Summarise and Respond: Why Teenagers Can't Sleep
Read an article about teenage sleep and school start times, summarise its argument in your own words, then respond with your own view.
- Time
- 50 min
- Length
- 200-250 words
- Includes
- Reading text
Writadia · C1 · Summaries
NameClassDate
Read first
The Problem Isn't Laziness. It's Biology.
Every morning, millions of teenagers drag themselves out of bed before their brains are ready to be awake. Parents often blame late-night phone use, and screens certainly don't help. But researchers who study sleep point to a less obvious cause: during adolescence, the body's internal clock shifts. The hormone that makes us feel sleepy is released later in the evening than it is in children or adults, so many teenagers genuinely cannot fall asleep until eleven o'clock or later.
If they still need around eight to ten hours of sleep, as most studies suggest, a 7 am alarm guarantees a shortfall. The consequences go beyond yawning in first period. Chronic lack of sleep has been linked to poorer concentration, lower mood and a greater risk of accidents among young drivers.
Some school districts have responded by starting lessons later. Where this has been tried, studies have reported that students sleep longer, attend more regularly and, in some cases, achieve slightly better results. Critics raise practical objections: later finishing times clash with sports and part-time jobs, bus timetables must be rearranged, and working parents may struggle with the new schedule.
Few researchers claim that a later start is a cure-all. Good habits still matter, from keeping screens out of the bedroom to getting daylight in the morning. But, they argue, it makes little sense to design the school day around the needs of adults and then criticise teenagers for failing to fit it.
242 words
Check your understanding
- According to the article, what is the main biological reason teenagers go to bed late?Their internal clock shifts: the sleep hormone is released later in the evening.
- What are two consequences of chronic lack of sleep?Poorer concentration, lower mood, higher risk of accidents for young drivers (any two).
- What practical objections do critics raise?Clashes with sports and jobs, changes to bus timetables, difficulties for working parents.
- Do researchers think later start times solve everything?No. Good sleep habits still matter.
Your task
Write a text in two parts:
- Summarise the main argument of the article in about 80–100 words, in your own words.
- Respond: should schools in your country start later? Give your view with reasons, referring to at least one point from the article.
Writing toolkit
Open these only when you need them. Try the first draft on your own.
Plan it in steps
- Answer the questions to identify the key ideas.
- Summary: main claim → evidence → counter-argument → conclusion. No opinion.
- Use reporting verbs: argues, suggests, acknowledges.
- Response: your view, linked to your own context.
- Avoid copying phrases longer than three or four words.
Useful phrases
Summarising
Responding
Tap a phrase to add it to your text. Gaps (…) are selected so you can type over them.
Vocabulary
- adolescence
- the period between childhood and adulthoodSleep patterns change in adolescence.
- shortfall
- an amount that is less than neededMany teenagers have a sleep shortfall.
- chronic
- lasting a long timeChronic tiredness affects learning.
- cure-all
- a solution to every problemTechnology isn't a cure-all.
- acknowledge
- accept that something is trueShe acknowledged the problem.
Model answer (201 words)
Read it after you’ve written your own version. Notice the highlighted parts. The numbers explain why they work.
Summary
The article argues that teenagers' late bedtimes are mainly caused by biology rather than laziness or phones.1 During adolescence, the body releases sleep hormones later at night, so early school starts leave many young people seriously short of sleep, which can harm concentration, mood and safety. Schools that have moved their start time later report more sleep, better attendance and slightly improved results. The writer acknowledges practical difficulties, such as clashes with after-school activities and transport, and accepts that good sleep habits remain important, but concludes that the school day should reflect teenagers' needs.2
Response
In my view, a later start would make sense for secondary schools in my country, where lessons often begin at eight and many students travel for an hour to get there. While the evidence in the article is persuasive, the objection about after-school life is particularly relevant here, since many students attend private courses in the evening.3 Pushing the whole day later might simply move the exhaustion to the evening.
A compromise might be to start at nine for older students only and to schedule the most demanding subjects later in the morning. This would respect the biology the article describes without disrupting families entirely.
- Main claim, paraphrased.
- Counter-argument and conclusion, still neutral.
- Engaging critically with one point from the article.
Teacher notes
Two different skills: summary (neutral, compressed) and response (personal, argued). Mark them separately.
Note: the reading text was written for this task and simplifies the research. Students should treat it as an opinion article, not as a scientific source.
Extra challenge
Turn your summary into a single tweet-length sentence (under 40 words).
Lesson plan
- 5 minWarm-up
Show the situation on the classroom screen and ask: “What would you write in this situation?” Take two or three quick answers.
- 12 minReading
Students read the text, then answer the comprehension questions in pairs.
- 10 minWord pool
Open “Word pool” on the classroom screen. Students make one sentence each with: adolescence, shortfall, chronic, cure-all, acknowledge.
