Understanding Note Making for MP Board Class 12 English

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Understanding Note Making for MP Board Class 12 English : Note-making is a vital skill that helps you condense large amounts of information into a concise, organized format. For your MP Board Class 12 English exam, this section (typically 4 marks) tests your ability to comprehend a given passage identify key information and present it systematically using abbreviations. It’s about smart reading and efficient summarizing, not just copying sentences.

The Structure of Effective Notes

To get full marks, your notes should follow a clear and consistent structure:

  1. Title
    • What it is: This is the overarching name for your entire set of notes. It should immediately tell anyone what the passage is about.
    • Why it’s important: A good title shows you’ve grasped the central theme of the passage.
    • How to create it:
      • Be concise: Aim for a short phrase, typically 2-5 words. For example, if a passage is about “the benefits of exercise” don’t write “What are the various benefits that one can get from doing regular exercise?”
      • Be relevant: Make sure it accurately reflects the main topic. Avoid titles that are too broad or too specific.
      • Avoid full sentences: It’s a title, not a summary sentence.
      • Look for clues: Often, the main idea (and thus the title) can be found in the first paragraph (introduction) or the last paragraph (conclusion) of the passage. Sometimes, repeated keywords can also point you to the title.
  2. Notes (Main Body)
    • What it is: This is where you break down the passage’s content into digestible points.
    • Why it’s important: It demonstrates your ability to distinguish between main ideas and supporting details, and to organize information logically.
    • How to create it:
      • Headings and Subheadings: Think of the passage’s paragraphs. Each paragraph usually presents a main idea. This becomes your main heading. The details and explanations within that paragraph become your subheadings.
        • Use indentation consistently. This visual structure makes your notes easy to read and shows the relationship between main points and supporting points.
        • Example:
          1. Main Idea One 1.1 Sub-point A 1.1.1 Detail one 1.1.2 Detail two 1.2 Sub-point B
          2. Main Idea Two
      • Numbering/Alphanumeric System: Stick to one system throughout your notes. The most common and recommended is the alphanumeric system (1., 1.1, 1.1.1, 1.1.2, 2., 2.1, etc.).
      • Phrases, Not Sentences: This is crucial! Notes are about brevity. Don’t write complete sentences. Remove unnecessary articles (a, an, the), auxiliary verbs (is, are, was, were, has, have, had, do, does, did), prepositions (of, in, on, at), and conjunctions (and, but, or).
        • Original Sentence: “The government has introduced several important educational reforms.”
        • Note: “Govt. intro. imp. edu. reforms.”
      • Key Information Only: Focus on facts, figures, important names, dates, causes, effects, problems, solutions, and definitions. Skip examples, anecdotes, lengthy explanations, and anything that simply repeats information already noted.
  3. Key to Abbreviations/Glossary
    • What it is: A small section (usually at the end of your notes) where you list all the abbreviations you’ve used and their full forms.
    • Why it’s important: Even if you use common abbreviations, listing them ensures clarity for anyone reading your notes. It also helps you secure full marks as it’s a specific requirement.
    • How to create it:
      • Aim for at least 4-5 abbreviations in your notes.
      • Create your own sensible abbreviations (e.g., ‘dev.’ for development, ‘imp.’ for important, ‘info’ for information).
      • Use universally accepted abbreviations where applicable (e.g., ‘e.g.’, ‘i.e.’, ‘&’, ‘%’).
      • List them clearly:
        • Abbr. = Full Form
        • Govt. = Government
        • Edu. = Education
        • Imp. = Important
        • Info. = Information

A Step-by-Step Approach to Note-Making

Follow these steps to master note-making:

  1. First Read (Skimming for General Idea): Read the entire passage quickly from start to finish. Don’t worry about details yet. Just try to get a feel for the main topic and what the author is trying to convey.
  2. Second Read (Scanning for Main Points): Read the passage again, but this time more slowly and actively.
    • Identify the main idea of each paragraph. These will likely become your main headings.
    • Underline or highlight key phrases, sentences, names, dates, or figures that support these main ideas.
  3. Draft Your Notes:
    • Write your Title first.
    • Now, start writing your notes paragraph by paragraph. Convert your underlined phrases into concise notes.
    • As you write, think about how to use abbreviations.
    • Use the numbering and indentation system.
  4. Third Read (Review and Refine): Once you’ve drafted all your notes, read them over.
    • Are they clear and understandable? Can someone else make sense of them?
    • Have you removed all unnecessary words? Are there any full sentences?
    • Is the hierarchy correct (main points, sub-points)?
    • Have you used enough abbreviations?
    • Finally, create your Key to Abbreviations.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

Q1: How many marks is note-making in the MP Board Class 12 English exam?

A1: Note-making typically carries 4 marks in the MP Board Class 12 English exam.

Q2: Should I write notes in complete sentences?

A2: No, absolutely not. Notes should be written in short phrases, points, or abbreviated forms, not complete sentences. This is a key requirement for note-making.

Q3: How many abbreviations should I use?

A3: You should aim to use at least 4-5 distinct abbreviations in your notes. Make sure to list all of them in the “Key to Abbreviations” section.

Q4: What’s the best numbering system to use?

A4: The alphanumeric system (e.g., 1., 1.1, 1.1.1, 2., 2.1, 2.1.1) is generally preferred and easiest to follow, but you can use Roman numerals (I, II, III) or letters (A, B, C) if you maintain consistency.

Q5: Can I include examples from the passage in my notes?

A5: Generally, no. Notes should focus on the main ideas, facts, and core information. Examples are usually supporting details that you should omit to keep your notes concise.

Q6: Where should the “Key to Abbreviations” be placed?

A6: The “Key to Abbreviations” should be placed after your notes, at the very end of your answer for the note-making question.

Q7: What if I can’t think of many abbreviations?

A7: Don’t force complex or illogical abbreviations. Use common ones like & for ‘and’, e.g. for ‘for example’. For other words, you can simply remove vowels (e.g., dvlpmt for development) or the last few letters (e.g., imp. for important, edu. for education). The key is that they should be understandable (once explained in the key).

Q8: Is it okay to underline or highlight the passage in the exam booklet?

A8: No, you should not write or mark on the question paper itself during the exam. Do all your underlining and drafting in your rough work space or in your mind.

Q9: How long should the notes be?

A9: There’s no strict word count, but your notes should be a condensed version of the passage. They should be significantly shorter than the original text, typically about 25% of the original length, depending on the detail level.

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