You are viewing a free preview of this lesson.
Subscribe to unlock all 12 lessons in this course and every other course on LearningBro.
In the FSCE 11+ exam, you may be asked to summarise a passage or to bring together information from different parts of a text. These are two related but different skills: summarising means condensing a text into its key points using your own words, and synthesising means combining information from different parts of a text (or from two texts) to form a complete picture.
Both skills test whether you have truly understood the passage, not just whether you can copy out sentences. This lesson will teach you how to summarise effectively, how to synthesise information, and how to avoid common pitfalls.
Summarising means giving a shorter version of the text that contains only the most important points. A good summary:
graph TD
A["Read the Full Text"] --> B["Identify Key Points"]
B --> C["Leave Out Minor Details"]
C --> D["Put Into Your Own Words"]
D --> E["Check: Is It Accurate? Is It Concise?"]
E --> F["Final Summary"]
Step 1: Read the whole passage carefully. Make sure you understand it fully before you try to summarise.
Step 2: Identify the key points. Ask yourself: What are the 3-5 most important things this passage tells me? Underline or note them.
Step 3: Put the key points into your own words. Do not copy phrases from the text. Rephrase them in simple, clear language.
Step 4: Check your summary. Is it accurate? Have you missed anything important? Is it concise (not too long)?
Read the passage:
Amara had always been the fastest runner in her year. Every sports day for the past three years, she had won the 100 metres by a clear margin. But this year was different. A new girl called Priya had joined the school in September, and from the very first PE lesson, it was clear that Priya was fast -- really fast. During practice runs, Priya matched Amara stride for stride, and sometimes even pulled ahead in the final ten metres. Amara started getting up an hour early to practise in the park before school. She changed her diet, cutting out sweets and eating more fruit and vegetables. She watched videos of Olympic sprinters and tried to copy their technique. Sports day was three weeks away, and Amara was determined not to lose her title.
Overlong summary (too much detail): "Amara has always been the fastest runner in her year and has won the 100 metres at sports day for the past three years by a clear margin. But this year a new girl called Priya joined the school in September and from the first PE lesson she was really fast. During practice runs Priya matched Amara stride for stride and sometimes pulled ahead in the final ten metres. So Amara started getting up early to practise in the park, changed her diet, cut out sweets, ate more fruit and vegetables, watched videos of Olympic sprinters and tried to copy their technique. Sports day is three weeks away and Amara is determined not to lose her title."
Why this is too long: This is almost as long as the original. It copies many phrases directly from the text and includes details that are not essential (cutting out sweets, eating fruit and vegetables, watching Olympic sprinters).
Concise summary (well done): "Amara has been the fastest runner in her year for three years, but she now faces a serious challenge from a new student, Priya, who is equally fast. Determined to keep her title, Amara has started training harder than ever, including early morning practice sessions and improving her diet, with sports day three weeks away."
Why this is better: It covers the essential information (Amara's reputation, Priya's challenge, Amara's response, the approaching sports day) in just two sentences, using the student's own words.
Plastic pollution is one of the biggest environmental challenges of our time. Every year, approximately 8 million tonnes of plastic waste enters the world's oceans. This plastic harms marine life in many ways: sea turtles mistake plastic bags for jellyfish and choke on them, seabirds feed plastic fragments to their chicks, and fish ingest tiny pieces called microplastics that enter the food chain. Scientists have found microplastics in drinking water, table salt, and even in the air we breathe. Several countries have taken steps to reduce plastic use, including banning single-use plastic bags and straws. However, experts warn that much more needs to be done, and that without significant changes in how we produce, use, and dispose of plastic, the problem will only get worse.
Weak summary: "Plastic is bad for the environment and we should use less of it."
Strong summary: "Plastic pollution is a major environmental crisis, with 8 million tonnes of plastic entering the oceans annually. It harms marine animals, enters the food chain through microplastics, and has been found in drinking water and air. While some countries have banned single-use plastics, experts say far greater action is needed to solve the problem."
Why the strong summary is better: The weak summary is vague and does not include any specific information. The strong summary captures the scale of the problem (8 million tonnes), the types of harm (marine animals, food chain, drinking water), the action taken (bans), and the outlook (more needed). It is concise but comprehensive.
Synthesising means bringing together information from different parts of a text (or from two texts) to form a complete understanding. Instead of answering from one paragraph, you pull together details from across the whole passage.
Example question: "Using the whole article, explain how the author shows that the new park has been both successful and problematic."
To answer this, you would need to find evidence of success from one part of the text and evidence of problems from another part, then bring them together in your answer.
Read the passage:
The Riverside Community Garden was opened two years ago on a patch of wasteland behind the shopping centre. In its first year, more than 50 families signed up for allotment plots, and a waiting list quickly formed. Local schoolchildren visit every Friday to learn about growing vegetables, and the garden has won two awards from the Royal Horticultural Society.
However, the garden has not been without problems. Last winter, vandals damaged the shed and stole several tools. Some residents have complained about increased noise and traffic on the lane that leads to the garden. There have also been disputes between plot holders about water use during the dry summer months. The garden's committee is currently seeking funding to build a new fence and install a water storage tank.
Subscribe to continue reading
Get full access to this lesson and all 12 lessons in this course.