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Target

Summary is a brief statement or account of something that consists of the


main ideas and important details of a text.

In your previous lesson, you have used your knowledge of text structure to
glean the information you need.

This time, this lesson will provide you with information and activities that
will help you summarize academic texts using various techniques.

After going through this learning material, you are expected to:
1. use various techniques in summarizing a variety of academic texts
(CS_EN11/12A-EAPP-Ia-c-5).
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Jumpstart

Before going on, let us check how much you know about summarizing.

PRE-TEST 1: I FEEL YOU!


Directions: Write your answer/s to this survey questions in your notebook. 1.
Since your elementary years, how many times do you think you have written
a summary?
2. How do you feel when your teacher asks you to summarize a text? List
down 3 feelings.
3. Was summarizing an easy, average, or difficult task for you?

PRE-TEST 2: PRIOR-ITY
Directions: In your notebook, write YAH if you agree to the statement; write NAH if
not.
1. Summary is a dumb thing that teachers make you write.
2. Summary is the entire text, told in your own words.
3. You write your own opinions, like “This was a great story!”, in your
summary.
4. In writing a summary, the format is always in a paragraph form.
5. The length of the summary depends on how many important details it
needs to cover.

Discover
WHAT IS A SUMMARY?

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 Summary is a brief or short statement or account of something that consists
of the main ideas and important details of a text.
 The length of your summary depends on the main idea and key points you
have covered. There is no definite or exact length of a summary.

WHAT A SUMMARY IS NOT?


 It is NOT a place for opinions.
 It is NOT copy-pasted. Copy-paste is when you just copy few sentences from
the text, word for word, and delete (take out) other sentences when there is
already no space in your paper.
 It is NOT writing down everything.

IS A SUMMARY ALWAYS IN SENTENCES OR A PARAGRAPH?


 Most of the time you are expected to write summaries of academic texts in
sentences or in a paragraph form.
 BUT, there are others ways or strategies to summarize a text that do not
require you to write complete sentences. You will learn some of those
strategies later on in this lesson.

WAIT, WHAT?
Before writing a summary, you need to carefully read and understand the
text for you to be able to point out its main idea and key points which are the most
essential in summarizing.
1. The main idea is what the text is about. Often, you can find the main idea
in the topic sentence or thesis statement. Sometimes the main idea is
explicit; sometimes it is implied. If the main idea is explicit, it means it is
directly stated in the topic sentence. If it is implied, it means the topic
sentence only suggests or gives a hint of the idea but is not directly stated
in the sentence.
2. Key points or sub points are arguments or information that are used to
support the main idea. Key points may be developed or elaborated with
supporting details.

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HOW TO SUMMARIZE?
Use MIDAS touch.

M Main idea: Identify main idea from the topic sentence (if there is one) or
use all or any of the basic signal words [ who (subject), what (action),
where (location), when (time), why (reason), how (process)].
I Identify key points.
D Disregard unimportant information.
A Analyze redundant information.
S Simplify, categorize, and label important information.

PRACTICE 1: ON USING BASIC SIGNAL WORDS


Let us start with the simple story adapted from The Very Hungry Caterpillar
by Eric Carle. Read the text, and let us use basic signal words to identify essential
details.
The Very Hungry Caterpillar
In the light of the moon, a little egg lay on a leaf. One Sunday morning, the warm
sun came up and pop! After the egg, came a tiny and very hungry caterpillar. It started
to look for some food. On Monday, it ate through one mango, but it was still hungry. On
Tuesday, it ate through two bananas, but it was still hungry. On Wednesday, it ate
through three guavas, but it was still hungry. On Thursday, it ate through four
strawberries, but it was still hungry. On Friday, it ate through five oranges, but it was
still hungry. On Saturday, it ate through one slice of chocolate cake, one ice cream
cone, one cucumber, one slice of cheese, one hotdog, one lollipop, one corn, one slice of
ham, one cupcake, and one slice of watermelon. That night, it had a stomachache. The
next day was Sunday again. The caterpillar ate through one nice green leaf, and after
that it felt much better. Now, it wasn’t hungry anymore, and it wasn’t a little caterpillar
anymore.
It was a big, fat caterpillar. It built a small house called a cocoon around itself. It stayed
inside for more than two weeks. Then, it nibbled a hole in the cocoon, pushed its way out,
and it was a beautiful butterfly.

