Summary, précis and title (Q2 i, 8 marks)

Class 12 English, unit 15

Question 2 (i) of every FBISE English paper asks you to summarize the unseen passage and suggest a title, for 7+1 = 8 marks. This unit explains exactly what examiners mark, the difference between a summary and a précis, an eight-step method, how to handle dialogue, first-person writing, lists, statistics and questions, and how to cut words and write a good title. It then solves the 2026 papers and the model paper in full.

Learning outcomes (6)

Write an objective summary of an informational text in one's own words, keeping all main ideas.
Write a précis of about one-third of the original, with clear logical transitions and accurate grammar.
Identify the central idea and the main idea of each paragraph, and separate them from supporting details.
Convert direct speech, first-person writing, lists, statistics and questions into concise third-person statements.
Reduce wordy phrases and clauses to short, exact expressions.
Suggest a short, suitable title that captures the central idea of a passage.

What Q2 (i) asks and how it is markedOften examined

In every FBISE English paper, Question 2 is an unseen passage of 250 to 350 words followed by six questions. Question (i) is compulsory: you write a summary (or précis) of the whole passage and suggest a title for it. It carries 8 marks: 7 for the summary and 1 for the title. That is the biggest single item in Section B, more than the whole poetry question (6 marks).

The wording changes from paper to paper, but the task is always the same.

The same question in five papers: precis, summary and summarize all mean the same task here.
Paper	Wording of Q2 (i)	Marks
2026 Set B	Write down precis of the passage and suggest a suitable title.	7+1=08
2026 Set D	Summarize the given passage in your own words and suggest a suitable title	7+1=08
2026 Set A	Summarize the given passage in your own words and suggest a suitable title.	7+1=08
2026 Old syllabus	Write down summary of the passage and suggest a suitable title.	7+1=08
Model paper	Summarize the given passage in your own words and suggest a suitable title.	7+1=8

What the Assessment Framework says

The FBISE Assessment Framework (Curriculum 2022-23) describes the summary like this: "a summary is generally one-fourth to one-half of the length of the original text. The summary must demonstrate a strong understanding of the given text, presenting well-organized and concise content with clear logical transitions. Additionally, it must be precise, grammatically accurate, and lexically appropriate, ensuring coherence throughout."

Turn that into a checklist and you get the five things the 7 marks are given for, plus the title.

Where the 8 marks come from

What is marked	What the examiner looks for	How students lose it
Content (all main ideas)	Every main idea of every paragraph is there, in the passage's order, with nothing added.	A paragraph is missed out; an example is kept but the main idea is lost; the student adds an opinion.
Own words	The ideas are rewritten with new words and new sentence patterns. Key terms (such as nicotine or TVET) may stay.	Whole sentences are copied ("lifting"). A copied summary scores very low even if it is the right length.
Coherence	One smooth paragraph. Points are joined with transitional devices (however, therefore, moreover, as a result) so the reader follows the logic.	A list of unconnected sentences; bullet points; several paragraphs.
Length	One-fourth to one-third of the passage is ideal. It must never be more than one-half.	Writing more than half (it is then not a summary), or so little that main ideas are missing.
Grammar and spelling	Correct tenses, agreement, articles, punctuation and spelling in every sentence.	Careless errors, a mixture of tenses, run-on sentences, misspelt key words.
Title (1 mark)	A short noun phrase (2 to 6 words) that names the central idea of the whole passage.	A title that fits only one paragraph; a full sentence; a question; a copied quotation.

Summary and précis

Both words mean a shortened version of a passage that keeps its main ideas. Précis is a French word meaning "precise" (said "PRAY-see"; the plural is also précis). It is often written without the accent: precis. FBISE uses both words for the same question, so you do not need two different methods. You only need to know that a précis is the tighter of the two.

Summary: A shortened account of a passage in your own words that keeps all its main ideas. It may be one-fourth to one-half of the original.
Précis: A strict, compact summary, usually about one-third of the original, that keeps the main ideas, the order and the tone of the passage and leaves out everything else.
Central idea (gist, theme): The one idea that the whole passage is about. The title names it; the summary's first sentence usually states it.
Main idea: The key point of one paragraph, usually found in its topic sentence (often the first or last sentence of the paragraph).
Supporting detail: An example, figure, name, date, quotation or description that explains or proves a main idea. Details are dropped or turned into a general word in a summary.

Point	Summary	Précis
Length	One-fourth to one-half of the passage	About one-third of the passage (sometimes one-fourth)
Detail	May keep an important detail if it helps	Only the main ideas; no details at all
Style	Own words, third person, one paragraph	Same, but every word must earn its place
Title	Required in FBISE	Always required
Word count	Good practice	Always written at the end

How long the summary should beOften examined

The length rule is simple: ideal one-fourth to one-third, never more than one-half of the passage. FBISE passages are 250 to 350 words, so your summary will usually be 80 to 120 words.

Target lengths for FBISE passages. If the paper gives a word count (the model paper printed "Text Word Count: 283 Words"), divide it by 3.
Passage (words)	One-fourth	One-third (aim here)	One-half (never go over)
250	62	83	125
280	70	93	140
300	75	100	150
320	80	107	160
350	88	117	175

How to count words

Every word counts, including a, an, the, of and and.
A hyphenated word counts as one word: cancer-causing, long-term, one-third.
A number or an abbreviation counts as one word: 1851, TVET, SEO.
The title is not counted.
Contractions count as one word, but do not use them in a summary: write do not, not don't.

Counting a passage quickly in the exam

Count the words in three full lines of the passage and find the average per line (usually 14 to 17 on an FBISE paper).
Count the number of lines and multiply. Example: 16 words per line x 20 lines = 320 words, so aim for about 105 words.
Count your own summary exactly, word by word, after you write the fair copy. Examiners do check it.

The step-by-step methodOften examined

Follow the same eight steps every time. With practice the whole job takes 15 to 20 minutes, which is right for 8 marks out of the 80 in Sections B and C.

Writing a summary in eight steps

Read the passage twice. First read it quickly for the general sense: what is it about, and what is the writer's attitude? Then read it slowly, with a pencil.
Find the central idea. Ask: what is the whole passage about, in one sentence? This sentence usually becomes the opening of your summary, and its key noun becomes your title.
Find the main idea of each paragraph. Underline the topic sentence (often the first or last sentence). A paragraph may have two main ideas; a long paragraph may have three.
List the points in your own words. Write short notes, one line per point, in the passage's order. Do not copy phrases; rethink each point and write it in new words.
Drop the details. Cross out examples, figures, dates, names of minor people and places, quotations, repetitions, rhetorical questions and descriptions (see the table below).
Combine the points into one paragraph. Join them with transitional devices (moreover, however, therefore, as a result) so the ideas flow. Write in the third person and in the passage's tense (usually the present simple).
Check the length and count the words. Compare with one-third of the passage. If you are too long, cut more details or use shorter phrases; if you are too short, check that no main idea is missing.
Write the title and the fair copy. Put the title on top, write the summary as one paragraph, proofread it, and write the word count at the end.

What to keep and what to drop

Keep	Drop (or reduce to a general word)
The central idea of the passage	Examples and illustrations (such as, for example, e.g., like)
The main idea of every paragraph	Figures, statistics and dates (turn them into general words if the idea matters)
Causes, effects and solutions the writer gives	Names of minor people and places
The writer's conclusion and attitude (warns, urges, praises)	Quotations, proverbs and sayings
Key technical terms that have no simpler form (nicotine, TVET, fossil fuels)	Repetitions: the same idea said twice in different words
Logical links between ideas (because, therefore, however)	Rhetorical questions and direct addresses to the reader ("Try to imagine...")
	Descriptive words and decorative language (very, badly, huge, beautiful)

Rules for the final paragraph

One paragraph. No bullet points, no headings inside the summary.
Third person. Use he, she, they, it, people, the writer. Never I, we or you.
The passage's tense. An essay or article is summarised in the present simple ("Overpopulation damages..."). A story or an account of past events is summarised in the past simple ("The writer recalls how a flood forced..."). When a passage mixes both, keep the same pattern: past for what happened, present for the writer's views.
The passage's order. Keep the points in the order the writer gives them.
No new information and no opinion. Do not add facts you know or your own views. Report the writer's views as the writer's: "The writer argues that...".
Own words. Keep only technical terms and names that cannot be replaced.
Complete sentences. No notes, no abbreviations such as e.g. or etc.

