Summary writing

                     
    SUMMARY WRITING - 01

What is a summary?

* It is the the gist or the main idea of a 
   passage expressed in as few words 

   as possible. 

* Any one reading it may be able to grasp 

   the main points of the passage summ- 

   rised. 

* A summary is always shorter than the 

   original. 

* One has to tear the heart out of the 

   passage. 

* It involves hard thinking, concentration

   and intensive brain work. 

* A summary should not contain more t

   than a third of the number of words in

   the original passage. 

* Summarising is also called pre`cis 

  writing. 

Words related to `summary`.

concise         synopsis          pre`cis

condense      summarize      sum up

brief                the gist            

terse               curt 

Uses of writing a summary.

1. A fine exercise in reading.

2. It makes you pay attention to what you

    read.

3. It is an excellent training concentration

    to what you read.

4. It teaches one how to express thoughts 

    clearly, concisely and effectively.

5. One learns to choose words carefully. 

6. One learns to express words in a fixed 

     number of words. 

7. It is of great value for practical life. 

Note:

The skill of summary writing , once developed , makes you a precise man in talking and writing. But you need constant practise to develop this skill. The failure to summarise is not a matter of lack of knowledge in the target language. It truly is a special skill in a person. For example most people fail to address a gathering fluently in their first language. Does that mean that they do not know their language? That is because public addressing is a special skill. It needs to be developed through practice and proper guidance. You cannot be the perfect person in summary writing over night. You need a humble beginning at first; summarising short paragraphs or even complex sentences comprising a limited number of words. You need the guidance of an experienced teacher who could go through your summaries and help you where necessary. Finally you would come to a stage where you feel that you could assess your own writing. You need patience, good reading and dedication to be a perfect summary writer. Take opportunity to read model summaries written by experienced writers and then compare the summary with the original. It will help you form an idea as to what you should do. Today most our students are reluctant to read. It is an obstacle for them to be good summary writers. But if you can be a good summary writer you will feel that you are miles above in language than most of your friends. 

Sajendra Kumara

Nenasa- Veyangoda, Sri Lanka

SBEC - Nittambuwa, Sri Lanka

                          GENERAL ENGLISH