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English•SHS English and Literature

Summary and essay writing

Senior High 5 questions
AI-drafted from platform data — specialist review scheduledBy DigiTransact Mastermind editorial teamLast updated
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What summary and essay writing means

You learn to pick out the key ideas in a passage and present them clearly in fewer words. You also learn how to plan and write a formal essay with a clear introduction, body and conclusion.

What you will practise

  • Identify the main points in a passage
  • Write a brief summary in your own words
  • Arrange essay ideas in a logical order
  • State a clear thesis in the introduction
  • Use a formal and objective tone

Before you start

You should already be able to read a passage carefully and understand the main idea, details and sequence. You should also know simple paragraph writing and basic grammar.

Not confident yet? Work through Literary devices first.

Worked example

One question from this skill's own question bank, shown with its full working.

Question

A good summary should:

  • Add your own opinions
  • Include every detail
  • State the main points briefly
  • Copy whole sentences
Answer: State the main points briefly

Working: A summary condenses the main ideas in your own words, without opinions.

Common mistakes to avoid

  • Copying sentences from the passage instead of using your own words.
  • Including minor details, examples or opinions in a summary.
  • Leaving the thesis statement out of the introduction.
  • Using slang, contractions or a personal tone in formal essays.

Curriculum and exam alignment

Ghana GES SHS syllabusWASSCE

In SHS 1 to SHS 3, this kind of work often appears in English language and composition lessons, with close reading and essay planning. It also supports WASSCE preparation, where clear summaries and well organised formal essays are important.

Curriculum notes are a general guide to where this work normally sits. Always check the syllabus your school or examination body is currently using.

Related skills

Other SHS English and Literature skills in English, at the same point in the course.

Other English topics

Early Reading and WritingAcademic and Professional WritingGrammarVocabularyReading ComprehensionPunctuation

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Exams that assess summary and essay writing

Senior High work on this skill feeds directly into these exam papers. Each page lists the English topics that appear on it.

WASSCEWASSCE practice questionsFree WASSCE practice across the subjects at this stage, with worked answers.GESGES practice questionsFree GES practice across the subjects at this stage, with worked answers.BECEBECE practice questionsListed as a related subject on the BECE practice page.

How this page was produced

This text was drafted with AI assistance from the questions and topics already stored on the platform. A subject-specialist review is scheduled but has not yet been recorded, so we do not claim it here.

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5 questions with a worked answer after every attempt, and a SmartScore that tracks how close you are to mastery.

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