Special cases: dialogue, first person, lists, numbers and questionsOften examined

FBISE passages are not always plain essays. Some contain speech, some are written with I and we, and many are full of lists and numbers. Each has a fixed way of being handled.

1. Direct speech or dialogue: change it to reported speech

A summary never contains inverted commas or a conversation. Report what was said in one clause after a reporting verb (told, asked, warned, advised, replied, explained, urged). If the passage is in the past, shift the tenses back, as in narration.

In the passage	In the summary
The doctor said to the patient, "You must stop smoking at once, or you will lose your lungs."	The doctor warned the patient that he had to stop smoking at once to save his lungs.
"Why are you doing this? You don't even know us," I asked. She replied, "You are my people."	When the writer asked why she helped strangers, she replied that they were her own people.
The teacher said, "Read for thirty minutes a day for one month, and then decide."	The teacher advised him to read daily for a month before deciding.
"Take only what you can carry," my father said. "The river is rising."	His father told the family to take only essentials because the river was rising.

2. First-person passages: report the writer

When the writer uses I, my, we or our, you are not the writer. Report the ideas as the writer's, using a reporting verb that shows the attitude: the writer says, believes, argues, recalls, admits, feels, suggests. Change our country to the country or Pakistan, and we to people.

In the passage	In the summary
I do not believe that phones are the enemy.	The writer believes that phones are not the enemy.
I have been teaching for twenty years, and I have never seen students read so little.	The writer, an experienced teacher, observes that students read far less than before.
We should turn off the tap while brushing our teeth.	Citizens should save water in daily life.
We need at least a million skilled workers every year.	Pakistan needs far more skilled workers than it has.

3. You and commands: turn them into general statements

In the passage	In the summary
Try to imagine what your life would be like without any machines. Make a list of the machines in your household.	Modern life depends heavily on machines.
The next time you see a packet of cigarettes, notice the warning.	(Drop it, or:) Cigarette packets carry health warnings.
You should never ignore the early signs of diabetes.	The early signs of diabetes should not be ignored.

4. Lists: use one collective word

A list of three or more items usually stands for one idea. Replace it with a collective or general word that covers all the items.

List in the passage	One word or short phrase
apples, oranges, carrots and spinach	fruits and vegetables
Facebook, Instagram and Twitter	social media
television, print and billboards	physical (traditional) media
coal, oil and natural gas	fossil fuels
lawlessness, crime and corruption	social evils
obesity, diabetes and heart disease	diseases (lifestyle diseases)
telegraphs, sewing machines, revolvers, reaping machines and steam hammers	machinery (new machines)
cotton, rice and sugarcane	crops
chairs, tables, beds and cupboards	furniture
doctors, engineers, teachers and lawyers	professionals
cricket, hockey, football and badminton	sports (games)
watching videos, playing games and chatting	entertainment

5. Statistics and figures: use general words

Numbers are details. Keep the idea they prove and express it with a general word: most, a large majority, very few, far fewer, doubled, fallen sharply, millions.

Figure in the passage	General words in the summary
96 out of 120 students	a large majority of students
Only 9 of them had read a book	very few had read a book
hardly 16.3 percent complete secondary education	very few complete secondary school
more than three-quarters leave without skills	most leave without skills
We need a million workers but have 300,000	the country has far fewer skilled workers than it needs
from 5,000 cubic metres in 1951 to below 1,000 today	the supply per person has fallen sharply
More than 33 million people were affected	millions of people were affected
In 1851 they held the first world's fair	they held the first world's fair (the date is dropped)
around 1750	in the mid-eighteenth century

6. Questions: turn them into statements

A question in a passage is usually rhetorical: the writer asks it to introduce the next idea. Either drop it or turn the idea into a statement.

In the passage	In the summary
What can be done to solve this problem? The government must build new dams.	To solve the problem, the government must build new dams.
Is reading really out of date?	(Drop it: the next paragraph answers it.)
Why do smokers find it so hard to quit? Their bodies depend on nicotine.	Smokers find it hard to quit because their bodies depend on nicotine.
He asked, "Why should I read a book when I can watch a video?"	He asked why he should read a book when he could watch a video.

7. Quotations, proverbs and examples

Drop quotations and proverbs ("You never miss the water till the well runs dry"). If the saying carries the conclusion, keep its idea in plain words: people value water only when it is gone.
Drop examples introduced by such as, for example, e.g. or like, or replace them with a general word: "cities such as Karachi and Lahore" becomes "cities".
Drop descriptions of places, weather and people unless they are the point of the passage.

8. Story passages

A narrative (a story or a memory) is summarised in the past simple and the third person. Keep the sequence of main events and, above all, the lesson or change at the end. Drop names of places, dialogue and descriptions.

Techniques for reducing wordsOften examined

Cutting details gets you close to the right length. The last part of the job is making every sentence tighter. These techniques turn long, loose sentences into short, exact ones, and they also make the summary "your own words".

Technique	Long (in the passage)	Short (in your summary)
Phrase for a clause	the people who live in cities	city dwellers
Phrase for a clause	because the prices were rising	because of rising prices
One word for many	in spite of the fact that	although
Adjective for a clause	a problem that is very serious	a serious problem
Participle to join sentences	Nicotine narrows blood vessels. So the heart has to work harder.	Nicotine narrows blood vessels, overworking the heart.
Relative clause to join sentences	Fossil fuels were discovered. They store solar energy.	Fossil fuels, which store solar energy, were discovered.
Active for passive	The passage was written by the writer to warn people.	The writer warns people.
Collective word for a list	Facebook, Instagram and Twitter	social media
General word for a figure	96 of the 120 students	most students
Cut fillers	It is a fact that it is really very important to	It is important to
Cut doublets and repetitions	each and every student; true and correct; final end result	every student; true; result
Noun for a verb phrase	people are moving from villages to cities	urbanization (rural migration)

50 wordy phrases and their short forms

Learn the right-hand column. Each short form saves two to five words.
Wordy phrase	Short form	Wordy phrase	Short form
in spite of the fact that	although	make a decision	decide
despite the fact that	though	give consideration to	consider
due to the fact that	because	come to the conclusion	conclude
owing to the fact that	because	make an attempt	try
for the reason that	because	put an end to	end
in view of the fact that	since	in the course of	during
at this point in time	now	during the time that	while
at the present time	now, today	until such time as	until
in this day and age	today	prior to	before
in the event that	if	subsequent to	after
in a situation in which	when	in close proximity to	near
in order to	to	each and every	every
for the purpose of	for, to	first and foremost	first
with regard to	about	in addition to this	also, moreover
in connection with	about	in the absence of	without
a large number of	many	is of the opinion that	believes
a great deal of	much	has a tendency to	tends to
the majority of	most	is in need of	needs
in the near future	soon	by means of	by
at all times	always	with the exception of	except
on a regular basis	regularly	has an effect on	affects
in a careful manner	carefully	take part in	join
is able to	can	give rise to	cause
has the ability to	can	bring to an end	end
it is necessary that	must	the reason why is that	because

One word for a group of words

Group of words	One word
people who cannot read or write	illiterate
a period of ten years	decade
that cannot be avoided	inevitable
happening every year	annual
of the whole world	global
that cannot be cured	incurable
one who works without pay	volunteer
a person who walks on the road	pedestrian
able to speak two languages	bilingual
that cannot be counted	countless
one who leaves his country to live in another	emigrant
a person who looks on the bright side	optimist
to go from one place to live in another	migrate
growth of towns and cities	urbanization
the number of people who can read and write	literacy rate
people who are out of work	the unemployed
that does not move or grow	stagnant
to make something less strong or less effective	weaken
a person who cannot stop using a drug	addict
the people of a country as a whole	the public

Reducing a sentence step by step

Reduce this sentence (60 words) without losing its meaning: "In spite of the fact that a large number of students are of the opinion that they are able to study at all times with their phones lying next to them on the desk, it has been shown by researchers that a phone that is placed near a student has an effect on his concentration in a very serious manner."

