Writing

1. SUMMARY WRITING
Key features: (1) it is shorter than the source; and that
(2) it repeats the ideas of the source in different phrases
and sentences.
1

2. 2

3. A grammar book that’s hip—how’s that for a
contradiction? People frequently ask me to
recommend books about grammar and this
is the title I suggest. But I like this book
because it covers more than grammar,
heading toward style—and because it’s both
funny and flexible. Hale parses Charlotte
Bronte next to Muhammad Ali; she quotes
Bob Dylan in her discussion of the verb “lay”
and Dr. Seuss in her examination of rhyme
and onomatopoeia.
3

4. This title is not so much a book as it is a daring grudge match
against the writing “Bible” and its authors William Strunk Jr.
and the incomparable E.B. White. Written with great wit /
divided into 8 sections—Flexibility, Freshness, Texture, Word,
Force, Form, Clarity, and Contemporaneity . It is not a “how to
write” book—it assumes a basic facility with language.
Excellent and thorough index. It is full of wise advice, laughs,
and inspiration.
4

5. Weinberg believes that good material lies
all around us and that our job as writers
is to collect it for future use. His central
and oddly compelling metaphor is that
writing is like building a fieldstone wall.
That is, you collect “stones” (or stories) as
you wander through life and you save
them for when you might need them for
building (writing).
5

6. 6

7. SUMMARY WRITING
Key features: (1) it is shorter than the source; and that
(2) it repeats the ideas of the source in different phrases
and sentences.
7

8. YOU CANNOT
WRITE A GOOD
SUMMARY
if you don’t understand the source 8

9. Do not mislead readers
PURPOSE of a SUMMARY:
Convey Understanding Of Text
IMPORTANT feature: FIDELITY to the source
Report accurately & comprehensively
DON’T add own examples & explanations
9

10. WRITING IS SCORED ON HOW WELL :
• the main ideas of the article are stated;
• identification of the most important details that support
the main ideas;
• summary is written in your own words, except for
quotations; and
• expression of the underlying meaning of the article, not
just the superficial details.
10

11. STEPS TO SUMMARY WRITING
1. READ & UNDERSTAND THE PROMPT OR
WRITING DIRECTIONS
Example: Write a summary in your own words
not over 200 words in length of the following
excerpt…
11

12. 2. READ, THINK ABOUT, & UNDERSTAND THE
TEXT.
• Review the material to make sure you understand it
well
• Figure out the meaning of any important words
3. TAKE NOTES. Write down the main ideas &
important details of the article.
STEPS TO SUMMARY WRITING
12

13. 4. WRITE A THESIS STATEMENT.
In a single sentence, state the main idea of the article.
The thesis statement should mention the underlying
meaning of the article, not just the superficial details.
5. ORGANIZE & OUTLINE IDEAS.
Write down the important details you need to include in
the summary. Put them in a logical order.
Topic sentence, evidence #1, #2, #3
STEPS TO SUMMARY WRITING
13

14. 6. WRITE YOUR ESSAY.
FOCUS on the main point of the article and the MOST
IMPORTANT DETAILS. Use your own words; avoid copying
phrases and sentences from the article unless they’re
direct quotations.
7. REVISE
Have you captured the main point of the article? Included
the most important details? Sentence variety? No short,
choppy sentences? Transitional words & phrases to
connect ideas? Vocabulary/word choice. Prepositions. 14

15. 8. PROOFREAD & EDIT.
Check your spelling, grammar, and punctuation. Is the verb
tense consistent? Have you avoided writing run-on
sentences and sentence fragments?
9. READ SUMMARY AGAIN.
Look for careless spelling, punctuation, and grammar
errors, especially omitted words or letters. Cross out
errors neatly with a single line and write the correction
above.
STEPS TO SUMMARY WRITING
15

16. MORE POINTERS
BEFORE WRITING THE SUMMARY:
For a text, read, mark, and annotate the original.
highlight topic sentence/key points/key words/phrases
highlight the concluding sentence
outline each paragraph in the margin
TAKE NOTES ON: the source (author--first/last name, title)
the main idea of the original (paraphrased)
the major supporting points (in outline form)
major supporting explanations
(e.g. reasons/causes or effects)
16

