summary writing examples for class 9

Summary Writing Class 9: Format, Examples, Topics, Exercises

Introduction:.

Drink into the world of summary jotting! In this composition, we will explore the conception of summary jotting and its significance, bandy the format of a summary, give exemplifications, suggest motifs, and offer exercises to help you exercise and enhance your summary jotting chops.

Format Of A Summary Writing Class 9:

When writing a summary, it’s important to follow a specific format. The length of the summary may vary depending on the conditions, but it’s generally shorter than the original textbook. Then’s a typical format for a summary

1. preface Begin with a brief preface that provides an environment and identifies the source material. 2. Main Body Condense the main ideas and crucial points of the original textbook into many paragraphs. Use your own words while maintaining the integrity of the author’s ideas. 3. Conclusion Conclude the summary by recapitulating the main points and emphasizing the significance of the source material.

Also Read: Summary Writing Examples For Class 10 

Examples Of Summary Writing Class 9:

To illustrate the process of summary writing, let’s consider a couple of examples:

Example 1: Book summary

Harper Lee’s “To Kill a Mockingbird”

Preface” To Kill a Mockingbird” is a classic novel set during the 1930s in the fictional community of Maycomb, Alabama. Scout Finch, a little girl growing up in a racially divided world, is the promoter of the novel.

Main Body Through Scout Finch’s perspective, the news addresses motifs of ethical inequity, justice, and morality. It recounts her connections with numerous personalities, especially her father, Atticus Finch, a counsel defending an African American man named Tom Robinson who was wrongfully charged. Scout learns essential assignments about empathy, compassion, and societal shafts as she navigates her nonage. The news explores the complications of mortal nature as well as the counteraccusations of prejudice.

Conclusion” To Kill a Mockingbird” is a study-provoking story that addresses pivotal social issues. In the face of partisanship and injustice, it highlights the significance of empathy and understanding. Harper Lee’s masterwork continues to allure compendiums of all periods, reminding us of the necessity of compassion and standing up for what’s right.

Example 2: News article summary

“COVID-19 Vaccination Drive Accelerates Encyclopedically”

prolusion Because of an improved immunization regimen, the global effort to tackle the COVID-19 outbreak has gained traction.

Countries around the world have expanded immunization sweat to protect their citizens from the devastation caused by the complaint. Governments are collaborating with healthcare organizations to build mass vaccination sites and increase vaccine availability. The goal is to achieve widespread immunization, which will result in lower complaint rates and a return to normalcy.

Several vaccines have been approved for emergency use, including those developed by Pfizer-BioNTech, Moderna, AstraZeneca, and Johnson & Johnson. These immunizations have undergone extensive testing to ensure their safety and efficacy. Governments prioritize vulnerable people such as healthcare workers, the elderly, and the disabled.

With millions of individuals receiving vaccinations, the immunization craze has come to a halt. Vaccine aversion and misinformation are being addressed through the public awareness enterprise. Additionally, efforts are being undertaken to ensure equitable vaccine distribution, particularly in low-income nations with limited resources.

Conclusion The expanded COVID-19 immunization campaign is an important step toward tackling the epidemic’s challenges. Countries are on the verge of preventing the virus’s spread and restoring normalcy by emphasizing universal inoculation and overcoming vaccine reluctance.

Topics For Summary Writing Class 9:

Summary writing can cover a wide range of subjects. Here are some topics that you can practice summarizing:

1. Impact of Climate Change on Biodiversity 2. Effects of Social Media on Teenagers’ Mental Health 3. Exploring the History of Ancient Egypt 4. The Value of Financial Literacy in Young Adults 5. Analyzing Shakespeare’s Tragedies: Themes and Symbolism

Exercises For Summary Writing Class 9:

To improve your summary writing abilities, consider the following exercises:

1. Read a news article and write a one-paragraph summary highlighting the main points. 2. Choose a chapter from a book and summarize it in three to four sentences. 3. Watch a TED Talk and condense the key ideas into a concise summary.

Conclusion On Summary Writing Class 9:

Summary writing is a valuable skill that helps you effectively condense longer texts into concise versions, enabling readers to grasp the main ideas quickly. By understanding the format, practicing with various topics, and following essential tips, you can improve your summary writing abilities and become a proficient summarizer.

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Mastering the Art of Summary Writing

Musharrat Abir

It doesn’t matter which class you are in; if you are a student in the primary and high schools of Bangladesh, you will definitely have to write a summary in your English 1st paper exam. Despite our extensive experience in summary writing, many of us still struggle to receive a satisfactory score on this question. When it comes to the board exams, not achieving a competitive score in summary writing can have a significant negative impact on your total result. Failing to attain a high score in summary writing could potentially prevent you from securing an A+ in English 1st paper, which is already quite challenging to achieve in board examinations like SSC and HSC.

What is a Summary?

Now, what is a summary? So, according to the Cambridge Dictionary, a summary is a short , clear description that gives the main facts or ideas about something. A summary is a concise version of a longer text, speech, or document that captures the main ideas, key points, and essential information. The purpose of a summary is to provide readers or listeners with a brief and clear overview of the original content, allowing them to grasp the most important elements without having to go through the entire source material.

What is the purpose of summary writing?

Other than getting a good mark on summary writing, the purpose of a summary is to quickly give the reader or listener an idea of what this material is saying . A summary serves as a concise and focused overview of a longer text, speech, or document. It distills the key points and core message, aiding in retention, decision-making, and as a reference point. 

When to Write a Summary

We have summary writing in our English first paper exams. Sometimes we have to write a summary of a familiar story or poem, while at other times it’s on a completely unknown topic. Regardless of the topic, if you know how to write a proper summary, you’ll definitely excel! Since summaries are commonly written in various contexts, here are some common situations and places where summaries are needed:

01. Academic Papers: Summaries can be found in academic articles, research papers, and theses, often as abstracts, to provide a concise overview of the study’s purpose, methodology, findings, and conclusions.

02. Academic Summarization Tests: In standardized tests such as the SAT, ACT, or IELTS, students are asked to provide summaries of reading passages to demonstrate their reading comprehension.

03. Project Proposals: Summaries are often required in project proposals, where the proposal’s main points and objectives are briefly outlined.

04. Academic Presentations : In academic presentations, speakers often include a summary slide or section at the beginning or end of their presentation to highlight key takeaways.

05. Education: Teachers may ask students to write summaries as assignments to assess their comprehension of lesson materials.

06. Scientific Abstracts: Scientific research papers include abstracts that provide a concise summary of the study’s goals, methods, results, and conclusions.

The list is not exhaustive, and there are many other purposes of summary writing out there!

English for Everyday

• প্রাত্যহিক জীবনে ইংরেজি ভাষার ব্যবহার
• ইংরেজিতে প্রশ্ন ও উত্তর দেওয়ার কৌশল
• ইংরেজিতে সাবলীলভাবে কথা বলার আত্নবিশ্বাস
• অফিসে ব্যবহার করার জন্য Professional Practice

Qualities of a Summary Writing

While writing a summary, there are a few qualities of a summary that you need to keep in mind:

01. Accuracy: Summaries must correctly reflect the main ideas without changing the meaning. So, read the text thoroughly and present the ideas correctly.

