Republic of the Philippines From dictionaries, it is defined as taking a lot of information and

Department of Education creating a condensed version that covers the main points; and to express
Region VIII the most important facts or ideas about something or someone in a short
Division of Samar and clear form.
STA. MARGARITA NATIONAL HIGH SCHOOL
Senior High School Department
From the definitions, take a look on the pool of words and
phrases
Sta. Margarita, Samar
reducing text “simply, briefly, and accurately”.
clearly articulating condensed version
LEARNER ACTIVITY SHEET/WORKSHEETS thesis most important facts o r idea s
ENGLISH FOR ACADEMIC AND PROFESSIONAL PURPOSES
main ideas short and clear form.
Name of Learner: ___________________________________________________ Various techniques in summarizing a variety of academic
Grade Level: ______________Section: _________________Date:_____________ texts
VARIOUS TECHNIQUES IN SUMMARIZING A VARIETY OF ACADEMIC TEXTS
1. Read the work first to understand the author’s intent. This is a
Title
crucial step because an incomplete reading could lead to an
LEARNING COMPETENCY WITH CODE: inaccurate summary. Note: an inaccurate summary is plagiarism!
 Uses various techniques in summarizing a variety of academic texts. 2. One of the summarization techniques you can do is to present
What I Need to Know information through facts, skills and concept in visual formats. You
Learning Objectives: At the end of the lesson, the learners shall be able to: can provide the cause and effects charts, time lines, and Venn
 define summarizing and summary from various writers; diagrams, templates for outlines, use flow charts or infographics.
 identify the various techniques in summarizing; and 3. To avoid difficulty, you need first to know the main points and the
 summarize various academic texts.
supporting details. You can exclude any illustrations, examples or
explanations.
WHAT'S NEW 4. You need to analyze the text to save time in thinking what you will
do.
What is Summarizing? 5. Think what information you will put in your summary. Be sure to
According to Buckley (2004), in her popular writing text Fit to Print, cover the main points and arguments of the document.
summarizing is reducing text to one-third or one-quarter its original size, 6. One of the best things to do in auto summarizing is restating the
clearly articulating the author’s meaning, and retaining main ideas. words into different one. You should avoid using the original words
of the author instead; use your own vocabulary but be sure to retain
According to Diane Hacker (2008), in A Canadian Writer’s Reference, the information.
explains that summarizing involves stating a work’s thesis and main ideas 7. You will fully understand what the document is when you organize
“simply, briefly, and accurately”. all ideas.

1
 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
• 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 recognisable 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
milllion, 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
2
building was not completed until ten years later, in 1973.It was inaugurated
by Queen Elizabeth 2 on 20th 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
• Recognisable both for its roof shells
• Location in Sydney harbour
• 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 milllion / the final cost $102
• Difficult weather conditions, problems with structural
design, and changes to contract.
• Inaugurated by Queen Elizabeth 2 on 20th 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
Technique 2: SAAC Method
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 charter 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.
• 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.
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
3
 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.
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.
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?
4
 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.
WHAT'S MORE
A
CTIVITY 1
Directions: Following the techniques above, summarize the texts by
completing the sample graphic organizer below. Write your summary in a
piece of paper.
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. 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.
Paragraph 1: Paragraph 4:
Main idea Main idea
Details Details
Paragraph 2: Paragraph 5
Main idea Main idea
Details Details
Paragraph 3:
Main idea
Details
5

POST ASSESSMENT
Directions: Simple recall: For numbers 1 and 2, write the letter of the correct answer
in your notebook.
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.
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.
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.
6
 D. The weather in San Francisco is generally very mild. http://www.ascd.org/publications/books/114004/chapters/Academic-
9. Julie watched the ants as they carried small crumbs down the trail to the anthill. Language.aspx
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. https://heroictechwriting.com/2018/03/29/characteristics-of-formal-and-
They were carrying food, building tunnels, or defending the anthill. One thing you informal- writing/
could say about ants is that they sure aren't lazy.
A. Ants carry many things. https://www.ereadingworksheets.com/text-structure/
B. Some ants may bite you.
C. Ants are hard workers. https://www.readnaturally.com/research/5-components-of-reading/
D. Some ants help take care of the queen. comprehension
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
Prepared by:
the library, and he checked out a book about dolphins, whales and other animals
that live in the sea.
A. Chris likes kangaroos. SANTIAGO N. ROMA
B. Chris is in the fifth grade. Senior High School Teacher
C. Chris reads a lot of books about animals.
D. Dolphins and whales live in the sea.

REFERENCES: P
Online Sources

https://study.com/academy/lesson/classification-division-text-structure-
definition- examples.html

https://sokogskriv.no/en/writing/language-and-style/

https://writingcenter.unc.edu/faculty-resources/tips-on-teaching-writing/in-class-
writing-exercises/

http://www.academiclanguage.org/Academic_Language.html>

http://www.ascd.org/publications/books/114004/chapters/Academic-
Language.aspx