17. AGAIN - Writing Is Scored On How Well :
• the main ideas of the article are stated;
• identification of the most important details that
support the main ideas;
• summary is written in your own words, except for
quotations; and
• expression of the underlying meaning of the
article, not just the superficial details. 17

18. Again - STEPS TO SUMMARY WRITING
1. Read & understand the prompt or writing directions
2. Read, think about, & understand the text.
3. Take notes. Write down the main ideas & important
details of the article.
4. Write a thesis statement
5. Organize & outline ideas
6. Write essay
7. Revise
8. Proofread & Edit
9. Read it again 18

19. USEFUL EXPRESSIONS
19

20. 1. In his recent book, John Brown provides a
description of…
2. The article ”XYZ" by Y. Zee, asserts that ...
3. Brown concludes his article by ...
4. According to John Brown…
5. The article discusses…
6. The author goes on to say that…
7. The author further states that…
8. The author also believes that…
9. The article provides information on… 20

21. THE TEXT/ARTICLE/EXCERPT
• is about  deals with
• presents  describes
IN THE TEXT/ARTICLE/EXCERPT
•the reader gets to know
•the reader is confronted with
•the reader is told about
21

22. says, states, points out that
claims, believes, thinks that
describes, explains, makes clear that
uses example to confirm/prove that
agrees/disagrees with the view/thesis contradicts the view
criticizes, analyzes, comments on
tries to express
argues / suggests that
compares X to Y emphasizes his thesis by saying that
doubts that
tries to convince the readers that
concludes that
THE AUTHOR
22

23. EXPRESSIONS
MORE
23

24. • BRIEFLY adverb / used when you are about to say
something without many details
• ALTOGETHER adverb / used for introducing a summary of
what you have just said
• IN BRIEF without many details
• IN SHORT used for introducing a summary of something
that you have just said
• IN EFFECT used for giving a summary of what you think the
situation really is
• ON BALANCE after considering all the relevant facts
24

25. • IN THE FINAL/LAST ANALYSIS used for giving the facts that
are most relevant in a situation
• WORDS TO THAT EFFECT used for reporting the general
meaning of what someone has said, rather than their exact
words Example: Protecting integrity is a game, or words to
that effect.
• IN SUMMARY used at the end of a talk or piece of writing
for introducing a short statement that gives only basic
information or opinions
• IN SUM = TO SUM UP used for giving a summary of what
you have said 25

26. Writing Frames
ESSAY STRATEGY
26

27. WRITING YOUR SUMMARY:
• Organize your notes into an outline which includes
main ideas & supporting points but no examples or
details (dates, numbers, statistics).
• Write an introductory paragraph that begins with a
frame, including an in-text citation of the source
and the author as well as a reporting verb to
introduce the main idea.
27

28. WRITING A SUMMARY:
In his article “____,” Smith (year)
argues/claims/reports/contends/maintains/states that
______________________.
(main idea/argument; S + V + C)
EXAMPLES:
1. Inhisarticle"MichaelDellturnsthePCworldinsideout,"Andrew
E.Serwer(1997)describeshowMichaelDellfoundedDell
ComputersandclaimsthatDell’slow-cost,direct-salesstrategyand
highqualitystandardsaccountforDell’senormoussuccess.
2. In his book The Pearl, John Steinbeck (1945) illustrates the
fight between good and evil in humankind. 28

29. STRONG ARGUMENT
argue, claim, contend, maintain, insist
COUNTERARGUEMENT
state, report, explain, discuss, illustrate
NEUTRAL
refute the claim, argue against
SUGGESTION
suggest, recommend
CRITICISM
criticize 29

30. Writing Frames
MORE
30

31. According to (last name), (yr.), ______________________.
(main idea/argument; S + V + C)
Last name’s article on (topic) (yr.)discusses the __________.
(main idea; noun phrase)
(Last name), in his/her article, “(title)” argues that_________.
(main idea; S + V + C)
31

