CBSE Class 11 English Note Making And Summarization Worksheet

NOTE MAKING & SUMMARIZATION

Note making is an advanced writing skill which is acquiring increasing importance due to knowledge explosion. There is a need to remember at least the main points of any given subject. Note making is a useful skill which comes in handy not only in attempting questions but also in preparing you for life. Notes form an essential part of your academic life & help you in the following ways.

o žNotes help you to remember the information you have gathered.

o žNotes come in handy for making quick revision before exams.

o žLengthy lessons can be condensed into short relevant pieces by making notes.

o žNotes help in understanding the texts better.

How to make notes

• Read the passage carefully.

• Heading

What is the main idea of the passage? Frame a heading based on the central idea and write it in the middle of the page.

• Subheadings

How has the main idea been presented and developed? Are there two or three subordinate/associated ideas? You can frame subheadings based on these.

• Points

Are there further details or points of the subtitles that you wish to keep in these notes? Indent, i.e., suitably space and number. All subheadings should be written at a uniform distance from the margin.

• Indenting

All points should also maintain the same distance away from the margin.

Important characteristics of note-making:

• Do not use complete sentences.

• The main points and supporting details are clearly distinguished.

• Certain words are often dropped: articles, words that are repeated, verbs which can be understood in the context, relative pronouns, conjunctions etc. but not at the cost of clarity.

• Avoid unnecessary facts, examples, illustrations etc.

• Condensed information is organized and recorded in a systematic manner that brings out the structure of the original text.

• Headings and supporting details are numbered.

• Provide Key to the abbreviations used at the end.

• Use abbreviations, symbols and numbers wherever necessary. Use standard abbreviations and symbols as far as possible.

Your notes should look like this

HEADING

1. Sub-heading 1

1.1 Sub-point 1

1.2 Sub-point 2

1.3 Sub-point 3

1.3.1 Sub sub point

2. Sub- heading 2

2.1 Sub point 1

2.2 Sub point 2

2.3 Sub point 3

3. Sub-heading 3

3.1 Sub point 1

3.2 Sub point 2

3.3 Sub point 3

Notice that indenting, i.e., shifting from the margin has been used to clearly indicate subheadings, points and sub points. Subheadings, though separated by points, occur below one another. Points come below one another, and sub points to these are further indented. Such use of indenting gives your notes a visual character. At a glance you can see the main idea and its aspects.

You may also use other forms of numbering like:

1. ____________________________________

a)…………………………………………………

b)…………………………………………………

c)……………………………………………….

2. ___________________________________________

a) …………………………………………..

(i) ………………………………….

b)…………………………………………………….

c)………………………………………………………….

3. ________________________________________

a)…………………………………………………………

b)……………………………………………………

c)………………………………………………

(i) ……………………………….

(ii) ……………………………………………..

SUMMARIZATION

Summarizing and note-making go together. In fact the next step to note-making is writing a summary. The point to bear in mind is that the notes we make on a subject can either be expanded into a detailed account or condensed into a summary. The summary is written on the basis of the notes made on the text. The summary should not exceed 80 words depending on the length of the text.

STEPS IN WRITING A SUMMARY:

1. Read the text and make notes ( as discussed in note-making)

2. Use the notes and make a draft summary without referring to the original text.

3. Read the draft summary to ensure that you have included all the main points. At the same time, make sure that it does not exceed the word limit.

4. Delete all unnecessary details.

5. Check the language for its correction and precision.

6. The summary should be within the word limit.

TIPS FOR MAINTAINING PRECISION:

1. Avoid repetition of subject.

2. The summary should be in normal English and not in ‘note form’ which means that they should be written in complete sentences, but they have to be short.

3. No abbreviations and symbols should be used.

4. Write the summary based on the notes that you have made without going back to the text. It will help you to achieve good results.

5. Your summary should read as a single coherent paragraph.

Abbreviations

Making your own abbreviations:

a. Keep the main sounds of the word. For example, edn. (education), progm. (programme).

b. You should not abbreviate every word.

c. As a general rule, the heading should not be abbreviated. You may use abbreviations in subheadings.

