Downloaded 14 times
More Related Content
Summary
- 1.
- 2. Defination •A summary isa restatement of someone else's words in your own words.
- 3. Purposes of theSummary •For a busy reader, summaries provide quick overviews of material. Summaries also show readers that you have understood the general point of a text.
- 4. What and Whento Summarize Many student writers tend to quote when they should summarize material. Quote only when the author expresses a point in a particularly telling or interesting language. Otherwise, simply summarize. Use a summary to restate an entire argument. Use a summary to present information. Summary is more economical than quotation because a summary allows the writer more control over the argument.
- 5.
- 6. There are threetypes of summary: •Main Point Summary •Key Points Summary •Outline Summary
- 7. Main Point Summary •Amain point summary reads much like an article abstract, giving the most important "facts" of the text. •It should identify the title, author, and main point or argument
- 8. Key Points Summary •Thistype of summary will have all the same features as a main point summary. • but also include the reasons and evidence (key points) the author uses to support the text's main idea
- 9. Outline Summary •This typeof summary mimics the structure of the text being summarized. •It includes the main points and argument in the same order they appear in the original text.
- 10.
- 11. •Writing a goodsummary demonstrates that you clearly understand a text...and that you can communicate that understanding to your readers. •By following our easy 8-step method, you will be able to summarize texts quickly and successfully for any class or subject.
- 12. Divide and Conquer •Firstoff, skim the text you are going to summarize and divide it into sections. •Focus on any headings and subheadings. •Also look at any bold-faced terms and make sure you understand them before you read.
- 13. Read •Now that you’veprepared, go ahead and read the selection. •just get a feel for the author’s tone, style, and main idea.
- 14. Reread • Rereading shouldbe active reading. • Underline topic sentences and key facts. • Label areas that you want to refer to as you write your summary. • Also label areas that should be avoided because the details— though they may be interesting—are too specific. • Identify areas that you do not understand and try to clarify those points.
- 15. One Sentence AtA Time • You should now have a firm grasp on the text you will be summarizing. • In steps 1–3, you divided the piece into sections and located the author’s main ideas and points. • Now write down the main idea of each section in one well-developed sentence. • Make sure that what you include in your sentences are key points, not minor details.
- 16. Write a thesisstatement. • This is the key to any well-written summary. • Review the sentences you wrote in step 4. • From them, you should be able to create a thesis statement that clearly communicates what the entire text was trying to achieve. • If you find that you are not able to do this step, then you should go back and make sure your sentences actually addressed key points.
- 17. Ready To Write •At this point, your first draft is virtually done. • You can use the thesis statement as the introductory sentence of your summary, and your other sentences can make up the body. • Make sure that they are in order. • Add some transition words (then, however, also, moreover) that help with the overall structure and flow of the summary.
- 18. • once youare actually putting pen to paper (or fingers to keys!), remember these tips: • Write in the present tense. • Make sure to include the author and title of the work. • Be concise: a summary should not be equal in length to the original text. • If you must use the words of the author, cite them. • Don't put your own opinions, ideas, or interpretations into the summary. • The purpose of writing a summary is to accurately represent what the author wanted to say, not to provide a critique.
- 19. Check for Accuracy •Rereadyour summary and make certain that you have accurately represented the author’s ideas and key points. •Make sure that you have correctly cited anything directly quoted from the text. •Also check to make sure that your text does not contain your own commentary on the piece.
- 20. Revise • Once youare certain that your summary is accurate, you should (as with any piece of writing) revise it for style, grammar, and punctuation. • If you have time, give your summary to someone else to read. • This person should be able to understand the main text based on your summary alone. • If he or she does not, you may have focused too much on one area of the piece and not enough on the author’s main idea.