32. 3.Themainideaorargumentneedstobeincludedinthisfirst
sentence. Thenmentionthemajoraspects/factors/reasonsthatare
discussedinthearticle/lecture. Giveafullreferenceforthiscitationat
theendofthesummary.
• Fora1-paragraphsummary,discusseachsupportingpointina
separatesentence. Give1-2explanationsforeachsupporting
point,summarizingtheinformationfromtheoriginal.
• Foramulti-paragraphsummary,discusseachsupportingpointina
separateparagraph. Introduceitinthefirstsentence(topic
sentence).
Example: The first major area in which women have become
a powerful force is politics. 32

33. 4. Support your topic sentence with the necessary reasons or
arguments raised by the author/lecturer but omit all
references to details, such as dates or statistics.
5. Use discourse markers that reflect the organization and
controlling idea of the original, for example cause-effect,
comparison-contrast, classification, process, chronological
order, persuasive argument, etc.
6. In a longer summary, remind your reader that you are
paraphrasing by using "reminder phrases," such as:  The
author goes on to say that…  The article (author) further states
that…  (Last name) also states/maintains/argues that …  (Last
name) also believes that…  (Last name) concludes that 33

34. 7. Restate the
article’s conclusion
in 1 sentence.
34

35. 5 Summaries in < 120 words
Writing Practice
35

36. Text #1
1. Summarize in < 120 words, how
Bombay's existing situation contradicts
its flourishing economic status. (4 slides)36

37. Bombay is often regarded as India's Capital of Hope. Often wondering
why this is so, I made a fruitful trip down to the busy city, solving most
ofmyqueries.
Bombayconsistsof7islands,joinedbylandreclamation.ManyIndians,
especially those from the rural areas, regard Bombay as their paradise,
since they could find work relatively easily here, as compared to their
homelands.
Beingthepillarforrevenuecollection,Bombay'seconomicgrowthhasfar
outperformedtheothercities.Infact,itspercapita(head)productionof
goodsandservicesisabout3timesgreaterthanthatofDelhi-India's2nd
mostprosperouscity.Despitetheeconomicboom,Bombaygivesmean
astonishingimageofdeteriorationwhenIfirststeppedintothecity. 37

38. The ostentatiously dignified imperial buildings, erected by the
British, are so overly populated that they look as if they are
toppling over any minute. There are the 1950s kind of black
and yellow taxis, which appeared as if brutally thrashed, lining
up like ants trails, clotting up the small avenues. Amidst the
dins of traffic jams, stood the oppressed-looking buildings of
Benetton outlets, foreign car dealerships, croissant-serving
outlets and so on.
2/4 slides38

39. Though unemployment is not a significant problem in
Bombay, housing is. A visit in Dharavi, a slum area in Bombay
will help clarify our imagination. The Bombayites' so called
"houses" are actually movable shacks, built from unwanted
bits of tarpaulin, tin and cardboard. There are so many of
them that a maze of alleys emerged, passable only when I
walked sideways like a crab between them. Curious about the
living conditions, I wondered around the maze, meeting
groups of scantily clad kids and hungry, stray dogs. Popping
my inquisitive head into one of the small huts, I was totally
amazed by their living conditions. (Continues next slide)
3/4 slides39

40. Estimating about twelve or more Bombayites living in each
hut, these two-storey houses are usually partitioned by rough
platforms with ceilings no higher than five feet from the
ground. Furthermore, `these shacks look absolutely bare -- no
furniture and I deduced that the inhabitants eat and sleep on
the ground.
In spite of the poor living conditions, many Indians still hope
to migratetoBombay.Interviewing a few of the newcomers, a
majority of them said that they came to Bombay to find jobs.
There are some who regard Bombay as buoyant floats, saving
them from natural disasters and tyrannies in their homelands.
5/5 slides40

41. < 120 words
Sample Summary #1
41

42. Despite its economic boom, the conditions in Bombay are always
chaotic. The existing buildings in Bombay are overly inhabited by
the large population. With more immigrants flooding in, the
emergence of slums is inevitable. The "houses" there, are
actually shacks made from unwanted materials like tarpaulin &
cardboard. These shacks flooded the streets, creating a maze,
with spaces passable only if one walks sideways. The 2 stories,
small huts, divided by rough platforms, often have low ceilings
which are no more than 5 ft.from the ground. These shabby huts
are also barely furnished. Kids are usually seen running around
with minimal clothes on them. Furthermore, traffic jams, usually
caused by old, shabby taxis are common, daily sights there.42