COMMONLY USED ABBREVIATIONS

a/c account DIY do it yourself

ack. Acknowledge Dir. director

ad. Advertisement dol. dollars

add. Address doz. dozen
appro. Approval E east
approx. approximately Ed. Editor; education
asap as soon as possible encl. enclosed
assoc. associate; association Eng. Engineer; English; England
asst. assistant etc. and all the rest
Av. Avenue eve. evening
bk. Book excl. excluding; exclusive
bldg. building ext. exterior
Br. Branch; brother Feb. February
C centigrade Fed. Federal; federation
cert. certificate fig. figurative; figure
ch. Chapter fol. Following;
cl. Class for. foreign
Co. company Fr. Father; French; France
Col. Colonel ft. foot; feet
Coll. College fwd forward
concl. Conclusion; concluded g / gm gram
cont. contents; continued gen. general
Corp. corporation Ger. German; Germany
dbl. double Gk. Greek
Dec. December Govt. government
deg. Degrees Gov. governor
dep. Depart; deputy gr. Grade; grain; gross; group
Dept. department grad. graduate
Diag. diagram gt. great
Diff. difference hr hour
Dupl.. duplicate mph. miles per hour
Hon. Honorary; honourable ms. manuscript
hosp. hospital mt. mount
HQ headquarters N north
ht. height nat. national; native; natural
ib / ibid ibidem; in the same place NB nota bene;take special note
ic in charge no. number
ie. Id est – that is nr. near
in. inches op. operation
inc. incorporated opp. opposite
incl. inclusive oz. ounce
info. Information P parking
inst. Institute p page; per; pence
int. interior; internal; international pa per annum / per year
intro. Introduction para paragraph
Is. Islands pkt. packet
Jan. January PA personal assistant
Jr. junior pm per month
Kg. kilogram pop. popular; population
Km. kilometer poss. possible; possibly
KO knock out pp pages
Kph kilometer per hour pres. president
l length; kine Pro. Professor
lab. Laboratory pron. pronunciation
lang. language prov. province
lat. Latitude PS post script
lb. pounds pty. property
lbw leg before wicket pvt. private
lib. Liberty pw per week
lit. literature Q question
long. Longitude R. river
lux. Luxury r radius
m metre; mile; million RC Red Cross;Roman Catholic
Maj. Major Rd. road
Mans. Mansion rec. received
Max. maximum ref. reference; referred
Mg. milligram rep. representative; republic
Min. minimum res. residence; resigned; reserved
Misc. miscellaneous resp. respectively
Ind. Indian; independent ret. retired
Mkt. market rev. revolution; reverend
ml. Millilitre Rly. railway
mm millimeter rm. room
MO money order; medical officer RSVP please reply
Mod. Cons. Modern conveniences S south
s second tel. telephone
Sat. Saturday temp. temperature
Sci. science ter. terrace
Sec. secondary; secretary Thurs. Thursday
Sen. Senate; senator; trans. translated
Sept. September treas. treasure
Sgd. Signed U union; upper
sr. senior Univ. University
soc. Society V volt; victory
sp. Spelling vac. Vacation
sq. square VC Vice Chairman;
st. street VC Vice Chancellor
St. saint Ven. Venerable
Sta. station VIP very important person
STD subscriber trunk dialing viz videlicet; namely
sub. Substitute; subscription vol. volume
Supt. Superintended VP Vice President; Vice Principal
T temperature Vs versus
tech. technical w e f with effect from
W West wt. weight
W watt wpm words per minute
wk. week; work yr. your; year

SAMPLE

The following is part of an essay article. Let’s apply our rules and instructions and prepare notes with abbreviations and summary. You will have to add more sub headings and sub points, according to the length of the passage given.
Step One – Read
Read carefully > Underline key terms > ignore long, unimportant and difficult words > ignore unnecessary examples.
There is a very significant problem concerning the Indian society for which someone has to find a solution immediately. While millions of parents are worried about the future of their daughters at an age that blindly adapts to the Western culture, millions of parents of the cities find nothing wrong with it.
The growing concern is if it is desirable our youth look like, speak like and behave like our American brothers and sisters. America is a glowing culture made collectively by native Americans, Europeans and Africans. Its culture is much more open than the culture of Asia, especially of India. In America, people are naturals inside and outside but Indians prefer to be naturals only inside. The Great American culture doesn’t hide anything from the society so, many things considered ‘taboo’ in India are quite child’s play in America – Europe no exception.

