SUMMARY WRITING

What is Summary Writing?

A summary is a condensed form of a longer essay/reading. The purpose of summary writing is to to give
basic ideas of the original writing. To write a summary, you need to use your own words and express
briefly the main idea of certain piece of reading. In Section C of the SPM 1119 paper, which carries a
substantial 25 marks, is divided into two parts, reading comprehension and summary writing. Ten marks
are allocated for reading comprehension and 15 for summary writing.

Example of Summary Writing.

Base on this article, write a summary of 130 words.

1. The tiger, the largest cat in the world, is one of the most majestic animals on land and is found only in
Asia. It is also one of the most powerful mammals, yet it is on the brink of extinction. In the 1900s, the
tiger population was more than 100,000. Today, the number has dwindled to less than 10,000
worldwide. Nepal has only 200 tigers, India has about 4,000, while Malaysia has less than 500. The
reason for the decline in numbers is poaching.

2. Tigers are hunted not only by human beings but also by other predators such as elephants, bears and
large buffaloes. The only defence tigers have against their enemies are their razor-sharp claws, their
strong teeth and their sheer weight. The weight of a tiger, which can range between 200 and 300
kilogrammes, can kill an 10 average sized human being.

3. Tigers have fascinated human beings for several reasons. For instance, marks on their forehead
resemble the Chinese character wang, which means king. Furthermore, the markings on a tigers
forehead and the stripes all over its body are like finger prints. Experts can tell individual tigers apart by
observing the markings and stripes closely. This is because no two tigers have identical markings. The
patterns of their stripes vary immensely, especially from one sub-species to another. The Sumatran tiger
has the most stripes and markings while the Siberian tiger has the fewest. The stripes of a tiger always
run at right angles to its body and not along its bodyline. Otherwise, it would be very conspicuous and
find it impossible to camouflage itself.

4. These carnivorous beasts thrive well in areas of dense vegetation with ample sources of water and
large populations of hoofed animals. They instinctively avoid human beings and only attack people if
they are provoked, injured or unable to hunt for their usual food.

5. Despite their prowess, tigers are unable to protect themselves from their greatest threat human
beings. These magnificent creatures have been hunted for hundreds of years for sport as proof of ones
strength and manliness, and for their skin. They have also been trapped and poisoned by farmers to
protect their livestock. As a result, the Caspian, Javan and Bali tigers have become extinct. In many Asian
countries, tigers are killed for their precious claws. It is believed that wearing a talisman made of a 30
tigers claw can protect its wearer. It is almost impossible to ascertain whether a tigers claw has any
supernatural powers, but what is certain is that many a tiger will lose its life so that someone can profit
from it.

6. Other than that, tigers have been hunted for their body organs, which are believed to be a cure for
many ailments. This superstition may have resulted from the connection 35 made with their masculinity
and strength. This has resulted in massive poaching of tigers for their whiskers, eyes, teeth, penises, liver
and fat.

7. Hunting of tiger prey has also caused the number of tigers to dwindle. Tigers usually feed on hoofed
animals such as deer, wild boar and buffaloes. The hunting of these animals by human beings has caused
tigers to starve to death.

8. Serious action has to be taken to ensure the survival of this majestic creature. Although the tiger has
been labelled an endangered species and the sale of tiger related products has been banned in many
countries, these measures have backfired, with illegal poaching of tigers for their fur, bones and other
organs becoming rampant. Some countries, such as India, have allocated millions of dollars to set up
tiger reserves to protect these animals but even these are not safe. Poachers completely wiped out wild
tigers in the Sariska Tiger Reserve in India. To ensure the survival of the tiger, conservation efforts need
to be improved to reduce threats to tigers. Efforts must also be made to improve tiger habitats and to
increase tiger prey populations so that they will not starve to death in the wild. There must be more
stringent controls on the demand for tiger parts. When there is no demand, there will be no supply. To
drive the message home, poachers should be punished severely. Otherwise, they will not stop their
illegal activities.

Here is a sample summary using phrases and sentences from the passage.

The tiger population has suffered a serious decline because tigers have been hunted for sport as proof of
ones strength and manliness and for their skin. Besides, tigers have been killed by farmers to protect
their livestock. These beasts have also been killed for their claws which are believed to protect the
wearer. Worse still, tigers are killed for their body organs, which are believed to cure many ailments.
Moreover, hunting of tiger prey has caused tigers to starve to death. Stern measures must be taken to
protect them. For instance, conservation efforts and tiger habitats must be improved. To prevent tigers
from starving, tiger prey populations must be increased. Most importantly, there must be more stringent
controls on the demand.

(121 words)
 Tips in writing a summary:

1) Read the text given carefully.

