Gy. Tankó  Eötvös University, Budapest  May 2014 | Page 1
Summarising, Paraphrasing, Synthesising
Summary Task 1..
Can you tell whether the summary sentence was written on the basis of Text 1 or 2 presented below?
Text 1
Low cost carriers cut costs several ways, which is reflected in their ticket prices. Some utilise their
aircraft to the maximum with fast turnaround times, make aircraft maintenance easy by not using
various types of aircraft like most traditional carriers do, only use secondary airports with reduced
landing fees and terminals that make faster boarding and deplaning possible, eliminate agent
commissions and ticket printing costs through online booking. Others use less personnel per flight
who work on much lower wages than those paid by the classic carriers and who clean the cabin
between flights instead of dedicated cleaning staff who board classic carriers.
Text 2
Ryan Air flies from Budapest to Rome once each day of the week. Average return fares range from
€104 to €127. Wizz Air also operates seven flights a week, one flight per day. An average return ticket,
including all taxes, costs €122. A classic airline like Alitalia flies six days a week, with no flights on
Saturday, and the average price of a return flight is €220.
Summary sentence: The price of airfare can vary greatly.
Write your summary sentence:
______________________________________________________________________
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Summary Task 2..
Read the following texts and match them with the summary sentences provided. There are more
summary sentences given than you need. Use each summary sentence only once. Only one summary
sentence matches each text. When you are finished, answer the question following the task.
Text A
George and Liz walked into the building. They deposited their coats in the attended cloakroom and set
down at the table reserved for them. George caught the waiter’s eye and asked for the menu. After
some deliberation they were ready to order.
Text B
Steve was busy reading Sam’s essay and trying to find her thesis. Sam just finished underlining two
sentences in Kate’s introduction and wrote This you should delete because it does not make sense here
on the margin. Kate circled five ands in Steve’s last sentence. She was not impressed at all.
Text C
The change-over of crew went smoothly. Riley started at the top lefthand corner of the overhead panel,
as soon as Victoria started reading. He moved down the left hand-side of the panel, and then
proceeded to the top of the middle panel and worked his way down. Victoria continued patiently and at
a steady pace. He was now checking the glareshield panel from left to right.
Gy. Tankó  Eötvös University, Budapest  May 2014 | Page 2
Text D
Jane told her husband, John, that she works on Wall Street and handles computer problems for major
companies. In fact, she is a world-class assassin with perilous missions. John made his wife believe
that he runs a successful construction company, but he happens to be another professional
executioner.
Summary sentences:
i.
ii.
iii.
iv.
v.
vi.
vii.
viii.
ix.
They had dinner in a restaurant.
They went out.
They were doing the cockpit preparation.
They were reading some texts for fun as they were approaching London.
They were sitting and enjoying one another’s company over some food and a couple of glasses
of fine beverages.
They lied to one another.
They were sitting on a commercial aircraft.
They were well-paid assassins.
They were doing peer-revision.
Which text(s) and summary sentences did you find difficult to match and why?
Summary Task 3..
Replace each of the lists given below with one or two words.
List 1
dusting, mopping floors, cleaning bathroom and kitchen, dusting, vacuuming, changing bed linen,
ironing, window cleaning, emptying rubbish bins
List 2
xylophone, crash cymbals, marimba, triangle, bongos, conga, bass drum
List 3
Christianity, Islam, Buddhism, Hinduism, Judaism
Summary Task 4..
Replace each of the sets given below with one short sentence.
Set 1
Joan had to get cream, butter, full-fat cottage cheese, and ricotta; lettuce, tomatoes, zucchini, garlic,
aubergines; plums, apples, bananas, fresh dates; chicken and turkey breast, and some rabbit meat.
Set 2
Tom wrapped his fingers around the handle of the racket and spaced them slightly apart. He was
thinking whether to use the forehand or the backhand stroke. Angela was trying to exhale under the
Gy. Tankó  Eötvös University, Budapest  May 2014 | Page 3
water as she slowly swam towards the shady end of the pool. As he was dribbling, Jack was trying to
spot a teammate who became open. Jogging at a steady pace next to the sandy beach, Tina could
almost feel as she was burning one calorie after the other.
Set 3
June arrived with a lot of sun after a rainy May. Nature went crazy. They knew it because they could
feel it worse than ever before. Lorenzo could hardly stop sneezing and wasn’t sure which bothered him
more, that his nose was itchy or runny? Sophie was doing even worse. Her itchy and red eyes wouldn’t
stop watering. And she also lost her sense of smell. So much for cooking.
Paraphrasing Task 1..
Read the following short text and then evaluate the three paraphrases. Give reasons for which example
you think is a better paraphrase. Order the paraphrases and write down your comments.
Source text
Humpty Dumpty sat on a wall,
Humpty Dumpty had a great fall;
All the king's horses and all the king's men
Couldn't put Humpty together again.
(26 words)
Paraphrase A
A person called “Humpty Dumpty”, who was perched on a vertical construction made of stone and
brick, came into a colossal uncontrolled contact with the ground. Despite the joint efforts of royal
mammals used for riding and the royal mounted personnel, the injured party could not be restored to
its original state for a second time. (56 words)
Paraphrase B
Humpty Dumpty was perched on a wall and tumbled to the ground. The horses and men in the service
of the king all failed to reassemble Humpty Dumpty. (28 words)
Paraphrase C
Someone called “Humpty Dumpty” fell and could not be restored to health. (12 words)
Order
1 Weakest
2
3 Best
Paraphrase Your comments