Step Two – Divide
What is the article about?
Changing trend in India
Indian parents accepting western culture for their children
Indian parents not ready to accept western culture for their children
Difference between Indian and Western culture
Indian – Not very open
Western – Open

Step Three – Prepare Notes
We are now going to prepare the final notes with abbreviations and a short summary. Remove as many words from the second step. Remember shortening long words.
Title : Western Culture in India
Notes

a) Changing trend in India
i. Ind parents
ii. Accept WC
iii. Not accept WC

b) Diff bet Indian and Western culture
i. Indian – Not very open
ii. Western – Open

Keys to Abbreviation
Ind – Indian
WC – Western Culture
Difference
Bet – Between

Summary
There is a lot of difference between Indian and Western cultures. While the two are almost the same at heart, Indians do not live the Western culture outside. However, there is a change these days. Many Indian parents let their children, especially girls, adapt to the Western lifestyle although there is a growing concern about it.
Marking Scheme:
Notes
Title-1mark
Key-1mark
Content- 3mark
Summary- 3 marks

ENRICHMENT

NOTE MAKING

1. Read the following passage carefully and answer the questions that follow:

The scope of democracy needs to be widened and deepened for people to have a real voice to influence decisions that shape their lives, and the power to hold decision- makers accountable, not only through elections but in the periods between elections. While formal institutions of democracy have become a universal norm, it is important to develop and sustain the core values of inclusiveness, participation and accountability, before institutions can be seen as truly democratic.

It has been seen that a lasting solution for eradicating poverty and shaping human progress can be found much through politics as through economics. Politics matters in a large way; because it is through this mechanism that the rights of the citizen in any country are determined it decides whether the people should be allowed to participate in the decision making process that impacts their lives.

In the last two decades, the politics has witnessed a sea change. There are innumerable instances across the world, of the opening up of political systems and increased rights and power to the people. The world can be labeled as much more democratic, but there are several underlying problems to be dealt with. According to a UN report, 140 countries hold multi-party elections, out of which only 81 have taken significant steps towards democracy, out of the nearly 200 countries, people still do not enjoy their rights in the rest and their freedom is also curbed.

The democratic system of voting in the elections had added crucial element of governance from the human development stand point, because elections symbolize enforceable accountability. When a government fails to live up to the needs and desires of the people, they can simply vote it out of the office the next time. There can be no stricter form of accountability, no more egalitarian form of participation. The right to vote itself has given every individual a choice.

However, it would be a grim mistake if one equated democracy with regular ritual of elections. A vibrant democracy requires functioning institutions- for instance a legislature that does not do a specific individual’s bidding; a judiciary that is independent and understands the importance of equal treatment of all through the eyes of the law; a free, independent and unbiased media and security forces that carry out their duties without specific political allegiances. It also requires an active and alert civil society that can ensure that the government works in the general public interest, and also keeps giving its inputs wherever required. An independent judiciary provides the necessary checks and balances between the democratic institutions of governance. The UN report emphasizes accountability at national and international level Accountability is central to democratic governance. It ensures the holders of public trust are acting effectively and fairly. In the presence of a free press and an active civil society, people have several ways of participating in the policy decisions and debates.

Questions:

a) On the basis of your reading of the above passage, make notes on it in points only using headings and sub-headings. Use abbreviations (minimum 4) wherever necessary. Supply a suitable title to it.

b) Write a summary of the above passage in about 80 words.

2. Change the following sentences into reported speech:

1. Yuri said to me, “Why are you wasting your time?”

2. Father said to children, “Have you prepared well for the test?”

3. Mother said to me, “I was waiting for you for a long time.”

4. Jaya said to the watchman, “Did you find the key anywhere?”

5. I said to my brother, “Where were you this morning?”

6. She said, “Oh! It’s a snake. Don’t go near it, children.”

7. He said, “Please say nothing about this.”

8. He said, “Lucy, when is the next bus?”

9. He said, “I bought this pearl for my mother.”

10. “What a horrible sight!” We all exclaimed.

11. Mohan said to Ravi, “Why did not you attend the meeting yesterday”?

12. Mike said to Sam, “Do you like mangoes?” 3. Change the voice:

1. One finds mosquitoes everywhere.

2. A helper was given to us.

3. The doctor looked after the patients.

4. She brought me a cup of coffee.

5. The trees were blown down by the wind.

6. I have been managing this company since 2010.

7. John has been asked to make a speech at the meeting.

8. I had already been offered the part twice before.

9. Someone has cleaned the windows.

10. Someone sent her a cheque for a thousand euros.