Summary writing – Cont’d
STUDENTS, WELCOME to another lesson. This week, we will conclude our focus on summary writing. In this lesson, I will provide you with key points from the passage you got in the last lesson, as well as a sample summary.
IMPORTANT: CXC has clearly indicated that the passages they select for the summary section have paragraphs. Each paragraph has a topic sentence and several supporting points. The passage you received last week demonstrated this. When you are gathering information for your summary, you are expected to identify the topic and supporting sentences.
Here is an outline of the topic sentences and supporting points:
i. First paragraph: International migrants are divided into two categories – those who leave voluntarily and those who leave because of challenging circumstances.
ii. Second paragraph: Migrants usually move from countries with limited employment opportunities to developed countries that offer better job prospects.
iii. Third paragraph: European countries have revisited their immigration policies as a result of increasingly ageing populations and labour shortage in certain sectors.
iv. Fourth paragraph: Migration has several consequences on home countries. Also, programmes have been designed to reduce migration.
SAMPLE SUMMARY THE CAUSES AND EFFECTS OF MIGRATION
International migrants are divided into two categories: those who leave voluntarily and those who leave because of challenging circumstances. Migrants usually move from countries with limited employment opportunities to developed countries that offer better job prospects, often because of problems in the labour force or an ageing population. Inevitably, migration impacts home countries - remittance positively impacts fiscal growth, but brain drain may result. One way to combat migration’s negative impact is to encourage immigrants to return so they can influence nation building. However, this effort may be challenged as long as better jobs are available in other countries. (98 words)
You will note that certain expressions from the final paragraph of the original passage have been contracted. “Funds sent by migrants to families back home” has been replaced by the word remittance, and “….when highly qualified people leave their home country, the investment made by the developing countries in their higher education is lost” has been replaced by ‘brain drain’. This practice of contraction is encouraged so that your completed summary is concise.
Below, I have provided another point outline and a sample summary based on an extract that appeared on the May 2013 English A paper.
Be reminded that you will be required to write five main points from the passage before you write your summary. You will get five marks for writing these points and 20 marks for writing the summary.
WATER
“Imagine that you get up in the morning with the sweet sound of rain against the windows. You look out and the world sings to you. Water makes it possible. Crystalclear water is available right in the comfort of your home. Shortage is not even in the back of your mind, because you know that the process of getting that water to you is in the hands of responsible persons.
“Some forecasts show that by 2025, more than 3 billion people will face water scarcity, but this is not because the world lacks water. The world water crisis is a crisis of management – not one of scarcity. At the global scale, there is enough water to provide ‘water scarcity’ for all, but only if we change the way we manage and develop it. The scarcity of water is a very relative concept that can only be seriously addressed by looking at a basket of factors, including socio-economic, technical and institutional aspects of water use.
“Water is important to our national economies, our leisure and even to our culture. The sustainable management of water resources is of central importance to poverty alleviation, people’s health and the protection of the environment. The best initiatives are those that make a political commitment to consider water as an integral part of sustainable human development, and those which strive to adapt management of the resources to the needs of the poor.
“Our culture and lifestyles are key factors in the inequitable distribution of water. Changes in attitude and actions will bring about a positive difference, even when those attitudes and actions are as simple as realising the value of water and remembering conservation practices. Our water use must be through sustainable practices, with the aim of safeguarding this resource for our future generations.
“There is no quick fix or simple solution when it comes to safeguarding and managing a resource that is in as much demand as water. It is evident that to maintain our most precious resource, our managerial capacity has to be upgraded, since the current strategies were developed for past human and natural needs and are now inappropriate to our present needs.” – Adapted from Global Environment Outlook for Youth In the Caribbean – A Vision for Change! P. 69.
MAIN POINTS
1. Water is vital to all aspects of life and human activity. It is often taken for granted and its value is overlooked.
2. Water scarcity means different things in different places, but, everywhere, it relates to a country’s economic and social acts and to people’s attitude to water.
3. There is really enough water for all, but world shortage is caused by careless attitudes and outdated management of resources and waste. The impact is that a very large portion of the world will face real scarcity by 2025.
4. Attention must be given to the problem to ensure that future generations have water and that the needs of the poor are addressed.
5. The solutions will come from a change in attitude to water use, appropriate valuing of water and updated management strategies.
SAMPLE SUMMARY
Everyone enjoys water and it is often taken for granted. We do not think about shortages but there is becoming worldwide water scarcity. This is because of the poor management. There is actually enough water for all. Water is important to every aspect of human society and,
therefore, a change in our attitude to water use is necessary. Sustainable management of this resource can reduce poverty, contribute to people’s well-being and help protect the environment. We must realise the value of water and how important its conservation is for future generations. To maintain this most precious resource, we must upgrade our management strategies to meet our present needs.
I hope the outlines and sample will prove useful to you. Please remember that producing effective summaries requires you to be able to understand what you have read, to identify the main points in a given passage, and to express these points in a paraphrased and concise manner. Summary writing is an important life skill. Use every opportunity to nurture it.
See you next week!