What

is

Summary

Writing?

A summary is a condensed form of a longer essay/reading. The

purpose of summary writing is to to give basic ideas of the original
writing. To write a summary, you need to use your own words and
express briefly the main idea of certain piece of reading. In Section
C of the SPM 1119 paper, which carries a substantial 25 marks, is
divided into two parts, reading comprehension and summary writing.
Ten marks are allocated for reading comprehension and 15 for
summary
writing.

Example
Base

on

of
this

article,

Summary
write

summary

Writing.
of

130

words.

1. The tiger, the largest cat in the world, is one of the most majestic
animals on land and is found only in Asia. It is also one of the most
powerful mammals, yet it is on the brink of extinction. In the 1900s,
the tiger population was more than 100,000. Today, the number has
dwindled to less than 10,000 worldwide. Nepal has only 200 tigers,
India has about 4,000, while Malaysia has less than 500. The reason
for
the
decline
in
numbers
is
poaching.
2. Tigers are hunted not only by human beings but also by other
predators such as elephants, bears and large buffaloes. The only
defence tigers have against their enemies are their razor-sharp
claws, their strong teeth and their sheer weight. The weight of a tiger,
which can range between 200 and 300 kilogrammes, can kill an 10
average
sized
human
being.
3. Tigers have fascinated human beings for several reasons. For
instance, marks on their forehead resemble the Chinese character
wang, which means king. Furthermore, the markings on a tigers
forehead and the stripes all over its body are like finger prints.
Experts can tell individual tigers apart by observing the markings and
stripes closely. This is because no two tigers have identical markings.

The patterns of their stripes vary immensely, especially from one subspecies to another. The Sumatran tiger has the most stripes and
markings while the Siberian tiger has the fewest. The stripes of a
tiger always run at right angles to its body and not along its bodyline.
Otherwise, it would be very conspicuous and find it impossible to
camouflage
itself.
4. These carnivorous beasts thrive well in areas of dense vegetation
with ample sources of water and large populations of hoofed animals.
They instinctively avoid human beings and only attack people if they
are provoked, injured or unable to hunt for their usual food.
5. Despite their prowess, tigers are unable to protect themselves
from their greatest threat human beings. These magnificent
creatures have been hunted for hundreds of years for sport as proof
of ones strength and manliness, and for their skin. They have also
been trapped and poisoned by farmers to protect their livestock. As a
result, the Caspian, Javan and Bali tigers have become extinct. In
many Asian countries, tigers are killed for their precious claws. It is
believed that wearing a talisman made of a 30 tigers claw can
protect its wearer. It is almost impossible to ascertain whether a
tigers claw has any supernatural powers, but what is certain is that
many a tiger will lose its life so that someone can profit from it.
6. Other than that, tigers have been hunted for their body organs,
which are believed to be a cure for many ailments. This superstition
may have resulted from the connection 35 made with their
masculinity and strength. This has resulted in massive poaching of
tigers for their whiskers, eyes, teeth, penises, liver and fat.
7. Hunting of tiger prey has also caused the number of tigers to
dwindle. Tigers usually feed on hoofed animals such as deer, wild
boar and buffaloes. The hunting of these animals by human beings
has
caused
tigers
to
starve
to
death.
8. Serious action has to be taken to ensure the survival of this
majestic creature. Although the tiger has been labelled an
endangered species and the sale of tigerrelated products has been
banned in many countries, these measures have backfired, with

illegal poaching of tigers for their fur, bones and other organs
becoming rampant. Some countries, such as India, have allocated
millions of dollars to set up tiger reserves to protect these animals but
even these are not safe. Poachers completely wiped out wild tigers in
the Sariska Tiger Reserve in India. To ensure the survival of the tiger,
conservation efforts need to be improved to reduce threats to
tigers.Efforts must also be made to improve tiger habitats and to
increase tiger prey populations so that they will not starve to death in
the wild. There must be more stringent controls on the demand for
tiger parts. When there is no demand, there will be no supply. To
drive the message home, poachers should be punished severely.
Otherwise,
they
will
not
stop
their
illegal
activities.

Here is a sample summary using phrases and sentences from the

passage.

The tiger population has suffered a serious decline because tigers

have been hunted for sport as proof of ones strength and manliness
and for their skin. Besides, tigers have been killed by farmers to
protect their livestock. These beasts have also been killed for their
claws which are believed to protect the wearer. Worse still, tigers are
killed for their body organs, which are believed to cure many
ailments. Moreover, hunting of tiger prey has caused tigers to starve
to death. Stern measures must be taken to protect them. For
instance, conservation efforts and tiger habitats must be improved. To
prevent tigers from starving, tiger prey populations must be
increased. Most importantly, there must be more stringent controls on
the
demand.

(121 words)

Tips
1)

in
Read

writing
the

text

a
given

summary:
carefully.

2)
Identify
and
underline
the
important
points.
3) Start writing the summary based on the main points you have
gathered.
4) Rephrase the important points and use our own words.
5) Organize your ideas/points in the manner which they are found in
the
text.
6)
Adhere
to
the
word
limit.
7)
Write
the
summary
in
one
paragraph
only!
8) Check and edit your summary if necessary.