How-To-Summarise-In-Gcse-English-Language-aqa

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Understanding how to summarise effectively is essential for success in your GCSE English Language exam. Let’s explore what summarising means, why it is important and how you can identify and present key points from a text in your exam.

What does it mean to summarise in GCSE English Language?

Summarising involves identifying and condensing key points from a text in a clear and concise way. It involves selecting relevant information, using your own words, focusing on what the text says and what can be inferred from this.

Because summarising in the English Language GCSE exam involves pulling out implicit information, it’s a good idea to check out our dedicated revision note on understanding the difference between explicit and implicit meanings in texts.

Four steps to writing a great summary at GCSE

To write a great summary you need to develop four key skills: three are related to reading and one is to do with writing. Here are four simple steps to approaching and writing an effective summary:

Skill 1	Identify the key focus of the question	Start by determining the focus of the question: Look for key words in the question which link to a theme, character, emotion or idea
Skill 2	Locate relevant textual details	Search through the text and identify the most relevant ideas which align with the focus of the question: Annotate the text for both explicit and implicit information
Skill 3	Interpret and infer meaning	Consider implicit ideas suggested by the writer: Read between the lines and make connections
Skill 4	Synthesise ideas	Bring together the key points from the text to show how they connect together: Write clearly and concisely

How to structure a summary in English

There are different ways to structure your response. Let’s look at two examples to see how you might do this. For this question, you are required to write a summary for two texts.

Question:

You need to refer to source A and source B for this question.

The things to see and do at Glastonbury Festival and Greenwich Fair are different.

Use details from both sources to write a summary of the differences.

Model answer A

Both Glastonbury and Greenwich Fair involve outdoor entertainment but the experiences of their visitors differ. At Glastonbury, modern crowds embrace the mud and camp in a “series of tents” which can become chaotic as “some lose their moorings”. They attend to see live music, enjoying performances from bands like “Coldplay and the Killers”. In contrast, the Greenwich crowd seems to come for the day and gathered for treats such as “spice nuts” and “pennyworths of pickled salmon”. This contrast suggests that people at Glastonbury may have more leisure time, while those at Greenwich are likely enjoying a rare day out.

This response summarises information from both texts into a single paragraph. Alternatively, you might choose to structure your summary differently by considering each of the texts separately:

Model answer B

At Glastonbury, modern festival-goers immerse themselves in the outdoor experience, enjoying the muddy fields and setting up camp in a “series of tents”. However, this suggests the setting can become chaotic as some tents “lose their moorings”. Beyond camping, there are performances from bands like “Coldplay and The Killers” which makes entertainment a central focus of the event.

In contrast, at Greenwich Fair, the experience is very different. Instead of music festivals and camping, visitors gather to enjoy a variety of attractions and treats such as “spice nuts” and “pennyworths of pickled salmon”. This suggests a more casual and indulgent day out. Unlike Glastonbury, where visitors have a more prolonged leisure experience, visitors to Greenwich Fair appear to be enjoying a short, temporary escape.

What words to use when answering the summary question

When summarising a text, using the right words can help you present key points clearly and structure your response effectively. Here are some key phrases to use in your summary:

To summarise	To infer meaning
The text states that…	This suggests that…
The writer describes…	This implies that…
The text highlights…	This could indicate…
According to the source…	It could be inferred that…
It is mentioned that…	This reflects…

Want to get the highest grade on the reading section of the English Language papers? Dive deeper into our Reading Exam Tips section with these topics:

Implicit versus Explicit Meaning
Using Quotes and Evidence in GCSE English Language
How to Evaluate in GCSE English Language

English Language GCSE AQA