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How To Summarize

The document provides instructions for writing a summary. It explains that a summary is a shortened version of the original text that includes the thesis and major supporting points. It should reveal the relationship between these points and the thesis. A summary can be any length from 25% of the original to one sentence. The steps for writing a summary are to identify the topic, purpose, and thesis, outline the major divisions and points, and organize the information into a concise summary. Key aspects of a good summary are that it is succinct, reveals relationships between ideas, and is written in the summarizer's own words.

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mirza
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39 views

How To Summarize

The document provides instructions for writing a summary. It explains that a summary is a shortened version of the original text that includes the thesis and major supporting points. It should reveal the relationship between these points and the thesis. A summary can be any length from 25% of the original to one sentence. The steps for writing a summary are to identify the topic, purpose, and thesis, outline the major divisions and points, and organize the information into a concise summary. Key aspects of a good summary are that it is succinct, reveals relationships between ideas, and is written in the summarizer's own words.

Uploaded by

mirza
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
Available Formats
Download as PPT, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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What is a Summary?

A summary is a shortened version of


an original text. It includes the
thesis and major supporting points,
and should reveal the relationship
between the major points and the
thesis.
How Long is a Summary?

It may be any length, from 25% of


the original to one sentence.
What you Need

1. A big, ugly, overwhelming text: to


dissect and shrink.
2. A Hi-lighter: to locate the text’s
important parts.
3. Paper: to write down the main point,
purpose of the text, major points
and documentation information.
4. A ruthless, but respectful attitude:
to conquer the mess.
BEGIN
Step 1: Topic

 Locate the topic.


 Thetopic is a word or phrase that
says what the text is about.
 Try
to be as specific as possible
about the topic.
Step 2: Purpose

 What is the purpose of the text.


 Doesit tell a story (narrate)?
Inform? Persuade or raise readers'
awareness of an issue?
Step 3: What is the Thesis?

 Look for the thesis (what the author


is saying about the topic).
 Look first in the introduction, then
in the conclusion; writers often
write explicit thesis statements.
 Writethe thesis in your own words
(and make sure it matches your
sense of the author's purpose).
Step 4: Divisions in the Text

 Look for the major divisions of the


text. In your own words, summarize
each division in one sentence.
 (Thatmay mean summarizing each
paragraph, but often several
paragraphs go together).
 Make a list of all major points.
Step 5: Organizing Sentences

 Work with the sentences you have


created to produce a summary.
 Be ruthless: a good summary is
SUCCINCT (you may leave some
information out -- as long as it is
‘extraneous’)
 Make sure you reveal the relationships
between the ideas. Are there
contrasts or comparisons
between some of the ideas?
REMEMBER

 Summaries are short restatements of a


work's main points.
 When writing a summary, be sure to
record the work's major ideas.
 Summaries condense a text's main ideas
into a few concise sentences.
 A summarized work is always much
shorter than the original.
 A summary of a work's thesis and
supporting points should be written in
your own words.
Tips

 When summarizing, avoid examples,


asides, analogies, and rhetorical
strategies.
 Only quote and paraphrase words and
phrases that you feel you absolutely
must to reproduce exactly the author's
or authors' full meaning.
 Keep in mind that your summary must
fairly represent the author's or authors'
original ideas.
Checklist
1. Reread your source until you fully understand it.
2. Write a one sentence restatement of the source's main
idea without looking at the source.
3. Use the text’s main idea as your summary's topic
sentence.
4. Pull out the text’s main ideas.
5. Write the summary in your own words. Avoid looking at
your source while writing your summary.
6. If you must include some of the source's original words
and phrases, quote and paraphrase accurately.
7. Document the source's author, title, date of publication
and any other important citation information.
The Difference Between
Paraphrasing and Summarizing
 To paraphrase means to express
someone else's ideas in your own
language. To summarize means to
distill only the most essential points
of someone else's work.
 Think about how much of the detail
from your source is relevant. If all
your reader needs to know is the
‘bare bones’, then summarize.

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