STEPS IN SUMMARY WRITING

Read the passage twice. Try to understand the passage - Ask yourself questions: What is the author trying to say in this paragraph? Read the instructions Find out exactly WHAT you need to summarise.

Identify the main idea:

You should have identified the main idea through the process of asking questions. Pick out the topic sentence in the paragraph. Leave out the examples that support the key sentence.

Leonard was utterly exhausted. He grumbled that hehad never been so tired in a long while as he trudged along slowly.

Remove redundant words and phrases from key sentences:

Remember the question will help you decide what is redundant. Remember - You are trying to tell the story so that people understand what happened. There is no need for all the creative words and imagery used by the author.

Always refer back to the question to stay on track. Re-express the key points in your own words. Re-read question to ensure that you are on the right track. Write your first draft. EDIT your first draft. Count and shorten if need be. Write your final draft and pick out any errors. Count and write down total number of words.