43. • Pillar – a very important member or part of a
group
• Slum – a very poor and crowded area
• Inquisitive - wanting to discover as much as
you can about things
VOCABULARY
43

44. Text #2
2. Make a summary < 120 words,
describing the emergence of paper
money used widely today. (4 slides)44

45. Buying things today is so simple. Just enter a shop, say a
bookstore, choose the desired book and pay for it. Long ago,
before the invention of money, how did people trade?
(1/5 slides) 45

46. The most primitive way of exchange should be the barter
trade. In this form of transaction, people used goods to
exchange for the things that they had in mind. For instance, if
person A wanted a book and he had a spare goat, he must
look for someone who had the exact opposite, that is, that
someone, say person B, must have a spare book of person A's
choice and is also in need of a goat. Having found such a
person, the problem does not end here. A big goat may worth
not only one book, hence person B may have to offer person
A something else, say 5chickens. However, he runs the risk of
person A rejecting the offer as he may not need the chickens.
The above example clearly illustrates the inefficiency of barter
trading. 46(2/5 slides)

47. Many years later, the cumbersome barter trade finally gave
way to the monetary form of exchange when the idea of
money was invented. In the early days, almost anything could
qualify as money: beads, shells and even fishing hooks. Then
in a region near Turkey, gold coins were used as money. In the
beginning, each coin had a different denomination. It was
only later, in about 700 BC, that Gyges, the king of Lydia,
standardized the value of each coin and even printed his
name on the coins.
47(3/5 slides)

48. Monetary means of transaction at first beat the traditional
barter trade. However, as time went by, the thought of
carrying a ponderous pouch of coins for shopping appeared
not only troublesome but thieves attracting. Hence, the Greek
and Roman traders who bought goods from people faraway
cities, invented checks to solve the problem. Not only are
paper checks easy to carry around, they discouraged robbery
as these checks can only be used by the person whose name
is printed on the notes. Following this idea, banks later issued
notes in exchange for gold deposited with them. These bank
notes can then be used as cash. Finally, governments of today
adopted the idea and began to print paper money, backed by
gold for the country's use. 48
(4/5 slides)

49. • Today, besides enjoying the convenience of using paper
notes as the mode of exchange, technology has led man to
invent other means of transaction too like the credit and
cash cards.
• barter – to trade goods/services without the exchange of
money
• bead – small, round object, used in jewelry
• ponderous – having great weight
2. Make a summary < 120 words, describing the emergence
of paper money used widely today. (Sample / 119 words)
49(5/5 slides)

50. < 120 words
Sample Summary #2
50

51. Long ago, people bought things through bartertrade. However,
the difficultyof having to look for the right partner and dividing the
goods led people to switch over to monetary transaction. at first,
beads, shells and fishing hooks were used as money. Near Turkey,
gold coins with irregulardenominations were used for trade. Later,
King Gyges standardized the individual coin value. People soon
found carrying coins around for shopping troublesome and thieves
courting. Hence, merchants started to issue checks with names of
the users on them to discourage robbery. Following that, banks
started to issue cash notes in return for gold deposited with
them. Finally, adopting the idea, today, governments printed
paper money backed by gold for the country's usage. 51

52. Text #3
3. Make a summary < 120 words,
describing the various means of
transportation. 52

53. • The means of transportation has changed and improved
over many centuries. Long ago, during the times of the
kings and knights, animals such as horses, buffaloes and
camels were used by man for transportation purposes.
These animals no doubt did save man from traveling by
foot, they took a long time to complete the journeys,
especially when transporting goods.
53(1/5 slides)

54. • In 1825, George Stephenson's opening of the first railway
marked a significant progress in the history of
transportation. Railways were in popular demand because
they could carry more people and loads. More importantly,
they ran faster than animals. Railways improved the
communication networks and hence, imports and exports
of goods and people traveling out of their towns or even
countries to work were made possible. Unfortunately, since
the invention of motor vehicles, the popularity of railways
has declined.
542/5 slides)

