O-Level 80-Word Summary: The Method, with a Worked Example
This page teaches a 5-step method for the summary question in Paper 2. You will practise finding points and rewording them, then write your own summary.
What you have to do
You pick out the points the question asks for from part of the passage. You put them in your own words. Then you fit them into about 80 words.
The summary follows a set process. If you follow the steps, you can score well on it every time.
How it is marked
| Area | What the examiner checks |
|---|---|
| Content | Each relevant point from the named paragraphs earns a mark. A point outside the question's focus earns nothing, even if it is true. |
| Own words | You reword the passage. If you join copied phrases together, your language mark is capped. |
Most marks are lost in 2 ways. You miss points because you rushed, or you copy instead of rewording. The method below deals with both.
How to answer
- Read the question focus. It says exactly what to summarise. An example is "the reasons people migrate to cities and the problems this causes". If there are 2 parts, you need points on both.
- Use only the paragraphs named. Ignore the rest of the passage.
- Underline every relevant point. Go line by line. Find more points than you need, because some will overlap.
- Reword each point in note form. Change the words and the sentence pattern. For example, "exorbitant rents" becomes "housing is very costly".
- Join the notes into 1 paragraph, then count. Use linking words. Trim to about 80 words. If the question gives an opening phrase, start with it.
Steps 3 and 4 decide your score. Make your notes first, then write the paragraph.
The practice paragraph
"Cities draw the young with the promise of well-paid work and the bright lights of entertainment unavailable in the countryside. Universities and hospitals, too, are concentrated in urban centres. Yet this influx strains the city: rents soar beyond the reach of ordinary families, roads choke with traffic, and the sense of community that villages enjoy is often lost among strangers."
Question focus: Summarise the reasons people move to cities and the problems this creates.
Practise: point or detail?
Which of these is a POINT from the paragraph that earns a content mark, rather than a detail to leave out?
Show answer & explanation
Answer: (B) Universities and hospitals are concentrated in cities (access to education and healthcare)
The correct answer is (B). Universities and hospitals in cities are a separate reason people move there. That earns a content mark. Reworded as 'access to education and healthcare', it also keeps your own-words mark. (A) is a trap. Entertainment is a real reason, but this option copies the phrase word for word. Copying loses the own-words mark. (C) is not in the paragraph. It is also not a reason to move or a problem caused, so it scores nothing. (D) is not in the passage either, and it does not answer the question.
Which is the best rewording, in your OWN WORDS, of 'rents soar beyond the reach of ordinary families'?
Show answer & explanation
Answer: (C) 'housing becomes unaffordable for many people'
The correct answer is (C). It changes both the words and the sentence pattern. That counts as your own words and keeps the language mark. (A) is copied exactly, so the own-words mark is capped. (B) swaps only 2 words, 'soar' for 'rise' and 'ordinary' for 'normal'. It keeps 'beyond the reach of … families', so it is too close to the original. (D) still uses the word 'soar'. It is also clumsy and uses up words you need for other points.
Practise: write the summary
✍️ Your turn
Use ONLY the paragraph above. Write a summary of about 80 words on the reasons people move to cities AND the problems this creates. Put everything in your own words. Join the points into 1 paragraph. Aim for 75 to 80 words.
Reveal the model answer
Steps 3 and 4: the underlined points, reworded
| From the passage | In your own words |
|---|---|
| well-paid work | better job prospects |
| entertainment not found in the countryside | more leisure and entertainment |
| universities and hospitals concentrated there | access to education and healthcare |
| rents soar | housing becomes unaffordable |
| roads choke with traffic | severe traffic congestion |
| community is lost among strangers | a weaker sense of community |
Step 5: joined into 1 paragraph
People are drawn to cities mainly by better job prospects and higher pay, as well as leisure and entertainment options the countryside lacks. Cities also offer easier access to universities and hospitals. However, this movement creates serious problems. Housing grows unaffordable as rents rise sharply, roads become badly congested with traffic, and the close community spirit found in villages is frequently lost, leaving many residents feeling isolated among strangers they do not know.
73 words.
Why the model scores well
| What the examiner looks for | Where it is in the model |
|---|---|
| Points on both parts of the question | 3 reasons and 3 problems |
| Own words throughout | "rents soar" becomes "housing grows unaffordable". "choke with traffic" becomes "badly congested". |
| 1 connected paragraph | "as well as", "However" and "as" join the points |
| Within the limit | 73 words, so safely under 80. Going over can cost marks. |
Common mistakes
| Mistake | What helps |
|---|---|
| Missing points | Find more points than you need in step 3 |
| Copying phrases | Reword every point in note form before you write |
| Points on only 1 part of the question | Check the focus for "and". Get points on both parts. |
| Going over the word limit | Count at the end and trim |
Back to O-Level continuous writing model · Next: O-Level visual text comprehension