ENGLISH FOR ACADEMIC AND PROFESSIONAL PURPOSES

LEARNING ACTIVITY SHEET 3

SUMMARIZING ACADEMIC TEXTS

Learning competency:
 use various techniques in summarizing a variety of academic texts CS_EN11/12A-EAPP-
Iac-4

Pre-test
Directions. Read the following statements. Put a cross  on the statements that do not describe
proper summarization and put a check  on the statement that does describe proper
summarization.

Use own words to write the summary.

 Include trivial details in the summary.
 A summary should be a word or two.
 One’s summary may contain one’s opinion of the text.
 Cover main points and key ideas.
 Erase repetitive ideas.
 Use specific names instead of general terms.
 A summary should be a paragraph long.
 Examples should be written in a summary.
 Vagueness is acceptable in a summary.

Discussion
 Summarizing is defined as reducing text to one-third or one-quarter its original size,
clearly articulating the author’s meaning, and retaining main ideas (Buckley, 2004).
 Summarizing involves stating a work’s thesis and main ideas “simply, briefly, and
accurately” (Hacker, 2008, p.62)
 Summarizing is also essential skill that is needed in the workplace and in the community.
In some cases, writing a summary is an excellent learning strategy that allows students to
monitor their own progress in learning course material.
 Basic Rules:
o Erase things that don’t matter.
o Only write down important points.
o Erase things that repeat.
o Trade general terms for specific names.
o Use your own words to write the summary.
 Techniques:
o Outlining. An outline is a map of your essay. It shows what information each
section or paragraph will contain and in what order.
I. Main Idea
A. Supporting Details
B. Supporting Details
II. Main Idea
A. Supporting Details
B. Supporting Details
o Somebody Wanted But So Then. Each word represents a key question related to
a text’s essential elements
Somebody—Who is the text about?
Wanted—What did the main character want?
But—What was the problem encountered?
So—How was the problem solved?
Then—How did it end?
o SAAC Method. This method is particularly helpful in learning the format of a
summary. This includes the title and author’s name.
State— The name of the article, book, movie
Assign—the name of the author
 Action—what the author is doing (ex. Tells, explains)
Complete—complete the sentence or summary with keywords and important
details.
o 5W’s, 1 H. This technique relies on six crucial questions: Who, What, When,
Where, why, How. These questions make it easy to identify the main character,
important details and main idea. Your summary may not necessarily follow this
order as long as it contains all of this information.
Who is the text about?
What did he/she do?
When did it happen?
Why did he/she do it?
How did he/she do what he/she did?
o First Then Finally. This technique helps summarize events or steps in
chronological order or in sequence.
First– What happened first?
Then– What key details took place during the event/action?
Finally– What were the results of the event/action?

Task 1
Directions: Identify the summarizing technique evident on the following paragraphs.
Summarizing Technique
1. Live theater is much more entertaining than going to the movies.
The action seems more real than in a film. Live theater also allows
the audience the opportunity to interact with the actors
2. Tuesday’s With Morrie by Mitch Albom tells a story about a man
who meets his old professor on Tuesdays for one final class on the
meaning of life.
3. The history of the English language began with the Anglo-Saxon
tribes who wandered the forest of Northern Europe. As different
invaders reached England, the English language branched out by
borrowing words and had undergone major changes in its
linguistic system. The English language has continued to expand
with billions of people speaking the language all over the world.
4. The Department of Education aims to continuously provide quality
education to the Filipino learners. However, because of the threat
of the corona virus, the department struggles to realize its goal. In
order to achieve its mission, DepEd devises a learning scheme that
answers the needs and demands of the learners in this time of
pandemic. Thus, DepEd promotes different alternative learning
modalities in the era of New Normal.
5. Oskar Schindler, a German businessman, saved 1,100 Jews in
Krakow, Poland, during the World War II. He grew to care about
his Jewish workers an, particularly those with whom he came in
contact on a daily basis. His connections helped Schindler protect
his Jewish workers from deportation and death in Nazi
concentration camps. He also had to give Nazi officials ever larger
bribes and gifts of luxury items obtainable only on the black
market to keep his workers safe.

