NOTE TAKING, PARAPHRASING, AND

SUMMARIZING
FOR TOEFL IBT EXCLUSIVELY
 In addition, for the four major skill areas assessed in the TOEFL test, there are several supplementary skills that
will help you succeed on the test as well as in your academic studies. These skill - note taking, paraphrasing, and
summarizing - are not directly tested on the TOEFL test, but mastering them will help you improve your score.
NOTE TAKING

 Note taking is an important skill for any student to develop. The average student in an American university spends
12-16 hours a week in classroom lectures and discussions. Taking notes is the most effective way to organize and
remember what you hear in class, as well as what you read outside of class. Here are some reasons you will want
to take notes on the TOEFL test:
 Taking notes will help you focus your attention on the content of the reading and listening passages.
 Organized notes will help you to develop a well-organized speech or essay in the time allotted.
 Writing down information will help you to remember main ideas and details.
 If you forget any details, you can refer back to your notes.
 To be a good note taker, you need to develop two skills: writing notes quickly and understanding what is
important in a passage. To write notes quickly, you can learn use abbreviations and symbols, use a format, and
organize ideas to show relationships clearly. To take good notes on a passage, it’s important to be able to identify
the topic, identify the important points, and understand the logic and the organization of the passage.
TAKING NOTES FROM WRITTEN TEXTS

 In order to take effective notes from a written passage, follow these steps:
 Read the complete passage. Reread any part you don’t understand.
 Identify any important information: the specific topic and main ideas.
 Write a quick list of the important points. Use abbreviations.
 Paraphrase the main ideas to avoid repeating exact phrases from the text.
TAKING NOTES FROM SPOKEN TEXTS

 If you are attending a live lecture, sit at the front of the room. You will be able to hear more clearly and experience fewer
distractions.
 Focus your attention on what the lecturer is saying. If you are listening to a live lecture or viewing one on a screen, do not
let his or her manner of speaking distract you. Learn the common ways in which native speakers hesitate, use filler phrases
and self-correct (See Practice with Understanding Natural Speech)
 Listen for signal words and phrases that indicate that important information is coming next. These signals will help you to
know when to take notes.
 Try to anticipate what the lecturer will talk about next. In this ways, you can avoid getting behind and missing details as you
write.
 Try to quickly organize your notes as you write. Use one of the methods illustrated in Exercise NPS1 to clearly define main
points versus supporting details.
 Determine how the lecture ties in with previous lectures, reading assignments, and the general subject matter. In other
words, ask yourself how a lecture fits into the larger picture.
 Knowing when important information is about to be presented is an essential skill in effective note taking. In the
types of listening passages you will encounter on the test, listen for signals that important ideas or details are to
come.
SIGNALS IN CONVERSATIONS

 In a conversation, there are several signals, or markers, you can listen for that indicate important ideas. These
include:
 One speaker asking the other speaker from an explanation.
 One speaker agreeing with a point made by the other speaker.
 One speaker adding details with a point made by the other speaker.
 One speaker disagreeing with a point made by the other speaker.
 One speaker presenting information that conflicts with a point made by the other speaker.
 You can also need to listen for a speaker’s attitude and degree of certainty.
 A speaker will indicate these through:
 The use of information and stress patterns
 The choice of words - for example, “It must be true that... “ or “Experts say... “
SIGNALS IN LECTURES

 In a lecture, there are several ways in which a speaker can indicate an important point. These include:
 Saying it slower and louder, sometimes with a pause
 Repeating it
 Drawing attention to it - for example, “I want to stress that…” or “The crucial thing to remember is…”
 Lectures can indicate a new point or details by:
 Using transitions and connecting words
 Using signals - for example, “There are three reasons why…” or “I’d like to move on to…”, “Next we have…”, or “Most
important…”
PARAPHRASING

 Learning to paraphrase quickly and effectively will help you understand and remember the main points and
important details from reading passages and lectures. Paraphrasing is also an important skill to use in the
integrated tasks on the TOEFL iBT test. If you can paraphrase what you’ve heard or read, your speech or essay
will be clearer and more accurate.
 To paraphrase effectively, it is important to have clear notes on what you have read or heard. Look at your notes
and think about how you might explain the material to someone who is unfamiliar with the topic. Then write or
speak using synonyms, simplified words, and different sentence structures from the original passage to clearly
explain the concepts.
 To practice paraphrasing skills, follow these steps:
 Read or listen to a spoken passage several times to be sure that you have fully understood the material.
 Take abbreviated notes using one of the methods illustrated in Exercises NPS2 and NPS3
 Write full sentences in your words to explain the concepts and details outlined in your notes.
 Keep in mind that your audience may not be familiar with the topic. Use simplified words to paraphrase and restate the
main points and supporting details.
 Compare your version of the text or lecture with the original to make sure it is accurate. Make any adjustments and
evaluate any need for improvements.
SUMMARIZING

 You will need to learn to clearly and accurately summarize what you have read or heard in order to succeed on
the TOEFL test as well as in your university studies. A summary differs from a paraphrase in that it does not
present a full account of the material, but rather describes only the major points. An effective summary is concise,
clear, and coherent, and much shorter than the original text.
 To summarize effectively, make sure you have understood what you have read or heard and taken clear notes. If
you have paraphrased the material in your notes, think about the main point and how they connect in a general
level. If your notes are in outline form, look at the main categories and think about how to link them clearly
without including too much detail:
 To practice summarizing skills, follow these steps:
 Read or listen to a spoken passage several times to make sure that you have fully understood the material.
 Take abbreviated notes using one of the methods illustrated in Exercises NPS2 and NPS3
 Organize your notes in a way that clearly shows the hierarchy of main points versus supporting details.
 Determine the author’s or speaker’s main purpose, intent, and meaning.
 Convey the main points of the text or lecture in one or two coherent paragraphs.