Select, merge, re-express in own words
A good summary applies three skills in order: SELECT only points relevant to the exact focus ("the problems faced") from the correct part of the correct text; MERGE two points that are really the same idea said twice; RE-EXPRESS every point in your own words, changing vocabulary AND structure, not one word. A trader who "refused to abandon her stall despite the danger" and later "would not leave her goods as the storm worsened" is ONE point, reported once in your phrasing.
Plan first, write to the word limit
Examiners praise candidates who plan first. A short plan - the distinct points in order - stops you repeating a point and checks the total is manageable before you write. Then aim for the guided count (around 120 words). Every sentence should carry a new point; explaining WHY, adding opinion or restating to fill space wastes the limit. Staying under it while omitting an obvious point scores worse than covering it - concision means efficient coverage, not fewer words.
Drawn from real examiner reports.
Exceeding the word limit
Going well over the ~120-word guidance is heavily flagged. It rarely comes from too many genuine points - it is HOW each is written: unnecessary explanation, added opinion, or redundant detail (colours, exact times, names). Running well over usually means several "points" are one idea restated, or whole sentences of explanation kept from the passage.
Digest s1.6, June 2023 (s23) Paper 1 Q1(f): exceeding the ~120-word guidance is persistent and heavily flagged, caused by unnecessary explanation, added personal opinion, or covering redundant detail.
Lifting or copying phrases
The most-cited weakness is copying: taking a phrase or sentence straight from the passage with little change. Even SELECTIVE copying - a sentence with one or two words swapped - limits the Reading mark: it shows transcribing, not understanding. Copied: "she refused to abandon her stall despite the danger." Own words: "one trader stayed at her stall though it was risky."
Digest s1.6, June 2023 (s23) Paper 1 Q1(f): lifting/copying phrases or whole chunks rather than genuine own-words reformulation is the most-cited weakness; even selective copying limits the Reading mark.
Failing to merge duplicate ideas
When the passage mentions the same underlying idea twice - once directly, once restated later - candidates often report it as two separate points. This wastes space on repetition instead of a genuinely new point, and earns no extra Reading marks. Spot when two mentions are really one idea and merge them into a single point, expressed once in your own words.
Digest s1.6, June 2023 (s23) Paper 1 Q1(f): failing to spot when two textual ideas are essentially the same and should be merged, causing redundant repetition.
Pulling from the wrong source text
In tasks with two source texts, content from the wrong text - a detail from Text A in a summary that must use only Text B - cannot be credited, however well expressed. Re-read the specified text and section, and select only points that actually appear there before you write.
Digest s1.6, June 2023 (s23) Paper 1 Q1(f): pulling content from the wrong source text (Text A into a Text-B summary) cannot be credited.
Missing subtler implicit points
Candidates report the obvious, explicitly-stated points but miss quieter ones that must be inferred, so the range is narrower than the passage supports. Worse, they repeat obvious points to fill space instead of extending the range. After listing the explicit points, look again for the implied ones the passage supports.
Digest s1.6, June 2023 (s23) Paper 1 Q1(f): subtler implicit points are missed in favour of obvious repeated ones.
Comma splices in your own summary
The summary carries a Writing mark, so accuracy counts. Do not join two summary points with a comma alone ("it was late, she left") - that comma splice is a flagged error. Separate points with a full stop, a semicolon, or a conjunction ("it was late, so she left"). Proofread your own sentences before the end.
(general exam technique)
A summary should quote the text closely
A common belief is that close wording proves you found the right point. In fact the task rewards OWN words, and close paraphrase limits the Reading mark even if the point is right. Accuracy means identifying the MEANING and re-expressing it independently, not matching the phrasing. Close: "the awning was torn loose by a gust." Own words: "wind ripped the cover off the stall."
Digest s1.6, June 2023 (s23) Paper 1 Q1(f): lifting/copying phrases rather than genuine own-words reformulation is the most-cited weakness, even when selective - the misconception is that closeness to the source signals accuracy.
Re-read the named section, highlight points
Re-read the exact section the question asks about and highlight every point directly relevant to its focus. Ignore anything outside that section or from the wrong source text - only points from the right place can be credited.
List points as a plan before writing
List your highlighted points as short bullets, in order - this is your plan. Do not start full sentences yet. Planning first is repeatedly praised: such summaries are more concise, better organised and cover a wider range of distinct points.
Merge bullets that repeat an idea
Before writing, combine any bullets that say almost the same thing in different words into one point. Merging removes redundant repetition and frees space for a genuinely new point elsewhere.
Own words, then check the word limit
Write each remaining bullet as one concise sentence, changing both vocabulary and structure from the original. Then check the total against the guidance (around 120 words), cutting any sentence that repeats a point, explains beyond the question, or adds opinion.
This is Reading objectives R3 (analysing and developing ideas from the text) and R5 (selecting and using information for a specific purpose), combined with a Writing mark for concise, own-words expression. It is assessed by the Paper 1 summary task (commonly Q1(f) or Q3), which asks you to identify a set of relevant points from a specified part of one source text and write them up, in your OWN WORDS, within a guided word limit. The mark scheme splits into a Reading mark (for the range and accuracy of the points selected) and a Writing mark (for concise, well-organised, genuinely own-words expression) — both matter.
Does changing ONE word in an otherwise copied sentence count as "own words"?
