Summary:
condensed, concise, edited version of a longer piece of writing
Procedures
for Summary Writing: 1.
Decide
on the purpose of your summary (beyond
just getting a grade for your homework J): a.
Do
you need to describe? b.
Do
you need to inform? 2.
Thoroughly
understand the material to be summarized: a.
Scan:
i.
Read and think about the title.
ii.
Read the opening and closing paragraphs of the text.
iii.
Read the topic sentences of each paragraph.
iv.
You are looking for major ideas and the organization of the text. b.
Read
and Annotate (make notes):
i.
Underline key ideas, facts, and conclusions as you read.
ii.
Underline essentials
iii.
Avoid
underlining
introductory material, examples, or general remarks.
iv.
Make
notes
in the margins: questions, mini-summaries, (dis)agreements, etc. 3.
Descriptive
summary: one sentence
which describes the overall meaning of an article. a.
Try
to summarize in the MOST GENERAL terms, what the article is about. b.
(Article
Title) by (Author’s Name) is about….
Star Wars by George Lucas is about a young man named Luke
Skywalker who finds his true father and becomes a Jedi knight as he fights
the forces of evil.
4.
Informative
summary: short paragraph that gives the major facts and conclusions of an article
or piece of writing. a.
Rewrite
the underlined portions of the article in your own words. b.
Combine
ideas and reorganize the article so that it is shorter and more concise
(less than 25% of the original length). c.
Imagine
that you are the author and the editors have asked you to rewrite the
article. Avoid “s/he says”
and speak using the present tense. d.
Focus
on main ideas and conclusions. 5.
Reread
the original article: a.
Check
your summary for accuracy and emphasis.
i.
Double check facts (you should have them annotated / underlined anyway).
ii.
Your treatment of ideas should mirror the original text’s emphasis. b.
Make
sure your summary is equally proportioned to the article / text:
i.
If ½ of the article covers Subject A, and the other ½ is split between
Subjects B and C, then ½ of your summary should cover A and ½ should be
split between B and C.
ii.
Do not ignore facts or points just because you disagree or dislike them.
iii.
Don’t overemphasize facts you like or agree with. 6.
DO
NOT INCLUDE: a.
Opinion:
Stay away from writing either your personal opinion or the opinion of the
originator. b.
New Data:
Don't add anything that wasn't in the original information. c.
Irrelevant Specifics:
Try to keep in mind what is essential to communicate and avoid all else. d.
Examples:
The intent is to provide the essential information, results and or
conclusions--not examples. e.
Background:
Keep with the specifics. Your reader need not know about the how and why
of the topic. f.
Reference Data:
This is not a full-fledged formal document. It is a snapshot of an event
or writing; it is not meant to be a reference source. g.
Jargon:
Keep your audience in mind. Try to avoid using technical terms and writing
in a "language" that your readers may have difficulty
understanding. 7.
Grading
standards: a.
Annotations
(underlining & notes on text) b.
Concise
(short) c.
Precise
(accurate) d.
Proportional
(emphasis)
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