Replace wordy phrases: in spite of the fact that becomes although; a large number of becomes many; are of the opinion that becomes believe; are able to becomes can; at all times becomes always.
Replace the clause with a phrase: with their phones lying next to them on the desk becomes with their phones nearby.
Change the passive to the active: it has been shown by researchers becomes research shows.
Replace the last clause: a phone that is placed near a student has an effect on his concentration in a very serious manner becomes a nearby phone seriously affects concentration.

Result (21 words): "Although many students believe they can always study with their phones nearby, research shows that a nearby phone seriously affects concentration."

Linking the points: coherence

Coherence means that the ideas follow one another logically, so the summary reads as one piece of writing and not as a list of notes. You create it with transitional devices (linkers) and with reporting verbs that show the writer's attitude. This is one of the criteria the framework names: "clear logical transitions".

Function	Linkers to use in a summary
Addition	moreover, furthermore, also, in addition, besides, similarly
Contrast	however, but, whereas, while, on the other hand, yet
Concession	although, though, even though, despite
Cause	because, since, as, because of, due to
Effect or result	therefore, so, as a result, consequently, thus, hence
Sequence	first, then, later, finally, at first, eventually
Conclusion	finally, in conclusion, the writer concludes that, overall
Purpose	to, in order to, so that

Reporting verbs that show the writer's attitude

Attitude	Reporting verbs	Example
Neutral	says, states, explains, describes, points out	The writer explains that nicotine narrows the blood vessels.
Arguing a case	argues, claims, maintains, believes	The writer argues that sports are as important as studies.
Stressing	stresses, emphasizes, highlights	The writer stresses the need to raise the literacy rate.
Warning	warns, cautions	The writer warns that chewing tobacco is also harmful.
Advising	suggests, urges, recommends, advises	The writer urges schools to provide playgrounds.
Telling a story	recalls, describes, narrates	The writer recalls how a flood forced his family to flee.
Ending	concludes	The writer concludes that reforms are a necessity.

Unlinked points and a linked summary

Join these notes into coherent sentences: smoking harms the heart; smoking harms the lungs; people find it hard to stop; addiction to nicotine.

Unlinked (weak): Smoking harms the heart. It harms the lungs. People find it hard to stop. Nicotine is addictive.

Linked (strong): Smoking harms both the heart and the lungs; however, people find it hard to stop because nicotine is addictive.

Writing the titleOften examined

The title is worth 1 mark, and it is the easiest mark in Question 2 if you follow a few rules. A good title tells the reader, in a few words, what the whole passage is about.

Rules for a good title

Short: 2 to 6 words.
A noun phrase, not a sentence: "The Dangers of Smoking", not "Smoking Is Very Dangerous For Health."
Central idea: it must fit the whole passage, not just one paragraph or one example.
Capital letters on the main words: capitalise the first word and every noun, verb, adjective, adverb and pronoun. Keep a, an, the, and, but, or and short prepositions (of, in, on, for, to) in small letters unless they come first.
No full stop at the end. A colon inside the title is fine: "Overpopulation: Effects and Remedies".
Not a question: a question is a poor title in an exam because it does not state the central idea.
No quotation marks and no quoted line: do not lift a sentence from the passage and put it in inverted commas.
Written on top of the summary, in the centre of the line. You may underline it.

Types of title

Type	When to use it	Examples
Topic title	The passage describes or explains one subject.	The Industrial Revolution; Digital Marketing
Topic with a focus	The passage is about one aspect of a subject.	The Dangers of Smoking; Pakistan's Water Crisis
Problem and solution	The passage gives a problem and its remedies.	Overpopulation: Effects and Remedies
Cause and effect	The passage explains why something happens and what it leads to.	Climate Change and Pakistan; Effects of Screen Time
Message title	The passage teaches a lesson or tells a story with a moral.	A Lesson in Courage; The Value of Sports

Good and bad titles for the smoking passage (2026 Set D)

Title	Verdict	Why
The Dangers of Smoking	Good	Short noun phrase; covers the whole passage.
Tobacco: A Slow Poison	Good	Names the subject and the writer's message.
Chronic Bronchitis	Poor	Fits only one part of the second paragraph.
Why Do People Smoke?	Poor	A question; the passage is about harm, not reasons.
Smoking is injurious to health.	Poor	A full sentence with a full stop; main words not capitalised.
"The Only Way to Treat Lung Cancer"	Poor	Copied from the passage in quotation marks; misses the central idea.
The Effects of Nicotine, Carbon Monoxide and Tar on the Human Body and Its Organs	Poor	Far too long.

Presenting the answer and the final check

Lay out the answer on the answer sheet in this order:

The title, centred on the first line (you may underline it).
The summary as one indented paragraph.
The word count in brackets at the end: (Word count: 98).

Proofreading checklist

Does the first sentence state the central idea?
Is every paragraph of the passage represented, in order?
Have I removed every example, figure, quotation, question and piece of dialogue?
Is it all in the third person, with consistent tenses: present for the writer's views and general facts, past for events and stories?
Have I copied any full sentence? If yes, rewrite it.
Are the ideas joined with suitable linkers?
Is it between one-fourth and one-third of the passage (never over one-half)?
Are spellings of key words (environment, government, pollution, necessary) correct, and does every sentence have a subject and a verb?
Is the title short, a noun phrase, capitalised, without a full stop?

Common mistakes

Mistake	Why it loses marks	Fix
Copying sentences	No marks for own words	Rewrite from your notes, not from the passage
Adding an opinion ("I think the government should...")	A summary reports the writer only	Remove it; keep the writer's view: "The writer urges..."
Several paragraphs or bullet points	Poor coherence	One paragraph with linkers
Keeping examples and numbers	Too long; misses the point	General words: many, most, crops, social evils
Mixing tenses	Grammar marks lost	Present for essays, past for stories
Beginning "This passage is about..."	Wasted words	Begin with the idea: "Overpopulation has damaged..."
Missing the last paragraph (solutions or conclusion)	Content marks lost	Always check the last paragraph: it often holds the writer's message
No title or a sentence as a title	Title mark lost	Short noun phrase on top
No word count or a false word count	The examiner cannot trust the length	Count exactly and write it

Worked example 1: a problem and solution passageOften examined

This passage is typical of FBISE: a problem, its causes, then solutions, with plenty of numbers and examples to cut.

Pakistan's water (290 words)

Summarize the given passage in your own words and suggest a suitable title. (7+1=8)

Pakistan, once a water-rich country, is now moving quickly towards water scarcity. In 1951, every Pakistani had about 5,000 cubic metres of water a year. Today the figure has fallen below 1,000 cubic metres, which is the level experts call "water scarce". If nothing changes, the country could face a severe shortage within the next few years.

Several factors have caused this crisis. The first is the rapid growth of population, which increases the demand for drinking water, food and electricity. The second is the poor management of water. Nearly 90 percent of our water is used in agriculture, yet most farmers still flood their fields, a method that wastes a large amount of water. In cities such as Karachi and Lahore, old pipes leak, and much of the supply is lost before it reaches homes. Moreover, Pakistan can store water for only about 30 days, while India can store it for about 170 days. Climate change has made matters worse. The glaciers in the north are melting faster, and the rains have become irregular, bringing floods in one year and droughts in the next.

What can be done to solve this problem? The government must build new dams and repair old canals. Farmers should be trained to use modern methods such as drip irrigation and sprinklers, which use far less water. Rainwater harvesting should be made compulsory for new buildings. Above all, every citizen must learn to value water. We should turn off the tap while brushing our teeth, fix leaking taps at once, and avoid washing cars with hoses. As a famous saying goes, "You never miss the water till the well runs dry." If we act now, we can save our future generations from a terrible crisis.

Step 1: Central idea

Pakistan is running out of water because of population growth, poor management and climate change, and both the government and citizens must act.

Step 2: Points list (own words, in order)

Pakistan, once rich in water, is fast becoming water-scarce; the supply per person has fallen sharply.
Cause 1: rapid population growth raises demand.
Cause 2: poor management: wasteful flood irrigation, leaking city pipes, very little storage.
Cause 3: climate change: glaciers melt faster, rain is irregular (floods and droughts).
Remedies: dams and repaired canals, modern irrigation, compulsory rainwater harvesting.
Every citizen must value and save water; timely action will protect future generations.

