done for
you.
1.The exam is difficult. It is also exasperating.

Answer: The exam is difficult and exasperating.

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2.Captain Lewis allowed his men to make important decisions in a democratic
manner. This democratic attitude fostered spirit of togetherness and
commitment on the part Louis’ fellow explorers.
3.Mark Twain is the author of Huckleberry Finn. Huckleberry Finn is a classic
American novel
4.My friend likes coffee. She likes tea. She doesn’t like milk.
5.Some students become nervous around computers. Other students seem to
enjoy new challenges.
6.Jae Hee comes from Korea. Kyung Eun comes from Korea. Jae Hyun comes
from Korea.

POST ASSESSMENT

Let’s Answer this!

Multiple Choice
Directions: Choose the word that best answers the given questions. Write the
letter of your answers in your notebook.

1. As long as you know your tutor, you don't need to use a formal style of
writing. It's good to be friendly.
A. Some tutors like you to be formal but some don't mind as long as
you do the work.
B. You only need to be formal in exams, not regular coursework.
C. It's good to be friendly but always use formal English when you write
assignments.
D. Formal English is too old-fashioned these days

2. Contractions are:
A. what happens when you have a baby
B. when someone says the opposite to you
C. when something is too narrow
D. a shortened form of a word

3. Which example is correct?

A. However, the main reasons are time, money and cost.
B. However the main reasons, are time, money, and, cost.
C. However, the main reasons are time money and cost.

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 D. However, the main reasons, are time money, and cost.
4. Which is correct?
A. They were effected badly by the incident
B. The incident effected them badly.
C. They were affected badly by the incident.
D. The effects of the incident were bad.

5. Choose the right one:

A. It's bowl's empty.
B. Its bowl's empty.
C. Its' bowls' empty.
D. It's bowls empty.

6. 'Information on the internet is 'free'. Anyone can use it without having to

reference it.'
A. True
B. False
C. It depends on how important the assignment is.
D. You only need to reference authors' work on the internet

7. What is an academic language...?

A. is a set of vocabulary terms used in schools
B. comes as second nature to native speakers, but is difficult for ELLs
to acquire
C. is the linguistic register that students are expected to use in school
subjects D. All of the above

8. When do you use formal language?

A. In an academic essay.
B. When you talk to a friend.
C. When you write a text message.
D. In sending emails.

9. What does it mean to write academically?

A. To write in order to pass final exams
B. To write paper for scholars
C. To write using proper English language
D. To avoid copy pasting from the Internet

10. The term, "VERY OFTEN" may be improved using a more appropriate
academic word which is:
A. Frequently
B. Rarely
C. Seriously
D. Stubbornly

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 WHAT I HAVE LEARNED

Let’s Remember This!

To be a good academic writer, I need to learn the specific styles and

structures for my own discipline, as well as for each individual writing
task. Some ways to do this are to:

☺ask for more information from your lecturer or teacher

☺study the writing style of the academic articles in the most prestigious
journals in your discipline

☺look at the successful writing by other students in your subject area.

☺Different disciplines often have quite different expectations about how
objective or subjective my writing can be. For example, in some fields it is
fine to use first person, such as 'my view is that...', while in other fields
this is not acceptable. I should look at the convention used in published
articles in my discipline area.

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 LESSON 2

ACADEMIC READING STRATEGIES

WHAT I NEED TO KNOW

Learning Competency 2.
Uses knowledge of text structure to glean the information he/she needs.

Learning Objectives: At the end of the lesson, learners are expected to:

1. identify the different reading strategies as tool in academic writing;

2. evaluate one’s purpose for reading; and
3. use knowledge of text structure to glean information he/she needs.

WHAT'S IN

Let’s Recall!

Formal language and informal language are associated with particular

choices of grammar and vocabulary.
Contractions, relative clauses without a relative pronoun and ellipsis
are more common in informal language.

So, in these sentences…

1. She has decided to accept the job.

2. She’s decided to accept the job.

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Which one is acceptable in academic writing? Yes, it’s No. 2! You are Correct!
Why? She’s is informal. It is a contraction which is unacceptable in formal writing.

We now proceed to our new lesson…but first let us answer this Pretest!

WHAT I KNOW

Let’s Answer This!

Pretend that you are a research consultant. You have been assigned the
task of researching this assignment and then writing a report that includes a
recommendation for Brillantes based on your findings.

Directions: Read the paragraph below and answer the questions that follow.
Write your answer in your notebook.

