Summaries

Steps in Writing a Summary:

- Read the text. - Reread the text. Divide the text into segments or sections of ideas. A segment can comprise one or more paragraphs. - Look for the thesis statement or focus of the text. - Write one-sentence summaries for each major segment of the text. Do this on a piece of paper or on the computer. DO NOT LOOK AT THE ORIGINAL AS YOU PREPARE YOU ONE-SENTENCE SUMMARY. - Formulate the Thesis Statement:In many texts, the author will state the thesis statement directly; simply find it and restate in your own words. Do not directly quote it. In other texts the thesis may be implicit: you may have to write your own one-sentence thesis statement that summarizes this central theme.

Write Your First Draft

-Begin with a proper citation of the title, author, source, and date of publication of the article summarized. -Combine the thesis statement and your one-sentence segment summaries into a one-to-two-paragraph summary. -Eliminate all unnecessary words and repetitions. -Eliminate all personal ideas and inferences. -Use transitions for a smooth and logical flow of ideas (see handout). -Conclude with a "summing up" sentence by stating what can be learned from reading the article, but do not evaluate the article - don't tell the reader whether you "liked" it or not.

Summaries do the following:

-They cover all of the author's major supporting ideas. -They show the relationships among these ideas. -They omit specifics, such as illustrations, descriptions, and detailed explanations. -They indicate the author's purpose in writing: to inform, to persuade, or to entertain. If the passage is a persuasive piece, report the author's bias or position on the issue but do not judge. - They omit all personal opinions, ideas, and inferences. Let the reader know that you are reporting the author's ideas. -They are cohesive and "hang together" using appropriate reporting words which clearly show that the summary is based on the author's original position and not the writer's opinion.

What is a summary?

A summary is a brief explanation of a work's content.

Edit Your Draft

Check your summary by asking the following questions: -Have I answered the who, what, when, why, and how questions? -Is my grammar, punctuation, and spelling correct? -Have I left out my personal views and ideas? -Does my summary "hang together"? Does it flow when I read it aloud?