Formal Letters and Summaries

Two skills, many marks

In the BECE English paper, Section A asks you to write a composition. One of the choices is almost always a formal letter. Section C often asks you to read a passage and summarise part of it. Between them, these two skills can earn you a large share of the marks in the paper.

They also matter outside the exam. Ama's mother wrote to the Assembly about a broken culvert on their street. Kofi's football club wrote to a company asking for jerseys. Abena wrote to the Headteacher asking for permission to sit a competition. All of these are formal letters.

And every time you tell a friend what a news story said, in a few sentences, you are summarising.

By the end of this book you will be able to:

• set out a formal letter with every part in the right place,
• choose the right tone and language for an official reader,
• write a complete letter to a District Chief Executive,
• find the main points of a passage and rewrite them in your own words, within a word limit.

Formal or informal?

An informal letter goes to someone you know well: a friend, a cousin, your mother. You can be chatty, use slang, write "Hi Kwame" and sign "Love, Ama".

A formal letter goes to someone in an official position, or someone you do not know personally: a Headteacher, a District Chief Executive, the editor of a newspaper, a company manager, a bank. The reader expects:

• a standard layout with addresses and a date,
• a polite, serious tone,
• standard English, with no slang, no contractions and no text-message spellings,
• a clear purpose stated early,
• a proper ending and signature.

The BECE gives marks for content, organisation, expression and mechanical accuracy (spelling, punctuation, grammar). Layout is part of organisation. A letter with excellent ideas but no addresses or date loses marks before the examiner has read a word of the body.

Try this

Which of these need a formal letter? A letter to your aunt in Kumasi. A letter to the Municipal Chief Executive about street lights. A letter to a radio station asking to be a guest. A letter to your best friend about your holidays.

The parts of a formal letter

A formal letter has eight parts, in this order:

1. Writer's address (top right)
2. Date (under the writer's address)
3. Receiver's address (left, below the date)
4. Salutation (greeting): Dear Sir, / Dear Madam,
5. Heading (title): a short line saying what the letter is about
6. Body: three or more paragraphs
7. Subscription (closing): Yours faithfully,
8. Signature and full name

Think of them as the frame of a house. The body is the rooms where people live, but without the frame nothing stands up.

Over the next pages we take each part in turn, with a model letter growing as we go. The letter will be from Ama Mensah, a Basic 9 student at Adenta Community JHS, to the District Chief Executive about a dangerous road near her school.

Part 1: the writer's address

Your own address goes at the top right of the page. Write it line by line, with no name above it (your name comes at the end of the letter).

Adenta Community JHS,
P.O. Box AD 45,
Adenta, Accra.

Rules:

• Each line of the address ends with a comma, except the last line, which ends with a full stop. (Some teachers accept no punctuation at all; what matters is being consistent. Never mix the two.)
• If you are writing from home, give your house number and street or your box number, then the town.
• Do not write "Writer's address" as a label. Just write the address.

Try this

Write your own address, or your school's, as it would appear at the top of a formal letter. Check your commas.

Part 2: the date

The date sits directly under the writer's address, still on the right.

Write it in full. Any of these is acceptable:

• 16th October, 2026.
• 16 October 2026.
• October 16, 2026.

Avoid "16/10/26". Numbers-only dates look lazy in a formal letter and can be misread.

Adenta Community JHS,
P.O. Box AD 45,
Adenta, Accra.

16th October, 2026.

Leave a line between the address and the date. In the exam, the date can be the day of the exam, or any sensible date.

A letter without a date is a letter the Assembly can lose. When an official replies, they write "Thank you for your letter of 16th October". The date is how letters are tracked.

Part 3: the receiver's address

Now move to the left margin, a line or two below the date. Write the position of the person you are writing to, then their office, then the town.

The District Chief Executive,
Adentan Municipal Assembly,
P.O. Box AD 1,
Adenta, Accra.

