Practicing paragraph summarizing in English

Summarizing Paragraphs in English: Tips and Practice Exercises

Summarizing Information in English: Tips and Exercises

Understanding how to summarize a text is a crucial skill for mastering the English language and improving writing skills. Summarizing helps to highlight the main points of a text, making it easier to remember and convey information. This skill is particularly useful for students, professionals, and anyone looking to enhance their language proficiency. In this article, we will explore strategies for summarizing and provide exercises to practice this skill.

What is Summarizing?

A summary is a brief account of the main points of a text, paragraph, or article. It conveys the essence of the original content without unnecessary details. The goal of summarizing is to clearly and concisely present the main ideas.

Steps to Summarizing a Paragraph

  1. Read the Passage Carefully: Start by carefully reading the paragraph to understand its main idea and supporting details.
  2. Identify Key Points: Determine the most important points that the author is trying to convey. Look for topic sentences and concluding statements that contain the main idea.
  3. Eliminate Unnecessary Details: Focus on the essential information and ignore examples, illustrations, and non-essential details.
  4. Write the Summary: Using your own words, write a brief summary that reflects the main points of the paragraph. Ensure your summary is shorter than the original text.
  5. Review and Revise: Check your summary for accuracy and clarity. Make sure it conveys the original content without distorting the author’s message.

Example Exercises with Explanations

To help you practice summarizing paragraphs, we have prepared a series of exercises. These exercises are designed to test your ability to identify the main idea and effectively summarize it. Below are a few examples of paragraphs along with explanations and the correct summary.

Example 1: The Role of Advertisements in Newspapers

Passage: “However much we may complain about the number of advertisements there are in a newspaper, the fact remains that without advertisements there would be no newspapers. It’s the advertisements that finance the newspapers and make it possible for us to buy them cheaply.”

Explanation: The paragraph discusses the important role of advertisements in financing newspapers, despite common complaints about their abundance.

Correct Summary: “Advertisements are essential to newspapers; without them, they could not be produced economically.”

Example 2: First Impressions of Brothers

Passage: “Brian and Gordon are brothers. People meeting them for the first time usually think Gordon is much the nicest. He’s good looking, he’s friendly and talks well. Later, they begin to notice he is rather spoilt. Then, they realize what a good person Brian is.”

Explanation: The paragraph explains how first impressions of the two brothers change over time, revealing that Brian is the better person.

Correct Summary: “Gordon makes a good first impression, but his brother Brian is a much better person.”

Example 3: Children’s Curiosity

Passage: “The average child is exceedingly curious. He investigates everything within reach; from electric plugs to piles of earth. His favorite word is ‘why’. The adult finds this period exhausting but he should not try to check the activities, unless they are dangerous, as the child is establishing the habit of learning.”

Explanation: The paragraph emphasizes the importance of encouraging children’s curiosity as it helps them develop a habit of learning.

Correct Summary: “Curiosity in children should be encouraged as it creates a learning habit.”

Example 4: Janet’s Impression of the Concert

Passage: “Janet was very enthusiastic about the concert. She praised the pianist, the singer, and the choice of program; but it was the violin concerto that she praised most of all.”

Explanation: The paragraph highlights Janet’s enthusiasm for the concert, especially her high praise for the violin concerto.

Correct Summary: “Jane thought the concert was wonderful, especially the violin concerto.”

Practice Exercise on Summarizing Information in English

Now that you’ve gone through the examples and explanations, it’s time to practice summarizations on your own. Try to choose the sentence that best summarizes the given paragraph.

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Summarizing Paragraphs in English: Tips and Practice Exercises

Paragraph summarizing (quiz, test)

John is only 16 years old. Everyone else on the team is either 17 or 18. Even so, he's a much valued member of the team. In fact, some people think he's the best player the team has. 

Susan arrived at the library a few minutes before 12 o'clock. Jane had her coat on and was, waiting for her friend on the steps of the library. So they left together, crossed the street and went to their favorite restaurant.

Patrick didn't even ask his father if he could go to Barcelona for the weekend with Erick. He knew it would cost too much. But he didn't want to mention it to Erick. So, next day, he said simply "Father won't let me."

Janet was very enthusiastic about the concert. She praised the pianist, the singer and the choice of program; but it was the violin concerto that she praised most of all.

However much we may complain about the number of advertisements there are in a newspaper, the fact remains that without advertisements there would be no newspapers. It's the advertisements that finance the newspapers and make it possible for us to buy them cheaply.

Most people don't realize that Paul and Mark are brothers. Paul is tall and fair, and interested in all types of sport. Mark, who is short and dark haired, is studying Math at the university. Math is his only hobby too.

People who have never been in an aero plane usually think that flying must be fun. Perhaps it is, the first time you fly. But few people who have flown a lot really enjoy flying. Most of the time you are in the air, there is nothing to see but clouds, and waiting around in an airport is the most boring experience.

During recent years, there has been a great increase in population. As a result of this, many countries are facing serious difficulties. These include food shortages, housing problems, unemployment, pollution and similar social and economic difficulties. 

Everyone I've talked to recently admits that Mr. Burton was not a very good manager. Now that Mr. Carr is in charge of the company, most people are expecting things to improve; he really is a natural leader, and liked and respected by everyone.

The average child is exceedingly curious. He investigates everything within reach; from electric plugs to piles of earth. His favorite word is "why". The adult finds this period exhausting but he should not try to check the activities, unless they are dangerous, as the child is establishing the habit of learning.

I don't know any French myself, and so I don't know whether Jane's French is good or not. But I do know that she has spent the last two years in France. She was in Paris for 18 months and the remaining 6 months she spent at various places along the south coast. So she should know French well.

Whenever I need something, the first place I go to is Dawson's store. There they sell just about everything. You can buy clothes there, things for the house and for the garden, and also sports equipment; They stock a wide variety of goods. Everything is a good quality, and prices are reasonable.

Paul is pleased that his company is sending him to the new factory near Houston. The pay will be better and the work more interesting. Also, several of his friends live there and he likes the climate.

Brian and Gordon are brothers. People meeting them for the first time usually think Gordon is much the nicest. He's good looking, he's friendly and talks well. Later, they begin to notice he is rather spoilt. Then, they realize what a good person Brian is.

Leroy walked slowly round the exhibition, looking at the pictures. None of them seemed very interesting. He felt very disappointed. Then suddenly he saw the portrait of an old man. He stopped in front of it, and looked at it for a long time. It was a wonderful portrait.

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