2) Identify and underline the important points.
3) Start writing the summary based on the main points you have gathered.
4) Rephrase the important points and use our own words.
5) Organize your ideas/points in the manner which they are found in the text.
6) Adhere to the word limit.
7) Write the summary in one paragraph only!
8) Check and edit your summary if necessary.

ANSWERING SUMMARY IN 1119 ENGLISH

SPM PAPER 2
SECTION C: SUMMARY (ESPECIALLY TO MY SETS 4(1)A and 5(1)E!!)

The third section in Paper 2 English SPM, section C requires students to complete a set of
reading comprehension questions (RC) and a one paragraph summary based on a reading
passage. RC is not the hardest part of the paper, because every student would have been doing
this since standard 4. The problem will be the summary. Let me give you some tips on answering
summary.

1. Read THE QUESTION FIRST.

Scroll down after the RC questions and you will find the summary question. This should be done
BEFORE reading the passage.*

For example,

31 Based on the passage given, write a summary on:

the suggestions given by Mahes to promote laughter therapy at the office.

Credit will be given for use of own words but care must be taken not to change the
original meaning.

Your summary must:

be in continuous writing form (not in note form)
use material from lines 16 to 34
not be longer than 130 words, including the 10 words given below

Begin your summary as follows: Mahes suggests that laughter clubs are set up to
make ...
*You should get the idea of what the passage is about just by looking at the question. Reading
the questions before reading the passage is good because it gives you focus on your reading and
you will understand the passage a lot faster.

2. Read the passage

3. Complete the Reading Comprehension Questions
4. To start summarizing, use the BRIEF technique

B BOX
R READ
I IDENTIFY
E EXTRACT
F FINALIZE
5. B=BOX

This is VERY SIMPLE. Just draw a box on the paper. Start the first horizontal line ABOVE the
line mentioned in the instruction (In RED) and another after the last line mentioned. In this
case it is line 16 and line 34.

31. Practice 3 Questions 26 31 are based on the following passage.

1 Work-related stress is a common problem among employees. It can result in feelings of depression,
frustration and demotivation. Stress management therapist, Mahes Karuppiah recommends laughter
therapy to deal with this problem. Mahes says that laughter helps to reduce levels of cortisol, a stress
hormone that weakens the immune system.

5 Studies have found that a good laugh session can lead to a sense of wellbeing and optimism. It can also
reduce blood pressure, increase circulation and relax the muscles. Mahes, who began using laughter as
therapy four years ago says laughter is the easiest and most practical way to manage stress. It is also
inexpensive as everyone possesses the natural ability to laugh. You dont have to learn how to do it or
buy equipment to help you laugh; it is in you.

10 If you look at children, they laugh at the simplest things while adults are finding it difficult even to
smile. Mahes says employees who are facing pressure and stress usually cannot cope with their work.
This drags down their productivity and may even compel them to come up with excuses not to come to
work. If you start work at the age of 25 and retire at 55, you would be spending 30 years of your life at
the office. And you work about nine hours or more there every day. So, if you are unhealthy and

15 unhappy during this period which is the prime time of your life, you have wasted the bulk of your life
with these emotions. To make the office a fun place, she suggests the establishment of a laughter club at
each company. Get a few people together every morning and have a laughter therapy session for about
15 minutes. All the laughter club members should try to identify and remove negative feelings such as
guilt, anger, fear, jealousy and ego, she says.
20 According to Mahes, there are a few types of laughter therapy. Among them are putting a pen between
your teeth to simulate a smile and the Ho, Ho, Ha, Ha, which involves laughing while clapping your
hands. You dont need to listen to a joke or look at something funny. You can do it as a form of exercise
just like aerobics. It is said that laughter is like internal jogging. It keeps the mind and body fit. There
should also be a laughter room in every office, she says. Youve heard of people

25 screaming to release their tension. Why not have a laughter room where instead of screaming, they can
laugh? Employees can use the room to practise laughter exercises,watch a funny video or sit there and
just laugh their frustrations away. The cost of having this room is small. And in return it will help boost
morale among the workers, reduce absenteeism and increase productivity. Another suggestion is to have a
Public Announcement or P.A. system in the office so that someone can tell a

30 joke of the day or just begin laughing. Laughter is contagious. Once you get someone to laugh, soon
everyone in the room will be laughing or smiling as well. Post funny jokes or cartoons on a bulletin board,
as long as they are not lewd or offensive. Employees can rotate the postings every week. The best joke or
cartoon should be declared the Humour of the week. This is the cheapest way to bring fun into the
office.