Notice:

• Start with The and the title of the office, not the person's name. You are writing to the DCE as an officer, whoever holds the post this year.
• If you know the name, you may write "Hon. Kwabena Osei, District Chief Executive," but the title alone is always safe.
• Use the same punctuation style as your own address.

Common receivers in BECE questions: The Headteacher, The Editor, The Regional Minister, The Manager, The Director of Education, The District Chief Executive.

Part 4: the salutation

Below the receiver's address, on the left, write the greeting.

• Dear Sir, if the reader is a man.
• Dear Madam, if the reader is a woman.
• Dear Sir/Madam, if you do not know.

Follow it with a comma. Do not write "Dear DCE" or "Dear Honourable" or "Hello". Do not use the person's first name.

Some students write "Dear Mr Osei," when they know the name. That is acceptable in real life, but in the BECE "Dear Sir," is the safest choice and the one examiners expect.

Dear Sir,

Leave a line after the salutation before the heading.

Try this

Write the correct salutation for a letter to: the Headmistress of your school; the Editor of the Daily Graphic (you do not know who it is); the Manager of a bank called Mr Boateng.

Part 5: the heading

The heading is a short title that tells the reader at once what the letter is about. It goes on its own line after the salutation, and it is usually written in capital letters or underlined.

Dear Sir,

THE DANGEROUS STATE OF THE ROAD IN FRONT OF ADENTA COMMUNITY JHS

A good heading is:

• specific: not "ROAD", but which road and what about it,
• short: one line,
• a phrase, not a full sentence, and with no full stop at the end.

Examples of strong headings:

• REQUEST FOR A LIBRARY FOR AKYEM OLD TAFO JHS
• COMPLAINT ABOUT FREQUENT POWER CUTS IN NEW TOWN
• APPLICATION FOR THE POST OF SALES ASSISTANT

Weak headings: "LETTER", "COMPLAINT", "I AM WRITING TO COMPLAIN ABOUT THE ROAD".

Try this

Write a heading for a letter to the Regional Minister about the lack of a bridge over the river near your village.

Recap 1: the frame

So far the letter looks like this:

                                   Adenta Community JHS,
                                   P.O. Box AD 45,
                                   Adenta, Accra.

                                   16th October, 2026.

The District Chief Executive,
Adentan Municipal Assembly,
P.O. Box AD 1,
Adenta, Accra.

Dear Sir,

THE DANGEROUS STATE OF THE ROAD IN FRONT OF ADENTA COMMUNITY JHS

Check: writer's address top right; date beneath it; receiver's address on the left; "Dear Sir,"; heading in capitals. Five parts done, three to go.

Quick quiz

1. Which side does the writer's address go?
2. What comes directly under the writer's address?
3. Do you start the receiver's address with the person's name or their title?
4. What punctuation follows "Dear Sir"?

Part 6: the body — opening paragraph

The first paragraph is short. It does two things: it says who you are (if the reader does not know you) and why you are writing.

I am a student of Adenta Community JHS, and I am writing on behalf
of the students to draw your attention to the dangerous condition
of the road that passes in front of our school.

Useful openings:

• I am writing to complain about...
• I wish to draw your attention to...
• I am writing to request...
• I am writing to apply for...
• On behalf of the students of..., I write to...

Do not open with "How are you? I hope you are fine" or "I am Ama and I am 15 years old and I like football". The reader is busy. Get to the point in the first sentence.

Try this

Write an opening paragraph for a letter to the Headteacher asking for permission to organise a clean-up exercise.

Part 6: the body — the middle paragraphs

The middle is where you make your case. Give two or three clear points, each in its own paragraph, each with detail: facts, examples, numbers, names of places.

First, the road has no speed ramps and no zebra crossing. Vehicles
coming from the Dodowa junction travel at high speed, and students
must cross this road at least twice every day. In the last term
alone, two of our students were knocked down. One of them, a Basic 7
girl, spent three weeks in the Pantang Hospital.

Second, the drains along the road are blocked and overflow whenever
it rains. The water covers the road, so pedestrians cannot see the
potholes, and students arrive at school wet and late.

