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CAT 2025 Lesson : Summary - Introduction
Summary questions ask you to select the sentence which best summarises a paragraph, from 4 or 5 options. Most of the options will capture some part of the paragraph's message, but only the best option will truly capture the essence of what the writer is trying to convey.
Summary questions primarily occur in CAT. These can also occur in RCs across many exams, where you can be asked to identify the key message of a particular paragraph.
These questions test your logical and analytical abilities, as you need to read the paragraph and understand its essence. Vocabulary and comfort with multiple genes are other key skills needed to solve Summary questions correctly.
You can read the paragraph once or twice and mentally identify the key points before looking at the options. Try to capture the essence of the writer's idea. The author's style of writing should also guide you. Make sure to read with full focus, as this will save you time while reading the options and choosing the best one. Sometimes, students skim the paragraph, but ultimately end up spending more time than needed to decide the option. Remember that time is critical to crack the CAT exam, so you should be focussed while reading the paragraph.
You should select the summary which is precise (correct) as well as concise (short or crisp). Some options might be factually inaccurate or not keeping in line with the author's viewpoint or stance. You should usually avoid options which are really long and meander around the point. However, don't eliminate an option based on length alone.
Make sure to select a direct summary, not an inference based on the paragraph. An inference is a conclusion which you draw, based on the paragraph. An inference is not explicitly written in the paragraph, it is a conclusion which is drawn based on what is mentioned. Therefore, an inference is not an accurate summary of the paragraph, as you are inferring information which is not explicitly provided. XAT tests us on inferential questions. You must read the question carefully and select the appropriate option based on whether you are being asked for a summary or an inference.
The best way to build your skills is to practice. You can also practise this while reading. Try to summarise the articles in your own words, focussing on one paragraph at a time. Read articles or books from different genres to build your own analytical skills. A list of recommended books and websites are given at the end of this lesson. You can also do this with news. Try and analyse the tone and style of writing as well. We will cover these as well in this lesson.
You will find that the above information is repeated many times within the Verbal Ability lessons. This is because reading, analysing and understanding key ideas from a passage – especially from passages about topics which are not within your comfort zone is good practice for most types of VA questions.
Summary questions primarily occur in CAT. These can also occur in RCs across many exams, where you can be asked to identify the key message of a particular paragraph.
These questions test your logical and analytical abilities, as you need to read the paragraph and understand its essence. Vocabulary and comfort with multiple genes are other key skills needed to solve Summary questions correctly.
You can read the paragraph once or twice and mentally identify the key points before looking at the options. Try to capture the essence of the writer's idea. The author's style of writing should also guide you. Make sure to read with full focus, as this will save you time while reading the options and choosing the best one. Sometimes, students skim the paragraph, but ultimately end up spending more time than needed to decide the option. Remember that time is critical to crack the CAT exam, so you should be focussed while reading the paragraph.
You should select the summary which is precise (correct) as well as concise (short or crisp). Some options might be factually inaccurate or not keeping in line with the author's viewpoint or stance. You should usually avoid options which are really long and meander around the point. However, don't eliminate an option based on length alone.
Make sure to select a direct summary, not an inference based on the paragraph. An inference is a conclusion which you draw, based on the paragraph. An inference is not explicitly written in the paragraph, it is a conclusion which is drawn based on what is mentioned. Therefore, an inference is not an accurate summary of the paragraph, as you are inferring information which is not explicitly provided. XAT tests us on inferential questions. You must read the question carefully and select the appropriate option based on whether you are being asked for a summary or an inference.
The best way to build your skills is to practice. You can also practise this while reading. Try to summarise the articles in your own words, focussing on one paragraph at a time. Read articles or books from different genres to build your own analytical skills. A list of recommended books and websites are given at the end of this lesson. You can also do this with news. Try and analyse the tone and style of writing as well. We will cover these as well in this lesson.
You will find that the above information is repeated many times within the Verbal Ability lessons. This is because reading, analysing and understanding key ideas from a passage – especially from passages about topics which are not within your comfort zone is good practice for most types of VA questions.
Example 1
The passage given below is followed by four alternate summaries. Choose the option that best captures the essence of the passage.