02. Conciseness: Keep it short and to the point. Capture the main ideas without adding extra details or repeating stuff.

03. Objectivity : Be neutral. Don’t put your personal opinions or interpretations into the summary.

04. Clarity: Make it easy to understand. Use simple and precise language to convey the main points clearly.

05. Comprehensiveness: Cover all the important parts of the original text without going into too much detail.

06. Structure: Organize your summary logically. It should flow smoothly, just like an organized closet.

07. No New Info: Don’t add new ideas or information that were not present in the original text.

08. Readability: Write in a way that grabs the reader’s attention and keeps them interested.

Now, let’s discuss one of the most crucial aspects of summary writing: its length . As a general guideline, a summary should typically be about one-fourth the length of the original work, which may range from 1 to 3 pages. Suppose the original text is a 20-line lesson about the history of Bangladesh. In that case, the summary should condense these 20 lines into about 5 lines, highlighting critical historical events, significant leaders, and their contributions to the struggle for independence. This concise version aids students in understanding the essential information from the text.

Things you should include in a Summary Writing

In a summary writing, you should include the following key elements:

Main Idea: Clearly convey the main idea or thesis of the original text. This is the central point that the author is trying to make.

Key Points: Summarize the most important points, arguments, or findings from the original text. These are the supporting details that help to explain and support the main idea.

Key Examples: If the original text includes illustrative examples, statistics, or anecdotes, include a few of the most relevant ones to support the key points.

Key Terms: Use terms or phrases from the original text if they are essential to understanding the topic. This ensures accuracy and clarity.

Context: Provide a brief context or background information if it’s necessary to understand the main idea and key points.

Tone: Consider the author’s tone (e.g., formal, informal, neutral) and try to reflect it appropriately in your summary.

Conciseness: Keep the summary concise, avoiding unnecessary details, examples, or repetition. The goal is to capture the essence of the text in a compact form.

Avoid Personal Opinions: A summary should be objective and not include your personal opinions or analysis of the text.

Citations: If required, include proper citations to credit the source, especially in academic or research summaries.

Structure: Organize the summary logically, typically in the same order as the original text, to make it clear and easy to follow.

Difference between a Summary and an Analysis  

Difference between summarising and paraphrasing.

Summary Writing Format

Here’s a clear and structured step-by-step format to help you master the art of writing a summary:

Step 1: Read the text carefully

While writing a summary in English , you should read the article more than once to make sure you’ve thoroughly understood it. First, scan the article quickly to get a sense of its topic and overall shape. Read the article carefully, highlighting important points and taking notes as you read. Skim the article again to confirm you’ve understood the key points, and reread any particularly important or difficult passage. For example, if you are reading a summary on Cox’s Bazar, first skim through the whole thing.

Step 2: Break the text down into sections

To make the text more manageable and understand its sub-points, break it down into smaller sections. For instance, you might explore topics like the location of Cox’s Bazar, its attractions, and the reasons for its fame.

Step 3: Identify the key points in each section and mark important lines

Now it’s time to go through each section and pick out its most important points. What does your reader need to know to understand the overall argument or conclusion of the article? Keep in mind that a summary does not involve paraphrasing every single paragraph of the article. Your goal is to extract the essential points, leaving out anything that can be considered background information or supplementary detail.

Step 4: Write the summary

Now that you know the key points that the article aims to communicate, you need to put them in your own words. It’s essential to properly paraphrase the author’s ideas. Do not copy and paste parts of the article, not even just a sentence or two. The best way to do this is to put the article aside and write out your own understanding of the author’s key points. A summary begins with an introductory sentence that states the text’s title, author, and the main point of the text as you see it. A summary is written in your own words. 

Here are some key points to keep in mind for summary writing

• Introduction: Start with a brief introduction that includes the title of the original text, the author (if known), and a sentence summarizing the general topic or purpose of the text.
• Main Points: In the body of your summary, cover the main points or key ideas presented in the original text. Each main point should be presented in a separate paragraph. 
• Conciseness: Be concise and avoid including unnecessary details or examples. Focus on the most critical information.
• Use of your own words: Paraphrase the information from the original text using your own words. Avoid direct quotations.
• Order: Maintain the order of the original text as much as possible to preserve the logical flow of ideas.
• Length: Ensure your summary writing is of an appropriate length, depending on the guidelines provided. For IELTS, aim for around 150 words.
• Cohesion: Use linking words and phrases (e.g., “Firstly,” “In addition,” “Moreover”) to create cohesion between your sentences and paragraphs.
• No Personal Opinions: A summary should be objective and not include your personal opinions or interpretations.
• Conclusion: End your summary with a concluding sentence that reiterates the main theme or message of the original text.
• Proofreading: After writing your summary, proofread it carefully to correct any grammatical or spelling errors.

Step 5: Check the summary against the article

After writing the summary, it’s essential to review it against the original article. Make sure your summary accurately reflects the main points and doesn’t misrepresent the information. This step helps ensure the integrity of your summary.

Examples of  Summary Writing

To better grasp the art of writing summaries, here’s an example :

“In the article “Why Promoting a Reading Culture Could Promote Wellbeing,” Natalie Clarkson discusses how a workplace that encourages reading leads to greater satisfaction and higher productivity. Reading a book helps employees lower stress levels by allowing the reader to escape into imagination. The satisfaction that a reading culture offers also translates to less stress in the workplace, which maintains high levels of productivity. When employees are happier, they are more likely to stay with an organization and work more effectively as part of a team. All of these benefits make a workplace reading culture a positive influence on employee well-being 

(Clarkson, Natalie. (2015) Why promoting a reading culture could promote well-being.)

• The opening line introduces the genre, title, author, and an overview of the article.
• The summary uses an objective tone without opinion.
• The author ends the summary with a closing line.
• The closing line restates the main points of the article, avoiding smaller details.

To understand the difference between a poorly written and a well-written summary, here’s a summary writing example to illustrate the distinction.

The advent of digital technology has revolutionized the way we access and share information. With the proliferation of smartphones, tablets, and computers, people have unprecedented access to vast amounts of data at their fingertips. The internet serves as an inexhaustible source of knowledge and entertainment. Social media platforms have created new avenues for connecting people across the globe. However, this digital age also brings concerns about data privacy and security, as personal information is increasingly stored and shared online. Striking a balance between the convenience and risks of the digital world remains a critical challenge in the 21st century.

Poorly Written Summary

Digital technology has changed how we get and share information, and it’s easy with smartphones and computers. The internet has a lot of knowledge and fun. Social media lets us connect globally, but it’s not always safe.

Well Written Summary

The digital age, characterized by the widespread use of smartphones, tablets, and computers, has transformed information access and sharing. The internet provides an immense resource for knowledge and entertainment, while social media platforms facilitate global connections. However, the convenience of this digital world must be balanced with concerns about data privacy and security. Achieving this equilibrium stands as a significant challenge in the 21st century.

DOs & DON’Ts of Summary Writing 

Here are some DOs & DON’Ts of summary writing:

• Take note of the main theme.
• Pick out important supporting details .
• Write a chapter outline. 
• Be objective. 
• Brevity and clarity 
• Avoid details not included in the main text.
• Avoid first and second person point of view.
• Do not interject.
• Make it elaborate enough for a Summary Writing

These guidelines will help you create effective and well-crafted summaries.