55. • Motor vehicles were first invented in the eighteenth
century. These vehicles were preferred by many people as
they do not run on tracks and hence do not have fixed
routes. Travelers can then plan their own routes to suit
their convenience. This is especially so when the
destinations are places like small towns or remote areas. In
these places, few or even none of the trains ever reach
them; so traveling by the motor vehicle would solve this
problem. Over many years of modifications, the motor
vehicle is now one of the most commonly used means of
transportation. Today, we travel in cars, taxis, buses, lorries
or vans almost every day.
55(3/5 slides)

56. • Another form of transportation is by water. It may be the
slowest but definitely the cheapest form of bulk
transportation. Though over the centuries of innovations,
water transportation has improved from the ancient wind
dependent yachts to the modern motor driven ships,
journeys by water are still characterized by the dangers and
unpredictability of meeting natural disasters like the
storms.
56(4/5 slides)

57. • The evolution of world transportation has reached its
pinnacle with the invention of airplanes. Transportation by
planes is the easiest and fastest. Planes gliding smoothly in
the air are not obstructed by seas, hills, buildings and so
on. Though convenient, this means of transport is the most
expensive. Despite the popular demand, the transportation
network of the planes is still not a balanced and complete
one till today. Developed countries tend to make use of air
transportation more frequently than the less developed
ones as they do more exporting and importing of goods
and also have more people traveling to and fro their
countries. Hence, the networks in these developed
countries are denser. 57(5/5 slides)

58. 3. Make a summary < 120 words, describing the various
means of transportation.
• loads – cargo, freight
• bulk – in large amounts
• pinnacle – the most successful/admirable part of a system
or achievement
• SAMPLE REVISION - 119 words)
58

59. < 120 words
Sample Summary #3
59

60. • In ancient times, man made use of animals like the horses
to transport themselves and goods. The journeys usually
took a long time. Trains were preferred to animals since its
invention, as they carry more people and goods and travel
faster. Motor vehicles proved more superior to trains as
they do not run on rails. Hence, they are able to reach small
towns and remote areas where tracks are not available.
Traveling via waters man be slow but it is the cheapest form
of bulk transportation. However, journeys by water are
often characterized by the danger of meeting a storm.
Traveling by plane is the most convenient but expensive
way and thus we do not use it for daily purposes.
60

61. Text #4
4. Summarize in your own words, the
advantages and disadvantages of
owning a television. (4 slides)61

62. With the invention of televisions, many forms of
entertainments have been replaced. Lively programs like
television serials and world news, have removed from us
the need to read books or papers, to listen to radios or
even to watch movies. In fact, during the 1970s, when
televisions were first introduced, cinema theatres
suffered great losses as many people chose to stay in the
comforts of their homes to watch their favorite programs.
(1/4 slides)
62

63. Indeed, the television brings the world into our house. Hence, by
staying at home and pressing some buttons, world happenings are
immediately presented before us. Children nowadays develop faster
in language, owing to the early exposure to television programs. At
such tender age, it would be difficult for them to read books or
papers. Thus, television programs are a good source of learning for
them. Furthermore, pronunciations by the newscasters, actors or
actresses are usually standardized, hence young children watching
these programs will learn the 'right' pronunciations too. Owning
a television is also extremely beneficial to working parents who are
usually too busy or tired to take their kids out for entertainments.
Surrounded by the comforts of their home, the family can have a
chancetogettogetherandwatchtheirfavoritetelevisionprograms.63

64. Of course, we should not be too carried away by the advantages of the
television & overlook its negative points. Watching television programs takes
awayourneedtoread.Why bother to read the papers whenwecan
hearthemfromtheTVnewsreports?Whyreadbookswhenexcitingmovies
arescreened?Thelackofreadingisunhealthyespeciallytoyoungerchildrenas
theywillgrowuponlywiththeabilitytospeakbutnotwrite.Ihaveaneighbor
whose6-year-oldchildcansaycompletesentenceslike"Ilikecats,"butwhen
toldtowriteoutthesentence,isunabletodoso.Notonlyarethewritingskillsof
children affected, their thinking capacities are also handicapped. Television
programsremovetheneedtothink.Thestories,ideas&factsarewoveninthe
way television planners wanted.Exposuretosuchopinions &thelackof
thinkingopportunitieswillhinderthechildren'sanalyzing ability.64