Third, there is no street light near the school gate. Students who
stay for evening classes walk home in darkness, and parents are
afraid for their safety.

Notice the signposts: First, Second, Third. Notice the details: Dodowa junction, Pantang Hospital, Basic 7, three weeks. Details make a letter believable.

Part 6: the body — the closing paragraph

The last paragraph says clearly what you want the reader to do, and thanks them politely.

We therefore appeal to you to construct speed ramps and a zebra
crossing in front of the school, to desilt the drains before the
rainy season, and to provide at least one street light at the gate.
These measures will save lives and allow us to concentrate on our
studies.

I count on your co-operation and look forward to your prompt
action on this matter.

Useful closing lines:

• I hope you will give this matter your urgent attention.
• I would be grateful if you could...
• Thank you for your consideration.
• I look forward to hearing from you.

Do not threaten ("If you do not act we will demonstrate"). Do not beg ("Please please please"). Be firm, respectful and clear.

Parts 7 and 8: subscription and signature

The closing, called the subscription, goes on the left below the last paragraph.

• If you began with Dear Sir / Dear Madam, end with Yours faithfully,
• If you began with a name, Dear Mr Osei, end with Yours sincerely,

Remember: Sir goes with faithfully. Only the first word is capitalised, and it ends with a comma.

Below it, leave a space for a signature, then write your full name in full. Some teachers also want your position, for example "Class Prefect, Basic 9".

Yours faithfully,

Ama Mensah
AMA MENSAH
(Class Prefect, Basic 9)

Never end a formal letter with "Yours truly", "Your student", "Love" or "Bye". Never sign with just a first name.

Try this

Match the salutation to the subscription: Dear Madam / Dear Mrs Asante / Dear Sir/Madam. Which take "faithfully" and which "sincerely"?

The whole model letter

                                   Adenta Community JHS,
                                   P.O. Box AD 45,
                                   Adenta, Accra.

                                   16th October, 2026.

The District Chief Executive,
Adentan Municipal Assembly,
P.O. Box AD 1,
Adenta, Accra.

Dear Sir,

THE DANGEROUS STATE OF THE ROAD IN FRONT OF ADENTA COMMUNITY JHS

I am a student of Adenta Community JHS, and I am writing on behalf
of the students to draw your attention to the dangerous condition
of the road that passes in front of our school.

First, the road has no speed ramps and no zebra crossing... [two
more paragraphs of points]

We therefore appeal to you to construct speed ramps... [closing]

Yours faithfully,

Ama Mensah
AMA MENSAH
(Class Prefect, Basic 9)

Read it top to bottom once more. This is the shape every formal letter in the BECE should take.

Tone: sounding formal

Tone is the attitude your words carry. In a formal letter the tone is polite, serious and confident. Compare:

Too casual	Formal
The road is a mess, you guys should fix it.	The road is in a poor state and requires urgent repair.
We're fed up.	The students are deeply concerned.
Can't you do something?	We would be grateful if you could take action.
Thanks a lot.	Thank you for your attention to this matter.

Rules of formal tone:

• No contractions: write do not, cannot, we are, not don't, can't, we're.
• No slang or pidgin: no chale, plenty plenty, wahala.
• No exclamation marks.
• No abbreviations like u, pls, b4, gov't.
• Avoid very, really, so as fillers.
• Use passive and impersonal phrases where it helps: It has been observed that..., Attention needs to be given to...

Try this

Rewrite in formal tone: "Hey, the teachers don't come to class and we're really tired of it. Pls do something fast!"

Vocabulary for formal letters

Build a bank of phrases you can draw on under exam pressure.

Opening

• I am writing to inform you / request / complain about / apply for
• I wish to bring to your notice
• This letter is to express our concern about

Giving reasons

• This is because... / As a result... / Consequently...
• In addition / Furthermore / Moreover
• For example / For instance / In particular

Making requests

• We would be grateful if you could...
• We respectfully request that...
• May I suggest that...

Closing

• I hope this matter will receive your urgent attention.
• Thank you in anticipation of your favourable response.
• I look forward to your reply.