Task 2
Directions: Read the following texts. Write a 3-5 sentence summary of the following text using
the assigned technique.
1.
HEALTHY EATING
It is important to enjoy the food you eat. And eating in a healthier way may even
be cheaper! Some traditional beliefs of what makes up a healthy diet may be really good,
such as eating home-preserved vegetables, but other traditional beliefs are disease-
promoting, e.g. eating large quantities of fatty meat daily. Recent evidence has shown
that eating too much meat with animal fat is risky to our health. Only very small
 amounts of lean meat are needed – and not every day. In fact, the less meat and animal
fat we eat the better!
Eating too much animal fat is a main cause of ill health. Our bodies need very
little but most of us eat too much. You may have heard of SATURATED FATS. These are
found mainly in the meat of cows, pigs and sheep and in products which include their
meat and fat, such as sausages, meat pies and beef burgers. Eating too much saturated
fat can lead to coronary heart disease and being overweight. UNSATURATED FATS,
however, are found in oily fish, chicken, eggs, turkey, duck, beans and lentils and foods
made from these. Unsaturated fat may be better for you, but eating TOO MUCH FAT of
any type can increase your weight. It is better to buy a small amount of lean meat
rather than fatty meat or solid fat. It is even better to EAT MORE FISH of all kinds.
And don’t forget to increase your IRON intake by eating liver. Traditional meals
using peas, beans and lentils provide good nourishment. Remember to cut down on any
animal fat used in cooking, e.g. in soups do not add fat and do not fry food for. Where
FAT is involved, LESS IS BEST.
Write the summary using the outlining technique:
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2.
The Hacksaw Ridge Movie
In Lynchburg, Desmond Doss and his brother Hal are raised by a dysfunctional
family since their father Tom Doss is an alcoholic war veteran of World War I that beats
their mother Bertha. After a naughty fight with his brother Hal turns awry, Desmond
Doss reads the Bible and vows not to harm another human in his life thereafter.
Desmond then saves the life of a worker, experiencing a wholesome satisfaction in the
process. In the hospital, he is smitten by a nurse, Dorothy Schutte, whom he then
dates. After the United States enters the Second World War, both sons enlist, adding to
the ire of the father who despises his sons joining the Army. The rigorous regimen of
training in the Army requires Desmond to clear his firearms training, but after a huge
tiff with his seniors, his father, an old corporal, intervenes to save Desmond from being
court-martialed and serve with the Army as a medic. Then, got posted to Hacksaw
Ridge, Okinawa. Desmond saved 75 men during the battle without firing a single shot.
As an army medic with a strong desire to save lives, Desmond single-handedly
evacuated wounded near enemy lines despite his own wounds. He was awarded with
the Congressional Medal of Honor.
Write the summary using the 5 W’s, 1 H technique:
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3.
Coronavirus in the Philippines: The COVID-19 risk, impact and measures
By Praveen Duddu (an excerpt)
Preventive measures by the Philippine government
The Philippine government is taking several steps to control the spread of the
virus, including travel restrictions, closure of schools and colleges, as well as training
schools of the Philippine National Police.
Educational institutes in the country are announced to be closed from March 9
to March 15, whereas in Metro Manila the classes will be suspended until April 12.
Stringent social distancing measures will be in place in the National Capital Region
(NCR) for 30 days from March 15.
The government announced earlier on February 2, 2020 that all persons except
Filipino citizens and permanent resident visa holders were temporarily barred from
entering the country.
A temporary ban on Filipinos from traveling to China or its special
 administrative region was also imposed. A mandatory 14-day quarantine for Filipinos
returning to from China or its special administrative region was announced.
Write the summary using the SAAC technique:
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4.
HOW TO CHANGE ENGINE OIL
Changing the engine oil at a regular interval is very essential to achieve quality
engine performance. In so doing, the following tools and materials should be prepared:
drive-on ramps, jack and jack stands, socket wrench or box end wrench to fit drain
plug, droplight or flashlight, pour spout, drain pan, rags, fender covers, fresh motor oil,
work gloves, and safety goggles.
With these tools and materials ready on hand, the process could be started. First,
raise the front of the car and support it with jack stands (unless working clearance
under the car is adequate). Place a basin beneath the drain plug. Loosen oil drain into
the basin.
Clean the drain plug and washer with rags (some plugs are magnetized to trap metal
particles). Next, replace the plug and washer as soon as old oil had drained. Start plug
by hand and tighten it as far as possible. When the plug is seated, tighten it another
half-turn with a wrench. Finally, find oil filter. Add amount of oil given in the owner’s
manual, 1qt. Less filter is not changed. Start engine and check for leaks at the
drain plug. Lower the car, check oil level, and adjust if necessary.
The completion of this process with the other pars in excellent working condition
ensures a satisfying journey.
Write the summary using the First-Then-Finally technique:
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5.
In April of 1585 Sir Walter Raleigh, under the authority of Queen Elizabeth of
England, sent an expedition of seven ships carrying 600 men, half of them soldiers, to
found an English colony in North America. The colony was to be used to establish an
English presence in the New World as well as a base from which English privateers, or
pirates, could attack and plunder Spanish treasure fleets. Raleigh’s cousin, Sir Richard
Grenville, led the expedition.
In July of that year the bulk of the fleet reached a small island off the coast of
Virginia that was called Roanoke. After building a small fort on the north side of the
island, the colonists-initiated relations with a Native American tribe that lived on the
island, the Aquascogoc. These natives showed little interest in building relations with
the English colonists, and they soon parted company. After this encounter, however, the
English noticed that one of their silver cups had gone missing, and they attributed its
disappearance to the Aquascogoc. Grenville, the English captain, was furious. He
believed that the Aquascogoc had stolen the silver cup. Whether or not this was true,
angry exchanges followed and soon the English burned the Aquascogoc village. The
