Prime Time 8. Coursebook plus Semester Self-checks, Schulbuch

E Working on a text Beginning and ending Planning and writing a text does not only mean putting your thoughts into a logical order with smooth transi- tions between the various parts, but also framing these ideas with an effective beginning and ending. Very often the introduction and the conclusion are planned together. The beginning should grab the reader’s attention immediately by introducing the topic in a way that stands out: • • Present a surprising thesis. • • Refer to a current event. • • Give a provocative suggestion. • • Present a short narrative. • • Ask a question. The ending, while including a short summary of your ideas, should be equally memorable: • • Summarise your ideas while acknowledging possible difference of opinion. • • Highlight a striking aspect. • • Give a warning. • • Evoke a vivid image. • • Suggest results or consequences. • • Refer back to the opening paragraph if possible. Summarising Summaries can be part of various text types, whenever you need to refer in detail to something someone has written or said, e.g. in blogs, e-mails/letters or reports. When you write a summary, you have to briefly restate the author’s main ideas (non-fictional texts) or retell a story in your own words (fictional texts). Your summary should be much shorter than the original. Follow these steps to write a summary of a non-fictional text : • • Read the text carefully to find out the main idea. • • Underline the sentence with the main idea (thesis). • • Read the text again and underline the ideas, facts or arguments that support the thesis. • • Note the main idea of the text in the first sentence of your summary. • • Write short paragraphs summing up the major arguments. • • Use the present tense. • • Check and if necessary revise your summary. You can do this best if you imagine you are a reader who does not know anything about the topic. Follow these steps to write a summary of a fictional text : • • Read the text carefully once. • • Underline the main characters and the setting. • • Divide the text into sections. To do this, decide where you think a new section starts (e.g. when there is a new development in the story or a new aspect). • • Read the text again and underline the keywords and main points in each section (words and phrases rather than whole sentences). Also underline the turning point in the plot. • • Write short paragraphs to sum up the plot. • • Use the present tense. • • Link your sentences with connectives. • • Check and if necessary revise your summary. 1 2 Tip • • Use your own words as much as possible. • • Do not include any information that is not essential (e.g. examples, descriptive details, direct quotes). • • Your own ideas or opinions do not belong in a summary. T 174 Exam preparation Nur zu Prüfzwecken – Eigentum d s Verlags öbv