Learn five from each group. Using them correctly earns marks for expression.

Recap 2: tone and body

• Opening paragraph: who you are and why you are writing, in two sentences.
• Middle paragraphs: two or three points, each with specific details.
• Closing paragraph: what you want done, and polite thanks.
• Dear Sir → Yours faithfully. Dear Mr Osei → Yours sincerely.
• Formal tone: no contractions, slang, exclamation marks or text spellings.

Quick quiz

1. Which is formal: "can't" or "cannot"?
2. Which subscription follows "Dear Madam,"?
3. Name two signpost words for the middle paragraphs.
4. Should the closing paragraph threaten the reader?

Types of formal letter in the BECE

The exam may ask for any of these. The layout is identical; only the purpose changes.

Letter of complaint — to the DCE, the Headteacher, ECG, Ghana Water Company. State the problem, its effects, and what you want done.

Letter of request / appeal — asking for something: a library, a borehole, sponsorship, a school bus.

Letter of application — for a job, a scholarship, admission. State the position, your qualifications, your experience, and why you are suitable.

Letter to the editor — about a public issue. The salutation is still "Dear Sir," and the heading tells the readers the topic.

Letter of invitation — inviting a guest speaker or official to a school function. Give the date, time, venue and the role you want them to play.

Letter of apology / permission — to the Headteacher, explaining an absence or asking for leave.

Whatever the type, the examiner looks for the same frame, the same tone and clear, detailed paragraphs.

Worked example: a letter of request

Question: Write a letter to the District Chief Executive of your district requesting a borehole for your community.

Plan before writing (two minutes):

• Heading: REQUEST FOR A BOREHOLE FOR ASUOM COMMUNITY
• Point 1: the only source of water is the stream, 3 km away; women and children spend hours fetching.
• Point 2: the stream is dirty; three cholera cases last year at the Asuom Health Centre.
• Point 3: students arrive late and tired; attendance falls in the dry season.
• Request: one borehole near the school and market; the community will provide labour and protect it.

Opening: "I am writing on behalf of the people of Asuom to appeal to you for the provision of a borehole for our community."

Closing: "We are confident that with your support, Asuom will finally have safe drinking water. Thank you for your consideration."

Now the letter almost writes itself. Planning is not wasted time; it is the fastest way to a full-mark letter.

Worked example: a letter to the editor

Question: Write a letter to the editor of a national newspaper about the problem of plastic waste in your town.

Layout difference: the receiver is The Editor, Daily Graphic, P.O. Box 742, Accra. Everything else is the same.

Dear Sir,

THE MENACE OF PLASTIC WASTE IN KASOA

I wish to use your widely read newspaper to draw the attention of
the authorities and the public to the growing problem of plastic
waste in Kasoa.

Walk through the Kasoa market on any morning and you will see
sachet water bags, polythene and takeaway packs choking the gutters.
When it rains, these gutters overflow and flood the shops...

A letter to the editor is slightly more persuasive in style, because the readers are the public. You may use a vivid picture, as above, but you still keep the formal frame and tone.

Try this

Write the heading and opening paragraph of a letter to the editor about noise from drinking spots near your school.

Worked example: a letter of application

Question: You have seen an advertisement for a holiday job as a shop assistant. Write a letter of application.

The heading: APPLICATION FOR THE POST OF SHOP ASSISTANT

Paragraph 1: where you saw the advert and what you are applying for. Paragraph 2: your age, school, class, and your results or strengths (good at mathematics, honest, punctual). Paragraph 3: any experience (helped in your aunt's provisions store during the last vacation, handled sales of about GH₵ 300 a day). Paragraph 4: when you are available and a polite request for an interview.

I am fifteen years old and a Basic 9 student of Nkawkaw Methodist
JHS. I am strong in mathematics, which helps me handle money and
give correct change. During the last vacation I assisted in my
aunt's provisions store at the Nkawkaw market, where I was
responsible for sales of about GH₵ 300 a day.

