speaking & writing

Summarize Written Text

What is this task?
You read a passage and write ONE summary sentence.
Skill being practised
Reading comprehension, writing concision.
What you see or hear
A passage of 150–300 words.
What you do
Write a single sentence of 5–75 words containing the main idea.
Step-by-step approach
  1. Identify main idea.
  2. Find one supporting idea.
  3. Combine into one grammatical sentence.
Timing
10 minutes total.
Approach
Underline the topic sentence; combine with a linking word (e.g. although, whereas, because).
Common mistakes
  • • Writing two sentences.
  • • Missing the main idea.
  • • Copying whole sentences from the passage.
Useful tips
  • • Use ONE full stop only.
  • • Keep the sentence under 60 words to stay safe.
Start practice