Who: A hungry caterpillar


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What: Ate a lot of food
How: Turned into a beautiful butterfly

PRACTICE 2: MAIN IDEA AND KEY POINTS


Read the story, The Very Hungry Caterpillar, again. Try to write down in your
notebook the main idea and the key points of the story.

Main Idea: ____________________________________________________________________


Key Points: ____________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________

From the main idea and key points you have written, decide which of the
following below is the best summary of the story. Be able to reason out why you
chose or did not choose each summary presented. Write your answers in your
notebook.

Summary #1
A bug comes out of an egg. It eats lots of food. This is a great story. If you want to
find out how it ends, you should read it!

Why or Why not? ________________________________________________________________


Summary #2
A caterpillar hatches from an egg. After eating many different kinds of food, it
turns into a beautiful butterfly.
Why or Why not? ________________________________________________________________

Summary #3
In the warm moonlight, a caterpillar hatches out of an egg. First it eats a mango.
Then it eats bananas. Then it eats three guavas. Then it eats four strawberries.
Then it eats five oranges. Then it eats lots of other things. Finally, it spins a cocoon
around itself. It turns into a beautiful butterfly!

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Why or Why not? ________________________________________________________________

And the Best Summary goes to: __________

Teacher’s Note: Make sure you have answered everything in Practice 2 before you
proceed to Realigning My Answers. You can’t move on if there is still an
unfinished business left behind. You should know that.

PRACTICE 2: REALIGNING MY ANSWERS


Here are the answers and most possible explanations. Check your answers in
your notebook.
Main Idea: A hungry caterpillar that turned into a butterfly
Key Points: 1. Ate a lot of food
2. Turned into a beautiful butterfly
Best Summary: Summary 2
Summary #1: This summary includes personal opinions. It is also inaccurate
—a bug does not come out of the egg, a caterpillar does.

Summary #2: This summary includes the main character (the “what” or
subject) of the story, as well as the important events. It does not include
trivial details or opinions.
Summary #3: This summary contains more details than are needed. The list
of “mango, bananas, guavas, strawberries, and oranges” can be collapsed
into “fruits” or “different kinds of food”.

PRACTICE 3: MAIN IDEA AND KEY POINTS


Read the following text, and try to write down in your notebook the main idea
and the key points. Then, write a summary out of the main idea and the key points.
Wrigley’s Chewing Gum
(1) Wrigley’s chewing gum was actually developed as a premium to be given
away with other product rather than as a primary product for sale. As a teenager, William
Wrigley Jr. was working for his father in Chicago selling soap that has been manufactured
in his father’s factory. The soap was not very popular with merchants because it was
priced at 5 cents, and this selling price did not leave a good profit margin for the
merchants. Wrigley convinced his father to raise the price to ten cents and to give away
cheap umbrellas as a premium for the merchants. This worked successfully, confirming to
Wrigley that the use of premium was an effective sales tool.

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(2) Wrigley then established his own company, in his company he was selling
soap as a wholesaler, giving baking soda away as a premium, and using a cook book to
promote each deal. Over time, the baking soda and cookbook became more popular than
the soap, so Wrigley began a new operation selling baking soda. He soon decided on
chewing gum. Once again, when Wrigley realized that the demand for premium was
stronger than the demand for the original product, he created the Wm. Wrigley Jr.
Company to produce and sell chewing gum.
(3) Wrigley started out with two brands of gum, Vassar and Lotta gums, and
soon introduced Juicy Fruit and Spearmint. The latter two brands grew in popularity,
while the first two were phased out. Juicy Fruit and Spearmint are two of Wrigley’s main
brand to this day.