65. Despite the disadvantages of watching television programs,
personally, I think that choosing the 'middle path', which is to
do selective television viewing and not over indulging in the
habit should be the best solution to reconcile both the merits
and demerits of owning a television.
(4/4 slides)65

66. < 120 words
Sample Summary #4
66

67. The TV keeps us informed of the world affairs. Early exposure to
television programs helps to develop language skills of young
children. These children can also learn to pronounce words
accurately because of the standardized pronunciation in the
programs. In a family where both the parents are working, the
television provides the family an opportunity to get together at
leisure times. One disadvantages of watching television programs is
that we do less reading and hence our writing skills are affected.
Younger children may learn to speak but not write from television
programs. Furthermore, television programs often spare viewers,
especially the young ones, from pondering upon opinion s presented
beforethe,whichwillinturn handicap theirabilityanalyzefacts. 67

68. Text #5
5. Summarize in < 120 words, the
advantages and disadvantages of
advertisements. (5 slides)68

69. We are bombarded by many advertisements every day.
Vendors try all means and ways to gain our attention and sell
us their products or services. Advertisements appear
everywhere; on television programs, radios, in the papers,
magazines, pamphlets and so on.
(1/5 slides)
69

70. Advertisements are actually very useful though we sometimes feel annoyed
when they interrupt our favorite TV programs. They provide us with free
informationontheproductsandservices.Thereare2typesofadvertisements.
Theinformativeadvertisementsaretheoneswhichprovideuswiththedetails
oftheproductsorservices.Thisinformationisespeciallyusefuliftheproductor
serviceisnew.Forinstance,whenweneedtobuyacomputer,advertisements
describingthelatestmodelsandtheirdifferentfunctionswouldbeextremely
helpful.However,onlyaminorityoftheadvertisementsareinformativeones.
Many of them belong to the 2nd category -- the persuasive kind. These
advertisements not only tell us more about the products, at the same time,
they persuade customers to buy them by claiming that their products are
superiortotherivalryones.Theseclaimsmaysometimesbeuntrue. 70

71. Besides being informative and persuasive, advertisements
also help to subsidize the prices of magazines and
newspapers. Our newspapers are sold at a low price of about
one dollar, owing to the advertisements in the papers;
otherwise, the price would have been higher.
While advertisements can be good helpers for shopping, they
do have their shortcomings. Most advertisements aim to sell
only. Faults of the products or services are usually hidden
from the consumers. Hence, sometimes, we feel deceived if
the product or service we bought does not turn out the way
the advertisements claim to be. 71(3/5 slides)

72. Sometimes, advertisements by rival competitors can get very
intensive, especially when there are many firms producing
similar products. One common example is the washing
powder. There are so many advertisements for the different
brands that customers sometimes get confused over what
they should buy. Furthermore, having more advertisements
would mean that the production cost of the firm would be
increased. These rises in cost are usually passed on to the
consumers in the form of higher prices.
72(4/5 slides)

73. Hence, in conclusion, though I do advocate advertisements, I
do not deny their flaws. Without them, we might have to buy
things based on incomplete information or go through more
complicated ways before getting to know the products or
services. On the other hand, too many advertisements also
complicate our buying decisions. So I would say that we
cannot live without advertisements but we must be careful
how we live with them.
73(5/5 slides)

74. < 120 words
Sample Summary #5
74

75. There are two types of advertisements. Informative advertisements
provide consumers information about the products or services. They
are especially useful when we are purchasing new products. The
second kind is the persuasive ones which provide us with products
information and also persuade us to buy them by claiming the
superiority of their products. Advertisements also benefit readers of
newspapers and magazines by helping to subsidize the prices. One
disadvantage of advertisements is that they sometimes aim to sell
only and cover up the flaws of the advertised products. Consumer
may sometimes get confused over buying decisions when too many
advertisements are advertise. Advertising also raises the production
costswhichinturnincreasesthepricesoftheproducts too. 75

76. Transitional Words and Expressions
APPENDIX
AGAIN 76