Step 3: First draft (192 words: too long)

Pakistan was once a country with a lot of water, but now it is moving quickly towards water scarcity. In 1951 each person had about 5,000 cubic metres of water every year, but today it is less than 1,000 cubic metres. There are several factors behind this crisis. The population is growing rapidly, and so the demand for drinking water, food and electricity is increasing. Water is also managed badly. About 90 percent of it goes to agriculture, and farmers flood their fields. In cities like Karachi and Lahore, the pipes are old and they leak. Pakistan can store water for only 30 days, but India can store it for 170 days. Because of climate change, the glaciers are melting faster and the rains are irregular. What can be done? The government must build new dams and repair old canals, and farmers should use drip irrigation and sprinklers. Rainwater harvesting should be compulsory. We should turn off the tap while brushing our teeth and we should fix leaking taps. As the saying goes, "You never miss the water till the well runs dry." If we act now, we can save future generations.

Problem in the draft	Where	Fix
Far too long	192 words is 66% of the passage	Aim for about 97 words
Figures kept	5,000 and 1,000 cubic metres; 90 percent; 30 and 170 days	"has fallen sharply"; "very little storage"
Examples kept	Karachi and Lahore; drip irrigation and sprinklers; brushing teeth	"city pipes"; "modern irrigation"; "save water"
Rhetorical question kept	What can be done?	"To solve the problem, ..."
Quotation kept	"You never miss the water..."	Drop it
First person	We should turn off the tap	"Citizens must learn to save water"
Copied sentences	"moving quickly towards water scarcity", "repair old canals"	Rewrite in new words

Step 4: Final answer

Pakistan's Water Crisis

Pakistan, once rich in water, is fast becoming a water-scarce country, as the supply for each person has fallen sharply. The main causes are rapid population growth, which raises demand, and poor water management. Farmers waste water through outdated irrigation, city pipes leak, and the country can store very little water. Climate change has worsened the situation by melting glaciers faster and making rainfall irregular. To solve the problem, the government should build dams and repair canals, farmers should adopt modern irrigation, and rainwater should be harvested. Above all, citizens must learn to save water, because timely action can protect future generations.

(Word count: 102)

Worked example 2: first person, dialogue and numbersOften examined

This passage has every special case: it is written in the first person, it contains direct speech and a question, it gives a survey with numbers, and it lists apps. Watch how each is converted.

Students and reading (287 words)

Summarize the given passage in your own words and suggest a suitable title. (7+1=8)

I have been teaching English at a college in Rawalpindi for twenty years, and I have never seen students read as little as they do today. Last month, one of my brightest students said to me, "Sir, why should I read a whole book when I can watch a summary on YouTube in ten minutes?" His question made me think. Is reading really out of date?

I decided to find out how my students spend their free time. I asked 120 of them to fill in a simple form. The results shocked me. As many as 96 of them spent more than four hours a day on their phones, watching videos, playing games, scrolling through TikTok and chatting on WhatsApp. Only 9 had read a book, other than a textbook, in the last six months.

Yet reading gives us things that a screen cannot. When we read a novel, we slow down, imagine the characters and think about their choices. This improves our concentration, our vocabulary and our ability to understand other people. A short video, on the other hand, gives information but leaves little time for thought. Doctors also warn that long hours on screens harm our eyes and disturb our sleep.

I do not believe that phones are the enemy. They can be used to read e-books and useful articles. The problem is not the machine but the habit. So I told my student, "Give me thirty minutes a day for one month. Read anything you like, and then decide." He agreed. A month later, he walked into my class with a copy of The Old Man and the Sea and said, "Sir, I did not know that a book could hold me like this."

Step 1: Central idea

Students read far less because of phones, although reading brings benefits that screens cannot; the fault lies in habits, not in phones.

Step 2: Points list

The writer, a college teacher, finds that students today read far less than before.
A student asked why he should read books when short online summaries exist (question becomes a statement in reported speech).
A survey showed that a large majority spend several hours a day on phones for entertainment, while very few read books (numbers become general words).
Reading improves concentration, vocabulary and understanding of others; short videos leave little room for thought.
Too much screen time harms the eyes and sleep.
The problem is the habit, not the phone, which can also be used for reading.
After reading daily for a month, the student came to love books.

Step 3: First draft (131 words: wrong form)

I have been teaching for twenty years and students read very little. One of my students said, "Sir, why should I read a whole book when I can watch a summary on YouTube in ten minutes?" Is reading really out of date? I asked 120 students and 96 of them spent more than four hours a day on their phones, watching videos, playing games, scrolling through TikTok and chatting on WhatsApp. Only 9 had read a book. Reading improves our concentration, vocabulary and ability to understand people, but a video leaves little time for thought. Doctors say screens harm our eyes and sleep. Phones are not the enemy; the problem is the habit. I told my student to read for thirty minutes a day, and after a month he loved books.

The length is nearly acceptable, but the draft is written as the writer (I, my, our), keeps the dialogue in inverted commas, asks a question, lists four apps and gives exact numbers. It would lose most of the marks for form and own words.

Step 4: Conversions

Passage	Special case	Summary
I have been teaching English at a college in Rawalpindi for twenty years	First person, detail	The writer, a college teacher,
"Sir, why should I read a whole book when I can watch a summary on YouTube in ten minutes?"	Direct speech, question	a student asked why he should read books when he could watch short summaries online
Is reading really out of date?	Rhetorical question	Dropped
96 of 120; only 9	Statistics	a large majority; very few
watching videos, playing games, scrolling through TikTok and chatting on WhatsApp	List	for entertainment
I do not believe that phones are the enemy.	First-person opinion	bad habits, not phones, are the real problem
"Sir, I did not know that a book could hold me like this."	Direct speech	the student began to love books

Step 5: Final answer

Screens and the Reading Habit

The writer, a college teacher, observes that students today read far less than before. When a student asked why he should read books if he could watch short summaries online, the writer surveyed his students. He found that a large majority spent hours daily on their phones for entertainment, while very few read books. He believes that reading improves concentration, vocabulary and understanding of others, whereas short videos leave little room for thought. Excessive screen time also harms the eyes and sleep. However, he argues that bad habits, not phones, are the real problem. Indeed, the student began to love books after reading daily for a month.

(Word count: 107)

Key terms

Summary: A shortened account of a passage in your own words that keeps all its main ideas; one-fourth to one-half of the original, ideally about one-third.
Précis (precis): A strict, compact summary, usually about one-third of the original, keeping only the main ideas in their order. FBISE uses it for the same question as summary.
Title: A short noun phrase (2 to 6 words) that names the central idea of the whole passage; 1 mark in Q2 (i).
Central idea (gist, theme): The one idea the whole passage is about.
Main idea: The key point of one paragraph.
Topic sentence: The sentence of a paragraph that states its main idea, usually the first or the last.
Supporting detail: An example, figure, name, date, description or quotation that supports a main idea; dropped or generalised in a summary.
Own words (paraphrase): Expressing an idea with new words and new sentence patterns instead of copying the passage.
Lifting: Copying sentences or long phrases from the passage into the summary; it loses the marks for own words.
Coherence: The logical flow of ideas that makes a summary read as one connected piece of writing.
Transitional device (linker): A word or phrase that shows how two ideas are related: however, therefore, moreover, as a result.
Reporting verb: A verb used to report what the writer or a speaker says and how: argues, warns, urges, recalls, concludes.
Reported (indirect) speech: Giving the meaning of someone's words without quoting them: "She replied that they were her own people."
Collective (general) word: One word that covers a list of items: fruits for apples, oranges and mangoes; social media for Facebook and Instagram.
Rhetorical question: A question asked for effect, not for an answer; in a summary it is dropped or turned into a statement.
Third person: Writing with he, she, it, they, people or the writer, never I, we or you.
Word count: The number of words in the summary (title not included), written in brackets at the end.
Redundancy: Using more words than needed, for example each and every, or saying the same idea twice.

Practice passages

Three new passages in FBISE style. Write your own summary and title first, then compare with the model answer: check that you have the same main points, a similar length and no copied sentences.