Main Idea: ____________________________________________________________________


Key Points: ____________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________
Summary: ____________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________

PRACTICE 3: REALIGNING MY ANSWERS


Here are the possible answers.
Main Idea: Wrigley’s Chewing Gum
Key Points:
1. Wrigley established his own company, the Wm. Wrigley Jr. Company, with
baking soda as his primary product.
2. The chewing gum was originally developed as a premium to be given away.
3. Juicy Fruit and Spearmint are two of Wrigley’s main brand to this day.
Summary: Wrigley’s chewing gum was originally developed as a give-away or
premium with baking soda as William Wrigley Jr.’s original product, but the
demand for the premium was greater than the product so he decided to create the
Wm. Wrigley Jr. Company which produces and sells chewing gum. Juicy Fruit and
Spearmint are the products seen in the market today.

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OTHER SUMMARIZING TECHNIQUES
Your teacher may require you to summarize an academic text in an
unconventional way. That is, not in sentences or in paragraph form. You may find
the following summarizing techniques useful and easier for you.
1. One-Word Summaries
► Apply critical thinking skills to investigate, read about, and analyze the topic.
► Come up with one good word that fits the topic.
► Defend your word choice with a valid reason. It is not the choice of the one
word that makes this a powerful strategy, but the development of your
reason for defending that choice.

2. GIST Strategy
According to the Merriam-Webster dictionary, gist means main point or
essence. In this strategy, you fill in the details asked of you and follow the steps
given.
Title of the Text: _________________________
Source: _________________________
a. Read the article or section of text.
b. Fill in the 5 Ws and H where applicable.
Who: Where:
What: Why: When: How:
c. Write a 10-word GIST summary.
_____ _____ _____ _____ _____
_____ _____ _____ _____ _____

3. Summary Star
Using the shape of a star, first write your preferred one-word title for the
article. It can be the theme or the main idea of the article. Then, write two feelings
the text conveys in the right corner. In the lower right corner of the star, write three
words about the setting. Next, write four words to describe the problem or conflict.
Lastly, write five words about the conclusion or ending of the text in the left corner.
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1
word for a
new title

4. Chain of Events

5. Problem-Solution Chart

Who

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6. Story Pyramid

7. Acrostics
► You are to choose a key word/concept from the lesson. You must then write a
detail or descriptor that starts with each of the letters of the key
word/concept.
► For example, the key word of a text is HONESTY. You must then think of a
detail or a description that starts with the letter “H” and that is related to the
text, and so on.
► Here is an example.
H- elp yourself to become a man with dignity
O- wn your mistakes
N- ever lie
E- nsure that your intentions are real
S- tay true to yourself and to everyone
T- ruth should always come out
Y- es to being faithful
8. RAFT
Role (from whose point of view)
Audience (the specific reader to whom the piece is being written)
Form or Format (a letter, memo, list, email, etc.)
Topic (specific subject of the writing)

9. Key Points Summary

 You are to make a list of key points from the text in bullet form.

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In a sentence or sentences in a paragraph form, write a summary for each
text in your notebook. There are three texts to summarize. Remember first to
identify the main idea and key points; then use them to create your summary. Your
summaries will be scored based on this rubric.
Rubric for Scoring the Summaries
4 3 2 1
CRITERIA
(Excellent) (Satisfactory) (Developing) (Beginning)
Summary Summary Summary Summary
consists of the consists of the consists does not
main idea and main idea and of consist
key points and key points either the of the
excludes and main idea main idea and
minor details. or key key points but
Focus includes few points minor details
minor and only.
details.
includes
several
minor
details.
All the Most of the Few of the None of the
ideas in ideas in the ideas in the ideas in the
the summary are summary are summary are
summary clearly written clearly written clearly written
Organization
are and in logical and in logical and in logical
clearly written order. order. order.
and in logical
order.
The summary The summary The summary The summary
has no errors has few errors has several has many
in grammar, in grammar, errors in errors in
Mechanics capitalization, capitalization, grammar, grammar,
and Grammar punctuation, punctuation, capitalization, capitalization,
and/or and/or punctuation, punctuation,
spelling. spelling. and/or and/or
spelling. spelling.