Application letters end: "I would be grateful for the opportunity to attend an interview at your convenience."

Common layout mistakes

The examiner sees these every year. Avoid all of them.

1. No date, or the date on the left.
2. Writer's address on the left and receiver's on the right (swapped).
3. A name above the writer's address. Your name goes at the end only.
4. "Dear DCE" / "Dear Honourable" instead of "Dear Sir,".
5. No heading, or a heading written as a full sentence.
6. One giant paragraph with no breaks.
7. "Yours sincerely" after "Dear Sir" (should be faithfully).
8. First name only, or a nickname, as the signature.
9. Contractions, slang and exclamation marks in the body.
10. Forgetting to say what you want in the closing paragraph.

Try this

Here is a student's closing: "yours Faithfully, Kojo". Find three mistakes.

Recap 3: letters

• Six types: complaint, request, application, editor, invitation, apology/permission.
• Plan first: heading, three points with details, the request.
• The frame never changes; only the purpose and the receiver do.
• Check the ten common mistakes before you hand in.

Quick quiz

1. For a letter to the editor, who is the receiver?
2. What four things does paragraph 2 of an application letter include?
3. Write a heading for a letter inviting the Regional Director of Education to your speech and prize-giving day.

Try this: write a full letter

Now write a complete formal letter. Give yourself 35 minutes, the time you would have in the exam.

Question: Your school has no library. Write a letter to the District Chief Executive of your district requesting that a library be built for the school. Give at least three reasons.

Before you start:

• Plan the heading and three points on rough paper.
• Decide on specific details: the name of your school, the number of students, the distance to the nearest public library, the cost of textbooks.

When you finish, check against the frame on the recap page and the list of common mistakes. Then swap with a classmate and mark each other's work. Look especially at the addresses, the heading and the subscription.

Keep this letter. Compare it with the one you write at the end of the book.

What is a summary?

A summary is a short version of a text that keeps the main points and leaves out the rest. It is written in your own words and in continuous prose (sentences, not notes), and it is usually much shorter than the original.

In the BECE, Section C gives you a passage of about 300 to 400 words and asks something like:

In not more than 60 words, summarise the reasons the writer gives for the decline of fishing in the village.

Notice three instructions hiding in that sentence:

1. A word limit (not more than 60 words).
2. A focus (the reasons for the decline, not everything in the passage).
3. A form (summarise = prose, not a list).

Marks are given for finding the correct points, for writing them in your own words, for staying within the limit, and for correct grammar. Lifting whole sentences from the passage earns little.

Step 1: read the question first

Most students read the passage, then the question, then the passage again. That wastes time. Read the question first, so you know what to look for.

Underline the key words in the question. In "summarise the reasons the writer gives for the decline of fishing in the village", you are hunting for reasons, and only reasons for that decline. The passage may also describe the village, the fishermen's families and the beautiful sunsets. None of that goes in your summary.

Then read the passage twice:

• First reading: quickly, to understand the whole story.
• Second reading: slowly, with a pencil, marking each sentence that answers the question.

Typical focus words in BECE summary questions: reasons, causes, effects, benefits, problems, advantages, disadvantages, ways, measures, steps, qualities.

Try this

Underline the focus words: "In not more than 50 words, state the measures the writer suggests for reducing road accidents."

Step 2: find the main points

A passage is built from main points and supporting material. Supporting material includes examples, statistics, stories, repetitions and descriptions. A summary keeps the main points and drops the support.

Read this extract:

Fishing in Abuesi has declined sharply. One reason is the use of light and chemicals by some fishermen, which kills young fish before they can grow. The elders remember when a single canoe would return with twenty baskets of fish; today three baskets is a good day. Another reason is the arrival of large foreign trawlers, which sweep the sea clean miles from the shore. Finally, many young men have left for the cities, so there are not enough hands to crew the canoes.

The main points (reasons):

1. Light and chemical fishing kill young fish.
2. Foreign trawlers take the fish far out at sea.
3. Young men have migrated to the cities, leaving too few crew.

