Writing a summary

First step: Read and Summarize
Always read the sources have been assigned or found before
writing a response.
Keep the assignment in your mind and try to summarize while
or immediately after reading.
Delete information that is not important or is repeated.
If there are lists of items or events, think of one main
heading or word for this information, instead of listing
each item or event.
Find a topic sentence that covers the main idea of the
story, and if there is not a topic sentence, create one.

Summarizing Strategies
A summary is brief.
Bias is defined as
(Noun) prejudice in favor of or against one thing,
person, or group compared with another, usually
in a way considered to be unfair
(Verb) cause to feel or show inclination or
prejudice for or against someone or something

Summarizing Strategies
Being completely objective or unbiased is more
impossible than possible, but writers should
strive to create an unopinionated and factual
summary.
Personal reflection and opinionated discussion
should be saved for the response portion of a
paper.

Summary skills in day to day life:
To answer questions such as “what was the movie about?” “how did
the game go?” and “what did I miss in class today?” you must be able
to summarize. Your questioner doesn't want to know every line and
action in the movie, every play in the game, or every word from
class; the question asks you to select the important details and
summarize them. Similarly, when you summarize a reading you need to
be able to find the important data and then present it as clearly and
concisely as possible.
Summary skills after college:
Politicians and corporations employ people to read every newspaper
and newsmagazine and summarize relevant stories and articles. The
more concise the summary the better, yet if any major details are
omitted the purpose of the summary is lost--its readers will be
uninformed on key aspects of the news and may make embarrassing
errors as a result. The summaries that you write in college are as
important to your academic career as these summaries are to these
politicians and business people, and accuracy and concision are just
as important, too.

The Key Features of a Summary:
(1) it is shorter than the source,
(2) it repeats the ideas of the source in different phrases and sentences.
Before writing a summary:
Before writing the summary:
For a text, read, mark, and annotate the original. (For a lecture, work
with the notes you took.)
highlight the topic sentence
highlight key points/key words/phrases
highlight the concluding sentence
outline each paragraph in the margin
Take notes on the following:
the source (author--first/last name, title, date of publication,
volume number, place of publication, publisher, URL, etc.)
the main idea of the original (paraphrased)
the major supporting points (in outline form)
major supporting explanations (e.g. reasons/causes or effects)

Writing your summary:
Organize your notes into an outline which includes main ideas and supporting points but no
examples or details (dates, numbers, statistics).
Write an introductory paragraph that begins with a frame, including an in-text citation of the
source and the author as well as a reporting verb to introduce the main idea. The reporting
verb is generally in present tense.
ARTICLE:
In his/her article (or lecture)
"________________________,” _____________________ (year)
(title, first letter capitalized) (author/lecturer's last name)
argues/claims/reports/contends/maintains/states that ____________________________.
(main idea/argument; S + V + C)
Example: In his article "Michael Dell turns the PC world inside out," Andrew E. Serwer
(1997) describes how Michael Dell founded Dell Computers and claims that Dell’s low-cost,
direct-sales strategy and high quality standards account for Dell’s enormous success.
BOOK:
In his book The Pearl, John Steinbeck (1945) illustrates the fight between good and evil in
humankind.
INTERVIEW:
In my interview with him/her (date), __________________(first name, last name) stated that ....

The main idea or argument needs to be included in this first sentence.
Then mention the major aspects/factors/reasons that are discussed in the article/lecture. Give
a full reference for this citation at the end of the summary (see #6. below).
For a one-paragraph summary, discuss each supporting point in a separate
sentence. Give 1-2 explanations for each supporting point, summarizing the information
from the original.
For a multi-paragraph summary, discuss each supporting point in a separate
paragraph. Introduce it in the first sentence (topic sentence).
Example: The first major area in which women have become a powerful force is politics.
Support your topic sentence with the necessary reasons or arguments raised by the
author/lecturer but omit all references to details, such as dates or statistics.
Use discourse markers that reflect the organization and controlling idea of the original, for
example cause-effect, comparison-contrast, classification, process, chronological order,
persuasive argument, etc.
In a longer summary, remind your reader that you are paraphrasing by using "reminder
phrases," such as
The author goes on to say that ...
The article (author) further states that ...
(Author's last name) also states/maintains/argues that ...
(Author's last name) also believes that ...
(Author's last name) concludes that
Restate the article’s/lecturer’s conclusion in one sentence.

When do we summarize:
Most summary occurs as part of other essays--indeed, few essays use only one kind of
writing. Summary is often a part of synthesis because readers need to know a little about
the ideas you are pulling together. Similarly, you have to summarize ideas or texts before
you can compare them, classify them, or divide them into their component parts. You will
find that almost any texts you read in college and outside contain at least a little
summary.
The summary essay is written for an audience other than yourself. The purpose of the
summary essay is to convey to others an understanding of a text you have read, without
their having to read it themselves. Thus for your readers, your summary essay functions
as a substitute for the source that you are summarizing. You don't want to misrepresent
your source or mislead your audience. Certainly an important feature of the summary
essay, then, is its fidelity to the source; you must represent your source accurately and
comprehensively, with as little of your own interpretation as possible. (Anytime you read
and repeat a source, of course, you are interpreting it; but the summary essay asks you to
minimize your interpretation as much as possible. You should not add your own examples
and explanations, for instance.)

A summary essay should be organized so that others can understand the source or evaluate
your comprehension of it. The following format works well:
a. The introduction (usually one paragraph)--
1. Contains a one-sentence thesis statement that sums up the main point of the source.
This thesis statement is not your main point; it is the main point of your source.
Usually, though, you have to write this statement rather than quote it from the source
text. It is a one-sentence summary of the entire text that your essay summarizes.
2. Also introduces the text to be summarized:
(i) Gives the title of the source (following the citation guidelines of whatever style
sheet you are using);
(ii) Provides the name of the author of the source;
(ii) Sometimes also provides pertinent background information about the author of
the source or about the text to be summarized.
The introduction should not offer your own opinions or evaluation of the text you are
summarizing.

b. The body of a summary essay (one or more paragraphs):
This paraphrases and condenses the original piece. In your summary, be sure
that you--
1. Include important data but omit minor points;
2. Include one or more of the author’s examples or illustrations (these will
bring your
summary to life);
3. Do not include your own ideas, illustrations, metaphors, or
interpretations. Look
upon yourself as a summarizing machine; you are simply repeating what
the source
text says, in fewer words and in your own words. But the fact that you are
using
your own words does not mean that you are including your own ideas.
c. There is customarily no conclusion to a summary essay.
When you have summarized the source text, your summary essay is finished. Do
not add your own concluding paragraph unless your teacher specifically tells you
to.

Writing a summary

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