As a research consultant with Padilla Estates Inc., you have been asked
to find sales and distribution site in Cavite area for Brillantes Electrical
Components, 3450 Anonas Avenue, Santa Mesa, Manila. Brillantes seeks
suitable office space, including a reception area (where three office employees
could work), one private office, and a conference/display area. Brillantes also
wants 3000 square feet of heated warehouse space. It should be equipped with
a sprinkler system and have 18-foot ceilings. If sales are successful, Brillantes
may need an additional 2000 square feet of warehouse space in the future.
Brillantes needs access to Ninoy Aquino International Airport; moreover, it must
be close to trucking terminals and main thoroughfares in an area zoned for light
industry. It also seeks an impressive-looking building with a modern executive
image. Brillantes wants to lease for at least two years with possible renewal. It
needs to make a decision within three weeks. If no space is available, it will
delay until next year.

ACTIVITY 1. PROCESS QUESTIONS.

Write your answer in your answer sheet.

1. Who is the audience for this report?

2. What does Brillantes Company need? Why does the company need it?

3. Would you rely on primary or secondary research? How would you gather
data for this report?

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 WHAT'S NEW

Let’s Move On!

Consider this cooking analogy, noting the differences in process

:
A. Shannon has to make dinner. He goes to the store and walks through every
aisle. He decides to make spaghetti, so he revisits aisles and reads many
packages thoroughly before deciding which groceries to buy. Once he arrives
home, he finds a recipe for spaghetti, but needs to go back to the store for
ingredients he forgot.

B. Taylor also has to make dinner. He wants lots of carbohydrates because

he’s running a marathon soon so he decides to make spaghetti. After checking
some recipes, he makes a list of ingredients. At the grocery store, he skims
aisles to find his ingredients and chooses products that meet his diet.

Which paragraph is clearer? Yes, it’s Paragraph A. Why?

Answer: Taylor’s process was more efficient because his purpose was clear.
So, establishing why you are reading something will help you decide
how to read it, which saves time and improves comprehension. So here
are some strategies to help you improve your skills.

WHAT IS IT

What are the Different Reading Strategies?

Strategies differ from reader to reader. The same reader may use
different strategies for different contexts because their purpose for reading
changes. Ask yourself “why am I reading?” and “what am I reading?” when
deciding which strategies to try.

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What are the Purposes of Reading?

People read different kinds of text (e.g., scholarly articles, textbooks,

reviews) for different reasons. Some purposes for reading might be

• to scan for specific information

• to skim to get an overview of the text
• to relate new content to existing knowledge
• to write something (often depends on a prompt)
• to critique an argument
• to learn something  for general comprehension

So, it is important that you adjust your reading strategies to your purpose
of reading. Here’s how to do it.

Before Reading

• Establish your purpose for reading

• Speculate about the author’s purpose for writing
• Review what you already know and want to learn about the topic (see
the guides below)
• Preview the text to get an overview of its structure, looking at headings,
figures, tables, glossary, etc.
• Predict the contents of the text and pose questions about it. If the
authors have provided discussion questions, read them and write them
on a note-taking sheet.
• Note any discussion questions that have been provided (sometimes at
the end of the text)

During Reading

• Annotate and mark (sparingly) sections of the text to easily recall

important or interesting ideas
• Check your predictions and find answers to posed questions
• Use headings and transition words to identify relationships in the text
• Create a vocabulary list of other unfamiliar words to define later
• Try to infer unfamiliar words’ meanings by identifying their relationship
to the main idea
• Connect the text to what you already know about the topic
• Take breaks (split the text into segments if necessary)

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 After Reading

• Summarize the text in your own words (note what you learned,
impressions, and reactions) in an outline, concept map, or matrix (for
several texts)
• Talk to someone about the author’s ideas to check your comprehension
• Identify and reread difficult parts of the text
• Define words on your vocabulary list and practice using them

Is it clear now…How will you put it into practice?

WHAT'S MORE

Let’s Practice!

ACTIVITY 2. What’s your Purpose for Reading?

Directions: Complete these tasks. Match your Purpose in Reading with your
Activity. Suppose your purpose is in the 1 st Column. Fill in the activity that you
will do to achieve your purpose. The first one is done for you. Write your answer
in your answer sheet.

PURPOSE ACTIVITY
Get an Overview of the Text I will look at headings, subheadings,
intro, abstract.
Search for a specific fact

Check what theory the author is using

Understand a concept

Analyze the steps in an argument

Compare ideas with what the author

says

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 You did a great job…☺☺☺

WHAT I HAVE LEARNED

Let’s Remember This!

Reflection…. today you are able to…

 Use features of the text to help you read more effectively
 Adapt your reading activities to match your purpose.
 Find out which conditions and strategies help you study
best.