English held their fort against the subsequent attacks of the natives.
Despite their success in battle, the colonists had a miserable time because they
were mainly soldiers and adventurers, not farmers. They were hungry. They missed the
comforts of England, such as soft feather beds and dainty foods. Also, they had
expected to find gold and silver on the island, and were disappointed when they found
none. Grenville soon tired of these conditions and set out on his ship to plunder
Spanish treasure fleets and return to England. The colony was gradually abandoned.
In 1587 Sir Walter Raleigh dispatched a further expedition of three ships and
150 colonists, led by John White, to Roanoke. This time the expedition included women
and children, including White’s pregnant daughter, Elenora. Shortly after they reached
 Roanoke, Elenora delivered a child whom they named Virginia. Virginia was the first
English person born in America. But the English soon ran into more trouble with the
Native Americans. A colonist named George Howe was killed by natives while searching
for crabs alone on the beach. The colonists were scared. They persuaded White to sail
back to England to ask Sir Walter Raleigh for help. White left behind 114 colonists,
including his daughter Elenora and granddaughter Virginia.
Unfortunately for White and the colonists, England was preparing for a naval
war with Spain. All shipping from English ports was ceased. It took White three years to
get his relief expedition back to Roanoke. When he returned in August of 1590, White
found no sign of his daughter, granddaughter, or anyone else. They found three letters,
“CRO,” carved on a tree and the full word, “CROATOAN,” on a nearby post. Possibly this
referred to the Croatian Island, which was nearby. White searched long and anxiously,
but failed to find them.
Write the summary using the Somebody Wanted But So Then technique:
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Post-Test
Directions. Read the text below. Using your chosen technique/s, write a 5-8 sentence summary
of the given text.
If you are reading this right now, you are taking part in the wonder of literacy.
Because of printed words, people can send information across both time and space. Ideas are
put in writing and sent to readers across thousands of miles and years. Because of writing, the
words of distant people can influence events, offer knowledge, and change the world. Much of
the credit for the development of this phenomenon can be attributed to one man.
Johannes Gensfleisch zur Laden zum Gutenberg, better known as Johannes
Gutenberg, was born in the German city of Mainz. Though most of Gutenberg’s early life is a
mystery, historians believe that he studied at the University of Erfurt in 1418 and spent much
of his young adult life practicing the profession of his father: goldsmithing. Gutenberg
borrowed money from investors in 1439 and found himself in financial trouble.
In the year 1439 the city in which Gutenberg lived was planning to exhibit its large
collection from Emperor Charlemagne (a famous ruler who had united much of Western
Europe around 800 AD). The exhibit was expected to bring many visitors to the town, so
Gutenberg took investments and create polished metal mirrors which were to be sold to the
visitors (it was a common belief at that time that mirrors were able to capture holy light from
religious relics).
The mirrors which Gutenberg produced probably would have sold well, but due to severe
flooding the event was delayed by one year. The impatient investors demanded that Gutenberg
return their investments, but he had already spent the money on producing the unsaleable
mirrors. He was trapped in a difficult situation. Gutenberg decided to share his greatest secret
with them.
This secret would forever change the world, all of history, and even the process of keeping
history. It’s been argued that Gutenberg’s idea was one of the greatest of all mankind. This one
idea would lead to the spread of countless others. It would play a key role in the development
of the Renaissance, Reformation, the Age of Enlightenment, and the Scientific Revolution. This
idea would bring learning to the masses. Gutenberg had created the mechanical printing press
with movable type.
Before the spread of Gutenberg’s idea, literature was handwritten. That means that
each copy of the bible and all of its 73 books were tediously hand scribed, and this was done
before the invention of the ballpoint pen. Given the amount of detail that went into each text,
creating a single copy of a bible could take years. Because of the effort that went into
producing them, books were extremely rare and valuable. Because of the value of books, there
was little reason for common people to learn to read or write since it was unlikely that they
would ever handle a book in their lifetimes. Gutenberg’s invention would change that. His
printing press allowed literature to be produced on a mass scale. His movable metal type could
be arranged once to form a page, and he could print the page again and again
 The first major text that Gutenberg produced was a 42-line copy of the bible.
Scholars estimate that Gutenberg produced between 165 and 185 of these bibles, which sold
out almost immediately. Most copies went to churches and universities, though one was sold
to a private individual. Copies are known to have sold for 30 florins (about three years of wages
for a clerk at the time), which may seem expensive but was much cheaper than a hand
produced copy.
Purchasing a Gutenberg Bible in the 1450s would have been a good investment if you
and your descendants were able to maintain it. Only twenty-one complete Gutenberg Bibles
exist today and the last one traded hand in 1987 for 4.9 million dollars, the highest price ever
paid for a book at the time.
Gutenberg’s brilliant idea would soon change the world, but in the short term he
bungled a large and risky investment. He found himself in financial trouble once again and
was sued by one of his investors, who accused Gutenberg of mismanaging money meant for
the production of books. The courts ruled against Gutenberg and he lost the shop that he had
created. He was effectively bankrupt.
Though he had failed as a businessman, the technologies that he had created spread
rapidly. As these printing technologies spread, news and books began to travel much faster
than previously possible. The world has not been the same since. Though Gutenberg was
financially unsuccessful in his own lifetime, he made the world a much richer place
Summary:
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Additional Activities
Directions. Answer the following:
1. What is a thesis statement?
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2. How do you outline a text?

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