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Text 1
Understanding Calories

A calorie, also known as kilocalorie, is a unit of energy. This unit represents the
energy required to heat a kilogram of water on degree Celsius. While people generally link
the term calorie with food, it is a unit of measurement that can be applied to any
substance possessing energy. For instance, there are 8200 calories in a litter (about one
quart) of gasoline.
Calories describe the potential energy in food to maintain bodily functions, grow or
repair tissue, and perform mechanical work such as exercise. Food calories may take the
form of fat, carbohydrates, or proteins. Once consumed, enzymes act on these nutrients
through metabolic processes and break them into their perspective categories of fatty
acids, glucose, and amino acids. These molecules travel through the blood stream to
specific cells where they are absorbed for immediate use or sent on to the final stage of
metabolism where they release their stored energy through the process of oxidation.
The number of calories burned during an exercise depends on various factors
including body weight and the type of exercise. For example, an individual weighing 59
kilograms (130 pounds) would expend roughly 500 calories per hour swimming or playing
basketball. However, this same person would burn an estimated 200 walking or playing
table tennis. In order to survive and maintain body weight, the average individual requires
approximately 2000 to 2500 calories per day. Gaining or losing weight is a simple process.
Add and subtract 7,700 calories over the course of time to gain or lose a kilogram.
Nutrition has nothing to do with it. It is all about calories.

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Text 2
A How-to Guide for Physical Distancing
by the World Health Organization

Physical distancing helps limit the spread of COVID-19 – this means we keep a
distance of at least 1m from each other and avoid spending time in crowded places or in
groups. Protect yourself and others. Break the chain of transmission.
We do not always know who may be sick with coronavirus. That’s why it’s
important to stay home and practice physical distancing. If we must go out, e.g. to buy
groceries or for medical reasons, we should stay at least 1m away from others. Staying at
home as much as possible is the right thing to do now. Limiting gatherings with people
outside your household – like group activities and religious events – can reduce the
spread of COVID-19. Protect yourself and others. Do your part. Stay home.
Even small group activities can lead to COVID-19 spreading. Staying home and
connecting with friends and family through a call or video chat is a smart choice. If you’ve
been asked to self-isolate or self-quarantine, there is a good reason for this. No one wants
to be responsible for making other people sick. Protect yourself and others. Do your part.
Break the chain of COVID-19 transmission.
Physical distancing is new for all of us, so it can feel strange. But it’s the smart
choice. We can stay socially connected while physically distant – through video, call or
text. You may like going to the gym, playing a group sport or participating in an exercise
class, but these activities bring us into close contact with others. Try to stay active in your
home or outdoors while keeping a distance of at least 1m from others.
Some of our common habits, like greeting each other with a hug or handshake, put
us in close contact with others and can cause COVID-19 to spread. Let’s keep a distance
of at least 1m from one another – even when saying hello!
While you may need to leave your home while physical distancing, follow national
health advice and stay safe. Together, we can break the chain of COVID-19 transmission.

Text 3
A Filipino surfer abandoned a medal race to rescue his competitor December 9,
2019 By Anne Quito

Filipino surfer Roger Casugay earned the Philippines its first-ever gold medal in
surfing at the Southeast Asian Games today (Dec. 8). But even before winning the men’s

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longboard competition, the 25-year-old athlete was already heralded as the event’s hero
for an unselfish act during a semi-final round last week.
Casugay was leading a one-on-one race against Indonesian surfer Arip Nurhidayat
Friday (Dec. 6) when he noticed that Nurhidayat broke his ankle leash and was swept by
towering waves at Monaliza Point, La Union in northern Philippines. Typhoon Kammuri
(called Tisoy locally) has made conditions challenging at the 30th edition of the biennial
sporting event.
Casugay, a surfing instructor, paddled back to Nurhidayat and helped him back to shore.
Spectator Jefferson Ganuelas described the scene on Facebook, noting Casugay “rescued
him not minding the ongoing race for gold medal.”
Sports fans—including many Indonesians on Twitter—are calling Casugay a hero, a
title he’s uneasy with. “No, I’m not a hero,” he said to Rappler. “I didn’t really save him
from drowning. He is a good swimmer. I just calmed him down.”
“We have a brotherhood in surfing,” he told CNN. “If someone needs help, you go. I
didn’t think about winning and [am] just relieved that we were both safe. We were
overjoyed when we reached the shore.”
Casugay won a rematch against Nurhidayat yesterday and bested fellow Filipino
surfer Rogelio Esquivel for the gold medal.

