2: Summary Writing
- Page ID
- 375550
\( \newcommand{\vecs}[1]{\overset { \scriptstyle \rightharpoonup} {\mathbf{#1}} } \)
\( \newcommand{\vecd}[1]{\overset{-\!-\!\rightharpoonup}{\vphantom{a}\smash {#1}}} \)
\( \newcommand{\dsum}{\displaystyle\sum\limits} \)
\( \newcommand{\dint}{\displaystyle\int\limits} \)
\( \newcommand{\dlim}{\displaystyle\lim\limits} \)
\( \newcommand{\id}{\mathrm{id}}\) \( \newcommand{\Span}{\mathrm{span}}\)
( \newcommand{\kernel}{\mathrm{null}\,}\) \( \newcommand{\range}{\mathrm{range}\,}\)
\( \newcommand{\RealPart}{\mathrm{Re}}\) \( \newcommand{\ImaginaryPart}{\mathrm{Im}}\)
\( \newcommand{\Argument}{\mathrm{Arg}}\) \( \newcommand{\norm}[1]{\| #1 \|}\)
\( \newcommand{\inner}[2]{\langle #1, #2 \rangle}\)
\( \newcommand{\Span}{\mathrm{span}}\)
\( \newcommand{\id}{\mathrm{id}}\)
\( \newcommand{\Span}{\mathrm{span}}\)
\( \newcommand{\kernel}{\mathrm{null}\,}\)
\( \newcommand{\range}{\mathrm{range}\,}\)
\( \newcommand{\RealPart}{\mathrm{Re}}\)
\( \newcommand{\ImaginaryPart}{\mathrm{Im}}\)
\( \newcommand{\Argument}{\mathrm{Arg}}\)
\( \newcommand{\norm}[1]{\| #1 \|}\)
\( \newcommand{\inner}[2]{\langle #1, #2 \rangle}\)
\( \newcommand{\Span}{\mathrm{span}}\) \( \newcommand{\AA}{\unicode[.8,0]{x212B}}\)
\( \newcommand{\vectorA}[1]{\vec{#1}} % arrow\)
\( \newcommand{\vectorAt}[1]{\vec{\text{#1}}} % arrow\)
\( \newcommand{\vectorB}[1]{\overset { \scriptstyle \rightharpoonup} {\mathbf{#1}} } \)
\( \newcommand{\vectorC}[1]{\textbf{#1}} \)
\( \newcommand{\vectorD}[1]{\overrightarrow{#1}} \)
\( \newcommand{\vectorDt}[1]{\overrightarrow{\text{#1}}} \)
\( \newcommand{\vectE}[1]{\overset{-\!-\!\rightharpoonup}{\vphantom{a}\smash{\mathbf {#1}}}} \)
\( \newcommand{\vecs}[1]{\overset { \scriptstyle \rightharpoonup} {\mathbf{#1}} } \)
\(\newcommand{\longvect}{\overrightarrow}\)
\( \newcommand{\vecd}[1]{\overset{-\!-\!\rightharpoonup}{\vphantom{a}\smash {#1}}} \)
\(\newcommand{\avec}{\mathbf a}\) \(\newcommand{\bvec}{\mathbf b}\) \(\newcommand{\cvec}{\mathbf c}\) \(\newcommand{\dvec}{\mathbf d}\) \(\newcommand{\dtil}{\widetilde{\mathbf d}}\) \(\newcommand{\evec}{\mathbf e}\) \(\newcommand{\fvec}{\mathbf f}\) \(\newcommand{\nvec}{\mathbf n}\) \(\newcommand{\pvec}{\mathbf p}\) \(\newcommand{\qvec}{\mathbf q}\) \(\newcommand{\svec}{\mathbf s}\) \(\newcommand{\tvec}{\mathbf t}\) \(\newcommand{\uvec}{\mathbf u}\) \(\newcommand{\vvec}{\mathbf v}\) \(\newcommand{\wvec}{\mathbf w}\) \(\newcommand{\xvec}{\mathbf x}\) \(\newcommand{\yvec}{\mathbf y}\) \(\newcommand{\zvec}{\mathbf z}\) \(\newcommand{\rvec}{\mathbf r}\) \(\newcommand{\mvec}{\mathbf m}\) \(\newcommand{\zerovec}{\mathbf 0}\) \(\newcommand{\onevec}{\mathbf 1}\) \(\newcommand{\real}{\mathbb R}\) \(\newcommand{\twovec}[2]{\left[\begin{array}{r}#1 \\ #2 \end{array}\right]}\) \(\newcommand{\ctwovec}[2]{\left[\begin{array}{c}#1 \\ #2 \end{array}\right]}\) \(\newcommand{\threevec}[3]{\left[\begin{array}{r}#1 \\ #2 \\ #3 \end{array}\right]}\) \(\newcommand{\cthreevec}[3]{\left[\begin{array}{c}#1 \\ #2 \\ #3 \end{array}\right]}\) \(\newcommand{\fourvec}[4]{\left[\begin{array}{r}#1 \\ #2 \\ #3 \\ #4 \end{array}\right]}\) \(\newcommand{\cfourvec}[4]{\left[\begin{array}{c}#1 \\ #2 \\ #3 \\ #4 \end{array}\right]}\) \(\newcommand{\fivevec}[5]{\left[\begin{array}{r}#1 \\ #2 \\ #3 \\ #4 \\ #5 \\ \end{array}\right]}\) \(\newcommand{\cfivevec}[5]{\left[\begin{array}{c}#1 \\ #2 \\ #3 \\ #4 \\ #5 \\ \end{array}\right]}\) \(\newcommand{\mattwo}[4]{\left[\begin{array}{rr}#1 \amp #2 \\ #3 \amp #4 \\ \end{array}\right]}\) \(\newcommand{\laspan}[1]{\text{Span}\{#1\}}\) \(\newcommand{\bcal}{\cal B}\) \(\newcommand{\ccal}{\cal C}\) \(\newcommand{\scal}{\cal S}\) \(\newcommand{\wcal}{\cal W}\) \(\newcommand{\ecal}{\cal E}\) \(\newcommand{\coords}[2]{\left\{#1\right\}_{#2}}\) \(\newcommand{\gray}[1]{\color{gray}{#1}}\) \(\newcommand{\lgray}[1]{\color{lightgray}{#1}}\) \(\newcommand{\rank}{\operatorname{rank}}\) \(\newcommand{\row}{\text{Row}}\) \(\newcommand{\col}{\text{Col}}\) \(\renewcommand{\row}{\text{Row}}\) \(\newcommand{\nul}{\text{Nul}}\) \(\newcommand{\var}{\text{Var}}\) \(\newcommand{\corr}{\text{corr}}\) \(\newcommand{\len}[1]{\left|#1\right|}\) \(\newcommand{\bbar}{\overline{\bvec}}\) \(\newcommand{\bhat}{\widehat{\bvec}}\) \(\newcommand{\bperp}{\bvec^\perp}\) \(\newcommand{\xhat}{\widehat{\xvec}}\) \(\newcommand{\vhat}{\widehat{\vvec}}\) \(\newcommand{\uhat}{\widehat{\uvec}}\) \(\newcommand{\what}{\widehat{\wvec}}\) \(\newcommand{\Sighat}{\widehat{\Sigma}}\) \(\newcommand{\lt}{<}\) \(\newcommand{\gt}{>}\) \(\newcommand{\amp}{&}\) \(\definecolor{fillinmathshade}{gray}{0.9}\)Summary writing is a very important skill in American college classes. Teachers will ask you to write summaries of articles, textbook chapters, books, and even movies. In addition, you will also have to give summaries orally, to see whether or not you understood the text.
Remember these things when writing a summary:
- Include ONLY the main points. Do not include unnecessary details.
- Write IN YOUR OWN WORDS. Copying parts of the text shows that you have not understood the text, only that you can repeat it. It can also be considered cheating.
- Do not include your opinion. A summary is objective.
- Summaries are SHORT. You may summarize 5-6 pages of academic text in one paragraph.
- Summaries should be ACCURATE and COMPLETE. This is where careful reading is so important. Your summary should show that you fully understand the ENTIRE article. You may need to read an article or text several times and discuss it with someone before writing a summary.
Sample text:
A penny for your thoughts? If it’s a 1943 copper penny, it could be worth as much as fifty thousand dollars. In 1943, most pennies were made out of steel since copper was needed for World War I, so the 1943 copper penny is ultra-rare. Another rarity is the 1955 double-die penny. These pennies were mistakenly double stamped, so they have overlapping dates and letters. If it’s uncirculated, it would easily fetch $25,000 at an auction. Now that’s a pretty penny.
BAD summary #1:
This text is about pennies.
What’s wrong with this summary?
BAD summary #2:
Copper was hard to get during World War II, so there aren’t many pennies from that time. The 1955 double die penny is worth a lot too. These pennies were stamped twice by accident.
