8/3/2019 Leaving Out the Details in Summary Writing Task for Upload

1/2

Name: _____________________________ ( )

Class: ________

Say what has been left out and give examples. Use the following to help you.

Unnecessary details Lengthy descriptions Illustrative examples Repetitive statements Irrelevant topics or comments Dialogue or quotations Figures of speech, e.g. similes and metaphors

Paragraph Summary

Mr Ler was spurred into action.

His shophouse was dear to him as he hadbuilt up his carpentry business fromscratch and he was now making a fairlygood living. All would be lost if he did notact fast! His first thought was to put outthe fire. He felt compelled to get into theshop. Quickly grabbing a fire extinguisher,he rushed into the shop. His shophousewas by then, well and truly ablaze. Thefire prevented him from entering throughthe front door, so he had to circle theshophouse and run through the backdoor. He sprayed madly at the blaze.

He grabbed a fire extinguisher,

dashed in through the back door, andtried to put out the fire.

Left out:

However, it was too late. The firehad spread too fast. There was thicksmoke everywhere and it was verydifficult to breathe or to see what washappening. The fire had started on theground floor and the flames were runningup the walls and across the ceiling. MrLer ran up and down and tried in vain to

put out the fire.

His efforts were in vain as the fire hadspread too quickly.

Left out:

Suddenly, he remembered that hiswife and children were in the bedroom onthe upper floor. His heart missed a beat.By then, it was too late to get his familyout. The roaring fire had alreadyconsumed the wooden staircase andthere was no way they could get down tothe first level. He shouted to his family tojump. But he could hear no human voicecoming from the burning shophouse.

He called to his family to jump fromthe second floor but there was noreply.

Left out:

8/3/2019 Leaving Out the Details in Summary Writing Task for Upload

2/2

After an hour, the flames werebrought under control by 18 fire fightersfrom the Fire Department. Although thecause of the blaze could not beascertained immediately, a short circuit inthe wiring of the 50-year-old shophousewas suspected. The shophouse was oldand the wiring was not maintainedproperly. It was likely that the wiresstarted the blaze.

The fire was put out after an hour. Thecause of the fire was probably a shortcircuit in the wiring.

Left out:

The badly burnt bodies of hisfamily were later found huddled togethernear the bedroom door, under a pile ofcharred beams and planks. The familywas trying to escape when the planks andthe beams gave way and fell on them. Mr

Lers wife was so badly burnt that hecould only identify her by the goldpendant she wore around her neck.

The bodies of the family were foundunder a pile of beams.

Left out:

At the funeral wake, Mr Ler lookedabsolutely worn out. His eyes werebloodshot, as if he had cried until therewere no tears left. His voice was soft and,at times, quivered when he talked abouthis family. He sat at the parlour andgazed intently at the coffins. My twoyounger daughters are in the same coffin

with my wife. She was very close tothem, he murmured.

Mr Ler was sad to have lost his family.

Left out:

Overnight, Mr Ler had losteverything that mattered. All he had nowwere some savings, and the clothes hewas wearing. He blamed himself for notbeing able to save his family and formaking the mistake of trying to fight thefire instead of getting them to safety. Hehas learnt a valuable lesson.

He regretted trying to save his shopfirst instead of his family.

Left out: