SUMMARY WRITING

What

is

Summary

Writing?

A summary is a condensed form of a longer essay/reading. The purpose

of summary writing is to to give basic ideas of the original writing. To
write a summary, you need to use your own words and express briefly
the main idea of certain piece of reading. In Section C of the SPM 1119
paper, which carries a substantial 25 marks, is divided into two parts,
reading comprehension and summary writing. Ten marks are allocated
for reading comprehension and 15 for summary writing.

Example
Base

on

of
this

article,

Summary
write

summary

Writing.
of

130

words.

1. The tiger, the largest cat in the world, is one of the most majestic
animals on land and is found only in Asia. It is also one of the most
powerful mammals, yet it is on the brink of extinction. In the 1900s, the
tiger population was more than 100,000. Today, the number has
dwindled to less than 10,000 worldwide. Nepal has only 200 tigers, India
has about 4,000, while Malaysia has less than 500. The reason for the
decline
in
numbers
is
poaching.
2. Tigers are hunted not only by human beings but also by other
predators such as elephants, bears and large buffaloes. The only
defence tigers have against their enemies are their razor-sharp claws,
their strong teeth and their sheer weight. The weight of a tiger, which
can range between 200 and 300 kilogrammes, can kill an 10 average
sized
human
being.
3. Tigers have fascinated human beings for several reasons. For
instance, marks on their forehead resemble the Chinese character
wang, which means king. Furthermore, the markings on a tigers

forehead and the stripes all over its body are like finger prints. Experts
can tell individual tigers apart by observing the markings and stripes
closely. This is because no two tigers have identical markings. The
patterns of their stripes vary immensely, especially from one subspecies to another. The Sumatran tiger has the most stripes and
markings while the Siberian tiger has the fewest. The stripes of a tiger
always run at right angles to its body and not along its bodyline.
Otherwise, it would be very conspicuous and find it impossible to
camouflage
itself.
4. These carnivorous beasts thrive well in areas of dense vegetation
with ample sources of water and large populations of hoofed animals.
They instinctively avoid human beings and only attack people if they are
provoked, injured or unable to hunt for their usual food.
5. Despite their prowess, tigers are unable to protect themselves from
their greatest threat human beings. These magnificent creatures have
been hunted for hundreds of years for sport as proof of ones strength
and manliness, and for their skin. They have also been trapped and
poisoned by farmers to protect their livestock. As a result, the Caspian,
Javan and Bali tigers have become extinct. In many Asian countries,
tigers are killed for their precious claws. It is believed that wearing a
talisman made of a 30 tigers claw can protect its wearer. It is almost
impossible to ascertain whether a tigers claw has any supernatural
powers, but what is certain is that many a tiger will lose its life so that
someone
can
profit
from
it.
6. Other than that, tigers have been hunted for their body organs, which
are believed to be a cure for many ailments. This superstition may have
resulted from the connection 35 made with their masculinity and
strength. This has resulted in massive poaching of tigers for their
whiskers,
eyes,
teeth,
penises,
liver
and
fat.
7. Hunting of tiger prey has also caused the number of tigers to dwindle.
Tigers usually feed on hoofed animals such as deer, wild boar and
buffaloes. The hunting of these animals by human beings has caused

tigers

to

starve

to

death.

8. Serious action has to be taken to ensure the survival of this majestic

creature. Although the tiger has been labelled an endangered species
and the sale of tigerrelated products has been banned in many
countries, these measures have backfired, with illegal poaching of tigers
for their fur, bones and other organs becoming rampant. Some
countries, such as India, have allocated millions of dollars to set up tiger
reserves to protect these animals but even these are not safe. Poachers
completely wiped out wild tigers in the Sariska Tiger Reserve in
India. To ensure the survival of the tiger, conservation efforts need to be
improved to reduce threats to tigers.Efforts must also be made to
improve tiger habitats and to increase tiger prey populations so that they
will not starve to death in the wild. There must be more stringent
controls on the demand for tiger parts. When there is no demand, there
will be no supply. To drive the message home, poachers should be
punished severely. Otherwise, they will not stop their illegal activities.

Here is a sample summary using phrases and sentences from the

passage.

The tiger population has suffered a serious decline because tigers have
been hunted for sport as proof of ones strength and manliness and for
their skin. Besides, tigers have been killed by farmers to protect their
livestock. These beasts have also been killed for their claws which are
believed to protect the wearer. Worse still, tigers are killed for their body
organs, which are believed to cure many ailments. Moreover, hunting of
tiger prey has caused tigers to starve to death. Stern measures must be
taken to protect them. For instance, conservation efforts and tiger
habitats must be improved. To prevent tigers from starving, tiger prey
populations must be increased. Most importantly, there must be more
stringent
controls
on
the
demand.

(121 words)

Tips

in

writing

summary:

1)
Read
the
text
given
carefully.
2)
Identify
and
underline
the
important
points.
3) Start writing the summary based on the main points you have
gathered.
4) Rephrase the important points and use our own words.
5) Organize your ideas/points in the manner which they are found in the
text.
6)
Adhere
to
the
word
limit.
7)
Write
the
summary
in
one
paragraph
only!
8) Check and edit your summary if necessary.