WHAT I CAN DO

Let’s Do It!

ACTIVITY 3.
Directions: Read the excerpt of an article critique. Answer the questions that
follow. Use the reading strategies you have learned from the previous
discussion. Write your answer in your answer sheet.

The No Child Left Behind Act of 2001 expects all students to achieve
proficient levels of knowledge in core subject areas. Teachers of English
language learners (ELL) face the added challenge of providing meaningful and
accessible curricula while integrating English language and literacy
development. This research study addresses ELL students’ low science
achievement in the context of national standards and accountability in the 2006-
2007 school year.
Several studies have examined the influence of professional
development interventions on students’ science achievement. Research
suggests that hands-on and inquiry-based science lessons develop literacy as
well as content knowledge.
Research also indicates that students’ science achievement is positively
correlated with the amount of teacher professional development. This study

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builds upon existing research by using a quasi-experimental design to assess
students’ science achievement after the first-year implementation of a
professional development intervention that focused on science achievement,
literacy, and math skills. Specifically, the study addresses three research
questions: (1) whether treatment group students show gains in science
achievement, (2) whether gaps in science achievement change for ELL and low-
literacy (retained) students in the treatment group, and (3) whether treatment
group students perform differently compared with non-treatment group students
on a statewide mathematics test, particularly on the measurement strand that is
emphasized in the intervention.

1. Is there a statement of the Problem? Write it below?

2. What is the background information of the problem? State it below?
3. Is the educational significance of the problem discussed? What is it? Write it
below.
4. What is your impression about this article? Use a concept map to illustrate
your answer.

POST ASSESSMENT

Let’s Answer This!

Multiple Choice
Directions: Choose the best strategy to use in the following conditions. Write the
letter of your answer in your answer sheet.
1. Determine what you think will happen in the text.
A. Visualize
B. Predict
C. Connect
D. Clarify

2. Create mental images of the settings, characters, and events in the text.
A. Connect
B. Visualize
C. Clarify
D. Evaluate

3. Stop and ask yourself questions to see if the text makes sense.
A. Clarify

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 B. Evaluate
C. Question
D. Predict
4. Think about what you already know about the text. Find ways to relate the
text to yourself, other texts, and the world around you.
A. Predict
B. Visualize
C. Clarify
D. Connect

5. Think about the text as a whole and form opinions about what you read.
A. Evaluate
B. Question
C. Predict
D. Connect

6. Stopping when you are confused to reread or look up a word you don't know.
A. Connect
B. Clarify
C. Evaluate
D. Predict

7. When you give your opinion of a book or story, you are using the strategy.
A. Question
B. Evaluation
C. Summarize
D. Clarify

8. Making pictures in your mind as you read is an example of .

A. Predicting
B. Connecting
C. Visualization
D. Clarifying

9. Wondering about why a character acted in a certain why is using the

comprehension skill of.
A. Visualizing
B. B. Summarizing
C. Predicting
D. Questioning

10."This story reminds me of something I heard on the news," is an example of

which strategy?
A. Visualizing
B. Connection
C. Clarifying
D. Summarizing

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 LESSON 3

VARIOUS TECHNIQUES IN
SUMMARIZING A VARIETY OF
ACADEMIC TEXTS

WHAT I NEED TO KNOW

Competency 3: Uses various techniques in summarizing a variety of academic

texts.
Learning Objectives: At the end of the lesson, the learners shall be able to:
1. define summarizing and summary from various writers;
2. identify the various techniques in summarizing; and
3. summarize various academic texts.

WHAT I KNOW

PRACTICE TEST

Directions. Identify which of the following supports the principle of summarizing.

In your answer sheet, write the letter of your choice.
1. We use summarizing to:
A. Retell a story
B. Reduce information to essential ideas
C. Get through an article more quickly
D. Understand easily
2. When summarizing, we want to unimportant information.

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 A. Summarize
B. Highlight
C. Disregard D. Include
3. The main idea is
A. All the information provided
B. The most important information
C. Nothing to worry about
D. Unimportant information
4. Basic Signal words are Who, What, When, Where, Why, How
A. True
B. False
5. The gives the reader an idea about what the paragraph is going to be
about.
A. Concluding sentence
B. Summary
C. Topic sentence
D. Body

WHAT IS IT

PRE-WRITING ACTIVITY!

Try to recall one of the novels or short stories you discussed in one of
your previous classes in English; choose one selection out of the several you
tackled throughout your school life. Then, on a separate sheet of paper, try to
rewrite the story using your own words.

Did you find the retelling of the story difficult? Why or why not?