18 marks

Summarize the given passage in your own words and suggest a suitable title. (7+1=8) (Passage: 271 words)

Many parents in Pakistan believe that sports are a waste of time. When a child picks up a cricket bat after school, he is often told to go back to his books. This attitude is harmful, because sports are as important for a young person as studies.

First of all, sports keep the body healthy. Regular exercise strengthens the heart, lungs and muscles, and it protects young people from obesity, diabetes and other diseases that are becoming common in our cities. A student who plays football or hockey for an hour a day is usually more active and alert in class than one who spends the evening on a sofa.

Sports also train the mind and character. On the playing field, students learn discipline, patience and teamwork. They learn to follow rules, to respect their opponents and to accept defeat with grace. A captain learns to lead, and every player learns that a team wins only when its members work together. These lessons are valuable in offices, hospitals and homes long after school ends.

Moreover, games relieve the stress of studies. Students who prepare for board examinations often suffer from anxiety. A game of badminton or a swim in the evening refreshes them, and they return to their books with a clearer mind. Research has shown that students who exercise regularly often get better grades than those who do not.

Therefore, schools and colleges should give sports the place they deserve. Every institution should have playgrounds, trained coaches and a fixed period for games, and parents should encourage their children to play. A nation that plays together stays healthy and united.

Solution

Central idea

Sports are as important as studies because they build health, character and calm, so schools and parents should support them.

Main points (rough work)

Many parents think sports waste time, but sports are as important as studies.
Exercise keeps the body fit, prevents common diseases and makes students alert in class.
Sports build character: discipline, patience, teamwork, respect for rules and opponents, graceful defeat, leadership; these lessons last for life.
Games relieve examination stress and may improve grades.
Schools should provide playgrounds, coaches and time for games; parents should encourage play; a nation that plays stays healthy and united.

Final answer

Sports in Student Life

The writer argues that sports are as important as studies, although many Pakistani parents consider them a waste of time. Regular exercise keeps the body fit, prevents common diseases and makes students more alert. Sports also build character by teaching discipline, patience, teamwork and graceful acceptance of defeat, lessons that last a lifetime. Moreover, games relieve examination stress and can even improve grades. The writer therefore urges schools to provide facilities, coaches and time for sports, and parents to encourage their children to play, as this keeps a nation healthy and united.

(Word count: 92)

Alternative title: The Value of Games

What was left out and why

Cricket bat, football, hockey, badminton and swimming are examples of sports.
"Obesity, diabetes and other diseases" becomes "common diseases".
"Offices, hospitals and homes" becomes "a lifetime".
"Research has shown" is kept only as its result: games can improve grades.

28 marks

Write a precis of the passage and suggest a suitable title. (7+1=8) (Passage: 282 words)

Pakistan contributes less than one percent of the world's greenhouse gases, yet it is among the ten countries most affected by climate change. This is a cruel injustice. The rich industrial nations have burned coal, oil and gas for two centuries, and the poorer nations are paying the price.

The effects are already visible. In the summer of 2022, heavy monsoon rains and melting glaciers caused the worst floods in the country's history. About one-third of Pakistan was under water. More than 33 million people were affected, around 1,700 lost their lives, and millions of acres of cotton, rice and sugarcane were destroyed. Only a few months earlier, the city of Jacobabad had recorded a temperature of 51 degrees Celsius, one of the highest in the world. Heatwaves, droughts and floods are no longer rare events; they have become part of our lives.

Climate change also threatens our food and water. Pakistan depends on the Indus River, which is fed by the glaciers of the Himalayas, the Karakoram and the Hindu Kush. As these glaciers melt, the river will first flood and later shrink. Rising temperatures will also reduce the yield of wheat, our most important crop.

What should Pakistan do? It cannot stop global warming alone, but it can prepare for it. It must plant more trees, build flood walls and early warning systems, and adopt clean energy such as solar and wind power. Farmers need seeds that can survive heat and drought. At the same time, Pakistan must press the rich countries to cut their emissions and to pay for the damage they have caused. Climate change is not a problem of the future; it is the challenge of today.

Solution

Central idea

Pakistan suffers heavily from a climate crisis it did little to cause, so it must adapt and demand action from rich nations.

Main points (rough work)

Pakistan produces a tiny share of greenhouse gases but is among the worst-affected countries; this is unjust because rich nations caused the problem.
Effects are visible: record floods submerged much of the country, killing many and destroying crops; extreme heat, droughts and floods are now common.
Food and water are at risk: melting glaciers will first flood and later shrink the Indus; heat will lower wheat yields.
Pakistan must prepare: trees, flood defences, warning systems, clean energy, hardy seeds.
It must press rich nations to cut emissions and pay for the damage; climate change is today's challenge.

Final answer

Climate Change and Pakistan

Although Pakistan produces a tiny share of the world's greenhouse gases, it is among the countries worst affected by climate change, which is unjust because rich industrial nations caused the problem. Record floods recently submerged much of the country, killing many people and destroying crops, while heatwaves and droughts have become common. Melting glaciers will eventually shrink the Indus, and rising temperatures will reduce wheat yields. The writer therefore urges Pakistan to plant trees, build flood defences, adopt clean energy and develop hardy crops, while pressing rich nations to cut emissions and pay for the damage.

(Word count: 96)

Alternative title: Paying for Others' Pollution

What was left out and why

All figures (less than one percent, 2022, one-third, 33 million, 1,700, 51 degrees) become general words: tiny share, recently, much of the country, many people, heatwaves.
"Coal, oil and gas" and "cotton, rice and sugarcane" become the idea (rich nations caused it; crops).
The names of the mountain ranges and Jacobabad are details.
The rhetorical question "What should Pakistan do?" becomes "The writer therefore urges Pakistan to...".
The closing slogan repeats the whole message and is dropped to keep the length.

38 marks

Summarize the given passage in your own words and suggest a suitable title. (7+1=8) (Passage: 275 words)

When the floods reached our village near Nowshera in August, my father woke us at midnight. "Take only what you can carry," he said. "The river is rising." We walked for three hours in the rain until we reached a school on higher ground, where hundreds of families had already gathered. There was no food, no clean water and no light.

The next morning, a group of young volunteers arrived in two old trucks. Most of them were university students from Peshawar. Their leader, a girl named Saba, could not have been older than twenty. She climbed onto a bench and said, "We have rice, lentils and medicine for three days. Children and old people will be served first. Please stand in lines." To my surprise, the frightened crowd obeyed her.

For the next two weeks, the volunteers worked from dawn to midnight. They cooked in huge pots, cleaned the toilets, bandaged wounds and taught the children games so that they would forget their fear. Saba herself slept only four or five hours a night. One evening I asked her, "Why are you doing this? You don't even know us." She smiled and replied, "Do I need to know you to help you? You are my people."

When the water went down and we returned to our ruined home, I was no longer the same boy. I had learned that courage is not the absence of fear but the decision to help in spite of it. Today I am a medical student, and every summer I join a relief team. Whenever I feel tired, I remember Saba standing on that bench, and I carry on.

Solution

Central idea

A young volunteer's selfless work during a flood taught the writer the true meaning of courage and changed his life.

Main points (rough work)

Floods forced the writer's family to flee at night to a crowded school without food, water or light.
Young university volunteers arrived, led by a young woman, Saba, who calmly organised the crowd and fed children and the elderly first.
For two weeks the volunteers worked tirelessly: cooking, cleaning, treating the injured and comforting children.
Asked why she helped strangers, Saba replied that she needed no acquaintance to help her own people (dialogue becomes reported speech).
The writer learned that courage means helping in spite of fear; now a medical student, he joins relief work every summer.

Final answer

A Lesson in Courage

The writer recalls how a flood forced his family to flee at night to a crowded school without food, water or light. The next day, young volunteers arrived, led by a girl named Saba, who calmly organised the crowd and fed children and old people first. For two weeks, they worked tirelessly, cooking, cleaning, treating the injured and comforting the children. When the writer asked Saba why she helped strangers, she replied that they were her own people. The experience taught him that courage means helping in spite of fear, and now, as a medical student, he joins relief work every summer.

