Note Making
Notes are short written record of facts to aid the memory. Notes are usually taken to record a
speech or dictation while listening to it or after reading a book, magazine or article. They are
referred back whenever needed and may be reproduced in the desired way.
The necessity of note making
Knowledge is vast and unlimited, but our memory is limited. We cannot remember all the
information all the time. Hence note-making is necessary. With the help of notes we can recall
the entire information read/heard months ago. Note-making is quite useful to students preparing
so many subjects. At the time of examinations, it is not possible to go through voluminous
books. At such critical times, notes are quite handy. Hence note-making fulfils three useful
functions:
It keeps a lot of information at our disposal for ready reference.
It helps us reconstruct what was said or written and thus accelerates the process of
remembering/recall. .
It comes in handy in delivering a speech, participation in a debate/discussion, writing an essay
and revising lessons before an examination.
How note making helps us
While making notes we do not simply read the passage/listen to speech but consider various
points made by the writer/speaker and draw our own inferences about what is being presented.
Thus note-making helps us in understanding the passage in a better way and organising our
thoughts systematically.
Characteristics of good notes
Short and Compact: Good notes must be short and compact.
Complete Information: They must contain all the important information.
Logical: They must be presented in a logical way.
Understandable: They should be understandable when consulted at a later stage.
Mechanics of note making
While making notes we follow certain standard practices. These may be listed as follows:
(a) Heading and Sub-headings
(b) Abbreviation and Symbols
(c) Note-form
(d) Numbering and Indentation
Heading and sub-headings
The heading reflects the main theme whereas the sub-headings point out how it has been
developed. The selection of proper heading and sub-heading reveals the grasp of the passage
by the students. In the absence of proper assimilation of main ideas and subsidiary points it is
impossible to make notes.
Abbreviations and symbols
They are used for precision and economy of words and hence quite helpful in note-making. At
least four recognisable abbreviations are to be used in note-making in your board examination.
These are essential components of note-making. Students often make use of abbreviations and
symbols in doing their written work.
Note. Confusing abbreviations should be avoided, e.g., the abbreviation ‘under’ may stand for
understand, understood and understanding. Similarly ‘indst’ may stand for industry, industrial,
industrious.
Note-Form
While making notes the whole information is listed in note-form in points only. Notes should not
be written in complete sentences as we can’t remember the whole information. So only the main
points are listed one under the other and numbered.
It implies the logical division and sub-division of the listed information by using figures, letters,
dashes and spaces.
All examples and figurative speeches are eliminated.
Numbering and indenting
Indentation
Indentation means leaving space at the beginning of a line of print or writing.
First write the title and then write down the notes in a logical order. From the main headings to
the sub-headings, the numbering should be spaced a little to the right.
cbse-class-11-english-passages-for-note-making-and-summarizing-(90-1)
Conclusion
Note-making is a useful skill. You must develop it with constant practice. Notes form an
essential part of your academic life and will serve you well in your School/Board examinations.
How to write note making
Follow the following steps:
Step 1 : (i)Read the passage carefully.
(ii)Try to get the theme and subject of the passage. You may ask yourself: “What is this passage
about?” This will provide you the gist.
Step 2 : Read carefully. Identify main ideas and important supporting details.
Step 3 : Make notes of the main ideas under headings and add sub-points under sub-headings.
Step 4 : Use proper layout/format, e.g.,
(a) Indented, linear form
(b) Sequential form
(c) Tabular form
(d) Flow chart
(e) Pie chart, graphs or diagrams, etc.
Step 5 : Use recognisable abbreviations wherever possible
♦ Tips To Prepare Notes:
Prepare notes using phrases only, never use complete sentences
The topic sentence of each paragraph is the main point and ideas affiliated to it are
Sub-points-one or more, depending on the concepts in the paragraph.
Each sub-point may or may not have supplementary ideas which become sub-subpoints.
Provide an appropriate title for the notes or the summary or abstract, as given in the question.
Include a minimum of 4-6 distinctly different recognizable short forms i.e., abbreviations of the
words in the notes.
Cover all the important points in the notes meaningfully to prepare the abstract/summary in
about 80100 words.
Write the summary or abstract in complete sentences in a paragraph.
♦ How To Summarise A Given Passage
Read (First Read): Read the passage very carefully and critically. Read the passage straight
through. Do not stop to look up anything that gives you trouble at the first reading. You should
get a feel for the author’s tone, style and main idea.
Reread (Second Read): Rereading should be active reading. Underline the topic sentences and
key facts with pencil. Label the areas that you want to refer to as you write your summary. Also
label the areas that you find irrelevant. Identify areas that you do not understand and try to
clarify those points.
One Sentence at a time: Now write the main idea of each paragraph in one well-developed
sentence. Make sure that what you include in your sentence are key points and not minor
details.
Write a Thesis Statement: The key to a well-written summary is the Thesis Statement. A quality
Thesis Statement could either express one main idea or assert your conclusions about the
subject. Generally, a thesis statement consists of the following parts –
a clearly identifiable topic or subject matter, and
a succinct summary of what you have to say about that topic.
Ready to Write: You can use Thesis Statement as the introductory sentence of your summary,
while your other sentences can make up the body.
In fact, a good summary should give ideas, facts or points in the order in which they are given in
the original text.
Add some transition words such as-then, however, also, moreover etc., that help with the overall
structure and flow of the summary. The following tips will help you to write a good summary:
Write in the present tense (preferably in active voice).
Be Concise-Summary should be within the word limit (about 80 words) and should be coherent
without any errors in logic. Don’t put your opinions, ideas or interpretations into the summary.
Check for Accuracy: Reread your summary and make sure that you have accurately
represented the author’s ideas and key points. Make sure that your summary does not contain
your own comments.
Revise: Revise your summary for style, grammar and punctuation. Correct all the errors in
composition and rewrite it if needed.
Mechanics of Note-Making:
(a) Use of Abbreviations:
Capitalized words: UNO, CBSE, NCERT, etc.
Arithmetic symbols: (><, \, kg, %, etc.)
Commonly used: (in newspapers, magazines, etc.) (sc., govt., Eng., Sans.)
Invented: First and last few letters of the words with a dot at the end (edul, poln., popn. mfg.).