What strategies did you employ in order to retell the story?

Did you find these strategies helpful? Why or why not?

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 WHAT'S NEW

What is Summarizing?

According to Buckley (2004), in her popular writing text Fit to Print,

summarizing is reducing text to one-third or one-quarter its original size, clearly
articulating the author’s meaning, and retaining main ideas.
According to Diane Hacker (2008), in A Canadian Writer’s Reference,
explains that summarizing involves stating a work’s thesis and main ideas
“simply, briefly, and accurately”.
From dictionaries, it is defined as taking a lot of information and creating
a condensed version that covers the main points; and to express the most
important facts or ideas about something or someone in a short and clear form.
From the definitions, take a look on the pool of words and phrases

reducing text “simply, briefly, and accurately”.

clearly articulating condensed version

thesis most important facts o r idea s

main ideas short and clear form.

Various techniques in summarizing a variety of academic texts

1. Read the work first to understand the author’s intent. This is a crucial
step because an incomplete reading could lead to an inaccurate
summary. Note: an inaccurate summary is plagiarism!

2. One of the summarization techniques you can do is to present

information through facts, skills and concept in visual formats. You can
provide the cause and effects charts, time lines, and Venn diagrams,
templates for outlines, use flow charts or infographics.

3. To avoid difficulty, you need first to know the main points and the
supporting details. You can exclude any illustrations, examples or
explanations.

4. You need to analyze the text to save time in thinking what you will do.

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 5. Think what information you will put in your summary. Be sure to cover the
main points and arguments of the document.

6. One of the best things to do in auto summarizing is restating the words

into different one. You should avoid using the original words of the author
instead; use your own vocabulary but be sure to retain the information.

7. You will fully understand what the document is when you organize all
ideas.

8. One of the things you can do is to write down all information in a coherent
and precise form. Keep in mind that a summary is a condensed version
of the original paper, so avoid making it long.

9. You can also decide to represent information through using dimensional

constructions in representing concepts, skills or facts.

10. Paraphrasing is one of the skills you can do in writing a summary. With it,
do not use the same words with the author.

With the tips above, you will no longer worry whenever you need to
summarize because it is your one stop solution to having a fantastic summary
that offer nice details to readers. Follow the tips and you will not make mistakes.

Here’s how you start writing your summary.

Example 1:

Japanese Rail Tunnel

Due to an increase in traffic between the various island which make up

Japan, and predictions of a continuing growth in train travel, a rail tunnel was
built to connect the islands of Honshu and Hokkaido. The Seikan Tunnel in
Japan is today the longest tunnel in the world, with a length of almost 54km.
When the tunnel was opened in 1988, all existing trains went through it.
However, newer Japanese bullet trains have never used the tunnel because of
the cost of extending the high speed line through it. Consequently, the train
journey from Tokyo to Sapporo still takes about ten hours. In contrast, the
journey by air takes only three and a half hours. This has combined with the fall
in the cost of flying, has meant that more people travel by plane than train and
the tunnel is not used as much as forecasters had predicted.

• Increase in traffic
• connect Islands (Honshu & Hokkaido )
• Predictions and continuing growth
• The longest rail tunnel

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 • opened 1988
• 54km
• Opened in 1988
• Bullet trains
• Never used tunnel
• Fall in the cost of flying
• Not used as much as forecasters predicted

Summary
The longest railway tunnel in the world links the islands of Honshu &
Hokkaido. This 54km tunnel was inaugurated in 1988 to deal with the
predicted increase in rail traffic. However, the fall in the cost of flying and
the fact that high speed trains cannot use the tunnel have resulted in the
tunnel being less widely used than expected.

Example 2
The Sydney Opera House

The Sydney Opera House is one of the most famous architectural

wonders of the modern world. Instantly recognizable both for its roof shells and
its impressive location in Sydney Harbour, it has become one of the best known
images of Australia.Situated close to Sydney Harbour Bridge, this large
performing arts centre was started in 1959 and completed in 1973. After a
competition to choose the design, the Danish architect Jorn Utzon was chosen.
The Opera House includes five theatres, five rehearsal studios, two main halls,
four restaurants, six bars, and several shops. The construction of the Opera
House was fairly controversial as the final cost of the building was much higher
than predicted. It was expected to cost $7 million, but in fact, the final cost was
$102 million. This was due to difficult weather conditions, problems with
structural design, and changes to contract. The remarkable roof shells were also
difficult to construct. Furthermore, the construction too longer than planned.
Completion of the building was initially expected in four years, in 1963.
Unfortunately, because of the many problems and changes which were
necessary in the design, the building was not completed until ten years later, in
1973.It was inaugurated by Queen Elizabeth 2 on 20 th October 1973, and
millions of people attended the ceremony. The event was televised, and
included a fireworks display and classical music performance.
• Most famous architectural wonders of the modern world
• Recognizable both for its roof shells
• Location in Sydney Harbour