What’s wrong with this summary?
BAD summary #3:
Some pennies are worth a lot of money. If it’s a 1943 copper penny, it might be worth up to $50,000. That’s because in 1943, most pennies were made out of steel. Another rare penny is the 1955 double-die penny. It might get $25,000 at an auction.
What’s wrong with this summary?
GOOD summary:
This text is about two very rare and valuable pennies: the 1943 copper penny and the 1955
double die penny.
This summary:
- Includes main ideas.
- Doesn’t include unnecessary information
- Is a complete sentence.
Taking phrases or sentences from another writer without using “quotations marks” is called plagiarism. It is a serious offense in American colleges and schools. The WCC policy says that the student will get a “0” for an assignment or even an “F” for a class. Students who continue to do this can be disciplined by the Dean or other administrators. Moreover, a good summary doesn’t use direct “quotes”; if you do, it looks like you didn’t understand the reading.
Here are some tips for avoiding plagiarism while writing a summary:
- Imagine someone asked you “What was the text about?” or “What was the book about?”
- Read the text several times to make sure you understand it.
- It helps to take some notes about the reading on a separate piece of paper – not sentences, just a few words or phrases. Bullet points or lists work well.
- Do not look at the text while you are writing the summary.
- Give the summary to someone out loud (orally) before you write it down. This is an excellent way to pre-write and practice. They can also ask you questions for clarification.
Write a summary of a movie.
As a class, decide on a movie to summarize. Choose one that everyone in the class has seen, such as Titanic. Discuss the main ideas (events) of this movie with a partner or in a small group.
After you have discussed the ideas orally, write a brief summary of the movie on a separate piece of paper. Write the summary in 10 minutes or less. Be prepared to share your summary.
Write a summary of an article.
Your instructor will ask you to write a summary of a text from your reading textbook. Follow the guidelines above to write a brief summary that includes only main ideas. Your instructor will have further instructions about the required length of the summary. Write it on a separate piece of paper.
Exchange your summary with a partner. Your instructor will give you a Peer Editing Checklist for the summary.
Writing a summary of a book that you have read for pleasure is another important skill. For this course, you will write short summaries of many stories that you read. Fiction stories should be summarized using the simple present tense. The following is a sample summary of a short story called My Cousin. The format includes the book’s title, author, and number of pages.
My Cousin author unknown 4 pages
This story is about a little girl who wants to meet her cousin. She knows her cousin’s name is Pat, and she writes it all over the walls in her house. One day, the girl’s mother takes her into the country, and she meets her cousin. The cousin is an older woman. The girl is surprised and pleased.
How many sentences are in this summary? Underline all of the simple present verbs in the summary.
Grammar is always important! Here is a summary of the same story, My Cousin. There are errors in sentence structure, punctuation, and verb tense. Identify and fix the grammar errors.
A girl she was five years old she saw a picture of another girl under a tree, her mother said it was her cousin, the girl wrote her name on all the walls, she wanted to meet her cousin. Because she was an only child.
Now look at the content. How are the contents of the two summaries different? Would you change the contents of the second summary? Why or why not? Discuss your ideas with a partner.
Bring one of the books that you’ve read at the library to class. Your classmates will ask you, “What is that book about?” You should summarize the book in 2 minutes to a partner.
Switch partners. Answer the question, “What is that book about?” in 1 minute.
Switch partners. Answer the question, “What is that book about?” in 30 seconds.
Could you summarize the book in 30 seconds?
Some tips for writing good book report summaries:
- Write the title, the author, and number of pages read at the top of the summary
- Keep your summary short, 2 to 5 sentences
- Write your summary in a paragraph format.
- Do NOT:
- Write a list of sentences
- Number your sentences
- Write only phrases (fragments)
- Write many run-on sentences, connected with commas. Fragments and run-ons make it difficult to see how many sentences you really wrote.
Students who copy the summary from the back of the book or from any part of any chapter are plagiarizing and will receive a “0” for the book report. Your instructor will keep a record of your plagiarism and possibly send you to the Dean for discipline.
Remember, plagiarism can mean copying even parts of sentences and inserting synonyms here and there.
Put the book away when you are writing about it! Write from your own memory.
Attributions
“Summarizing: Getting to the Point” by Ereading Worksheets is licensed under Terms of Use.
Image 1:
“Blank stop sign octagon” by MgicImage via Wikimedia Commons is in the Public Domain.