35 According to a study by David Abrams of California State University in the United States, people who
have fun on the job are more creative and productive, are better decision-makers and get along better with
co-workers. So, start the day with a laugh and youll find the saying Laughter is the best medicine is
really true. (Adapted from The New Straits Times, July 2003)

Example of the box:

6. R=Read the passage

This is not simply reading. Focus on what you are going to summarize. Especially the one in the
box.
 7. I=Identify

This means you must identify the points/ key ideas that are relevant to what the instructions
want. Be careful of what the question wants especially the PARTS OF SPEECH.

For example-the instruction above is QUESTIONING about SUGGESTIONS TO PROMOTE

LAUGHTER THERAPY IN THE OFFICE. Now SUGGESTIONS should fall into the NOUN
CATEGORY/PART OF SPEECH. So you have to search for ACTIVITIES.

I WOULD HIGHLIGHT THE POINTS

8 E=Extract

This basically means when you have identified the ideas, you have to take the idea out from the
text and ON A PIECE OF A DIFFERENT PAPER, write them out again according to
the ORDER THEY ARE FOUND IN THE PASSAGE. Making this list of ideas/points
is CRUCIAL because we need to weed out the unnecesssary details and to recheck whether the
ideas we identify is relevant or not. Remember, only highlighting on the text IS NOT
ENOUGH. You have to REWRITE THE POINTS.
Ok, lets look at the list

SUGGESTIONS ON PROMOTING LAUGHTER THERAPY AT THE OFFICE

1. she suggests the establishment of a laughter club at each company. Get a few people together every
morning and have a laughter therapy session for about 15 minutes. All the laughter club members should
try to identify and remove negative feelings such as guilt, anger, fear, jealousy and ego, she says

WHAT IS STRUCK OUT: ELABORATION ON WHAT IS A LAUGHTER CLUB

2. According to Mahes, there are a few types of laughter therapy.

WHAT IS STRUCK OUT: MENTIONING THE WRITER IS UNNECESSARY

3. Among them are putting a pen between your teeth to simulate a smile and the Ho, Ho, Ha, Ha, which
involves laughing while clapping your hands. You dont need to listen to a joke or look at something
funny. You can do it as a form of exercise just like aerobics. It is said that laughter is like internal jogging.
It keeps the mind and body fit.

WHAT IS STRUCK OUT: ELABORATION OF LAUGHTER THERAPY AND HOW IT WORKS

4. There should also be a laughter room in every office, she says. Youve heard of people screaming to
release their tension. Why not have a laughter room where instead of screaming, they can laugh?

WHAT IS STRUCK OUT: JUSTIFICATION FOR HAVING A LAUGHTER ROOM

5. Employees can use the room to practise laughter exercises,

WHAT IS STRUCK OUT: WHO IS USING THE ROOM BECAUSE IT IS EXPLAINED IN THE
POINTS ABOVE.
6. watch a funny video or

7. sit there and just laugh their frustrations away. The cost of having this room is small. And in return it will
help boost morale among the workers, reduce absenteeism and increase productivity.

WHAT IS STRUCK OUT: THE COST AND BENEFITS OF THE ROOM

8. Another suggestion is to have a Public Announcement or P.A. system in the office so that someone can
tell a joke of the day or just begin laughing. Laughter is contagious. Once you get someone to laugh, soon
everyone in the room will be laughing or smiling as well.

WHAT IS STRUCK OUT: REASON FOR USING THE P.A SYSTEM

9. Post funny jokes or cartoons on a bulletin board, as long as they are not lewd or offensive. Employees
can rotate the postings every week.

WHAT IS STRUCK OUT: WHAT CAN BE POSTED AND WHO CAN POST IT.

10. The best joke or cartoon should be declared the Humour of the week. This is the cheapest way to bring
fun into the office.

WHAT IS STRUCK OUT: THE COST

.

Remember, NO EXAMPLES, ELABORATIONS AND

REPEATED IDEAS IN A SUMMARY

.
9. F=FINALIZE

Use the sentence as an opener for your summary given to start writing a paragraph of summary.
Be sure not to exceed 120 words.

Mahes suggests that laughter clubs are set up to make people release their
tension. First, there are a few types of laughter therapy: Among them are putting a pen between
your teeth to simulate a smile and the Ho, Ho, Ha, Ha, which involves laughing while clapping
your hands. Second, create a laughter room in every office. Then use the room to practise
laughter exercises, watch a funny video or sit there and just laugh their frustrations away. Third,
use the Public Announcement or P.A. system in the office so that someone can tell a joke of the
day or just begin laughing. Finally, post funny jokes or cartoons on a bulletin board and the best
joke or cartoon should be declared the Humour of the week

You must write the number of word (126 words)

In finalizing, you can write in Sequence connectors like the numbering of points
to make your points clearer. Before submitting, check your sentences and
grammar.
There you are. we are done. You can start practising!

Good Luck!