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 • Performing arts centre
• Started in 1959 and completed in 1973
• Competition: The Danish architect Jorn Utzon
• Five theatres, five rehearsal studios, two main halls, four
restaurants, six bars, and several shops.
• Controversial: expected $7 million / the final cost $102
• Difficult weather conditions, problems with structural design, and
changes to contract.
• Inaugurated by Queen Elizabeth 2 on 20 th October 1973

Summary
The Sydney Opera house, has been described as ‘one of the
wonders of the modern world’, is located in Sydney Harbour, Australia.
Designed by Danish Architect, Jorn Utzo, this large performing art centre
with numerous theatres, restaurants and other facilities, took fourteen
years to build at a cost of over $100 million. The construction was seen as
controversial as it was estimated to only cost $7 million but adverse
weather, design difficulties and contractual problems made expenses
spiral out of control. It was inaugurated by Queen Elizabeth II in 1973 at a
ceremony televised to the world.
Adapted from Philpot, S & Curnick, L. 2011. Headway Academic Skills, Level 3. OUP

Another 5 Easy Techniques in Summarizing Various Academic Texts

Technique 1: Somebody Wanted But So Then

“Somebody Wanted But So Then” is an excellent summarizing strategy

for stories. Each word represents a key question related to the story's essential
elements:

• Somebody: Who is the story about?

• Wanted: What does the main character want?
• But: Identify a problem that the main character encountered.
• So: How does the main character solve the problem?
• Then: Tell how the story ends.

Here is an example of this strategy in action:

• Somebody: Little Red Riding Hood
• Wanted: She wanted to take cookies to her sick grandmother.
• But: She encountered a wolf pretending to be her grandmother.
• So: She ran away, crying for help.

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 • Then: A woodsman heard her and saved her from the wolf.
After answering the questions, combine the answers to form a summary:

Little Red Riding Hood wanted to take cookies to her sick grandmother,
but she encountered a wolf. He got to her grandmother’s house first and
pretended to be the old woman. He was going to eat Little Red Riding Hood, but
she realized what he was doing and ran away, crying for help. A woodsman
heard the girl’s cries and saved her from the wolf.

Technique 2: SAAC Method

The SAAC method is another useful technique for summarizing any kind
of text (story, article, speech, etc). SAAC is an acronym for "State, Assign,
Action, Complete." Each word in the acronym refers to a specific element that
should be included in the summary.

• State: name of the article, book, or story

• Assign: the name of the author
• Action: what the author is doing (example: tells, explains)
• Complete: complete the sentence or summary with keywords and
important details

This method is particularly helpful for students who are learning the
format of a summary and need reminders to include the title and author's name.
However, SAAC does not include clear guidance about which details to include,
which some students might find tricky. If you use SAAC with your students,
remind them of the types of details that belong in a summary before instructing
them to work independently.

Here is an example of SAAC in action:

• State: The Boy Who Cried Wolf

• Assign: Aesop (a Greek storyteller)
• Action: tells
• Complete: what happens when a shepherd boy repeatedly lies to the
villagers about seeing a wolf

Use the four SAAC cues to write out a summary of "The Boy Who Cried
Wolf" in complete sentences:

The Boy Who Cried Wolf, by Aesop (a Greek storyteller), tells what
happens when a shepherd boy repeatedly lies to the villagers about seeing a
wolf. After a while, they ignore his false cries. Then, when a wolf really does
attack, they don’t come to help him.

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Technique 3: 5 W's, 1 H

The 5 W's, 1 H strategy relies on six crucial questions: who, what, when,
where, why, and how. These questions make it easy to identify the main
character, the important details, and the main idea.
• Who is the story about?
• What did they do?
• When did the action take place?
• Where did the story happen?
• Why did the main character do what he/she did?
• How did the main character do what he/she did?

Try this technique with a familiar fable such as "The Tortoise and the Hare."

• Who? The tortoise

• What? He raced a quick, boastful hare and won.
• When? When isn’t specified in this story, so it’s not important in this
case.
• Where? An old country road
• Why? The tortoise was tired of hearing the hare boast about his speed.
• How? The tortoise kept up his slow but steady pace.

Then, use the answers to the 5 W's and 1 H to write a summary of in

complete sentences.