(Word count: 102)

Alternative title: Heroes of the Flood

What was left out and why

The passage is a first-person story: I and my become the writer and his; the summary is in the past tense.
All the dialogue is reported without inverted commas, or dropped when only the action matters.
Nowshera, Peshawar, August, the two old trucks and the hours of sleep are details.
Saba's question "Do I need to know you to help you?" becomes part of a statement.

Short drills: reducing, converting and titling

Quick practice of the three skills that make a summary short, correct and well titled.

Reduce each sentence to as few words as possible without changing its meaning.

Due to the fact that the prices of petrol are rising day by day, a large number of people are making use of motorbikes.
At this point in time, the majority of the students in our college are of the opinion that the examination was very difficult.
The team made an attempt to win the match in spite of the fact that its best player was injured.
The government should give consideration to building dams in order to put an end to the shortage of water.
People who cannot read or write find it hard to get jobs that pay well.
Each and every citizen has the ability to save water on a regular basis.
The farmers who were living in the villages moved to the cities because they hoped that they would find work there.
It is a fact that exercise which is done regularly has an effect on the health of the heart in a very positive manner.

Solution

No.	Reduced sentence	Words (before to after)	Technique
1	Because petrol prices keep rising, many people use motorbikes.	24 to 9	due to the fact that = because; a large number of = many; making use of = use
2	Most students at our college now believe the examination was difficult.	23 to 11	at this point in time = now; the majority of = most; are of the opinion that = believe; very dropped
3	The team tried to win although its best player was injured.	20 to 11	made an attempt = tried; in spite of the fact that = although; the match is understood
4	The government should consider building dams to end the water shortage.	19 to 11	give consideration to = consider; in order to = to; put an end to = end
5	Illiterate people find it hard to get well-paid jobs.	15 to 9	one word for a clause: illiterate; adjective for a clause: well-paid
6	Every citizen can save water regularly.	14 to 6	each and every = every; has the ability to = can; on a regular basis = regularly
7	Farmers moved from villages to cities in search of work.	21 to 10	phrase for a clause: in search of work
8	Regular exercise improves heart health.	24 to 5	filler cut; adjective for a clause; improves for has an effect in a positive manner

Rewrite each sentence as it should appear in a summary.

My mother said to me, "Don't waste food, because millions of people sleep hungry."
Why do so many young people leave Pakistan? The answer is simple: they cannot find good jobs.
Eight out of ten households in Islamabad own a car, a motorbike or both.
We Pakistanis must learn to respect the traffic laws.
At Eid, people buy new clothes, shoes, bangles, sweets and gifts.
Look at any hospital in Rawalpindi and you will see long queues of patients.

Solution

No.	In the summary	Special case
1	The writer's mother told him not to waste food because many people go hungry.	Direct speech to reported speech; figure to general word
2	Many young people leave Pakistan because they cannot find good jobs.	Question and answer to one statement
3	Most households in Islamabad own a vehicle.	Statistic to general word; list to collective word
4	The writer believes that Pakistanis must learn to respect traffic laws.	First person to the writer's view
5	At Eid, people shop for new clothes and presents.	List to collective words
6	Hospitals are overcrowded.	Command and you to a general statement; example place dropped

Suggest a suitable title for each paragraph, and give one poor title with the reason it is poor.

(a) Load-shedding has become a daily part of life in many Pakistani towns. Shopkeepers lose customers, students cannot study at night, and factories stop production for hours. The main causes are old power stations, line losses and unpaid bills. Unless new sources such as solar power are developed, the problem will continue to hurt the economy.

(b) Trees are the lungs of a city. They absorb smoke and dust, give shade on hot summer days and lower the temperature of streets. The Margalla Hills keep Islamabad cooler than many other cities. Yet every year, trees are cut down to widen roads. If we want healthy cities, we must plant more trees than we cut.

(c) A poor shoe-polisher at Rawalpindi railway station found a wallet full of money. He could have kept it, but he waited for hours until its owner, an old man, came back to search for it. The old man offered him a reward, but he refused, saying that honesty was his only wealth.

Solution

Paragraph	Good title	Why it works	Poor title (reason)
(a)	Load-shedding and Its Effects	Covers the problem, its effects and causes: the whole paragraph.	Students and Load-shedding (fits one example only)
(b)	The Value of Trees in Cities	Names the subject (trees) and the angle (their value to cities).	The Margalla Hills (only an example)
(c)	The Wealth of Honesty	A message title: the story teaches that honesty is worth more than money.	Did He Keep the Wallet? (a question; misses the moral)

FBISE paper questions

Questions from the FBISE HSSC-II 2026 (1st Annual) papers, the old-syllabus paper and FBISE model papers that belong to this unit, answered the way an examiner expects.

2 (i)2026 Annual I, Set B, Q.2 (i)7+1 = 8 marks

Write down precis of the passage and suggest a suitable title. (7+1=08)

Read the following passage carefully and answer the questions appended to it.

Overpopulation has badly hampered the economic growth in the country. This leads to a decline in the purchasing power of the people. As the demand for the goods decreases, then by the "demand and supply" law, the investment in the country also suffers. Such a stagnant economy will lead to the closing of factories and businesses, and in return add to joblessness and poverty. Greater population means a greater number of hungry souls to feed.

Agriculture is also adversely affected by the rapid increase of over population. More population means smaller farms, and leads to a decline in productivity. People having small farms have no choice but to migrate in hope of a better life. This leads to urbanization, which itself is a major problem. Many social evils like lawlessness, crime and corruption are all the result of over population. Over population has also contributed to toxic pollution. A greater number of vehicles on the roads means the emitting of poisonous gas for people to inhale. Sewage problem and lack of clean drinking water can also be attributed to the population problem.

Proper measures and decisions should be taken to ensure increase in our literacy rate. Pakistan Government has made a very insignificant role in this regard. The role of media can help a lot in bringing awareness among the masses. Print media too needs to emphasize the problem of overpopulation on a more regular basis. It is a very serious problem because it leads to frustration, which means chaos. The problem must be tackled pragmatically for our country. As Pakistan stands at a crossroads, the future of the nation depends on multiple reforms. Addressing these multifaceted challenges is not just an option: it's a necessity.

The words in bold are bold and underlined in the paper; they belong to question (vi).

Solution

Central idea

Overpopulation harms Pakistan's economy, farming, society and environment, and it must be controlled through education, awareness and practical reforms.

Main points (rough work)

Overpopulation has slowed the country's economic growth: buying power falls, demand drops and investment suffers.
A stagnant economy closes factories and businesses, so unemployment, poverty and hunger increase.
Farms become smaller and less productive, so farmers move to cities.
Rapid urban growth brings social evils such as crime and corruption.
More vehicles cause pollution; sewage problems and a shortage of clean water follow.
Remedies: raise the literacy rate (the government has done little) and use electronic and print media to spread awareness.
Conclusion: the problem causes frustration and disorder, so practical, wide-ranging reforms are necessary.

Final answer

Overpopulation: Effects and Remedies

Overpopulation has seriously damaged the country's economy. As people's buying power falls, demand and investment decline, forcing factories and businesses to close and increasing unemployment, poverty and hunger. Agriculture also suffers, because land is divided into small, less productive farms, and farmers move to cities. This rapid urban growth breeds crime and corruption, while more vehicles pollute the air and pressure grows on sewage and clean water. The writer therefore stresses raising the literacy rate and using the media to spread awareness, since the government has done little. The writer concludes that this serious problem must be tackled practically through wide reforms.

(Word count: 102)

Alternative title: The Curse of Overpopulation

What was left out and why

The "demand and supply" law: a technical aside; the idea (lower demand, lower investment) is kept.
The list "lawlessness, crime and corruption" is shortened to two words.
"Print media too": electronic and print media are covered by one word, media.
The metaphors "stands at a crossroads" and "not just an option: it's a necessity" become "wide reforms".
The frustration and chaos point is covered by "this serious problem" to keep the length near one-third.

Note. The paper says "precis" and the other sets say "summarize"; the task and the marking are the same.

2 (i)2026 Annual I, Set D, Q.2 (i)7+1 = 8 marks

Summarize the given passage in your own words and suggest a suitable title (7+1=08)

Read the following passage carefully and answer the questions appended to it.

