CXC English A exam: Past paper type summary writing question 3

Here is another CXC past paper type summary writing question.

(with suggested answer)

This is the type of summary writing question that has been on
CXC English A past papers

 

NB: CXC suggests spending no more than 35 minutes to answer the summary writing question.
   

The excerpt below is the transcript of part of an interview aired in the program ON THE ROAD. The excerpt presents a discussion on one of the many topics discussed on the program.

Read the excerpt. Write a summary of what the interviewees said about The Workplace. Your summary should not be more than 110 words and should NOT be in the form of a dialog.

   

Interviewer

Good evening listeners. We have with us on ON THE ROAD, Ms. Grant who is active in the area of Human Resource Development, and Mr. Persaud from the Union of Employees and Employers. Welcome Ms. Grant and Mr. Persaud.

   
Mr. Persaud: Ms. Grant:  Thank you.
 

Interviewer: 

Ms. Grant, this matter of people being afraid that they will lose their jobs. We were speaking about it while we waited…is it really as worrying as people say? What are your reactions?

   

Ms. Grant: 

It is a worrying matter and we are at present not able to do anything about it. We are now looking at other things…things we can really attack. We are not forgetting the fact that people are losing their jobs…it is serious…but we are working with the worker in a different way.

The workplace is not the same as it used to be. Things have changed so much. We have to look at it again.

   

Interviewer: 

You mean you have decided to work with those who continue to have jobs. Ha! ha!...You say you are now giving some attention to the workplace. Tell us what you mean.

   

Ms. Grant: 

Yes, everyday we see situations in which changes in the workplace cause changes in the way workers relate to each other and to their employers…Changes in the way they behave to each other.

   

Interviewer: 

Mr. Persaud, as a representative of this unique partnership of employees and employers, do you think Ms. Grant is doing the right thing? Is this matter of how people relate to each other at the workplace something that really needs attention?

   

Mr.Persaud: 

I agree entirely with Ms. Grant. We want to improve the way people behave to each other. That is why our Union was formed. We found that we had to make changes at the workplace. We had to change some job names and sometimes even what workers had to do.

   

Ms. Grant: 

And changes like those often cause problems.

   

Mr.Persaud: 

When we tried to look at how well people did their work, that was a really big problem. We said we wanted to rate how they worked and there were all kinds of disagreements.

   

Interviewer:

Ms. Grant, is this part of the concern you expressed earlier? Could you explain for our listeners?

   

Ms. Grant: 

Mr. Persaud speaks very knowledgeably when he says how people get on with each other is as important as the jobs they do. People sometimes get a little tense when they know they are being rated. Feelings run higher if they think they might lose their jobs because their rating is not good. And we know the side effects from bad feelings.

   
Interviewer: So you are saying that keeping the job can be as unsettling as losing the job.
   

Mr.Persaud: 

Yes. When people know that keeping their position can be affected by their rating they get very anxious.

   

Ms. Grant: 

It is tense. It means that people can hardly plan to make their job a career. They may have to leave one place and make a fresh start somewhere else. That makes them “edgy”. They may feel threatened by other employees or even by their employers.

   

Interviewer:

Ms. Grant and Mr. Persaud we have run out of time today. Let me thank you on behalf of our listeners. Have a good week.

 

 

Sample answer

30 marks


That was very helpful. It would help me even more if I could see another CXC past paper type summary writing question.

Fivestar

Rakha (not verified) 8 February 2010 - 12:04pm

Dear Aunty Suzie,

How are you?, I opened a new business two weeks ago called Computer Tech.
The business consist of, web designs, computer repairs, surfing the internet, and computer parts wholesale and retail.

It started off quite nicely, but I still have to advertise on radio station ,online surveillance, flyers and newspapers, I am getting a lot of new customers because word of mouth.

I am trying to target the cloths stores and the pharmacy's for computer maintenance and upgrade, and online surveillance camera system.
There will a pick-up and delivery service in the next two weeks, only in the San Fernando area.
Other customer can drive all the way up to the car park, where they can drop-off and pick-up.

You can visit the web site computertech.com and you will see me online, it is a security surveillance twenty fours.

Regards
Rakha

Word Count
146

Rakha (not verified) 8 February 2010 - 4:00pm

The Secretary,
Denby Sports Club,
P.O. Box 63.
Arroyo Village.

August 1st 2009,

Dear Villagers,

My name is Susan Charles, the students of Guadelope will be arriving on September fifteen and will be leaving on the thirtieth , I currently looking for a private house that can accommodate six people for two weeks,we will also need meals breakfast, lunch, and dinner and on Sunday's just lunch, is it possible that you can get someone who can speak french, the Guadeloupans speak no English.
Can you please provide us with a all-inclusive packages if possible.

Two club members will want to inspect homes and chat with the applicants before making a decision.

We will greatly appreciate if you can reply before August 26th, and then our members can visit on the 28th to inspect the house before making a decision.

Yours respectfully,

Secretary,
Susan Charles

Word Count
144

jonathon (not verified) 15 October 2010 - 11:22am

The interviewees, Ms Grant and Mr Persuad want to improve the relationship among workers within the workplace in terms of their behaviour, as well as making changes which often turns out into a major problem. Because when they tried to look at how well persons have been performing towards the work it causes major problems since some may feel that they are not performing well and this causes bad feelings.Persons may feel unsettled and makes it hard for people to turn their jobs into a career, instead they may leave to go to another place for a new beginning, which makes it a bit difficult at times.

(106words)

stay good amoy (not verified) 19 April 2011 - 6:23pm

According to the interviewees Ms. Grant and Mr. Persaud, the workplace has been changed (it is not the same as it used to be). They states that Situations everyday in the workplace causes changes in the way workers relate to each other and employees, for example: change job names and sometimes even what had to do cause problem. People attitudes towards each other in the workplace needs to improve by making some changes. People are having the doubt of losing their jobs when being unrated and when being rated it tense people a little. In the workplace they may feel threatened by other employees or even by their employers.

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