Summarising

Summarising

The summary is written from your own notes, not from the passage directly — that is the single most important habit to build. Because your notes already hold every main idea in order, the summary becomes a smooth paragraph that joins those points together. Working from the passage instead tempts you to copy sentences and overshoot the word limit.

How to build the summary, step by step:

1. Take your notes (title, headings, sub-points) and read them as a sequence of ideas.
2. Convert the phrases back into complete, connected sentences, using linking words (because, therefore, in addition, however, finally) so the paragraph flows.
3. Keep the writer's order and meaning; add nothing of your own and leave out examples, repetitions and minor illustrations.
4. Write it as one continuous paragraph in the third person and the present or past tense used by the passage.

Word limit. CBSE expects the summary to be about one-third of the passage's length, and the instruction usually states a cap (for example, "in about 50 words"). Staying within the limit is itself assessed — a summary that is much too long loses marks even if the content is correct. Write a tight draft, then count and trim: remove adjectives, merge two short sentences, and delete any example that slipped in.

What a good summary contains: only the main ideas, in the original sequence, in your own words, as a coherent paragraph — no heading, no bullet points, no personal comment. …