Class -XI : [Reading Skills] Note Making and Summarising

                                                Class -XI : Reading Skills

Note Making and Summarising

 Note-making is an advanced writing skill which is acquiring increasing importance due to knowledge explosion which requires an individual to remember at least the main points of any given subject. Making notes is a complex activity which combines several skills. Note-making is useful as it saves time, energy and the space at the working place, while attending a lecture at school or in college, in a meeting etc. It enhances the confidence to revise the topic whenever we want. Note-making basically involves noting the main points of whatever is read or heard, as one cannot be expected to remember all that one has read.

 Types of Passages

 The Note-making passage could be anyone of the following types

  (i) Factual-  A factual passage includes some facts about the physical aspects of a subject. It includes instructions, descriptions and reports. It helps the students to get a detailed view of the subject and develop a complete mental picture of a specific person, place, object or being.

 (ii) Discursive - A discursive passage includes argumentative, interpretative and persuasive text. Such passages may include opinions or feedback. It allows students to arrive at a conclusion through reasoning and understanding rather than intuition. It presents a balanced and objective approach towards the subject being discussed.

 Types of Questions

 The Note-Making passage in the examination carries 8 marks and is 200-250 words in length. It consists of two types of questions

 (i) Making Notes of the Given Passage-  This carries 5 marks split up into 2 marks for the actual notes, 1 mark for the title, 1 mark for numbering and indenting and 1 mark for key/glossary. We always use title, heading, sub-headings and abbreviations while answering this question.

 (ii) Write a Summary of the Given Passage - The summary carries 3 marks. 2 marks for content and 1 mark for expression. It should be grammatically correct and cover all the important points given in the notes. Word limit of the summary should be upto 50 words.

 How to Make Good Notes and Summary of the Given Passage

 The following points will help you in making good notes

 ●     Read the passage quickly but carefully. Try to understand the main points and supporting details.
●     Underline the keywords as you read.
●     Notes should be in points and in an appropriate format.
●     Organise your ideas into main heading, subheadings and sub-sub-headings (if possible).
●     Abbreviations and symbols are freely used.
●     Give title to your notes. Avoid a long sentence.
●     While making a summary, make sure that your summary does not exceed 1/3 of the length of the original text.
●     The summary should contain only the main ideas and the supporting details.
●      Refer back to the original piece of writing to ensure that your summary is a true reflection of the writer's ideas.

 Uses of Abbreviations in Note-Making

 Abbreviation helps in writing the information briefly. The following are some of the ways in which you can abbreviations

 1.First few letters of the word are enough to remember what the abbreviation stands for. For example-

●     imp for 'important"
●     info for information" eval for 'evaluation"
●     eval for evaluation

 2. Remove all (or most of) the vowels from the word and use just the key consonants bunched together.

For example-

●     mngmt for 'management'
●     mkt for 'market'
●     mking for 'marketing' 'dvpt for 'development'
●     dvpt for development

 Points to remember- Note making and summarising

 1.Select only the relevant data and include only the essential phrases from the passage.

 2.Try to use a minimum amount of words. Complete sentences would not be accepted as notes. Thus, the usage of full sentences must be avoided.

 3. Only really important examples need to be included.

 4. Eliminate the use of auxiliary verbs, prepositions etc.

 5.It is necessary to give a suitable title to notes and maintain proper indentation.

 6.It is mandatory to make at least four headings and subheadings.

 7.The summary should be brief and should be made using notes prepared. It is important that one keeps in mind the word limit of the summary and strictly adheres to the notes.

 8.It is mandatory to include at least four abbreviations in your notes. Add a full stop after each abbreviation to make it clear for the reader. They should be common and easily identifiable. For example- “carbs.” for carbohydrates

 9.It is necessary to prepare a key to abbreviations (minimum four) and enclose it within a box.

 10. The presentation of this writing skill is of utmost importance

                                                                     Format 1

 Title:

 Sub-title/heading ________

a)     _________

b)    _________

c)    _________

            i)________

             ii) ________

  Sub-title/heading ________

       a)________

       b)________

       c)________

 
 Sub-title/heading ________

       a)________

       i) ______

       ii) ________

   b)________

  c)________

 

Key to Abbreviation

1.    wrtg. = writing

2.    Diff - different

3.    Wrkg = working

                                                    Format 2  

Note Making Format

(Title)

 Note Format example-

1.

1.1 (sub-points)

1.2

1.3

 

2.

2.1

2.2

2.3

 

3.

3.1

3.2

3.2.1 (sub-sub points)

3.2.2

 

4.

4.1

4.2 

Key to Abbreviations 1 2 3 4 5

Summary

(Heading)

 

–Body–

 

Sample Question (Solved)

Q1)Read the following passage-

 1. How does television affect our lives? It can be very helpful to people who carefully choose the shows that they watch. Television can increase our knowledge of the outside world; there are high quality programmes that help us understand many fields of study, science, medicine, the different arts and so on. Moreover, television benefits very old people, who can’t leave the house, as well as patients in hospitals. It also offers non-native speakers the advantage of daily informal language practice. They can increase their vocabulary and practise listening.

 2. On the other hand, there are several serious disadvantages of television. Of course, it provides us with a pleasant way to relax and spend our free time, but in some countries people watch television for an average of six hours or more a day. Many children stare at the TV screen for more hours a day than they spend on anything else, including studying and sleeping. It’s clear that TV has a powerful influence on their lives and that its influence is often negative.