Reporting Verbs in Summary Writing 

Reporting verbs convey your stance toward the information source. Your stance can be ‘positive,’ ‘negative,’ or ‘neutral.’ If you disagree with the author, you’d use a negative reporting verb to express your disagreement. However, in Summary Writing, you do not provide your point of view.

Tools for Summary Writing 

• Text Summarizer | Quillbot AI
• AI Summarizing Tool  
• Free Text Summarizer 
• Summary Writing App for Academic Writing 
• AI Summarizing Tool | Grammarly

English Grammar Fundamentals

• ইংরেজি গ্রামারের গুরুত্বপূর্ণ বেসিক রুলস
• প্রয়োজন অনুযায়ী গ্রামারের ব্যবহার
• উদাহরণের মাধ্যমে প্রতিটি রুলস এর সহজ ব্যাখ্যা
• ১৭টি ভিডিও লেসন ও সার্টিফিকেট

Summary Writing Checklist

Practice makes everything perfect, right? So, here are some ideas for practicing summary writing.

Firstly, Find an article in the newspaper, on the Internet, or in your book that is interesting to you and write a summary using the guidelines. Then, u se the checklist below to edit your summary.  If you marked no , then go back to your summary and fix it.  Put a check in the Fixed box.

Frequently Asked Questions on Summary Writing

Here are some frequently asked questions (FAQs) on summary writing:

How can I make my summary more engaging?

Ans: To make your summary more engaging, consider incorporating compelling anecdotes or real-world examples, using descriptive language to vividly convey key points, and concluding with a thought-provoking statement or question that encourages further reflection.

What point of view should you use in summary W riting ? 

In summary writing, you should use the third-person point of view. Using the third person maintains an objective and formal tone and keeps the focus on the content being summarized rather than the summarizer’s perspective.

How do I avoid plagiarism in a summary?

To avoid plagiarism, rephrase the content in your own words rather than copying verbatim. Properly cite the source when necessary.

Can I include direct quotations in a summary?

It’s best to avoid direct quotations in a summary. Summarizing involves expressing ideas in your own words. However, if a direct quote is essential, use it sparingly and provide proper citation.

What tense should I use in summary writing?

Summaries are often written in the present tense to make them more immediate and engaging. However, consistency with the original text’s tense is also important.

How can I make my summary more concise?

To make a summary more concise, focus on the most important information, remove unnecessary details, and use clear and concise language.

Are there any common mistakes to avoid in summary writing?

Common mistakes include adding new information not present in the original text, expressing personal opinions, and failing to accurately represent the source’s main ideas.

At first, summary writing might seem challenging. However, the more you practice following our provided guidelines, the better you will become at mastering summary writing!

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আপনার কমেন্ট লিখুন

কন্টেন্ট সমূহ, 📖 related blog, 5 reasons why you keep failing that test.

Okay, maybe not failing, but we all know the ever familiar ‘you-studied-for-months-and-still-did-worse-than-the-friend-who-never-saw-the-syllabus’ situation. We’ve all been through it time and again, so really, what are we doing wrong? And how do we get out of this? It’s possible. And it’s possible to get out of this in 10 minutes. (Because we’re all goldfishes and anything more than 10 minutes is like the script of The Lord of the Rings).

Subject-Verb Agreement With The Batman

See what the Batman has to say on subject – verb agreement

এসএসসি পরীক্ষা: ব্যবসায় শিক্ষা শাখা- শেষ সময়ে প্রস্তুত তো?

পুরোটা পড়ার সময় নেই ? ব্লগটি একবার শুনে নাও ! তুমি যেহেতু এখন এই লেখাটি পড়ছ তাহলে ধরে নেয়া যেতে পারে যে তুমি ব্যবসা শিক্ষা শাখার একজন এসএসসি ক্যান্ডিডেট। তাই প্রথমেই তোমার জীবনের একটি অন্যতম পরীক্ষার জন্য অনেক শুভ কামনা। পরীক্ষার শুরু হওয়ার আগের একদম শেষ সময়টায় আমাদের একটা কমন প্রবলেম হয় সেটা হচ্ছে আমরা …

এসএসসি পরীক্ষা: ব্যবসায় শিক্ষা শাখা- শেষ সময়ে প্রস্তুত তো? Read More »

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How to Write a Summary (Examples Included)

Ashley Shaw

Have you ever recommended a book to someone and given them a quick overview? Then you’ve created a summary before!

Summarizing is a common part of everyday communication. It feels easy when you’re recounting what happened on your favorite show, but what do you do when the information gets a little more complex?

Written summaries come with their own set of challenges. You might ask yourself:

• What details are unnecessary?
• How do you put this in your own words without changing the meaning?
• How close can you get to the original without plagiarizing it?
• How long should it be?

The answers to these questions depend on the type of summary you are doing and why you are doing it.

A summary in an academic setting is different to a professional summary—and both of those are very different to summarizing a funny story you want to tell your friends.

One thing they all have in common is that you need to relay information in the clearest way possible to help your reader understand. We’ll look at some different forms of summary, and give you some tips on each.

Let’s get started!

What Is a Summary?

How do you write a summary, how do you write an academic summary, what are the four types of academic summaries, how do i write a professional summary, writing or telling a summary in personal situations, summarizing summaries.

A summary is a shorter version of a larger work. Summaries are used at some level in almost every writing task, from formal documents to personal messages.

When you write a summary, you have an audience that doesn’t know every single thing you know.

When you want them to understand your argument, topic, or stance, you may need to explain some things to catch them up.

Instead of having them read the article or hear every single detail of the story or event, you instead give them a brief overview of what they need to know.

Academic, professional, and personal summaries each require you to consider different things, but there are some key rules they all have in common.

Let’s go over a few general guides to writing a summary first.

1. A summary should always be shorter than the original work, usually considerably.

Even if your summary is the length of a full paper, you are likely summarizing a book or other significantly longer work.

2. A summary should tell the reader the highlights of what they need to know without giving them unnecessary details.

3. It should also include enough details to give a clear and honest picture.

For example, if you summarize an article that says “ The Office is the greatest television show of all time,” but don’t mention that they are specifically referring to sitcoms, then you changed the meaning of the article. That’s a problem! Similarly, if you write a summary of your job history and say you volunteered at a hospital for the last three years, but you don’t add that you only went twice in that time, it becomes a little dishonest.

4. Summaries shouldn’t contain personal opinion.

While in the longer work you are creating you might use opinion, within the summary itself, you should avoid all personal opinion. A summary is different than a review. In this moment, you aren’t saying what you think of the work you are summarizing, you are just giving your audience enough information to know what the work says or did.

Now that we have a good idea of what summaries are in general, let’s talk about some specific types of summary you will likely have to do at some point in your writing life.

An academic summary is one you will create for a class or in other academic writing. The exact elements you will need to include depend on the assignment itself.