Deepen

PRACTICE MAKES PERFECT


Using the other summarizing techniques you have learned previously,
summarize the following texts in your notebook. One point will correspond to each
correct answer.

ACTIVITY 1: RAFT (4 points)


Read the letter, then using RAFT technique, fill in the details needed.

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Dear Prof. Lanuza:

Congratulations for being chosen as one of the recipients of the ASEAN Educational
Program Award. You are invited to the 5 th Annual ASEAN English Teachers’ Conference.
Our sponsors value the important work done by English language teachers and they are
willing to support your professional endeavors by giving financial aid in the conference.
The conference organizers and sponsors want to know more about your work and how
the ASEAN English Teachers’ Conference will be able to help you. May we ask you to
complete the attached questionnaire to help us provide that information? Also, we would
appreciate the opportunity for members of our Sponsorhip Profile team to talk with you
about your work and the challenges and opportunities that you have identified in your
study.
If you have questions, just send me an email or check this link to the conference
website. Thank you and we look forward to meeting you.

Best regards,
Prof. Hannah Lee
Role: ________________________
Audience: ________________________
Form or Format: ________________________
Topic: ________________________

ACTIVITY 2: KEY POINT SUMMARY (16 points)


Read the text entitled, Who Are Caregivers? In bullet form, write the key
points as well as the sub points. You may use a phrase or a sentence. The skeleton
outline below the text is already provided for you.

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Who Are Caregivers?
Caregivers are typically professionals (home health aides, personal care aides,
nursing assistants, in home companions, etc.) or family members or friends who provide
vital physical, practical, and emotional support to a person who is elderly, disabled or
senior. They are increasingly handling tasks previously done by health care professionals.
Caregivers may have a range of responsibilities on a daily or as-needed basis, including
providing support and encouragement, giving medications, helping control symptoms and
side effects, coordinating medical appointments and providing transportation, assisting
with nutritional needs, helping with housekeeping, and handling insurance issues.
Caregiving roles can generally be broken down into three categories:
Live-in caregiver. One person typically assumes the role of the primary (lead)
caregiver, often because of emotional, geographic, and logistical reasons. One-quarter of
care recipients in the United States live with their caregivers, according to the Family
Caregiver Alliance.
Shared responsibility caregiver. Some caregivers share the responsibility with
other family members, based on who is able to best perform each of the caregiving tasks.
Working productively with family members in times of stress can be challenging because
previous family conflicts are more likely to surface or intensify. However, caring for a
person with cancer can also bring families closer together. Learn more about sharing
caregiving responsibilities with family in a positive way.
Long-distance caregiver. In some cases, care is managed by a family member or
friend who does not live near the person with cancer. A long-distance caregiver assumes
the responsibility of coordinating services—often by phone or by email—as well as
arranging for local volunteers, friends, and colleagues to assist the person with cancer.
Caring for a person with cancer who lives far away can be emotionally exhausting
because all of the usual caregiving worries tend to be magnified. It may also cause
financial stress. However, there are steps you can take to be an effective caregiver no
matter how far away you are. Find out more about long-distance caregiving.

• ____________________________ o
____________________________ o
____________________________ o
____________________________
• ____________________________ o
____________________________ o
____________________________ o
____________________________ o
____________________________ o
____________________________ o
____________________________ o
____________________________
• ____________________________ o
____________________________ o
____________________________ o
____________________________

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ACTIVITY 3: GIST
Read the news, then fill in the details needed for the GIST strategy.