The next time you see a packet of cigarettes, notice there is a warning about the dangers of cigarette smoking to your health. In the past, people did not know about the dangers of cigarette smoking. But medical experts have learned that the smoke from tobacco contains poisonous substances that can damage your body. Smoking tobacco in pipes or cigars is just as harmful as smoking cigarettes. Three seconds after a person starts smoking a cigarette, his heart beats faster, his blood pressure rises, and a portion of the oxygen in his blood is replaced by a harmful gas. Cancer-causing chemicals also fill his lungs every time he inhales the smoke. Nicotine, carbon monoxide, and tar are the most dangerous substances in cigarette smoke.

Nicotine narrows blood vessels, so the heart needs to work harder to pump blood through the body. Carbon monoxide is a harmful gas that replaces part of the oxygen in blood. The oxygen level in a smoker's blood is lowered by this poisonous gas. Tar damages lung tissues. It affects the hair-like parts of cells, called cilia, that line the breathing tubes. Cigarette smoke also causes a lung disease known as chronic bronchitis. It occurs when smoke irritates the lining of the bronchial tubes, making them produce too much mucus. The mucus blocks the air tubes, and a person with bronchitis coughs a lot to get rid of it. As tar builds up on the walls of the air tubes and lungs over the years, it can cause cancer cells to grow. Cancer cells multiply and destroy the healthy cells. The only way to treat lung cancer is to remove all or some part of the diseased lung. This type of cancer is the second-highest cause of death among people who smoke.

Smokers often find it very difficult to quit the habit. Smokers' bodies become so used to nicotine that they have a nervous reaction when they don't get it. The body tells the brain that it wants nicotine. It needs a lot of willpower and resistance. Some people think that chewing tobacco won't harm their health, but they are wrong. Nicotine makes the heart speed up, and chewing tobacco also leads to other health problems e.g mouth cancer or damage the gums and teeth.

The words in bold are bold and underlined in the paper; they belong to question (vi).

Solution

Central idea

Tobacco, whether smoked or chewed, seriously damages the heart and lungs, and it is addictive and hard to give up.

Main points (rough work)

Experts now know that tobacco smoke contains poisons that harm the body; pipes and cigars are as harmful as cigarettes (the packet warning is only the lead-in).
Within seconds, smoking speeds up the heart, raises blood pressure, lowers oxygen and fills the lungs with cancer-causing chemicals.
Nicotine, carbon monoxide and tar are the most dangerous substances.
Nicotine narrows blood vessels and overworks the heart; carbon monoxide reduces the oxygen in the blood.
Tar damages lung tissue; smoke inflames the breathing tubes and causes chronic bronchitis (mucus blocks the airways).
Over the years, tar can cause lung cancer, a major killer of smokers (the treatment detail is dropped).
Quitting is hard because the body becomes addicted to nicotine; it needs strong willpower.
Chewing tobacco is also harmful: it speeds up the heart and causes mouth cancer and damage to the gums and teeth.

Final answer

The Dangers of Smoking

Experts now know that tobacco smoke, whether from cigarettes, pipes or cigars, contains poisons that harm the body. Within seconds of smoking, the heart beats faster, blood pressure rises and cancer-causing chemicals enter the lungs. Nicotine, carbon monoxide and tar are the most dangerous of these substances. Nicotine narrows the blood vessels and overworks the heart, while carbon monoxide reduces the oxygen in the blood. Tar damages the lungs, and smoke inflames the breathing tubes, causing chronic bronchitis, in which mucus blocks the airways. Over the years, tar can also cause lung cancer, a major killer of smokers. Moreover, quitting is difficult because the body becomes addicted to nicotine. Finally, the writer warns that chewing tobacco is also harmful, as it causes mouth cancer and damages the gums and teeth.

(Word count: 130)

Alternative title: Tobacco: A Slow Poison

What was left out and why

The opening address to the reader ("The next time you see a packet...") is an introduction, not a main idea.
"Three seconds after" becomes "within seconds"; the exact figure is a detail.
The cilia and the bronchial tubes: technical details; "breathing tubes" covers them.
The coughing and the treatment by removing the lung are details of the diseases.
"Second-highest cause of death" becomes "a major killer".
"The body tells the brain that it wants nicotine" repeats the addiction point.
"e.g mouth cancer or damage the gums and teeth" is kept briefly because it is the evidence that chewing tobacco is harmful.

2 (i)2026 Annual I, Set A, Q.2 (i)7+1 = 8 marks

Summarize the given passage in your own words and suggest a suitable title. (7+1=08)

Read the following passage carefully and answer the questions appended to it.

Try to imagine what your life would be like without any machines working for you. Make a list of the machines in your household and on your person; you may be surprised by the number.

Before the Industrial Revolution, humans relied on immediate energy sources like sunlight, biomass, and wind. This changed around 1750 with the discovery of fossil fuels (coal, oil, and natural gas). These fuels consist of solar energy stored in ancient biological remains over millions of years, providing an immense capacity for work that transformed human productivity.

The story of the Industrial Revolution begins on the small island of Great Britain. By the early 18th century, people there had used up most of their trees for building houses and ships and for cooking and heating. In their search for something else to burn, they turned to the hunks of black stone (coal) that they found near the surface of the earth. Soon they were digging deeper to mine it. Their coal mines filled with water that needed to be removed; horses pulling up bucketfuls proved slow going.

At the outset of the 19th century, British colonies in North America were producing lots of cotton, using machines to spin the cotton thread on spindles and to weave it into cloth on looms. When they attached a steam engine to these machines, they could easily out produce India, up until then the world's leading producer of cotton cloth. One steam engine could power many spindles and looms. This meant that people had to leave their homes and work together in factories.

Early in the 19th century the British also invented steam locomotives and steamships, which revolutionized travel. In 1851 they held the first world's fair, at which they exhibited telegraphs, sewing machines, revolvers, reaping machines, and steam hammers to demonstrate they that were the world's leading manufacturer of machinery. By this time the characteristics of industrial society (smoke rising from factories, bigger cities and denser populations, railroads) could be seen in many places in Britain.

The words in bold are bold and underlined in the paper; they belong to question (vi).

Solution

Central idea

The Industrial Revolution, which began in Britain with coal and steam power, replaced muscle and nature with machines and created modern industrial society.

Main points (rough work)

Modern life depends on machines (the opening invitation to count them is dropped).
Before the Industrial Revolution, people used direct energy: sun, biomass, wind.
From the mid-eighteenth century, fossil fuels (stored ancient solar energy) greatly increased productivity.
The revolution began in Britain: forests were used up, so people mined coal; flooded mines were slow to drain.
In the early nineteenth century, steam-powered spinning and weaving machines out-produced India and moved workers into factories.
Steam trains and steamships transformed travel; the first world's fair showed Britain as the leading maker of machines.
Result: smoky factories, crowded cities and railways became features of British life.

Final answer

The Industrial Revolution in Britain

Modern life depends heavily on machines. Before the Industrial Revolution, people used only direct sources of energy such as the sun and wind, but from the mid-eighteenth century fossil fuels, which store ancient solar energy, greatly increased human productivity. The revolution began in Britain, where people had used up their forests and therefore started mining coal, although draining the flooded mines was slow. In the early nineteenth century, steam-powered spinning and weaving machines produced more cotton cloth than India and drew workers from their homes into factories. Steam trains and ships also transformed travel, and the first world's fair showed that Britain led the world in machinery. Consequently, smoky factories, crowded cities and railways became common in Britain.

(Word count: 118)

Alternative title: The Rise of the Machine Age

What was left out and why

The invitation to list the machines in your household (second person, a command) becomes one statement: modern life depends on machines.
"Sunlight, biomass, and wind" becomes "the sun and wind"; the list of fossil fuels becomes "fossil fuels".
The dates 1750 and 1851 become "the mid-eighteenth century" and "the first world's fair".
"Hunks of black stone" and "horses pulling up bucketfuls" are descriptive details.
The North American colonies and "one steam engine could power many spindles" are details of the cotton point.
The list of exhibits at the fair becomes "machinery".

Note. The paper prints "to demonstrate they that were the world's leading manufacturer" (a misprint for "that they were"); it is transcribed as printed. The paper's dashes around "smoke rising from factories ... railroads" are shown as brackets.