The twenty baskets and three baskets are an example, not a reason. Out they go.

Step 3: use your own words

Examiners reward paraphrase: saying the same thing in different words. Compare:

Original: the use of light and chemicals by some fishermen, which kills young fish before they can grow

Lifted (poor): The use of light and chemicals by some fishermen kills young fish before they can grow.

Paraphrased (good): Some fishermen use lamps and poisons that destroy fish while they are still small.

Ways to paraphrase:

• Swap words for synonyms: decline → fall, arrival → coming, sweep clean → empty.
• Change the sentence structure: active to passive, or join two short sentences.
• Change the word class: the migration of young men → young men have migrated.

You cannot change technical words or names: trawlers, Abuesi, canoe stay as they are. Everything else should be yours.

Try this

Paraphrase: "The arrival of large foreign trawlers, which sweep the sea clean miles from the shore."

Step 4: write within the word limit

The limit is a ceiling, not a target. "Not more than 60 words" means 60 or fewer; 45 well-chosen words are fine. Going over the limit is penalised, and some examiners stop reading at the limit.

Using the Abuesi points, here is a summary of 44 words:

Fishing in Abuesi has fallen for three reasons. Some fishermen use lamps and poisons that destroy young fish. Large foreign vessels empty the sea far from the coast. Many young men have moved to the cities, so the canoes do not have enough crew.

Counting words. Count every word, including a, the and of. Hyphenated words count as one. Numbers count as one. Write the total in brackets at the end: (44 words). Examiners appreciate it, and it forces you to check.

Try this

Count the words in the paragraph above. Then cut it to 35 words without losing any of the three reasons.

Recap 4: the summary method

1. Read the question first. Underline the focus words.
2. Read the passage twice. Mark the sentences that answer the question.
3. List the main points. Drop examples, figures and repetition.
4. Paraphrase. Synonyms, new structures, your own voice.
5. Write in prose, one paragraph, within the word limit.
6. Count the words. Write the total in brackets.
7. Check grammar and spelling.

Quick quiz

1. "Not more than 60 words": is 61 acceptable?
2. Should you copy the passage's sentences?
3. Name three kinds of supporting material you should leave out.

Worked example: a full passage

Read this passage.

Many parents in Ghana now prefer to send their children to private basic schools. The first attraction is smaller classes. In a private school a teacher may handle twenty-five pupils, while a public school teacher in a town like Madina may face sixty. Parents believe their children get more attention. Secondly, private schools often teach in English from the earliest classes, and parents think this gives children an advantage in examinations. Thirdly, private schools are seen as stricter about punctuality and discipline. A pupil who arrives late at Mama Esi's school in Kasoa is sent home, and parents like that. Finally, private schools frequently offer extra lessons after the normal closing time, so working parents are spared the cost of a separate home teacher. Of course, all this comes at a price, and many families struggle to pay the fees each term.

Question: In not more than 55 words, summarise the reasons parents prefer private basic schools.

Turn the page for the working.

Worked example: the working

Focus words: reasons, parents prefer private basic schools.

Main points (signposted by First, Secondly, Thirdly, Finally):

1. Smaller classes, so more attention.
2. English taught from the start, an advantage in exams.
3. Stricter about punctuality and discipline.
4. Extra lessons after school, saving the cost of a home teacher.

Left out: the 25 vs 60 figures (example), Mama Esi's school (example), the last sentence about fees (not a reason for preferring).

Summary (52 words):

Parents choose private basic schools because classes are smaller and each child receives more attention. Pupils are taught in English from the beginning, which parents believe helps them in examinations. Private schools also enforce punctuality and discipline more firmly. Lastly, they provide extra lessons after school, so parents need not pay for home tutors. (52 words)

Every point is there. No examples. Own words. Under the limit.

Signpost words: your best friends

Writers tell you where their main points are. Learn the signals.

Listing: first, second, third, another, also, in addition, furthermore, finally, lastly.

Cause: because, since, as a result of, due to, owing to, one reason is.