Experiencing the ‘Super Blue Blood Moon’ atop Mt. Kabugbugan By Joanna D.
Sabado The Norluzonian Courier, February 13-19, 2018
BAUANG, La Union—Many people all over the world waited with growing
excitement Wednesday night to witness a blue moon, a super moon, and a blood moon
combined which results to a rare phenomenon coined a “super blue blood moon”.
Filipinos were lucky enough because it was said that anywhere in the Philippines
was a good spot for moon-watching.
In Bauang, La Union, residents and tourists alike trooped late afternoon on
January 31 to its highest at Mt. Kabugbugan, also popular as Mt. Puraw, located at
Palugsi-Limmansangan, to experience the stunning view of the moon which started at
about 6:49 p.m. and ended 12:09 a.m. the next day.
Diana Abubo, municipal tourism staff, shared that around 100 residents and local
tourists joined the climb.
“One’s experience atop started with watching the picture-perfect sunset view at the
western part or the Bauang beach area,” she said.
Apart from leisurely watching the moon at the mountain peak, skywatchers ad
climbers could have an opportune time to commune with nature to relax and unwind after
an easy-breezy 30-minute uphill climb.
In fact, a day before the occurrence of the super blue blood mon, a group from the
different municipal offices like the Tourism, Disaster Risk Reduction and Management
Office, Environmental and Natural Resources Offices, local police and the Bauang
Tourism Council went up for a climb to experience the beauty and serenity of the
mountain and the night.
After the once-in-a-lifetime lunar phenomenon, local guides and officials here are
very much willing to accommodate and assist climbers in the coming days.
Worth visiting and dropping by before heading for the climb is the Ciano Umok Art
Gallery, also in Palugsi-Limmansangan, wherein those with love for arts would appreciate
exhibited beautiful sculptures and paintings.
“We welcome the positive feedback from the different groups who have experienced
going to Mt. Kabugbugan and we will continue to remind all those who want to go to
preserve the place and bring home whatever trash they have,” Myrna Romero, municipal
tourism officer, said.
The total lunar eclipse was reported to have been visible in the Philippines,
western South America, North America, Asia, Australia, Middle East, Eastern Africa,
Eastern Europe, the Pacific Ocean and the Indian Ocean.
For those who missed it, the next blue moon total lunar eclipse would be on
December 31, 2028, according to NASA. Indeed, it is “once in a blue moon”.

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Title of the Text: _________________________
Source: _________________________
5 Ws and H
Who: ____________________ Where:____________________
What: ____________________ Why: ____________________
When:____________________ How: ____________________
10-word GIST summary

_____ _____ _____ _____ _____


_____ _____ _____ _____ _____
ACTIVITY 4: EXTRA BASIC
Using the basic signal words, summarize the text below.
Republic of the Philippines
REGIONAL TRIAL COURT
_____ Judicial Region
Branch___, _______ City

EX-PARTE MOTION FOR EXTENSION TO SUBMIT COMPROMISE AGREEMENT

Defendants, by the undersigned counsel and unto the Honorable Court, respectfully state
that:
(1) On 5 January 2016, the Honorable Court, in open court, directed the Parties to
submit their Compromise Agreement within ten (10) days therefrom, or on 15
January 2015.
(2) Defendant Hannah Dy is presently abroad and needs to execute a Special Power of
Attorney authorizing her brother and Co-Defendant Roland Dy to sign the
Compromise Agreement on her behalf.
(3) This Motion is not intended to delay the instant proceedings but filed solely by
reason of the foregoing. Moreover, the filing of the same will not result in any
injustice of prejudice to any of the parties herein.

Gauge
TEST 1: HUH?
Directions: Write YAH if the statement about summary is true; write NAH if
otherwise.
1. Answers to the 5 Ws + H which are who, what, where, when, why, and how
should always be complete in your summary.
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2. Aside from the main idea and key points, minor details should be included
in your summary.
3. The length of your summary should always be a half shorter than the
original text.
4. The statement, “You should read the essay”, is an essential part of your
summary.
5. Summarizing is one way to avoid plagiarizing one’s work.

TEST 2: LET’S DO IT!


Directions: In an acrostic, write your answer to the question below using the
initials of the word, SUMMARY. Avoid listing mere topics or terms found in this
lesson. Write your answers in your notebook.
What have you realized after finishing this learning material about
summarizing?

S -
U -
M -
M -
A -
R -
Y -

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