2 (i)2026 Annual I, Old syllabus (Curriculum 2006), Q.2 (i), old syllabus7+1 = 8 marks

Write down summary of the passage and suggest a suitable title. (7+1=08)

Read the given passage and answer the questions including Question No. (i) appended to it.

The current state of Technical Vocation Educational Training (TVET) is not very encouraging. We need at least a million skilled workers every year to cater to our industry and other sectors. The strength of skilled workers in the country however remains just around 300,000. It is hurting to note that hardly 16.3 percent of the youth cohort completes secondary education, with the result that more than three-quarters leave educational institutions without foundational or life skills. The majority of Pakistan's emerging labour force is either without education and skills or has very little of both. Thus the sustainable delivery of quality TVET is critical to the attainment of Pakistan's economic development goals.

The other challenge of the system is that it does not give due importance to vocational and technical education. This resulted in the mismatch between the skilled manpower required and the skilled manpower available. Majority of the workers in the tattered economy have never been to vocational training institutions. Moreover, vocational training courses lack market responsiveness. The contribution of the industry in the development of curricula is also limited. Due to this reason there are insufficient linkages with industries and coverage of trades in the services sector which has higher employment potential.

A number of measures need to be taken for improving the technical education structure of Pakistan. The educational pattern at the school level needs to be redesigned to facilitate skill development. Integration of vocational education is needed at this level. It should be subsidized and scholarships should be awarded to deserving students. The course curricula should be revised periodically through flexible approaches based on the learning outcome. More and more popular and market-oriented courses need to be introduced. Vocational education should be more computer-based and computerized programmes should be part of the general curriculum.

If suitable and updated policies were implemented in letter and spirit in the field of vocational and technical education, it can sail the country through current rough waters to the bright future with high employment and sustainable economic growth

The words in bold are bold and underlined in the paper; they belong to question (vi).

Solution

Central idea

Pakistan's technical and vocational education is weak and out of touch with the market, and reforming it is essential for jobs and economic growth.

Main points (rough work)

Technical and vocational education and training (TVET) in Pakistan is in a poor state.
The country has far fewer skilled workers than industry needs (statistics become general words).
Very few young people finish secondary school, so most of the workforce lacks education and skills.
Quality TVET is therefore vital for economic development.
The system neglects vocational education, so the skills available do not match those required; most workers are untrained.
Courses do not meet market needs because industry has little role in designing them; links with industry and the service sector are weak.
Remedies: vocational training at school level, subsidies and scholarships, regularly revised, market-oriented and computer-based courses.
Sincerely implemented, sound policies can bring high employment and lasting growth.

Final answer

Reforming Technical Education in Pakistan

The writer says that technical and vocational education and training (TVET) in Pakistan is in a poor state. The country has far fewer skilled workers than it needs, and since very few young people complete secondary school, most of the workforce lacks both education and skills. Quality TVET is therefore vital for economic progress. However, the system neglects vocational education, so the skills available do not match those required. Moreover, courses do not meet market needs because industry has little say in designing them. Vocational training should therefore begin at school, be supported by subsidies and scholarships, and offer updated, market-oriented and computer-based courses. If sound policies are sincerely implemented, they can bring high employment and lasting economic growth.

(Word count: 119)

Alternative title: Skills for Economic Growth

What was left out and why

All the statistics (a million workers, 300,000, 16.3 percent, three-quarters) become general words: far fewer, very few, most.
"We" and "our industry" become "the country" and "its industries".
"Tattered economy" and the service-sector linkages are details of the mismatch point.
The idioms "in letter and spirit" and "sail the country through current rough waters" become "sincerely implemented" and "bring".

Note. The last sentence of the passage has no full stop in the paper; it is transcribed as printed.

2 (i)Model paper, Q.2 (i)7+1 = 8 marks

Summarize the given passage in your own words and suggest a suitable title. (7+1=8)

Read the given passage carefully and answer the questions including Question No. (i) appended to it.

Digital marketing has become an essential part of modern business strategy, transforming the way companies connect with their customers. Unlike traditional marketing methods, which rely on physical channels like television, print, and billboards, digital marketing utilizes online platforms to reach a wide range of audience. With the rise of the internet, social media, and mobile technology, businesses now have direct access to their target market anytime, anywhere.

One of the key benefits of digital marketing is its ability to offer precise targeting. Through tools like Search Engine Optimization (SEO), businesses can ensure that their website ranks higher in search results, helping potential customers find them easily. Additionally, digital marketing allows for the personalization of content. Businesses can use data analytics to understand customer preferences and behavior, creating tailored marketing campaigns that resonate with individual consumers.

Social media platforms, such as Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter, have also played a vital role in reshaping marketing strategies. These platforms enable businesses to engage with their audience on a more personal level, fostering relationships and building brand loyalty. Paid advertising on social media allows businesses to reach specific demographics, ensuring that their message is seen by the right people.

Another important aspect of digital marketing is email marketing. By sending targeted emails to customers, businesses can keep their audience informed about new products, special offers, and promotions. Email marketing is an effective way to encourage business and nurture long-term customer relationships.

With its cost-effectiveness, ability to reach a global audience, and measurable results, digital marketing has become a fundamental tool for success in the competitive business world. As technology continues to evolve, digital marketing will undoubtedly play an even greater role in shaping the future of business.

(Text Word Count: 283 Words)

The words in bold are bold and underlined in the paper (numbered 1 to 6); they belong to question (vi).

Solution

Central idea

Digital marketing, through targeting, personalization, social media and email, has become the most important marketing tool for modern business.

Main points (rough work)

Digital marketing is now essential to business; unlike traditional marketing (physical media), it uses online platforms and gives direct, constant access to customers.
Key benefit: precise targeting; search engine optimization helps customers find businesses.
Data analysis lets companies personalize messages for individual customers.
Social media builds personal relationships and brand loyalty; paid advertisements reach particular groups.
Email marketing keeps customers informed about products and offers and builds long-term relationships.
Because it is cheap, global and measurable, it is vital for success, and its role will keep growing.

Final answer

Digital Marketing in Modern Business

Digital marketing has become essential to modern business. Unlike traditional marketing, which relies on physical media, it uses online platforms that give companies direct access to customers at all times. Its main advantage is precise targeting: search engine optimization helps customers find businesses, and data analysis allows messages to be shaped to individual tastes. Social media platforms strengthen customer relationships and brand loyalty, while paid advertisements reach particular groups. Similarly, email marketing keeps customers informed about products and offers. Being cheap, global and measurable, digital marketing is now vital for business success, and its role will keep growing.

(Word count: 98)

Alternative title: The Power of Digital Marketing

What was left out and why

"Television, print, and billboards" becomes "physical media"; "Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter" becomes "social media".
"Anytime, anywhere" becomes "at all times".
"New products, special offers, and promotions" becomes "products and offers".
"Search Engine Optimization (SEO)" is kept as a key term but without capitals and the abbreviation.

Exam focus

Summarize a 250 to 350 word passage in about one-third of its length and suggest a title (Q2 (i), 8 marks, compulsory in every paper). (long)
The biggest single item in Section B; it appears in every set.
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Know the five things the 7 summary marks are given for and the rules for the 1-mark title. (short)
Knowing the marking tells you what to check before you hand in.
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Handle a passage with statistics and "we/our" (2026 old syllabus TVET passage). (long)
Figures and first-person plural are the commonest special cases.
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Summarize a passage that speaks to "you" and is full of medical detail (2026 Set D, smoking). (long)
Shows how to cut technical detail and keep the cause-effect chain.
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Summarize a problem and solution passage (2026 Set B, overpopulation). (long)
Problem, effects and remedies is the most common FBISE passage pattern.
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Summarize a historical account in the past tense (2026 Set A, Industrial Revolution). (long)
Dates and lists must become general words; tense must be past.
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Convert dialogue, questions and first-person narration into third-person reported statements. (short)
A summary with inverted commas or "I" loses marks for form.
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Reduce wordy phrases (in spite of the fact that, due to the fact that, a large number of). (short)
The fastest way to reach one-third while writing in your own words.
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Write a 2 to 6 word noun-phrase title that covers the whole passage. (short)
An easy mark that many students lose with a sentence or a one-paragraph title.
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