Tortoise got tired of listening to Hare boast about how fast he was, so he
challenged Hare to a race. Even though he was slower than Hare, Tortoise won
by keeping up his slow and steady pace when Hare stopped to take a nap.

Technique 4: First, Then, Finally

The "First Then Finally" technique helps students summarize events in

chronological order. The three words represent the beginning, main action, and
conclusion of a story, respectively:

• First. What happened first? Include the main character and

main event/action.
• Then. What key details took place during the event/action?
• Finally. What were the results of the event/action?

Here is an example using "Goldilocks and the Three Bears."

First, Goldilocks entered the bears' home while they were gone. Then, she ate
their food, sat in their chairs, and slept in their beds. Finally, she woke up to find
the bears watching her, so she jumped up and ran away.

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Technique 5: Give Me the Gist

When someone asks for "the gist" of a story, they want to know what the
story is about. In other words, they want a summary—not a retelling of every
detail. To introduce the gist method, explain that summarizing is just like giving a
friend the gist of a story, and have your students tell each other about their
favorite books or movies in 15 seconds or less. You can use the gist method as
a fun, quick way to practice summarizing on a regular basis.

When summarizing is useful?

Summarizing is useful in many types of writing and at different points in

the writing process. Summarizing is used to support an argument, provide
context for a paper’s thesis, write literature reviews, and annotate a
bibliography. The benefit of summarizing lies in showing the "big picture," which
allows the reader to contextualize what you are saying. In addition to the
advantages of summarizing for the reader, as a writer you gain a better sense of
where you are going with your writing, which parts need elaboration, and
whether you have comprehended the information you have collected.
www.umanitoba.ca/student/academiclearning

References
Buckley, J. (2004). Fit to Print: The Canadian Student’s Guide to Essay Writing.
(6th ed.) Toronto: Nelson. Hacker, D. (2008). A Canadian Writer’s Reference.
(4th ed.) Boston: Bedford/St. Martin’s.

WHAT'S MORE

ACTIVITY 1

Directions: Following the techniques above, summarize the texts by completing

the sample graphic organizer below. You may photocopy or create your own
graphic organizer so you can write your summary.

Essay 1: Importance of Education

Education is a process that involves the transfer of knowledge, habits and

skills from one generation to another through teaching, research and training. It
can be in a formal or informal setting. Formal education involves institutionalized
learning based on a curriculum. In today’s society, education and learning play
an indispensable role in shaping the lives of individuals and the society at large.

27
The most effective way of boosting economic growth, reducing poverty and
improving people’s health is by investing in education.

Human labor is essential for economic growth. A highly educated labor

force further stimulates economic growth. Additionally, a highly educated labor
force can easily adapt to new working environments and conditions. In view of
that, it is evident that education serves as the driving force for innovation of new
products and services. Educated workers exchange ideas in the work place and
come up with new ideas that help in the growth of the economy.

Education reduces poverty in a number of ways. One way is by creating

employment opportunities for educated people. Through employment, one is
able to afford a decent living. Education helps to increase economic security,
create income opportunities and improve livelihoods of the economically
disadvantaged by providing sustainable environmental management
mechanisms. Education further alleviates poverty through skills acquired in the
learning process. Skills such as carpentry, plumbing and masonry are relevant
in non-formal economies. One can acquire these skills through technical and
vocational training.

Educated people are health conscious and live longer than their
counterparts because they engage in healthy habits such as eating a balanced
diet, exercising regularly and going for medical check-ups. By investing in
education, one will also be investing in their health. Education serves to create
room for technological advancements in the field of medicine and agriculture.
Advanced technology used for conducting surgery has replaced traditional
methods. This has seen an improvement in people’s general health and an
increased life expectancy. Most developing countries have a low life expectancy
compared to developed countries. This can be attributed to high illiteracy levels
present in developing countries. This translates to poor health and poor eating
habits.

In conclusion, education is the only means of alleviating poverty,

improving people’s health and increasing economic growth. Improving literacy
levels in marginalized societies will go a long way in improving human living
standards.

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 Paragraph 1
•main idea:
•details:

paragraph 2
•main idea:
•details:

paragraph 3
•main idea:
•details:

paragraph 4
•main idea:
•details:

paragraph 5
•main idea:
•details:

Essay 2: Why is Education Important in Our Society?

Introduction
Education is more than just learning from books, and it is a shame that a
lot of schools do not see that it is more than just a curriculum and school score.
A good education can teach a child how to learn so that the child may take up
independent learning as an adult. Education may also teach a child how to
reason so that a child does not grow up to be ignorant.