However, when you’re asked for an academic summary, this usually this means one of five things, all of which are pretty similar:

• You need to do a presentation in which you talk about an article, book, or report.
• You write a summary paper in which the entire paper is a summary of a specific work.
• You summarize a class discussion, lesson, or reading in the form of personal notes or a discussion board post.
• You do something like an annotated bibliography where you write short summaries of multiple works in preparation of a longer assignment.
• You write quick summaries within the body of another assignment . For example, in an argumentative essay, you will likely need to have short summaries of the sources you use to explain their argument before getting into how the source helps you prove your point.

Regardless of what type of summary you are doing, though, there are a few steps you should always follow:

• Skim the work you are summarizing before you read it. Notice what stands out to you.
• Next, read it in depth . Do the same things stand out?
• Put the full text away and write in a few sentences what the main idea or point was.
• Go back and compare to make sure you didn’t forget anything.
• Expand on this to write and then edit your summary.

Each type of academic summary requires slightly different things. Let’s get down to details.

How Do I Write a Summary Paper?

Sometimes teachers assign something called a summary paper . In this, the entire thing is a summary of one article, book, story, or report.

To understand how to write this paper, let’s talk a little bit about the purpose of such an assignment.

A summary paper is usually given to help a teacher see how well a student understands a reading assignment, but also to help the student digest the reading. Sometimes, it can be difficult to understand things we read right away.

However, a good way to process the information is to put it in our own words. That is the point of a summary paper.

A summary paper is:

• A way to explain in our own words what happened in a paper, book, etc.
• A time to think about what was important in the paper, etc.
• A time to think about the meaning and purpose behind the paper, etc.

Here are some things that a summary paper is not:

• A review. Your thoughts and opinions on the thing you are summarizing don’t need to be here unless otherwise specified.
• A comparison. A comparison paper has a lot of summary in it, but it is different than a summary paper. In this, you are just saying what happened, but you aren’t saying places it could have been done differently.
• A paraphrase (though you might have a little paraphrasing in there). In the section on using summary in longer papers, I talk more about the difference between summaries, paraphrases, and quotes.

Because a summary paper is usually longer than other forms of summary, you will be able to chose more detail. However, it still needs to focus on the important events. Summary papers are usually shorter papers.

Let’s say you are writing a 3–4 page summary. You are likely summarizing a full book or an article or short story, which will be much longer than 3–4 pages.

Imagine that you are the author of the work, and your editor comes to you and says they love what you wrote, but they need it to be 3–4 pages instead.

How would you tell that story (argument, idea, etc.) in that length without losing the heart or intent behind it? That is what belongs in a summary paper.

How Do I Write Useful Academic Notes?

Sometimes, you need to write a summary for yourself in the form of notes or for your classmates in the form of a discussion post.

You might not think you need a specific approach for this. After all, only you are going to see it.

However, summarizing for yourself can sometimes be the most difficult type of summary. If you try to write down everything your teacher says, your hand will cramp and you’ll likely miss a lot.

Yet, transcribing doesn’t work because studies show that writing things down (not typing them) actually helps you remember them better.

So how do you find the balance between summarizing the lessons without leaving out important points?

There are some tips for this:

• If your professor writes it on the board, it is probably important.
• What points do your textbooks include when summarizing information? Use these as a guide.
• Write the highlight of every X amount of time, with X being the time you can go without missing anything or getting tired. This could be one point per minute, or three per five minutes, etc.

How Do I Create an Annotated Biography?

An annotated bibliography requires a very specific style of writing. Often, you will write these before a longer research paper . They will ask you to find a certain amount of articles and write a short annotation for each of them.

While an annotation is more than just a summary, it usually starts with a summary of the work. This will be about 2–3 sentences long. Because you don’t have a lot of room, you really have to think about what the most important thing the work says is.

This will basically ask you to explain the point of the article in these couple of sentences, so you should focus on the main point when expressing it.

Here is an example of a summary section within an annotation about this post:

“In this post, the author explains how to write a summary in different types of settings. She walks through academic, professional, and personal summaries. Ultimately, she claims that summaries should be short explanations that get the audience caught up on the topic without leaving out details that would change the meaning.”

Can I Write a Summary Within an Essay?

Perhaps the most common type of summary you will ever do is a short summary within a longer paper.

For example, if you have to write an argumentative essay, you will likely need to use sources to help support your argument.

However, there is a good chance that your readers won’t have read those same sources.

So, you need to give them enough detail to understand your topic without spending too much time explaining and not enough making your argument.

While this depends on exactly how you are using summary in your paper, often, a good amount of summary is the same amount you would put in an annotation.

Just a few sentences will allow the reader to get an idea of the work before moving on to specific parts of it that might help your argument.

What’s the Difference Between Summarizing, Paraphrasing, and Using Quotes?

One important thing to recognize when using summaries in academic settings is that summaries are different than paraphrases or quotes.

A summary is broader and more general. A paraphrase, on the other hand, puts specific parts into your own words. A quote uses the exact words of the original. All of them, however, need to be cited.

Let’s look at an example:

Take these words by Thomas J. Watson:

”Would you like me to give you a formula for success? It’s quite simple, really. Double your rate of failure. You are thinking of failure as the enemy of success. But it isn’t as all. You can be discouraged by failure—or you can learn from it. So go ahead and make mistakes. Make all you can. Because, remember, that’s where you will find success.”

Let’s say I was told to write a summary, a paraphrase, and a quote about this statement. This is what it might look like:

Summary: Thomas J. Watson said that the key to success is actually to fail more often. (This is broad and doesn’t go into details about what he says, but it still gives him credit.)

Paraphrase: Thomas J. Watson, on asking if people would like his formula for success, said that the secret was to fail twice as much. He claimed that when you decide to learn from your mistakes instead of being disappointed by them, and when you start making a lot of them, you will actually find more success. (This includes most of the details, but it is in my own words, while still crediting the source.)

Quote: Thomas J. Watson said, ”Would you like me to give you a formula for success? It’s quite simple, really. Double your rate of failure. You are thinking of failure as the enemy of success. But it isn’t at all. You can be discouraged by failure—or you can learn from it. So go ahead and make mistakes. Make all you can. Because, remember, that’s where you will find success.” (This is the exact words of the original with quotation marks and credit given.)

Avoiding Plagiarism

One of the hardest parts about summarizing someone else’s writing is avoiding plagiarism .

That’s why I have a few rules/tips for you when summarizing anything:

1. Always cite.

If you are talking about someone else’s work in any means, cite your source. If you are summarizing the entire work, all you probably need to do (depending on style guidelines) is say the author’s name. However, if you are summarizing a specific chapter or section, you should state that specifically. Finally, you should make sure to include it in your Work Cited or Reference page.

2. Change the wording.

Sometimes when people are summarizing or paraphrasing a work, they get too close to the original, and actually use the exact words. Unless you use quotation marks, this is plagiarism. However, a good way to avoid this is to hide the article while you are summarizing it. If you don’t have it in front of you, you are less likely to accidentally use the exact words. (However, after you are done, double check that you didn’t miss anything important or give wrong details.)

3. Use a plagiarism checker.

Of course, when you are writing any summary, especially academic summaries, it can be easy to cross the line into plagiarism. If this is a place where you struggle, then ProWritingAid can help.

