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INTRODUCTION
When working on an academic text it is likely that you are going to work
with a variety of text. You will also need to select materials that are relevant for
your work. Once you have selected the materials you want to work with, you
need to make some adjustments before you can include them in your work.

TARGET
As you go through this lesson, you should be able to:

A. identify the basic rules in summarizing;

B. apply the various techniques in summarizing academic texts;
C. state the importance of summarizing academic texts; and
D. summarize academic texts using the appropriate summarizing
technique.

NAVIGATE
Definition, Purpose, Rules and Techniques in Summarizing Academic
Texts
Buckley (2004), in her popular writing text Fit to Print, defines
summarizing as reducing text to one-third or one-quarter its original size, clearly
articulating the author’s meaning, and retaining main ideas. Diane Hacker
(2008), in A Canadian Writer’s Reference, explains that summarizing involves
stating a work’s thesis and main ideas “simply, briefly, and accurately” (p. 62).
Summarizing is also essential skill that is needed in the workplace and in
the community. In some cases, writing a summary is an excellent learning
strategy that allows students to monitor their own progress in learning course
material.
Basic Rules:
A. Erase things that don’t matter. Delete trivial material that is unnecessary
to understanding.
B. Only write down important points. If it is not something that will help you
understand or remember, then don’t write it down. Think of it this way . . . If you
had to pay money for every word you write down, which words would you choose
to include in your notes?
C. Erase things that repeat. Delete redundant material. In note taking, time
and space are precious. If a word or phrase says basically the same thing you
have already written down, then don’t write it again!
D. Trade, general terms for specific names. Substitute superordinate terms
for lists (e.g., flowers for daisies, tulips for roses). Focus on the big picture. Long,
technical lists are hard to remember. If one word will give you the meaning, then
less is more.
E. Use your own words to write the summary. Do not just copy the sentences
from the original text. However, do not inject your opinion in your summary.

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Techniques:
1. Outlining. An outline is a map of your essay. It shows what information
each section or paragraph will contain and in what order.
I. Main Idea
A. Supporting Details
B. Supporting Details
II. Main Idea
A. Supporting Details
B. Supporting Details
2. Somebody Wanted But So Then. Each word represents a key question
related to a text’s essential elements:
Somebody—Who is the text about?
Wanted—What did the main character want?
But—What was the problem encountered?
So—How was the problem solved? Then—How did it end?
3. SAAC Method. This method is particularly helpful in learning the format
of a summary. This includes the title and author’s name.
State— The name of the article, book, movie
Assign—the name of the author
Action—what the author is doing (ex. Tells, explains)
Complete—complete the sentence or summary with keywords and important
details.
4. 5W’s, 1 H. This technique relies on six crucial questions: Who, What,
When, Where, Why, How. These questions make it easy to identify the main
character, important details and main idea. Your summary may not necessarily
follow this order as long as it contains all of these information.
Who is the text about? What did he/she do?
When did it happen? Why did he/she do it?
How did he/she do what he/she did?
5. First Then Finally. This technique helps summarize events or steps in
chronological order or in sequence.
First– What happened first?
Then– What key details took place during the event/action?
Finally– What were the results of the event/action?

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NAME: ______________________________________________________
STRAND/BLOCK: ___________________________________________

CAPTURE
Directions: Read the following statements written on the bulletin board. Cross
out the statements that do not describe proper summarization and put a check
after each statement that does describe proper summarization.

• Use own words to write the summary

• Include trivial details in the summary.
• A summary should be a word or two.
• One’s summary may contain one’s opinion of the text.
• Cover main points and key ideas.
• Erase repetitive ideas.
• Use specific names instead of general terms.
• A summary should be a paragraph long.
• Examples should be written in a summary.
• Vagueness is acceptable in a summary.

ENRICH
Direction: Answer the question briefly.

1. For you, what is the importance of learning to summarize academic

texts?
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FOCUS
Directions: Read the following texts. Write a 3-5 sentence summary of the
following text using the assigned technique.