Effect: so, therefore, consequently, as a result, this leads to, this means.

Contrast: however, but, on the other hand, although, nevertheless.

Example (skip these): for example, for instance, such as, like, including.

When you see "for example", you know the sentence that follows is supporting material. When you see "another reason", you know a main point is coming.

Try this

Read any paragraph in your English reader. Circle every signpost word. Then say which sentences are main points and which are support.

Try this: summarise effects

The long power cuts of recent months have hurt small businesses in Techiman badly. Hairdressers cannot use their dryers and lose customers to salons with generators. Cold-store operators have watched fish and meat rot, losing hundreds of cedis in a single day. Tailors fall behind on orders because their electric machines stand idle. The sound of generators fills the streets, but the fuel to run them eats up most of the day's profit. Some traders have simply closed and gone back to the villages. The town council has written to ECG three times, without reply.

Question: In not more than 50 words, summarise the effects of the power cuts on small businesses in Techiman.

Hints: there are five effects. "The town council has written to ECG" is not an effect on businesses. "Hairdressers" and "tailors" are examples of businesses, but the effects they suffer are the points you need.

Write your answer, count the words, then compare with a classmate.

Try this: summarise measures

To cut the number of road accidents on the Accra–Kumasi highway, several steps have been proposed. The police should mount more checkpoints, especially at night, to arrest drunk and over-speeding drivers. The road itself needs repairs: the potholes near Nsawam have caused many crashes. Transport unions should insist that drivers rest after every four hours behind the wheel. Passengers, too, can help, by refusing to board overloaded vehicles and by speaking up when a driver drives dangerously. Lastly, the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Authority must stop issuing licences to people who have not passed a proper test.

Question: In not more than 60 words, summarise the measures proposed to reduce accidents on the highway.

There are five measures. Note the signposts: should, needs, should insist, can help, must. Each introduces something that ought to be done, which is exactly what a "measure" is.

Write it, count it, check it.

Common summary mistakes

1. Copying sentences from the passage. Examiners call this "lifting" and mark it down.
2. Including examples and statistics.
3. Adding your own opinion. A summary reports the writer's points, not yours.
4. Writing a list or numbered points when prose is required.
5. Exceeding the word limit.
6. Answering the wrong question: giving causes when effects were asked for.
7. Leaving out a main point because it was hidden in the middle of a long sentence.
8. Starting with "The passage says that..." It wastes words.
9. Using "I": "I think the writer means..." has no place in a summary.
10. Forgetting to count and write the word total.

Try this

A student's summary begins: "In this passage the writer talks about many things, for example the reasons why..." Rewrite the opening so that it wastes no words.

Recap 5: summary skills

• Read the question first; hunt only for what it asks.
• Signpost words show where the main points are; "for example" shows what to skip.
• Paraphrase everything except names and technical terms.
• One paragraph of prose, under the limit, word count in brackets.
• No opinions, no "I", no "the passage says".

Quick quiz

1. Which of these is a main point and which is support? (a) "Many children drop out of school." (b) "For instance, in Yendi 40 pupils left Basic 6 last year."
2. The question asks for causes. The passage also lists effects. Do you include the effects?
3. Is "(48 words)" at the end helpful or a waste?

Putting both skills together

Letters and summaries use the same muscle: choosing what matters and saying it clearly.

When Ama planned her letter to the DCE, she had a dozen complaints about the road. She chose three. That is summarising.

When you summarise a passage, you pick out main points and arrange them in order, with signposts: First... Also... Finally... That is the structure of a letter's body.

Both reward:

• planning before writing,
• specific language over vague language,
• formal standard English,
• checking at the end.

In the exam, you will meet both on the same day. Budget your time: about 35 minutes for the letter, about 20 for the summary, and a few minutes at the end to re-read each.

Exam strategy: the letter

Minute 0–3: read and choose. Read all the composition questions. Choose the one you have the most to say about, not the one that looks easiest.

Minute 3–7: plan. Heading, three points with details, the request. Write these on rough paper or at the bottom of the page and cross them out neatly afterwards.