Just use our Plagiarism Report . It’ll highlight any unoriginal text in your document so you can make sure you are citing everything correctly and summarizing in your own words.

Find out more about ProWritingAid plagiarism bundles.

Along with academic summaries, you might sometimes need to write professional summaries. Often, this means writing a summary about yourself that shows why you are qualified for a position or organization.

In this section, let’s talk about two types of professional summaries: a LinkedIn summary and a summary section within a resume.

How Do I Write My LinkedIn Bio?

LinkedIn is all about professional networking. It offers you a chance to share a brief glimpse of your professional qualifications in a paragraph or two.

This can then be sent to professional connections, or even found by them without you having to reach out. This can help you get a job or build your network.

Your summary is one of the first things a future employer might see about you, and how you write yours can make you stand out from the competition.

Here are some tips on writing a LinkedIn summary :

• Before you write it, think about what you want it to do . If you are looking for a job, what kind of job? What have you done in your past that would stand out to someone hiring for that position? That is what you will want to focus on in your summary.
• Be professional . Unlike many social media platforms, LinkedIn has a reputation for being more formal. Your summary should reflect that to some extent.
• Use keywords . Your summary is searchable, so using keywords that a recruiter might be searching for can help them find you.
• Focus on the start . LinkedIn shows the first 300 characters automatically, and then offers the viewer a chance to read more. Make that start so good that everyone wants to keep reading.
• Focus on accomplishments . Think of your life like a series of albums, and this is your speciality “Greatest Hits” album. What “songs” are you putting on it?

How Do I Summarize My Experience on a Resume?

Writing a professional summary for a resume is different than any other type of summary that you may have to do.

Recruiters go through a lot of resumes every day. They don’t have time to spend ages reading yours, which means you have to wow them quickly.

To do that, you might include a section at the top of your resume that acts almost as an elevator pitch: That one thing you might say to a recruiter to get them to want to talk to you if you only had a 30-second elevator ride.

If you don’t have a lot of experience, though, you might want to skip this section entirely and focus on playing up the experience you do have.

Outside of academic and personal summaries, you use summary a lot in your day-to-day life.

Whether it is telling a good piece of trivia you just learned or a funny story that happened to you, or even setting the stage in creative writing, you summarize all the time.

How you use summary can be an important consideration in whether people want to read your work (or listen to you talk).

Here are some things to think about when telling a story:

• Pick interesting details . Too many and your point will be lost. Not enough, and you didn’t paint the scene or give them a complete idea about what happened.
• Play into the emotions . When telling a story, you want more information than the bare minimum. You want your reader to get the emotion of the story. That requires a little bit more work to accomplish.
• Focus. A summary of one story can lead to another can lead to another. Think about storytellers that you know that go off on a tangent. They never seem to finish one story without telling 100 others!

To wrap up (and to demonstrate everything I just talked about), let’s summarize this post into its most essential parts:

A summary is a great way to quickly give your audience the information they need to understand the topic you are discussing without having to know every detail.

How you write a summary is different depending on what type of summary you are doing:

• An academic summary usually gets to the heart of an article, book, or journal, and it should highlight the main points in your own words. How long it should be depends on the type of assignment it is.
• A professional summary highlights you and your professional, academic, and volunteer history. It shows people in your professional network who you are and why they should hire you, work with you, use your talents, etc.

Being able to tell a good story is another form of summary. You want to tell engaging anecdotes and facts without boring your listeners. This is a skill that is developed over time.

Take your writing to the next level:

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Ashley Shaw is a former editor and marketer/current PhD student and teacher. When she isn't studying con artists for her dissertation, she's thinking of new ways to help college students better understand and love the writing process. You can follow her on Twitter, or, if you prefer animal accounts, follow her rabbits, Audrey Hopbun and Fredra StaHare, on Instagram.

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How to Write a Summary

General Skills for Writing Summary

A  summary  is a shortened version containing the key points in as few words as necessary. It tests the candidate’s ability to form content points in a clear and concise approach to continuous writing. Writing a summary emphasises four basic skills: identifying key points of the passage, articulating i n  your  own words, and sequencing points cohesively all within the given word count.

Content.  Answer the question directly and focus on relevant points only! Use as much of the material as possible, however, be wary of some parts that are not covered in the question. Be reminded that points must be taken from the passage, and do not repeat similar points even if it was made twice.

Everything must be directly connected to the passage and supported using references. As such,  adding facts or opinions are not suggested. This exercise is meant to sum up the passage and not to add original ideas.  Content marks will only be obtained when the required content is provided.

Language.  Write in your own words as much as possible. Although the message needs to be the same, wordings need to be different. It is important that the replaced words convey the essence of the point. No need to find synonyms for technical objects, e.g. solar heaters, and only change words when appropriate.

Lifting a few words is acceptable as long as it is evident that you understand and focus on the key details of the passage. Do avoid over-lengthy lifting and quoting straight from the passage.  Find precise words to use and vary your choices.

Writing style.  Express the key points clearly, succinctly and fluently using a formal tone of writing. There is no need for an introduction and conclusion. Start by rewording the question and make the ending string. Moreover, do not include examples, repetition, direct speech, figurative language, and minor details.

Organise and sequence points cohesively by connecting your ideas into a paragraph. Aim to write in complex sentences rather than simple or compound structures and  make sure that the spelling, punctuation, and grammar are correct.

Word Limit. Always write within the word count as this exercise assesses the ability to write concisely. There are no penalty marks for writing more or less, however, it may be self-penalising to write more than suggested.

Exceeding the word limit may indicate that the summary is not structured effectively or ideas are not expressed clearly. If there are needed points inside the excess words, it would not be marked and would be crossed out.

On the other hand, writing way too little than the limit may mean that the response does not have sufficient coverage of the passage’s content. For example: if the question requires words within 200 to 250, but you only provide 180 words, there is a chance that you miss a few essential points.

Before the exam, check how many words you write on a line, so you will know the approximate number of lines that you require. Lastly,  do not write beyond the lines given , to avoid your answers not being able to fit into the scanned screen.

Practice Writing Summaries 

CIE recommends this five-step process to practise writing summary:

• Read and underline the relevant material in pencil (so that you can change your mind easily if needed)
• Transfer the points into a plan, whilst changing them into your own words
• Group the points logically (using arrows/brackets); put them in order (using numbers), and decide which ones can be combined into one sentence
• Write the summary in one or two paragraphs using complex sentences
• Check the summary for accurate expression; adapt the length and improve if necessary by adding material overlooked or by removing repetition.

Aspects of English First Language Summary

• Keep within the word limit.
• Do not drift away from the passage.
• Show evidence of a clear and concise summary style throughout. Make sure to structure your answer, sequence your ideas, and use a wide range of original and appropriate language.
• Try to learn the meaning of common prefixes so that you can guess the definitions of confusing words.
• Combine simple sentences into complex sentences, using a range of connectives and participles. Above all avoid using ‘and’, ‘but’ and ‘so’.
• Practise turning passages into news reports; they have a particular style and structure which are different from any other kind of writing.
• Lifting of words for more than two points is not credited. Copying big chunks of texts is not going to show your understanding, just your handwriting!
• Double-check for any grammatical errors and incorrect spellings that affect the accuracy of an idea.

