Class 7 English — Note-making and summarising

Turn a passage into short notes under headings, and write a summary that keeps the meaning in far fewer words.

Name: ________________________

Before you start

A page of notes, with every line drawn as a block. Find out what each line is, and notice how far along the page each one begins.

1. The main heading — what the whole passage is about
2. A sub-heading
3. A point belonging to that sub-heading
4. Another point belonging to the same sub-heading
5. The next sub-heading
6. A point belonging to the second sub-heading

The further right a line begins, the smaller the idea it belongs to. That indentation is doing as much work as the words are, which is why a page of notes can be taken in at a glance and a paragraph cannot.

1.Which is the best note for this sentence? "The Sun is the star at the centre of our solar system, and it provides the energy that keeps life on Earth going."
- a) The Sun is the star at the centre of our solar system.
- b) The Sun is very important to all of us.
- c) Sun — star at centre of solar system; gives energy for life on Earth
- d) Sun, star, centre, solar, system, energy, life, Earth
2.Sort each statement by whether it describes what a set of notes does.
Groups: A note does this · A note does not do this
- Is written in complete grammar
- Uses a heading and sub-points
- Adds your own opinion of the passage
- Uses abbreviations to save space
- Copies whole sentences out of the passage
- Uses short phrases instead of sentences
- Keeps every example in full
- Leaves out small words like "the" and "of"
3.Write one word: The short title written at the top of a set of notes is called the ____.
4.What is the main purpose of a summary?
- a) To give the main ideas in far fewer words
- b) To repeat the passage word for word
- c) To list every example in the passage
- d) To add your own opinion about the passage
5.Write the missing word: A summary should be written in your ____ words, not copied from the passage.
6.Sort each line by whether it is written in note form.
Groups: Note form · Not note form
- There are several causes of soil erosion, such as rain.
- Uses of bamboo: houses, baskets, paper
- The population of the city is two million.
- Pop. of city — 2 mn
- Bamboo is used to make houses, baskets and paper.
- Causes of soil erosion — rain, wind, farming
7.Write one word: Notes are set out under a main heading and several ____-headings.
8.Which is the best one-sentence summary of this passage? "Trees give us oxygen. They hold the soil together with their roots. They give shade, and homes to birds. Cutting them down harms all of this."
- a) Birds live in trees.
- b) Roots hold soil together and birds need homes and shade is pleasant.
- c) Trees do many useful things, so cutting them down is harmful.
- d) Trees give us oxygen.

Answer key — Class 7 English — Note-making and summarising

1. c) Sun — star at centre of solar system; gives energy for life on Earth
2. Uses short phrases instead of sentences → A note does this; Uses abbreviations to save space → A note does this; Uses a heading and sub-points → A note does this; Leaves out small words like "the" and "of" → A note does this; Copies whole sentences out of the passage → A note does not do this; Adds your own opinion of the passage → A note does not do this; Keeps every example in full → A note does not do this; Is written in complete grammar → A note does not do this
3. heading
4. a) To give the main ideas in far fewer words
5. own
6. Causes of soil erosion — rain, wind, farming → Note form; Uses of bamboo: houses, baskets, paper → Note form; Pop. of city — 2 mn → Note form; There are several causes of soil erosion, such as rain. → Not note form; Bamboo is used to make houses, baskets and paper. → Not note form; The population of the city is two million. → Not note form
7. sub
8. c) Trees do many useful things, so cutting them down is harmful.