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HEALTHY EATING
It is important to enjoy the food you eat. And eating in a healthier way may even
be cheaper! Some traditional beliefs of what makes up a healthy diet may be
really good, such as eating home-preserved vegetables, but other traditional
beliefs are disease-promoting, e.g. eating large quantities of fatty meat daily.
Recent evidence has shown that eating too much meat with animal fat is risky
to our health. Only very small amounts of lean meat are needed – and not
everyday. In fact, the less meat and animal fat we eat the better!
Eating too much animal fat is a main cause of ill health. Our bodies need very
little but most of us eat too much. You may have heard of SATURATEDFATS.
These are found mainly in the meat of cows, pigs and sheep and in products
which include their meat and fat, such as sausages, meat pies and beef burgers.
Eating too much saturated fat can lead to coronary heart disease and being
overweight. UNSATURATED FATS, however, are found in oily fish, chicken, eggs,
turkey, duck, beans and lentils and foods made from these. Unsaturated fat may
be better for you, but eating TOO MUCH FAT of any type can increase your
weight. It is better to buy a small amount of lean meat rather than fatty meat or
solid fat. It is even better to EAT MORE FISH of all kinds.
And don’t forget to increase your IRON intake by eating liver. Traditional meals
using peas, beans and lentils provide good nourishment. Remember to cut down
on any animal fat used in cooking, e.g. in soups do not add fat and do not fry
food for. Where FAT is involved, LESS IS BEST.

Write the summary using the outlining technique:

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APPLY
Directions: Summarize the paragraph below in two to three sentences.
“The Northern Lights”
There are times when the night sky glows with bands of color. The bands may
begin as cloud shapes and then spread into a great arc across the entire sky.
They may fall in folds like a curtain drawn across the heavens. The lights usually
grow brighter, then suddenly dim. During this time the sky glows with pale
yellow, pink, green, violet, blue, and red. These lights are called the Aurora
Borealis. Some people call them the Northern Lights. Scientists have been
watching them for hundreds of years. They are not quite sure what causes them.
In ancient times people were afraid of the Lights. They imagined that they saw
fiery dragons in the sky. Some even concluded that the heavens were on fire.
Summary
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POSTTEST
Directions: Each paper has a corresponding number and an example of a
specific summarizing technique. Write the number of the paper on the box
which is labeled with the technique that fits the example written on the paper.

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REFERENCES
Online Sources
Bales, K. July 2020. 5 Easy Summarizing Strategies for Students. Retrieved from
thoughtco.com. Retrieved date July 29, 2020
Duddu, P. March 2020. Coronavirus in the Philippines: The COVID-19 Risk,
Impact and Measures. Retrieved from pharmaceutical-technology.com. Retrieved
date August 4, 2020.
Evangelista, A. Basics of Summarizing. Retrieved from Slideshare. Retrieved date
July 29, 2020
Summarizing Strategies. Retrieved from www.google.com Retrieved date July 29,
2020 Summarizing Worksheets. Retrieved from
https://www.ereadingworksheets/ summarizing-worksheets-and-actiities/.
Retrieved date July 29, 2020.
Types of Bikes. Retrieved from https://www.bicycling.com/bikes-gear/
a23067076/types-of-bikes/. Retrieed date August 4, 2020.
University of Manitoba Academic Learning Center. Summarizing. Retrieved from
www.umanitoba.ca/student/academiclearning. Retrieved date July 29, 2020
Why Do People Should Ride A Bicycle For Short Distance Trips. Retrieved
fromhttps://eslbee.com/why_people_should_ride_a_bicycle_for_short_distance_
trips.htm. Retrieved date August 4, 2020
World Health Organization. Healthy Living.pdf. Retrieved from
www.kznhealth.gov.za Retrieved date August 4, 2020

English for Academic and Professional Purposes Week 5 & 6