Aspects for English as a Second Language summary

• Keep within the specified word limit.
• The summary must be based on the text you have read. Keep to the topic at all times!
• Read the instructions carefully. Do not waste your time reading unnecessary parts of the passage.
• Identify all the relevant points according to the question. Include all the key facts relating to the subject of your summary.
• Connect the ideas using linking words to make a clear paragraph. Practise connecting phrases to create sentences, and connecting sentences to create paragraphs.
• Use accurate language (linking words, conjunctions, sentences which read fluently, structured paragraphs)
• Demonstrate a sufficient range of vocabulary to have more chance of getting a higher mark for language.
• Practise synonym (different words that have the same meaning) exercises to help you use your own words.
• Do not repeat similar points, as repeated points will not contribute to extra marks, just add more words.

* Note: some of the information was taken from CIE.

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Summary Writing Examples

In this post, you will find the top 12 Summary Writing Examples for you.

PRO TIPS: First, read the passage thoroughly to understand its meaning and retain its main points. If a text does not enable you to understand its meaning, read it again. Don’t worry if you come across unfamiliar words. Try to assess their meaning from the context.

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Summary Writing Examples #1

If you will, believe me, you who are young, yours is the golden season of life. As you have heard it called, so it verily is the seed-time of life in which if you do not sow or if you sow tares instead of wheat, you will arrive at little. And in the course of years when you come to look back if you have not done what you have heard from your advisers and among many counsellors there is wisdom you will bitterly repent when it is too late.

The habit of studies acquired at universities is of the highest importance in the afterlife. At the season when you are young in years, the whole mind is, as it were, fluid, and is capable of forming itself into any shape that the owner of the mind pleases to allow it or constrain it, to form itself into. The mind is then in a plastic or fluid state but it hardens gradually to the consistency of rock or iron, and you can not alter the habits of an old man. (180 Words)

Title: The Golden Season of Life / The Importance of Sowing Good Seeds

Youth is the golden and fertile time of life. If one does not listen to and act upon the advice of his superiors, he must eventually repent. Youth is a fluid state of mind and any good habits now will stand you in good stead later in life. Then the mind becomes rigid and no good habits are formed. (58 Words)

The golden season of life is the seed-time of life in which if you do not sow or sow tares instead of wheat, you will arrive at little. The habit of studies acquired at universities is of the highest importance in the afterlife, as the mind is fluid but hardens gradually to the consistency of rock or iron. (58 Words)

Summary Writing Examples #2

Variety is the spice of life – is it not? We all practically live and strive for having better food, but food remains insipid without the addition of spices. The only difference between a good curry and a bad curry lies in the presence or absence of spices. The absence of variety makes life drab and monotonous. A man working six hours a week will have his rest on Sunday. A man wearing a coat for five days will like a shawl on the sixth day. If a man lives in Calcutta for six years, he will like to spend a month outside. We hear that Tagore could not live in the same house for a long time.

He used to change his residence pretty often, which shows a poet’s longing for novelty. Life is many stringed instruments and we must give proper attention to all the strings. Ever since creation man has gone on from progress to progress by responding to new circumstances. So, for the development of civilization, new circumstances and a new environment are necessary. (179 Words)

Title: The Need for Change and Variety / Variety: The Spice of Life

Variety is the spice of life, and without it, life is dull and monotonous. To develop civilization, new circumstances and a new environment are necessary. Tagore was a poet who changed his residence often, showing his longing for novelty. Life is many stringed instruments and we must give proper attention to all the strings. (54 Words)

Also, Read What is Précis Writing?

Summary Writing Examples #3

Everyone has continual control during his life with the variety of experiences known as art. Their experience ranges from the craft level found in the design and execution of the practical things of life to the more imaginative because less material level is required for the enjoyment of music, painting, sculpture, and literature. In the fine arts, human creativity is no longer concerned with producing an object which will be required for use anyhow, whether it is beautiful or not, but with providing a stimulus for the satisfaction of human emotion in its various levels of manifestation .

The majority of human beings since they are culturally underprivileged, are satisfied if their emotions are roused easily and mechanically by the more simple emotional easily identified sentimentalities that easily assimilate emotional reflexes-by dance, and music, by the identified references of cinema organ sentimentalities, by the picture with a story or easily assimilated moral, and by the simple violent plots of the cheap magazine. The culturally privileged demand a more complicated satisfaction. They require because they are educated on the aesthetic aspects of the arts. (180 Words)

Title:  The Power of Art / The Importance of Art Education

The most important idea is that art provides a stimulus for the satisfaction of human emotion and that the majority of people are satisfied with simple emotional sentimentalities, while the culturally privileged require a more complicated satisfaction due to their education in the aesthetic aspects of the arts. (48 Words)

Summary Writing Examples #4

The study of history depends more than any other branch of science or literature on the availability of many books. The history student nowadays is often discouraged or hampered by the lack of them, especially of those older standard works which have gone out of print. Even before the Second World War publishers were not willing to risk reprinting works often running into several big volumes for which the demand, was uncertain and the cost of production high. During the war air raids destroyed over a million books in one district of London alone, and reduced to ashes the entire stock of one firm which had specialized in historical works.

Since the war paper has been costly and scarce; the costs of printing and binding have risen sharply; and the demand, though greater, is still not large enough to make worthwhile the republication of many books which historians regard as essential. The main reason for this insufficient demand is the disappearance of the private library. Private libraries were common in Victorian Times but they no longer exist in modern small houses where there is no room for bookshelves. (190 Words)

Title: The Challenges of Historical Research in the Modern Era

The study of history is hindered by the lack of books, especially older standard works which have gone out of print due to the cost of printing and binding. The main reason is the disappearance of private libraries, which no longer exist in modern small houses. (46 Words)

Summary Writing Examples #5

Speech is a great blessing, but it can also be a great curse, for, while it helps us to make our intentions and desires known to our fellows, it can also, if we use it carelessly make our attitude completely misunderstood. A slip of the tongue. the use of an unusual or ambiguous word, and so on, may create an enemy where we had hoped to win a friend.

Again different classes of people use different vocabularies, and the ordinary speech of an educated man may strike an uneducated listener as showing pride; unwittingly we may use a word that bears a different meaning for our listener from what it does to men of our own class. Thus speech is not a gift to use lightly without thought, but one which demands careful handling. Only a fool will express himself alike to all kinds and conditions of men. (148 Words)

Title: The Blessing and Curse of Speech

Speech is a great gift, but it can also be a curse if used carelessly. Different classes of people use different vocabularies, and the ordinary speech of an educated man may strike an uneducated listener as pride. Careful handling of speech is essential, as only a fool will express himself alike to all people. (54 Words)

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Summary Writing Examples #6

Man is the architect of his own fate. If he makes a proper division of his time and does his duties according he is sure to improve and prosper in life; but if he does otherwise, he is sure to repent, when it is too late and he will have dragged a miserable existence from day to day.