[CAT 2020]
All humans make decisions based on one or a combination of two factors. This is either intuition or information. Decisions made through intuition are usually fast, people don’t even think about the problem. It is quite philosophical, meaning that someone who made a decision based on intuition will have difficulty explaining the reasoning behind it. The decision-maker would often utilize her senses in drawing conclusions, which again is based on some experience in the field of study. On the other side of the spectrum, we have decisions made based on information. These decisions are rational — it is based on facts and figures, which unfortunately also means that it can be quite slow. The decision-maker would frequently use reports, analyses, and indicators to form her conclusion. This methodology results in accurate, quantifiable decisions, meaning that a person can clearly explain the rationale behind it.
(1) It is better to make decisions based on information because it is more accurate, and the rationale behind it can be explained.
(2) While decisions based on intuition can be made fast, the reasons that led to these cannot be spelt out.
(3) We make decisions based on intuition or information on the basis of the time available.
(4) Decisions based on intuition and information result in differential speed and ability to provide a rationale.
This is summarised in option (4) – the option does not explain which is faster or slower, and when we can provide a rationale; but it encapsulates the two methods and the criteria which differ.
Option (1) assumes that decisions taken with information are better, but this is not mentioned in the paragraph. The author has not provided any opinion on which method is better. Therefore, it can be eliminated.
Option (2) only speaks about intuitive decisions, not decisions made with information. We can eliminate the option as it is incomplete.
Option (3) mistakenly assumes that humans are rationally selecting the decision methodology (on the basis on the time available), which is not mentioned in the paragraph. Therefore, we can eliminate this option as well.
Thus, option (4) is the correct choice.
Answer: (4) Decisions based on intuition and information result in differential speed and ability to provide a rationale.
[CAT 2020]
All humans make decisions based on one or a combination of two factors. This is either intuition or information. Decisions made through intuition are usually fast, people don’t even think about the problem. It is quite philosophical, meaning that someone who made a decision based on intuition will have difficulty explaining the reasoning behind it. The decision-maker would often utilize her senses in drawing conclusions, which again is based on some experience in the field of study. On the other side of the spectrum, we have decisions made based on information. These decisions are rational — it is based on facts and figures, which unfortunately also means that it can be quite slow. The decision-maker would frequently use reports, analyses, and indicators to form her conclusion. This methodology results in accurate, quantifiable decisions, meaning that a person can clearly explain the rationale behind it.
(1) It is better to make decisions based on information because it is more accurate, and the rationale behind it can be explained.
(2) While decisions based on intuition can be made fast, the reasons that led to these cannot be spelt out.
(3) We make decisions based on intuition or information on the basis of the time available.
(4) Decisions based on intuition and information result in differential speed and ability to provide a rationale.
Solution
In this question, the author tells us that people make decisions primarily in two ways – we either use intuition or information. Intuitive decisions are quick, but we may not be able to explain the rationale. On the other hand, information-based decisions are rational but slow.This is summarised in option (4) – the option does not explain which is faster or slower, and when we can provide a rationale; but it encapsulates the two methods and the criteria which differ.
Option (1) assumes that decisions taken with information are better, but this is not mentioned in the paragraph. The author has not provided any opinion on which method is better. Therefore, it can be eliminated.
Option (2) only speaks about intuitive decisions, not decisions made with information. We can eliminate the option as it is incomplete.
Option (3) mistakenly assumes that humans are rationally selecting the decision methodology (on the basis on the time available), which is not mentioned in the paragraph. Therefore, we can eliminate this option as well.
Thus, option (4) is the correct choice.
Answer: (4) Decisions based on intuition and information result in differential speed and ability to provide a rationale.
Example 2
The passage given below is followed by four summaries. Choose the option that best captures the author's position.
