Should I write the summary or count the words first?

List the points first and write one sentence per point, then count the words at once and cut examples rather than main points.

How do I decide singular or plural in a cloze?

Look at the determiners around the blank: a and one need a singular noun, while thousands of and many need a plural, then check the verb agrees.

S4 English: DSE Summary Cloze (Paper 1)

2026-10-31

Tutor Prep Guide · Secondary English

Ten original items on the summary and cloze tasks of DSE Paper 3: choosing a word that fits both meaning and grammar, cutting a long sentence, restating points, and recognising a result connector; then working out that a sixty-word limit on a two-hundred-and-forty-word report means removing one hundred and eighty words, that ninety-six words is thirty-six over, and which detail should be dropped first; the challenge items test paraphrasing and subject-verb agreement with one of the reasons, and the paper ends with the common error of copying whole sentences.

Direct answer　For a cloze, decide the part of speech and number first; for a summary, list the points and count the words, keeping one sentence per point and dropping examples.

01　Paper details (check answers afterwards)

Item	Detail
Questions	10
Suggested time	25
Difficulty mix	Foundation 4 · Intermediate 3 · Challenge 2 · Error redo 1
Chapter	Chapter: S4 English: DSE Summary Cloze
Level	Four basic, three advanced, two challenge and one error-repair item

02　Questions (10 items)

FoundationFill the blank with the best word: “The festival attracts thousands of ____ every year.”
FoundationWhich is the best way to shorten “The school has decided to build a new swimming pool because the old one is too small”?
FoundationA summary should ____ the main points in your own words.
FoundationWhich linking word shows a result?
IntermediateA 240-word report must be summarised in 60 words. How many words must you remove?
IntermediateThe word limit for a summary is 60 words. A student writes 96 words. How far over the limit is the answer?
IntermediateA passage gives four details: the ticket price, the opening date, the founder childhood story and the location. Which is least likely to appear in a 40-word summary?
ChallengeWhich sentence is a paraphrase rather than a copy of “The new system saves a lot of time”?
ChallengeFill the blank with the correct verb form: “One of the reasons for the delay ____ the heavy rain.”
Error redoError repair: a student copies two whole sentences from the passage into a summary and changes nothing else. Why is this wrong and what should be done?

03　Answers and one-line notes

#	Answer	One-line note
1	visitors	The blank follows thousands of and needs a plural countable noun that fits attracts.
2	The school will build a new pool as the old one is too small	The cause and the decision are kept, while the repeated wording is removed and because is shortened to as.
3	restate	A summary restates the main points in your own words rather than copying the original sentences.
4	Therefore	Therefore introduces a result, while although marks concession and however marks contrast.
5	180 words	Two hundred and forty minus sixty is one hundred and eighty, which is three quarters of the report.
6	36 words over	Ninety-six minus sixty is thirty-six, and answers over the limit lose marks, so count the words before finishing.
7	The founder childhood story	A forty-word summary keeps only essential facts, so the anecdote goes first while price, date and location stay.
8	The new system is much faster	A paraphrase changes the wording and structure while keeping the meaning, so copying the sentence does not count.
9	is	The head of the subject is one, so the singular verb is is used even though reasons is plural.
10	Copying shows no understanding and can exceed the word limit; the points must be condensed and reworded	A summary tests selection and rewording; copying can break the word limit and does not show understanding, so details must go and the wording must change.

04　What to do after marking

After marking, redo only the wrong items and write down which step went wrong (formula, unit, or misread number).
Repeat the same item two days later; move to the next paper only when both attempts are correct.
Parents only need the answer and note columns; there is no need to explain every item.

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