To kill time is as culpable as to commit suicide, but our life is nothing but the sum total of hours, days, and years. Youth is the golden season of life. In youth, the mind is pliable and soft and can be moulded in any form you like. If we lose the morning hours of life, we shall have to repent afterwards. It is called the ‘seed time of life’. If we sow good seeds, we shall reap a good harvest when we grow up. (142 Words)

Title: Youth: The Gloden Opportunity to shape your / Man is the Architect of his own Fate

Man is responsible for his own fate, and if he does not make proper use of his time, he will regret it. Youth is the golden season of life, and if we lose the morning hours of life, we will have to repent. (43 Words)

Summary Writing Examples #7

It is sometimes said that the pleasures of giving are peculiar to the rich, and no doubt the joy of giving is one of the greatest and purest that wealth can bestow. Still the poor also may be liberal and generous. The widow’s mite, so far as the widow is concerned, counts for as much as the rich man’s gold.

Moreover, as regards kindness and sympathy which are far more valuable than money, the poor can give as much as, perhaps even more than the rich. Money is not wealth. A proverb says: “A man’s true wealth is good that he does in the world”. When he dies, men will ask what property he has left behind, but Angels will inquire, “What good deeds hast thou sent before thee?” (130 Words)

Title: The Pleasure of Giving / Generosity Knows No Wealth

The poor can give as much as the rich, and kindness and sympathy are more valuable than money. A proverb states that a man’s true wealth is the good deeds he does in the world. (35 Words)

Summary Writing Examples #8

The lot of our Indian peasant is certainly a pitiable one. He labours under many disadvantages. In the first place, he is illiterate, and does not, therefore, care to know more than he has inherited from his ancestors. He laughs at his tiny piece of land from morning to evening and if the seasons favour him, earns what barely suffices to meet his daily demands. He does not grumble to pay his rent so much as he does for the loss of his plough cattle. He lives in debt over head and ears, yet he does not care to save anything for the morrow.

To ameliorate his condition, the supply of good plough cattle, the adoption of preventive measures to save the animals from diseases, and, last of all, primary education should engage the serious attention of the Indian Government. (138 Words)

Title: Illiteracy and its effect on Indian Peasant / The Pitiable Conditions of Indian Peasant

The Indian peasant is suffering from many disadvantages, such as illiteracy, poverty, and debt. To improve his situation, the supply of good plough cattle, preventive measures, and primary education should be addressed by the Indian Government. (36 Words)

Summary Writing Examples #9

The aim of culture and religion is the same. Men are all members of one great whole, and the sympathy which is in human nature will not allow one member to be different from the rest or to have perfect welfare independent of the rest. The expansion of our humanity to suit the idea of perfection that culture forms must be a general expansion. Perfection, as culture conceives it is not possible while the individual remains isolated. He must carry others along with him in his march towards perfection. Culture lays on us the same obligation as a religion which says that “to promote the kingdom of God is to increase and hasten one’s own happiness.

Culture is a harmonious expansion of all the powers which make the beauty and worth of human nature. Culture is not consistent with the over-development of any power at the expense of the rest. Here it goes beyond religion, as religion is generally conceived by us. (162 Words)

Title: Culture and Religion: The Two Sides of the Same Coin

Culture leading to perfection, like religion, complements rather than competes with the latter. Culture, like religion, demands perfection rather than the unification of everything. Culture means harmonious development of all faculties and not overdevelopment of any at the expense of others. Here it transcends religion in its emphasis on harmonious development. (50 Words)

The aim of culture and religion is the same: to expand humanity to suit the idea of perfection. Culture is a harmonious expansion of all the powers which make the beauty and worth of human nature, and is not consistent with the over-development of any power at the expense of the rest. It lays on us the same obligation as a religion to promote the kingdom of God is to increase and hasten one’s own happiness. (72 Words)

Summary Writing Examples #10

Perseverance is the very hinge of all virtues. On looking over the world, the cause of nine-tenths of the lamentable failures which occur in much of their history lies not in the want of talents, but in the manner of using them, in flying from object to object, in starting away at each little disgust, and thus applying the force which might conquer anyone difficulty to a series of difficulties so large that no human race can conquer them.

The smallest brook on earth by continuing to run has hollowed out for itself a considerable valley to flow in. Commend me, therefore, to the virtue of severance. Without it, all the rest are little better than fairy gold which glitters in your purse, but taken to the market proves to be state or cinders. (134 Words)

Title: The Importance of Perseverance / Perseverance: The Hinge of Virtues

Perseverance is the key to success, and severance is the virtue of severance. Without it, all the rest are a little better than fairy gold. (25 Words)

Perseverance is the key to all virtues and is the cause of many failures in history. It is the act of flying from object to object, starting away at each little disgust, and applying the force which might conquer anyone’s difficulty to a series of difficulties so large that no human race can conquer them. Without it, all the rest are little better than fairy gold which glitters in your purse, but when taken to the market proves to be state or cinders. (83 Words)

Summary Writing Examples #11

A poor woman once came to the Buddha and begged him to revive her dead child. The holy man was touched by the woman’s great sorrow. Then he asked him to bring a handful of mustard seeds from a house where death had never entered. The sad mother started looking for mustard seeds from door to door. One said, our little child died last year. Another said I lost my father. The evening came.

He returned to Lord Buddha with a heavy heart and told him about the results of his search. Then the Buddha gently told him not to think of his own suffering, for suffering and death are common to all.

Title: The Buddha and the Grieving Mother / The Universal Experience of Suffering and Death

Summary:  A poor woman came to the Buddha and begged him to revive her dead child. He asked her to bring a handful of mustard seeds from a house where death had never entered. The mother searched for mustard seeds from door to door and returned to Lord Buddha with a heavy heart. The Buddha gently reminded her that suffering and death are common to all. (65 Words)

Summary Writing Examples #12

Returning to India, Swami Vivekananda travelled from one end of the country to the other giving lectures. The burden of his speech was that India must stand on its own feet and believe in itself. His speech acted like a tonic on the dull spirits of the people. He asked the youth to devote themselves to the service of the country. He had little faith in the upper class; He said they were already dead, they were just mummies. According to him, the strength of a nation lies in its people. He was very anxious to welcome a new India of hardworking people.

Title: Swami Vivekananda’s Vision for India

Summary:  Swami Vivekananda travelled to India to give lectures, preaching that India must stand on its own feet and believe in itself. He asked the youth to devote themselves to the service of the country and had little faith in the upper class, believing that the strength of a nation lies in its people. He was anxious to welcome a new India of hardworking people. (64 Words)

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Elementary / English/Lang Arts / Middle School

Summary Writing How to for Kids

While I have always had my children keep a book log, rarely have I had them do any summary writing. I have to laugh because of how opposite my two younger ones are when they do this. Not surprisingly, how they went about summary writing reflects each of their personalities.

When I set about to go through a formal lesson on summary writing, I knew it would be sticky at first. My son writes as few words as possible, not capturing the main points, and rarely using decent handwriting, or sentence structure. This isn’t because he’s not capable, but because he just doesn’t find it necessary, interesting, or worth his time. My daughter on the other hand is overly wordy, often spending too much time on inconsequential details, and sometimes missing important highlights she should have included.

Summary Writing

I decided to make this something we do for a handful of books this year, but not all the time as they would both get bogged down in it. Here are some of the resources I have found to use to work on summary writing with my kids.