Persuasive point 1:
The biggest selling point for education in our society is the fact that it
helps people learn “how” to learn. It is not about the knowledge they
accumulate; it is the way a child is taught how to “learn” things. A child may
come away from school not knowing a lot of the course, but if that child has
been taught how to learn, then that child may become an adult that learns
everything he or she needs in life. Otherwise, that child may grow up to be a
person that cannot see the obvious because he or she cannot reason and
consciously learn new things.

29
Persuasive point 2
Education teaches people how to reason, and if they are taught how to
reason well, then they help subdue their own thoughts of ignorance. For
example, there are lots of posts and websites on the Internet about childhood
vaccinations and how dangerous they are. Ignorant people than never learned
how to reason will look at them, believe them and support them. If a person is
taught how to reason, then he or she will know how to recognize empirical
evidence.

Persuasive point 3
That person would look at all the people in the US that have had
childhood injections (most of them) and then look at all the people with autism.
They would reason that if childhood vaccinations caused autism then most of
the people in the US would have autism. If a person is taught how to reason,
then that person may see how people that smoke seems more likely to develop
emphysema than people that do not smoke. They would then reason there is a
link between smoking and emphysema. This sort of reasoning can be taught in
schools, and if children are not taught it then they walk around risking their
children’s lives by not vaccinating them, and walk around smoking because their
daddy smoked for years and it never hurt him.

Persuasive point 4

Conclusion
If education is not seen as important, then one day it will just be all about
school scores and hitting the factors of a curriculum. There will be a day when
children start to hate learning because school put them off it for life (this already
happens in some cases). Plus, without education teaching people how to reason
things out and teaching them how to separate what is fact from what is faulty
evidence, then our society will become more and more ignorant until a smarter
country simply marches over and takes our country from under out ignorant
noses.

ACTIVITY 2

Directions. From the essay #2, complete this organizer with persuasive points
for each of the paragraphs following the thesis statement below. You may
photocopy or create your own graphic organizer below so you can write your
answer.

Thesis statement: I will show you the two best reasons why education is
important in our society.

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31
 ACTIVITY 3

Directions: After identifying the persuasive points, in your answer sheet, write
a summary of the text in your answer sheet.

: Summarizing

Nearing
Proficiency Proficient Advanced
5 pts 10 pts 15 pts

Accuracy of Nearing Proficiency Proficient Advanced

information
Some information Almost all of the key All information is
was correct. There pieces of correct and represents
were places that it information are what the original
is evident the correct. contained.
student did not fully
understand what
they had read.
Content clarity Nearing Proficiency Proficient Advanced

It is difficult to The information is All information is clear

understand the clearly written and to understand. There
meaning of what is is understandable. is a connection
written. Many There is a flow to between all ideas
disjointed thoughts. most of the presented and the
Flow and continuity thoughts and ideas. flow of thought makes
Some connections it very
is lacking.
between understandable.
ideas/sentences are
evident.
Original thought Nearing Proficiency Proficient Advanced

Some of the Most of the All of the sentences

sentences are in the sentences are in the are in the student's

32
 student's words. student's words. words. Some original
Some are exactly thought is shown by
as written in the elaborating on topic.
original text.
Sentence Structure Nearing Proficiency Proficient Advanced

Only some Most sentences All sentences are

sentences show show correct grammatically
correct grammar grammar and correct, show good
and structure. structure. sentence structure
and correct spelling.

POST ASSESSMENT

Directions: Simple recall: For numbers 1 and 2, write the letter of the correct
answer in your answer sheet.

1. Which of the following statements in SUMMARIZING is false?

A. The Summary is what the passage is mostly about.
B. The Summary is what all or most of the sentences or paragraphs are
about.
C. The Summary is usually found in more than just one sentence of the
passage.
D. The Summary is one isolated thought in a passage.

2. Which of the following statements in SUMMARIZING is true?

A. The Summary is a thought that is true but is not in the passage.
B. The Summary is what the passage is mostly about.
C. The Summary is specific, detailed information contained in the passage.
D. The Summary is always found in the first sentence of the passage.

Choose the letter that presents the best summary in each of the following
paragraphs:

3. When some people think about Texas, they think of cowboys on the open
range- herding cattle up a dusty trail. However, Texas has much more than
open prairie with large herds of cows. There are the mountains of West
Texas, the piney hills of east Texas, and the emerald waters off the coast of
Padre Island. Texas also has large coastal harbors with numerous sailboats,
powerboats, inland lakes, rivers, swamps of southeast Texas with alligators
and other exotic wildlife.