 3. Recent studies show that after only thirty seconds of television viewing, a person’s brain ‘relaxes’ the same way that it does just before the person falls asleep. Another effect of television on the human brain is that it seems to cause poor concentration. Children who view a lot of television can often concentrate on a subject for only fifteen to twenty minutes. They can pay attention only for the amount of time between commercials.

 4. Another disadvantage is that television often causes people to become dissatisfied with their own lives. Real life does not seem so exciting to these people. To many people, television becomes more real than reality and their own lives seem boring. Also many people get upset or depressed when they can’t solve problems in real life as quickly as television actors seem to.

 5. Before a child is fourteen years old, he or she views eleven thousand murders on the TV. He or she begins to believe that there is nothing strange about fights, killings and other kinds of violence. Many studies show that people become more violent after viewing certain programmes. They may even do the things that they see in a violent show.

 (a) One the basis of your reading of the above passage, make notes on it using headings and subheadings. Use recognizable abbreviations (minimum four) and a format you consider suitable. Supply a suitable title to it. (5)

 (b) Make a summary of the above passage in about 80 words. (3)

 Advantages and Disadvantages of Watching Television

 1. Benefits

1.1 increases know.

1.1.1 of outside world

1.1.2 science

1.1.3 medicine

1.1.4 diff. Arts

 

1.2 recreation for old ppl. & patients

1.3 informal lang. practice

1.4 increases vocab. & helps practise listening

 2. Disadvantages

2.1 ppl. watch for 6 hrs. or more

2.2 students stare at the screen for hrs.

2.3 negative influence

2.4 effect on human brain

2.4.1 poor conc.

 3. Impact

3.1 feels life not very exciting

3.2 TV more real, life seems boring

3.3 depression when can’t solve problems

 
4. Violence shown on TV

4.1 children become violent

4.2 killings seem normal

  Key to Abbreviations 

Abbreviations	Words
ppl.	people
know.	knowledge
&	and
diff.	different
vocab.	vocabulary
lang.	language
hrs.	hours
conc.	concentration
TV	television

                                                            Summary

                        Advantages and Disadvantages of Watching Television

 Watching television increases knowledge of the outside world, science, medicine and different arts. It helps old people and patients to recreate. It assists in informal language practice, improving vocabulary and practising listening. However, watching television for more than six hours and staring at screens has a negative influence on students. It affects the human brain and leads to poor concentration. Television makes life boring and nothing feels exciting. People can feel depressed when they are unable to solve problems as quickly as actors do. Television normalises violence which can make children violent.

 Sample Question (solved)

Q2) Conversation is indeed the most easily teachable of all arts. All you need to do in order to become a good conversationalist is to find a subject that interests you and your listeners. There are, for example, numberless hobbies to talk about. But the important thing is that you must talk about other fellow’s hobbies rather than your own. Therein lies the secret of your popularity. Talk to your friends about the things that interest them, and you will get a reputation for good fellowship, charming wit, and a brilliant mind. There is nothing that pleases people so much as your interest in their interest.

It is just as important to know what subjects to avoid and what subjects to select for good conversation. If you don’t want to be set down as a wet blanket or a bore, be careful to avoid certain unpleasant subjects. Avoid talking about yourself, unless you are asked to do so. People are interested in their own problems, not in yours. Sickness or death bores everybody. The only one who willingly listens to such talk is the doctor, but he gets paid for it.

To be a good conversationalist you must know not only what to say, but how also to say it. Be mentally quick and witty. But don’t hurt others with your wit. Finally try to avoid mannerism in your conversation. Don’t bite your lips or click your tongue, or roll your eyes or use your hands excessively as you speak.

Don’t be like that Frenchman who said, “How can I talk if you hold my hand?”

 2.1 Make notes and the contents of the above paragraph in any format, using abbreviations. Supply a suitable title also. (5)

2.2 Make a summary of the passage. (3)

  Notes:

2.1 Title: The Art of Conversation

 1.Conv’n—most easily tch’ble art

(a) Reqd. interest’g subject – hobbies

(b) Talk about other fellow’s int./hobby

(c) Win’g reptn. as good conversationalist

(i) good f’ship

(ii) charm’g wit

(iii) brl. mind

 2.Fit subs, for conversationalist

(a) What subs, to avoid/select?

(b) Avoid unpl’nt subs.

(i) sickness

(ii) death

(c) Avoid talk’g about self

 3. Qualities of a good conversationalist

(a) What to say & how to say it

(b) ment’y quick & witty

(c) pleasant & unhurt’g

(d) avoid mannerisms.

 Key to Abbreviations  

Abbreviations	Words
Conv’n	conversation
tch’ble	teachable
unpl’nt	unpleasant
diff.	different
talk’g	talking
f’ship	friendship
brl	brilliant

                                                             Summary

 The Art of Conversation

2.2 Conversation is the easiest and the most effective tool than other arts. To have such an attractive quality, you need to pick a subject that interests your listeners more than you. Talk to your friends on topics that can indulge your friends in the conversation for a longer period of time. Being a good conversationalist, you have to be quick and witty. You should have a pleasant and unhurting quality. Mannerism should be avoided.