A central point is an idea the passage cannot do without. An example, a number or a description that only illustrates it is support, and most of it stays out of your summary.
This lesson belongs to summary and synthesis within the SPM Bahasa Cina guide. Do this skill first, because the other three work only on points you have already chosen.
How do I tell a central point from support?
Put each sentence through three questions, in this order.
- If I delete it, does the passage lose its claim, result or conclusion?
- Does it state something, or does it only show something by example?
- Is the writer’s purpose visible in it, such as to explain, warn or persuade?
A yes to the first and third, and a “states” for the second, marks a central point. A sentence that begins with 例如, 比如 or 像 is usually an example, and examples seldom survive a summary.
Worked example
Here is an original passage about a town library. Read it, then decide which sentences carry the point.
镇上的图书馆去年推出“晚间阅读计划”，开放时间延长到晚上九点。许多上班的家长下班后带孩子前来，孩子在安静的环境中完成功课。例如，一位小学生每晚都借一本故事书，读完才回家。一年后，借书人数比前一年增加了三成。馆长表示，延长开放时间让更多家庭养成了阅读习惯。
Sort the four sentences.
| Sentence | Role | Keep? |
|---|---|---|
| 1. The library launched an evening programme and opened until 9 pm | Central: what happened | Yes |
| 2. Working parents bring children after work to do homework | Support: who used it | Only if space allows |
| 3. One pupil borrows a storybook every night | Example | No |
| 4. Borrowing rose by 30% after a year; the librarian says longer hours built a reading habit | Central: result and explanation | Yes |
A faithful summary is: 镇上图书馆延长开放时间后，借书人数增加三成，馆长认为这让更多家庭养成了阅读习惯。
The pupil with the storybook is the most vivid detail in the passage. It is also the easiest to cut, because the passage still makes its claim without it.
The mistake that costs marks
The common slip is to keep what is memorable instead of what is central. Students keep the pupil with the storybook because it feels specific, then run out of room for the result.
Compare two attempts at the same passage.
| Version | Content | Problem |
|---|---|---|
| Wrong | 图书馆延长开放，一位小学生每晚借一本故事书。 | Keeps the example, drops the result and the librarian’s explanation |
| Right | 图书馆延长开放后，借书人数增加，馆长认为这培养了阅读习惯。 | Keeps the action, the result and the reason |
The wrong version is accurate. It is still a weak summary, because a reader learns nothing about what the programme achieved.
A check you can repeat on any passage
Mark each sentence C (central), S (support) or E (example) in pencil. Then write your summary using only the C marks, and add an S only if the question asks for detail.
Two habits help. Check the last sentence of each paragraph, where conclusions often sit. Also watch for linking words such as 因此, 可见 and 所以, which usually come just before a central point.
Check yourself
Read this original passage and write a one-sentence summary that keeps only the central points.
海滨小镇的渔民近年发现，鱼越来越少。有人说是天气变化，但专家分析后认为，主要原因是过度捕捞。比如，去年一艘大船一晚就捞起了五吨小鱼。当地政府因此规定，每年三月至五月禁止捕捞，让鱼群繁殖。
Answer
The central points are the problem (fewer fish), the cause (overfishing, according to experts) and the response (a ban from March to May). The five-tonne catch is an example, and the weather remark is a rejected explanation, so both are dropped.
A good summary: 海滨小镇鱼量减少，专家认为主要原因是过度捕捞，政府因此在三月至五月禁止捕捞。
Check against the filter: if the ban sentence were deleted, the passage would lose its conclusion, so it is central. If the five-tonne sentence were deleted, nothing essential would be lost.
What to study next
Once you have your points, the next problem is usually that two of them say the same thing. Continue with combining repeated ideas, then try the summary practice set.
If you want a teacher to go through your selections and explain each one, see online one-to-one Chinese tuition.