Minute 7–30: write. Frame first (addresses, date, salutation, heading), then the body, then the subscription and name. Aim for 250 to 300 words in the body.

Minute 30–35: check. Read every sentence. Look for contractions, missing full stops, spelling of common words (receive, grateful, sincerely, faithfully, government, environment), and subject–verb agreement.

Handwriting matters. An examiner marking two hundred scripts cannot give marks for words they cannot read.

Exam strategy: the summary

Minute 0–1: read the summary question, underline the focus words and the word limit.

Minute 1–5: read the passage twice. Mark the main points in the margin with numbers.

Minute 5–8: write the points in your own words on rough paper.

Minute 8–15: write the summary in prose. Link the points with signposts. Keep each point to one sentence where possible.

Minute 15–18: count the words. If over the limit, cut adjectives, adverbs and repeated words first. Write the total.

Minute 18–20: check grammar and spelling.

One more tip: if the question says "in three sentences" rather than giving a word limit, write exactly three sentences, each carrying one or two points.

Practice set: letters

Choose two and write them in full, timed.

1. Write a letter to the District Chief Executive complaining about the poor state of sanitation in your community and suggesting what should be done.
2. Write a letter to your Headteacher asking for permission to be absent from school for one week to attend a family event, and explaining how you will catch up.
3. Write a letter to the Manager of a company asking for sponsorship for your school's science fair.
4. Write a letter to the Editor of a newspaper about the dangers of young people riding motorbikes without helmets.
5. Write a letter of application for the position of junior clerk advertised by a district hospital.

For each: frame, tone, three detailed points, clear request. Mark your own work with the checklist on the recap pages.

Practice set: summaries

Market women in Makola face many challenges. The market is congested, with stalls spilling onto the roads, so customers struggle to move about and traders lose sales. Fire is a constant danger; the market has burnt three times in twenty years, and most traders have no insurance. Rents charged by the city authorities rise every year while sales do not. The traders also complain of harassment by city guards, who seize goods displayed outside the designated areas. Many women take loans from moneylenders at interest rates of up to ten per cent a month, and some lose everything when sales are slow. Yet the market remains the heartbeat of Accra's trade.

1. In not more than 60 words, summarise the challenges faced by the market women.
2. In not more than 25 words, state what the writer says about fire in the market.

Write both, count both, and compare with a classmate. Then find any passage in a newspaper and set a summary question for each other.

Revision card

Formal letter frame

1. Writer's address (right) → 2. Date → 3. Receiver's address (left) → 4. Dear Sir/Madam, → 5. HEADING IN CAPITALS → 6. Body: opening, two or three points, request → 7. Yours faithfully, → 8. Signature and full name.

Dear Sir → Yours faithfully. Dear Mr X → Yours sincerely.

Tone: no contractions, slang, exclamation marks, text spellings. Polite, firm, specific.

Summary method

Question first → read twice → main points, skip examples → own words → prose, under the limit → count → check.

Signposts: first / another / finally = main point; for example / such as = skip.

Never: lift sentences, add opinions, write "I think", exceed the limit, forget the count.

Learn more

• WAEC Ghana — the examining body for the BECE; look for past questions and chief examiners' reports.
• NaCCA — Ghana's curriculum council, home of the Basic 9 English Language syllabus.
• BBC Bitesize: English — short lessons on writing to persuade, inform and summarise.
• Oxford Learner's Dictionaries — check spellings and find formal synonyms for paraphrasing.

Watch more

Think about it

1. Why do you think formal letters still use addresses and dates, when most people now send messages by phone?
2. If you were the District Chief Executive and received fifty letters in a week, what would make you read one letter first and act on it?
3. Is it ever acceptable to show strong feelings, such as anger, in a formal letter? How would you do it without losing the formal tone?
4. Why do examiners penalise copying sentences from the passage in a summary, if the copied sentence is correct?
5. Think of a problem in your community. Who is the right official to write to, and what three points would you make?