- 12 minModel text
Reveal the model sentence by sentence in “Model text” mode. At each sentence ask: “What job does this sentence do?” Write these phrases on the board: “The article argues that ...”, “According to the writer, ...”, “The writer acknowledges that ...”.
- 26 minWriting
Start the timer. Students write their own text; anyone stuck can use the plan in the toolkit. (200-250 words)
- 10 minPeer review
Students swap texts and fill in the peer-review sheet.
- 5 minWrap-up
Set the extra challenge as homework.
The task’s own teacher notes give extra ideas for the warm-up and focus.
Assessment rubric
| Criterion | 4 · Excellent | 3 · Good | 2 · Developing | 1 · Beginning | Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Task and content | In-depth, persuasive, fully suited to the reader. | Strong; one idea could go further. | Adequate but surface-level. | Below the task. | |
| Organisation and coherence | Seamless flow; elegant, unobtrusive transitions. | Clear structure; transitions sometimes mechanical. | Structure present but uneven. | Weak organisation. | |
| Vocabulary and style | Precise, natural collocations; consistent style. | Wide range; a few unnatural phrases. | Memorised phrases and repetition. | Style does not fit the task. | |
| Grammar and accuracy | Complex structures, flexible and accurate. | Minor, occasional slips. | Errors in complex structures. | Errors strain the reader. | |
| Total | / 16 | ||||
Each criterion scores 1–4 (total 16). Use the task checklist below to tick what the student actually did.
Task checklist
- My summary contains no opinion.
- My summary uses my own words and reporting verbs.
- My response refers to at least one point from the article.
Teacher comment
Peer-review sheet
Students swap texts and give each other feedback with this sheet.
Before you finish
Before you finish
- My summary contains no opinion.
- My summary uses my own words and reporting verbs.
- My response refers to at least one point from the article.
Answer key
- Their internal clock shifts: the sleep hormone is released later in the evening.
- Poorer concentration, lower mood, higher risk of accidents for young drivers (any two).
- Clashes with sports and jobs, changes to bus timetables, difficulties for working parents.
- No. Good sleep habits still matter.
Writadia · C1 · Summaries
Assessment rubric: Summarise and Respond: Why Teenagers Can't Sleep
| Criterion | 4 · Excellent | 3 · Good | 2 · Developing | 1 · Beginning | Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Task and content | In-depth, persuasive, fully suited to the reader. | Strong; one idea could go further. | Adequate but surface-level. | Below the task. | |
| Organisation and coherence | Seamless flow; elegant, unobtrusive transitions. | Clear structure; transitions sometimes mechanical. | Structure present but uneven. | Weak organisation. | |
| Vocabulary and style | Precise, natural collocations; consistent style. | Wide range; a few unnatural phrases. | Memorised phrases and repetition. | Style does not fit the task. | |
| Grammar and accuracy | Complex structures, flexible and accurate. | Minor, occasional slips. | Errors in complex structures. | Errors strain the reader. | |
| Total | / 16 | ||||
Each criterion scores 1–4 (total 16). Use the task checklist below to tick what the student actually did.
Task checklist
- My summary contains no opinion.
- My summary uses my own words and reporting verbs.
- My response refers to at least one point from the article.
Teacher comment
Writadia · C1 · Summaries
Peer-review sheet: Summarise and Respond: Why Teenagers Can't Sleep
WriterReviewer
Read your partner’s text carefully. Be kind and specific: say why, not just “good”.
Task checklist
| Yes | Partly | No | |
|---|---|---|---|
| My summary contains no opinion. | |||
| My summary uses my own words and reporting verbs. | |||
| My response refers to at least one point from the article. |
Questions
- Is the main point clear in the first paragraph? Write it in one sentence.
- Which sentence is the most convincing? Why?
- Is there any repetition or memorised phrasing? Underline it.
- Does the style suit the reader and purpose?
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Writadia · C1 · Summaries
Lesson plan: Summarise and Respond: Why Teenagers Can't Sleep
- 5 minWarm-up
Show the situation on the classroom screen and ask: “What would you write in this situation?” Take two or three quick answers.
- 12 minReading
Students read the text, then answer the comprehension questions in pairs.
- 10 minWord pool
Open “Word pool” on the classroom screen. Students make one sentence each with: adolescence, shortfall, chronic, cure-all, acknowledge.
- 12 minModel text
Reveal the model sentence by sentence in “Model text” mode. At each sentence ask: “What job does this sentence do?” Write these phrases on the board: “The article argues that ...”, “According to the writer, ...”, “The writer acknowledges that ...”.
- 26 minWriting
Start the timer. Students write their own text; anyone stuck can use the plan in the toolkit. (200-250 words)
- 10 minPeer review
Students swap texts and fill in the peer-review sheet.
- 5 minWrap-up
Set the extra challenge as homework.
The task’s own teacher notes give extra ideas for the warm-up and focus.
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