How do I fit all the points into about 80 words without going over the limit or cutting an important point?
Keep a summary within the word limit of about 80 words by writing concisely, counting words, and cutting unnecessary words while keeping every relevant point
How to keep a summary within the 80-word limit: writing concisely, using the given opening words, counting as you go, and trimming wasteful words without losing any relevant point.
Reviewed by: AI editorial process; not yet individually human-reviewed
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What this dot point is asking
SEAB wants your summary to stay within the word limit of about 80 words (not counting any words given to start you off). The summary in Paper 2 tests whether you can express the relevant points concisely. Going far over the limit shows you cannot condense, and it can cost marks. The skill is to fit every relevant point into the limit by writing tightly, combining points, cutting wasteful words, and counting as you go. You keep all the points but say each one as briefly as you can.
The answer
The limit is about 80 words
The summary should be about 80 words. The question usually gives you a few opening words to begin with, and these are not counted in your total. Going a little over is usually tolerated, but going far over (for example past 100 words) is penalised, because conciseness is part of the task. Aim to land close to 80.
Cut what is not a point first
Before trimming wording, make sure you have already removed everything that is not a relevant point: examples, repetition, description, and off-topic detail. This is the biggest word saving. A summary that is too long is often full of material that should not be there at all.
Write concisely
Say each point in as few words as possible. Replace wordy phrases with shorter ones: "in order to" becomes "to", "due to the fact that" becomes "because", "at this point in time" becomes "now". Cut fillers like "very", "really" and "actually" that add length but no point.
Combine points and count
Combine related points into single sentences with connectors, which removes repeated words. Then count your words. Counting is essential: do not guess. If you are over, look for more phrases to shorten or points to combine. If you are well under, check you have not missed a relevant point.
Examples in context
Example 1. Trimming a wordy sentence. A draft reads "Due to the fact that the river was polluted, many of the fish actually died." Trimmed: "Because the river was polluted, many fish died." The meaning and the point are kept, but seven words are saved by removing the wordy opener and the filler "actually".
Example 2. Combining to save words. Two points read "The campaign raised awareness" and "The campaign collected donations." Combined: "The campaign raised awareness and collected donations." Joining them into one sentence keeps both points while removing the repeated subject, saving words and reading more smoothly.
Try this
Cue. Shorten this without losing the point: "In order to save money, the family decided to spend less." For example: "To save money, the family spent less." The wordy opener and "decided to" are cut.
Cue. A summary is 70 words and feels short. What should you check? Whether you have missed a relevant point; if all points are present, a slightly short summary is fine, but a missing point costs marks.
Cue. Explain why you should count your words rather than guess. Guessing often leaves summaries far over or under the limit; counting lets you keep all the points while staying close to the required length.
Exam-style practice questions
Practice questions written in the style of SEAB exam questions on this dot point, with worked answer explainers. The year tag is the paper they imitate, not the source.
Original5 marksA summary must be about 80 words. A student writes 120 words by including extra description and repeating a point. Explain how they should cut it down without losing any relevant point.Show worked answer →
The student should first remove anything that is not a relevant point: extra description, examples, and the repeated point (counted once). That alone will save many words. Then they should tighten the wording: replace long phrases with shorter ones ("in order to" becomes "to", "due to the fact that" becomes "because"), and combine short points into single sentences.
They should keep every relevant point but say each one as briefly as possible, then count the words to check they are near 80.
What markers reward: cutting repetition, examples and wordy phrases rather than dropping a real point, and producing a concise summary close to the word limit that still covers all the relevant points.
Original4 marksExplain why summaries have a word limit, and describe two ways to make a summary shorter without removing a relevant point.Show worked answer →
Summaries have a word limit because the task tests whether you can express the points concisely; going far over the limit shows you cannot select and condense. Markers may stop reading or penalise work that is well over the limit.
Two ways to make a summary shorter: (1) replace wordy phrases with shorter ones, for example "at this point in time" becomes "now"; (2) combine related points into one sentence using connectors, which removes repeated words. Removing examples and repetition (which are not relevant points) also shortens the summary safely.
What markers reward: understanding the purpose of the limit, and naming real ways to condense (shorter phrasing, combining points) that keep all the relevant points while cutting words.
Related dot points
- Select only the relevant points from the part of the passage set by the summary question, using the focus of the question to decide what to include and what to leave out
How to find only the relevant points for a summary: reading the question focus carefully, working within the lines set, and leaving out examples, repetition and details that do not answer the question.
- Paraphrase the selected points into your own words for a summary, changing the wording while keeping the meaning, and joining the points into clear connected sentences
How to paraphrase summary points into your own words: changing the wording while keeping the meaning, joining points smoothly, and avoiding lifting whole phrases from the passage.
- Use connectors and linking words accurately to join ideas, show the right relationship between them, and make writing flow
How to use connectors and linking words in N(A)-Level English to join ideas and show the right relationship between them, with groups for adding, contrasting, giving reasons and showing time, so your writing flows.
- Answer comprehension questions in your own words by rephrasing the relevant part of the text accurately, changing the wording without changing the meaning
How to answer comprehension questions in your own words: finding the right part of the text, rephrasing it accurately, and avoiding the trap of copying whole phrases straight from the passage.
- Build a wider and more precise vocabulary by reading, collecting useful words, and using new words accurately in your own writing
How to build a wider, more precise vocabulary for N(A)-Level English by reading regularly, keeping a word list, learning words in families, and using new words accurately so your writing earns more marks.