The Summary

1
The Summary

• In your own words A Succinct Presentation of a
  Writers Ideas.

2
Introduction

• A Summary is a brief summation of an authors
  text.
• In this session you will learn how to write an
  effective summary.
• Your objective as a student-learner is to learn
  how to briefly restate the body of the text.

3
The Practice

• The reading process for summary writing
• Locating the main idea
• Finding the supporting details
• Concluding the authors text
• Writing the Summary
• Dos and Donts

4
Overview
Pieces
You Put together.
Of a Puzzle

• Writing a summary helps the reader to understand
  the text, by locating the key areas of the text
  and putting it in his or her own words.
• When writing summary the reader of the text must
  identify three key areas the main idea, the
  supporting details, and the conclusion. Each of
  these areas represents the text.

Conclusion
Main Idea
Details
Supporting details
Supporting Details
5
The Reading Process

• The first part of writing a summary is to make
  sure that you read the text completely through
  the first time. During this first read, avoid
  taking notes instead, after you finish, write
  down what you think the authors point is. Then
  look through the text and underline the thesis.
  Key questions to ask yourself What is the
  authors purpose? What is his or her main idea?
• Once you clearly understand the writer's major
  point (or purpose) for writing and identify the
  thesis, read the article again. This time
  underline the major points supporting the thesis
  these should be words or phrases here and there
  rather than complete sentences.
• . Underline key transitional elements that
  connect ideas that support the thesis. Avoid
  examples, description, and unnecessary
  explanations. Be prepared to do more than a
  second read of the text if necessary.

6
The Thesis Statement

• The thesis statement is the main idea of the
  text. Located in the introductory or the
  concluding paragraphs, it often reflects the
  writers purpose and reason for writing. It is
  known as the road map of the essay.
• If you have difficulty locating the thesis
  statement in the opening paragraphs, look to the
  conclusion, the author will usually reiterate
  their main point at the end.
• To locate the main idea, the reader must ask
  themselves what is the point the writer is trying
  to make? Why are they trying to make it
  (purpose)? And what leads me to this conclusion?

7
The Supporting Details

• The supporting details support the thesis
  statement. They provide the reasons for the
  authors main idea.
• To identify the the supporting details, readers
  should look to the topic sentence of each
  paragraph. The topic sentence is the main idea of
  the paragraph and usually supports the thesis.
• Look closely at the information supporting the
  topic sentence. The reader will select only the
  information that supports the primary idea in the
  topic sentence.
• Include only significant information, that is
  information that is important to the
  understanding the thesis statement. Avoid
  interviews, statistics, or other information that
  will not necessarily reflect how the writer
  supports his or her thesis.

                           
8
The Conclusion
9
What is the conclusion?

• When writing a summary, make sure to follow the
  essay through until the end.
• Maintain the integrity of your summary by making
  sure to include how the author concludes his or
  her text. Many student-writers forget to include
  the authors final thoughts and instead include
  their own thoughts and opinions about the text he
  or she has just summarized.
• Avoid including your ideas and instead ask
  yourself how does the author conclude his or her
  text? What is it that he or she wants their
  reading audience to do? To know? Or to feel?

10
Keep In Mind

• A summary is written in the readers words.
• A summary is never longer than the original text.
  
• Do not quote from the text directly, instead rely
  on your understanding of the text, to restate the
  authors point. The only exception is the thesis
  statement.
• As you write the summary, be sure to summarize
  the supporting details in the same manner that
  the author introduces them in his or her text.
  Only include significant points.
• Remember to include key concepts or new terms
  introduced or repeated frequently by the author.

11
At the Outset (writing the summary)

• In the beginning of the summary, include the
  authors name, the title of the text, and the
  thesis statement. If necessary, the thesis
  statement may be a direct quote.
• For example In the essay How it Feels to be
  Young, a Woman and Colored, by Marita Bonner, the
  author ponders her plight as an colored woman in
  a racist society. In her thesis the author
  ponders the challenges of being a woman, a woman
  of any color.
• In the above example, the title of the essay and
  the authors name are in the first sentence of
  the summary along with a brief description of
  the text. It is then followed by a brief stating
  of the authors thesis. Notice that the quoted
  material is a fragment of her thesis. The rest is
  in the authors words.

12
Dos

• Do use your own words to write the summary.
• Do follow the authors structure in lining up his
  or her text.
• Do use transitional phrases to connect the ideas
  together.

13
Donts

• Dont quote the authors text.
• Dont write a summary thats as long as the
  original essay.
• Dont offer your opinion The author failed to
  acknowledge the other side of the argument
  therefore he failed to support his thesis.
• Dont interpret the text What the author means
  when she says like fish fighting to get out of a
  box is everyone is fighting each other to get
  ahead.
• Dont tell us what the author says just say it
  The author states . . . And then he says . . .
  
• Instead state it According to the author, the
  tipping point is the maximum moment change will
  occur. He claims that . . .

14
Summary

• The most important thing to remember when writing
  a summary is to stick the main ideas presented in
  the authors text. Present it in a objective
  fashion avoiding inserting your opinions.

15
For Additional Information

• For an example of a summary http//www.greenville
  .edu/faculty/dosthart/summarysample.html
• More information on writing a summary see
• http//www.greenville.edu/faculty/dosthart/howsumm
  .html
• http//users.drew.edu/sjamieso/Summary.html
• http//owl.english.purdue.edu/handouts/research/r_
  quotprsum.html