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Grade 7 English Language Arts — Note-taking and summarizing

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.

123456
  1. 1. The main heading — what the whole passage is about
  2. 2. A sub-heading
  3. 3. A point belonging to that sub-heading
  4. 4. Another point belonging to the same sub-heading
  5. 5. The next sub-heading
  6. 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. 1.Match each short form to the words it stands for.

    • govt.
    • &
    • e.g.
    • etc.
    • yrs
    • info
    • for example
    • years
    • government
    • and so on
    • information
    • and

  2. 2.Which of these should NOT go into a summary?

    • a) The most important reasons the writer gives
    • b) The main idea of the passage
    • c) Your own opinion of the passage
    • d) The conclusion the writer reaches

  3. 3.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
    • Pop. of city — 2 mn
    • Bamboo is used to make houses, baskets and paper.
    • Causes of soil erosion — rain, wind, farming
    • The population of the city is two million.

  4. 4.Write one word: The short title written at the top of a set of notes is called the ____.

  5. 5.Which is the best note for this sentence? "The Sun is the star at the center of our solar system, and it provides the energy that keeps life on Earth going."

    • a) The Sun is very important to all of us.
    • b) Sun — star at center of solar system; gives energy for life on Earth
    • c) The Sun is the star at the center of our solar system.
    • d) Sun, star, center, solar, system, energy, life, Earth

  6. 6.What is the main purpose of a summary?

    • a) To list every example in the passage
    • b) To add your own opinion about the passage
    • c) To repeat the passage word for word
    • d) To give the main ideas in far fewer words

  7. 7.Put the steps of note-taking in the right order.

    • Turn each underlined point into a short phrase under that heading.
    • Read the notes on their own to check they still make sense.
    • Underline the points that matter most.
    • Look at the underlined points and write one heading that covers them all.
    • Read the whole passage from start to finish.

  8. 8.Write one word: Notes are set out under a main heading and several ____-headings.

Answer key — Grade 7 English Language Arts — Note-taking and summarizing

  1. 1. govt. → government; & → and; e.g. → for example; etc. → and so on; yrs → years; info → information
  2. 2. c) Your own opinion of the passage
  3. 3. 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
  4. 4. heading
  5. 5. b) Sun — star at center of solar system; gives energy for life on Earth
  6. 6. d) To give the main ideas in far fewer words
  7. 7. 1. Read the whole passage from start to finish. 2. Underline the points that matter most. 3. Look at the underlined points and write one heading that covers them all. 4. Turn each underlined point into a short phrase under that heading. 5. Read the notes on their own to check they still make sense.
  8. 8. sub