33
 A. There are a lot of cows in Texas.
B. There are many different, varied parts of Texas.
C. Texas is one of the biggest states in the United States.
D. There are alligators in the swampland of southeast Texas.

4. Tomorrow is Jill's birthday. She is excited because she gets to pick where she
will eat dinner. Will it be Mexican food at the Big Enchilada House? Or will it
be fried chicken at the Chicken Shack, or a big cheeseburger at Al's
Hamburger Palace. She just couldn't decide. Then there was always the
Pizza Shop with that great pepperoni pizza. How would she ever decide?
Maybe she would just flip a coin.
A. Jill has many restaurants to choose from for her birthday.
B. Jill loves Mexican food.
C. The Pizza Shop has the best pizza in town.
D. Jill will choose a place by flipping a coin.
5. It started when they got to the bears. Peter felt tired and his stomach hurt. He
dragged himself over to see the elephants, which were eating from a stack of
hay. Normally, the elephants were his favorite. Without much interest, Peter
followed his classmates to the camels, which were busy swatting flies with
their tails. Peter knew he should be having fun at the zoo, but he just felt
terrible and all he wanted to do was lie down and rest. Even the lions and
tigers did not interest him now.
A. Peter's favorite animals were the elephants.
B. The camels were swatting flies with their tails.
C. It was really hot at the zoo.
D. Peter didn't enjoy the zoo because he felt really bad.

6. For the walls, Jenny thought she would use a bright yellow paint. She would
pick a border that had mostly bright red and green colors, and maybe a little
bit of blue. She already had found some curtains that were sky blue with
streaks of red, blue and yellow that she thought would go great with the walls.
And finally, she had picked a carpet that was mostly blue with specks of red
and yellow. Jenny couldn't wait till she was done decorating her room. It was
really going to look awesome.
A. Jenny likes bright colors.
B. Jenny was going to paint her room.
C. Jenny was picking out colors and materials to decorate her room.
D. Yellow is a good color to paint your walls.

7. Right now, Jason was playing right field. He really wanted to play third base.
Earlier this year, coach had put him in left field and second base in a game,
but never at third base. Once in practice, coach let him play third base, but he
kept missing ground balls. When he did stop one, he made a bad throw to
first base. Maybe if he kept practicing, Jason would be good enough to play
third base. That was his dream.
A. Jason really wanted to play third base.
B. Jason was the best player on his team.
C. Jason had trouble catching ground balls.

34
 D. Jason was too lazy to practice.

8. San Francisco is located on the coast of California in an area often called the
Bay Area. The weather is generally very mild, seldom getting really cold or
really hot. Its mild climate is one reason many people live there. It seldom
snows in San Francisco and generally does not get below freezing during the
winter. Even in the middle of summer, temperatures may be in the mid-80s
with a cool breeze from the bay keeping the weather very comfortable.
A. San Francisco has many neat things to do.
B. It seldom snows in California.
C. Many people choose to live in California.
D. The weather in San Francisco is generally very mild.
9. Julie watched the ants as they carried small crumbs down the trail to the
anthill. She thinks ants are very hard working and industrious little creatures.
They always seemed busy, and you never saw an ant just laying around
doing nothing. They were carrying food, building tunnels, or defending the
anthill. One thing you could say about ants is that they sure aren't lazy.
A. Ants carry many things.
B. Some ants may bite you.
C. Ants are hard workers.
D. Some ants help take care of the queen.

10. The first book Chris read in fifth grade was about a lost kitten. Then he read
a book about a family of bears, and then he read about a wild kangaroo in
Australia. It seems every book Chris reads about animals. Last week he
found a good book about snakes and reptiles, and another book about
elephants. Today Chris went to the library, and he checked out a book about
dolphins, whales and other animals that live in the sea.
A. Chris likes kangaroos.
B. Chris is in the fifth grade.
C. Chris reads a lot of books about animals.
D. Dolphins and whales live in the sea.

KEY TO ANSWERS!

LESSON 1.

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WHAT’S MORE! LESSON 1. ASSESSMENT

1. The essay has 1. C

2. become 2. D
3. funded 3. A
4. Role 4. C
5. Ironic 5. B
6. Selected 6. FALSE
7. Represent 7. D
8. Audience 8. A
9. assassination 9. B
10. created

LESSON 2. ASSESSMENT LESSON 3. PRETEST LESSON 3.

ASSESSMENT
1. B 1. D 6. C
2. B 1. B 2. B 7. A
3. C 2. C 3. B 8. D
4. D 3. B 4. A 9. C
5. A 4. A 5. D 10. C
6. B 5. C
7. B
8. C
9. D
10. B

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