Summary Writing Resources

1. how to write formal summaries .

This 10 page printable packet is a great place to start! We went through this whole packet together, talking through summary examples and go over the basics of good summaries. I LOVE the summary writing checklist and printed a copy for each child to keep at their desk for easy reference as we write more summaries throughout the year!

2. How to Teach Summary Writing – The 1-Hand Summary

I don’t remember using this 1-Hand Summary Method in school myself, but I like it as a quick and as starting and reference point for writing basic summaries.

The basis of this method is 5 simple things:

• Topic Sentence – One sentence that tells what the book is about
• Someone – Who is the main character or characters?
• Wanted – What did they (he/she) want?
• But then – What was the big problem or conflict?
• Finally – How did this conflict get resolved? How did it end?

3. Short Summary Writing How to Videos for Kids

4. A Complete Learning to Write a Summary Lesson

This is a FREE Summary Writing Lesson for grades 7-10.  It uses a watching a TED talk to write a summary. Offering organization worksheets as a guide for summary writing.

Contents included are:

• STEP-BY-STEP LESSON PLAN (Possibly 2 lessons) This step-by-step plan will guide you through the lesson(s) – there is plenty of work here for two possible lessons.
• TAKING NOTES The first exercise in this lesson has students watching a TED talk. This handout will help them structure their notes while watching.
• PLANNING A SUMMARY This page can be used whenever students have to write a summary – it helps organize their thoughts and contains a useful checklist for post-writing.
• HOW TO WRITE A SUMMARY This informational handout details the process students should follow when attempting to write a summary, along with useful tips and tricks.

5. Writing in 3rd Person

Writing in the third person is an essential part of summary writing.

Writing in the third person means to write from the third person point of view, using pronouns like he, she, it, or they.

Here are some examples:

• Examples of Writing in 3rd Person
• Third Person Writing Examples from Classic Fiction

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• CBSE Notes For Class 9
• Class 9 English Notes and Summary
• Chapter 6 My Childhood Summary

My Childhood Summary & Notes - CBSE Class 9 English Beehive

Summary of my childhood.

Chapter 6 of the Class 9 English textbook ‘Beehive’ has a prose piece named My Childhood which deals with the autobiography “Wings of Fire” by Dr. A.P.J. Abdul Kalam. He speaks about his life as a child in it. Want to know more? Here’s the prose summary in CBSE English Notes Class 9 format to read and explore details of his childhood. CBSE Class 9 students can access the prose summary of the CBSE Class 9 English Prose Notes – My Childhood.

Students can also know how to write an effective essay during the exam by going through the Essay page at BYJU’S.

CBSE Class 9 English My Childhood Summary

My Childhood is an extract from “Wings of Fire”, the autobiography of Dr. A.P.J. Abdul Kalam. This chapter explores his childhood and several incidents from his early days. He was born in a middle-class Tamil Muslim family in the island town of Rameswaram. His family included his parents, three brothers and a sister. His parents were very hardworking and kind people who always helped others. He, along with his siblings, spent their childhood in their ancestral home.

Kalam’s father believed in simple living and provided all the essential necessities to his family. Although his parents had no formal education, they treated others equally; many outsiders would eat with the family regularly. Kalam credits his parents for instilling qualities like self-discipline and honesty in him and his siblings. His family had a secular mindset and they participated in the festivities of Hindus. He further mentioned that he had heard several tales from the Ramayana and about Prophet Muhammad from his mother and grandmother. All of this depicts that his family believed in secularism and never stopped him from mingling with children of other communities.

While growing up in Rameswaram, friendship played an instrumental role in Kalam’s life. He had three close friends – Ramanadha Sastry, Aravindan and Sivaprakasan who belonged to orthodox Hindu Brahmin families. He and his friends never discriminated against each other on the basis of religion or caste. When they grew up, he and his friends took up different professions. Ramanadha Sastry became a priest of the Rameswaram temple; Aravindan undertook the business of transport arrangements for visiting pilgrims, and Sivaprakasan became a contractor for providing catering services in the Southern Railways.

One day, while Kalam was in his fifth standard, a new teacher came to his class and saw him wearing a cap that marked his Muslim identity. When the teacher saw that Kalam being a Muslim, was seated next to Ramanandha, a Hindu priest’s son, he couldn’t tolerate it. Consequently, he asked Kalam to sit on the back bench and seeing this, his friend Ramanandha started weeping. This incident left a lasting impression on Kalam’s mind. Later, they discussed this incident with their respective families. Hearing this, Ramanandha’s father immediately summoned the teacher and asked him not to spread communal hatred or social inequality among young minds. He demanded an apology from the teacher for his ill behaviour towards the children. He also stated that he’d have to quit the job right away in case he refused to apologise. In no time, the young teacher apologised and reformed his behaviour and started treating everyone equally from then on.

Furthermore, Kalam mentioned that his science teacher, Sivasubramania Iyer, was an orthodox Hindu Brahmin but treated all his students with equality. On one such occasion, his teacher invited Kalam to his home for a meal. However, Mr Iyer’s wife was a conservative person who refused to serve Kalam or let him sit inside her kitchen to eat the meal. Seeing this, Mr. Iyer wasn’t perturbed about his wife’s ill behaviour. Instead, he served the meal to young Kalam and sat next to him and ate the food. His wife observed all this from behind the kitchen door. After winding up the meal, his science teacher invited Kalam for dinner again the following weekend. This time, Mr. Iyer’s wife served Kalam with her own hands and let him sit inside her kitchen.

As Kalam was growing up, the Second World War soon came to an end, and the Indian people started their fight for independence. The whole country was filled with an extraordinary sense of optimism to achieve India’s independence at all costs. Soon, Kalam asked his father’s permission to leave Rameswaram and go to Ramanathapuram to pursue higher studies. To this, his father stated that children come to this world and receive the love of their parents and near and dear ones. However, this love doesn’t indicate that they can force their thoughts and decisions on their children.

Conclusion of My Childhood

The chapter – My Childhood portrays the childhood memories of one of India’s greatest aerospace scientists, Dr. A.P.J. Abdul Kalam and how he spent his early days. He also served as the eleventh President of India from the year 2002 to 2007. We hope this CBSE Class 9 English Beehive Prose Summary of My Childhood guides students to have a thorough understanding of the chapter. They can visit the BYJU’S website to access other resources such as CBSE Notes and CBSE study material and access different years’ question papers and CBSE sample papers. Moreover, they can download BYJU’S – The Learning App and access a huge pool of resources on different subjects that would prove helpful in their studies.

Frequently Asked Questions on CBSE Class 9 English: My Childhood

What is the importance of childhood in a person’s life.

Childhood is an important aspect of every person’s life as it develops their personality and it lays down the foundation for the future.

Who was A.P.J. Abdul Kalam?

Abdul Kalam was an Indian scientist and politician who played a leading role in the development of India’s missile and nuclear weapons programs. He was also the president of India from 2002 to 2007.

What is communal hatred?

Communal violence is a form of violence that is perpetrated across ethnic or communal lines, the violent parties feel solidarity for their respective groups, and victims are chosen based on group membership.

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