[CAT 2017]
A fundamental property of language is that it is slippery and messy and more liquid than solid, a gelatinous mass that changes shape to fit. As Wittgenstein would remind us, "usage has no sharp boundary." Oftentimes, the only way to determine the meaning of a word is to examine how it is used. This insight is often described as the "meaning is use" doctrine. There are differences between the "meaning is use" doctrine and a dictionary-first theory of meaning. "The dictionary's careful fixing of words to definitions, like butterflies pinned under glass, can suggest that this is how language works. The definitions can seem to ensure and fix the meaning of words, just as the gold standard can back a country's currency." What Wittgenstein found in the circulation of ordinary language, however, was a free-floating currency of meaning. The value of each word arises out of the exchange. The lexicographer abstracts a meaning from that exchange, which is then set within the conventions of the dictionary definition.
(1) Dictionary definitions are like 'gold standards' - artificial, theoretical and dogmatic. Actual meaning of words is their free-exchange value.
(2) Language is already slippery; given this, accounting for 'meaning is use' will only exasperate the problem. That is why lexicographers 'fix' meanings.
(3) Meaning is dynamic; definitions are static. The 'meaning in use' theory helps us understand that definitions of words are culled from their meaning in exchange and use and not vice versa.
(4) The meaning of words in dictionaries is clear, fixed and less dangerous and ambiguous than the meaning that arises when words are exchanged between people.
This is encapsulated in option (3), which tells us that meanings change based on requirement, unlike dictionary definition. This option also covers the importance of the “meaning is use”.
Option (1) seems to discredit the meaning in the dictionaries (we can infer this as it calls dictionary definitions artificial, theoretical and dogmatic). However, the author states that the dictionary definition backs the “meaning in use”. Thus, we can eliminate this option.
Options (2) and (4) are both opposed to the “meaning is use” which the author is actually advocating, and therefore, can be eliminated. Thus, option (3) is the correct choice.
Answer: (3) Meaning is dynamic; definitions are static. The 'meaning is use' theory helps us understand that definitions of words are culled from their meaning in exchange and use and not vice versa.
[CAT 2017]
A fundamental property of language is that it is slippery and messy and more liquid than solid, a gelatinous mass that changes shape to fit. As Wittgenstein would remind us, "usage has no sharp boundary." Oftentimes, the only way to determine the meaning of a word is to examine how it is used. This insight is often described as the "meaning is use" doctrine. There are differences between the "meaning is use" doctrine and a dictionary-first theory of meaning. "The dictionary's careful fixing of words to definitions, like butterflies pinned under glass, can suggest that this is how language works. The definitions can seem to ensure and fix the meaning of words, just as the gold standard can back a country's currency." What Wittgenstein found in the circulation of ordinary language, however, was a free-floating currency of meaning. The value of each word arises out of the exchange. The lexicographer abstracts a meaning from that exchange, which is then set within the conventions of the dictionary definition.
(1) Dictionary definitions are like 'gold standards' - artificial, theoretical and dogmatic. Actual meaning of words is their free-exchange value.
(2) Language is already slippery; given this, accounting for 'meaning is use' will only exasperate the problem. That is why lexicographers 'fix' meanings.
(3) Meaning is dynamic; definitions are static. The 'meaning in use' theory helps us understand that definitions of words are culled from their meaning in exchange and use and not vice versa.
(4) The meaning of words in dictionaries is clear, fixed and less dangerous and ambiguous than the meaning that arises when words are exchanged between people.
Solution
In this paragraph, the author tells us that language is “slippery and messy” with “no sharp boundaries”. This means that words do not have a static, exact meaning but can be flexible based on the requirement. The author goes on to say that a word might have a particular meaning in the dictionary, but another based on usage – therefore, the dictionary meaning only serves to back the meaning in actual usage.This is encapsulated in option (3), which tells us that meanings change based on requirement, unlike dictionary definition. This option also covers the importance of the “meaning is use”.
Option (1) seems to discredit the meaning in the dictionaries (we can infer this as it calls dictionary definitions artificial, theoretical and dogmatic). However, the author states that the dictionary definition backs the “meaning in use”. Thus, we can eliminate this option.
Options (2) and (4) are both opposed to the “meaning is use” which the author is actually advocating, and therefore, can be eliminated. Thus, option (3) is the correct choice.
Answer: (3) Meaning is dynamic; definitions are static. The 'meaning is use' theory helps us understand that definitions of words are culled from their meaning in exchange and use and not vice versa.
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