SUMMARY

The PMR English Language Paper 2 has three questions:

• Question 1 – Tests your skills on writing an essay.
• Question 2 – Tests your skills on summarising a passage.
• Question 3 – Tests your knowledge of understanding the literature component taught in school.

Let us look at Question 2.

Students are given a text and are required to summarise the passage in not more than 60 words.

The passage can be based on any subject matter. It can be:

• a descriptive text or
• factual in nature or
• even a narrative

 Just remember:

• that summary writing is the process of condensing and reducing the text
• the relevant details must be included
• the meaning must not be altered.

GUIDELINES TO SUMMARY WRITING

Summary-writing is easy. Just keep in mind the acronym BROOMSTICK when you do your summary.

Bracket

Bracket all relevant parts needed for your summary after reading the text.

  

Rephrase

Look at the bracketed section and rephrase wherever possible.

  

Omit irrelevant details

Omit all irrelevant details like examples, elaborations, long descriptions and explanations, repetitions, quotations and figurative language. Text that is not related to the question should be ignored.

  

Own words

Remember to use your own words as far as possible. Do not copy word for word.

Meaning must be retained

Do not change the original meaning of the text. Maintain the original meaning.

  

Speech

If there is speech in your text, convert it into Indirect Speech. You cannot use direct speech in your summary.

  

Tenses

Maintain the same tense as in the original text. If the text is in the past tense your summary should also be in the past tense. If it is in the present tense your summary should also be in the present tense.

  

Information

Your summary must be based on the information found in the passage only. Do not bring outside information or your own opinion into your summary.

  

Copy draft

Copy out the draft you have made correctly in a paragraph.

                                                             

Keep to the word limit

Keep to the number of words specified in the question. Do not go over the word limit. After the 60th word, all information will be ignored and marks will not be awarded.

Tips on how to count the number of words Count each word as one word. Proper nouns like names of people, places, roads, country are counted as one word.  For example: Kuala Lumpur – 1 word Jalan Liku – 1 word Mohamad Ali – 1 word Sungai Perak – 1 word All forms of contractions are counted as two words. For example: Didn’t  – 2 words Shouldn’t – 2 words Mustn’t – 2 words I’d – 2 words We’ll – 2 words She’s – 2 words The only exception is: Can’t – 1 word.