Summary writing–exposition

吳玲玲

Since 2017， Shanghai’s English Gaokao has adjusted some of its types of examination， like summary writing. In the near future， Fujian will also expect this new type of writing. Hence， it’s urgent for students in Fujian to get accustomed to and even have a good command of it. In this article， it mainly focuses on exposition and takes Can we take the heat （Module 8， Unit 22， Lesson 1） as an example to illustrate how to write a summary well.

1.Definition of summary writing

Summary is a short statement that gives the main information about something， without giving all the details.

（-- Longman）

2.What makes a good summary？

A good summary should include the main ideas and important details. Besides， a good summary is brief， thorough and objective. Finally， it’s also written in your own words and in a clear order that the original text is presented in.

1） Conciseness： Omit unnecessary details like examples， explanations and other important information.

2） Length： 1/4 – 1/3 of the original text.

3） Completeness： To include all the main and supporting points delivered in your own words and in a condensed manner.

4） Accuracy： To give the same attention and stress to the points as the author does.

5） Coherence： Rather than an outline listed as key words and phrases， a summary is a paragraph with necessary transitions and function structures to make it flow.

6） Objective： Do not include your own ideas or emotions on the topic. The paragraph should only reflect the content of the original passage only.

3.Steps to write a summary

1） Skim the text to find out the general theme.

After readers’ analyzing the passage， it’s obvious it’s an exposition article about global warming – one of the biggest environmental problems facing the 21st century.

2） Analyze the text’s structure to divide it into several sections， find out the main idea of each section and write it out briefly with your own words. （One sentence）

Para. 1 Scientists believe that global warming could be one of the biggest environmental problems facing the 21st century.

Para. 2 What’s global warming？ / How does global warming come into being？

（Or： Global warming refers to an average increase in the earth’s temperature that， in turn， leads to climate change.）

Para. 3 The blame for global warming can mostly be pinned on human activities.

Para. 4 If we continue to produce carbon dioxide and other gases in such huge quantities， we are condemning life on Earth and should expect severe consequences.

Para. 5 Each person should play their part to stop global warming.

3） Write down the key supporting points for each main idea without involving minor details.

（Para. 3）：

（Main idea） The blame for global warming can mostly be pinned on human activities.

（Key supporting points） As a result of increased industry， agriculture， the cutting down of forests， the increase in transport and the burning of fuels， the amount of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere has risen more than 30% in the last 250 years with half of this increase occurring since 1960.

（Para. 4）：

（Main idea） If we continue to produce carbon dioxide and other gases in such huge quantities， we are condemning life on Earth and should expect severe consequences.

（Key supporting points）Global warming will cause terrible climate changes， serious diseases will spread and industries will be badly affected. Increased temperatures will also cause the polar ice to melt.

（para. 5）

（Main idea） Each person should play their part to stop global warming.

（Key supporting points） Experts advocate making small changes and even doing simple things

4） Rewrite the main idea and supporting points.

1. The article points out global warming is one of the serious environmental problems in the 21st century， which is an average increase in the earth’s temperature.

2. It’s believed that human activities， such as increased industry， agriculture and the cutting down of the forest， are responsible for this phenomenon， in which large quantities of carbon dioxide and other gases are produced.

3. Without timely action more serious disasters will come one after another， awful climate changes， the spread of serious diseases， the melt of polar ice， to name a few.

4. Experts’ suggestion is that everyone’s efforts， however small， will make a difference.

5） Organize the main and related supporting points in a logical order with necessary transitions to achieve coherence.

The article points out global warming is one of the serious environmental problems in the 21st century， which is an average increase in the earth’s temperature. Then what results in global warming？ It’s believed that human activities， such as increased industry， agriculture and the cutting down of the forest， are responsible for this phenomenon， in which large quantities of carbon dioxide and other gases are produced. Obviously， without timely action more serious disasters will come one after another， awful climate changes， the spread of serious diseases， the melt of polar ice， to name a few. Therefore， experts’ suggestion is that everyone’s efforts， however small， will make a difference.

6） Check for grammatical， spelling and punctuation mistakes.

（Final version）（112 words）

The article points out global warming is one of the serious environmental problems in the 21st century， which is an average increase in the earth’s temperature. Then what results in global warming？ It’s believed that human activities， such as increased industry， agriculture and the cutting down of the forest， are responsible for this phenomenon， in which large quantities of carbon dioxide and other gases are produced. Obviously， without timely action more serious disasters will come one after another， awful climate changes， the spread of serious diseases， the melt of polar ice， to name a few. Therefore， experts’ suggestion is that everyone’s efforts， however small， will make a difference.