Summarizing Getting to the Point

Summary Summaries are not a place for… Short account of the central ideas of a text Summaries are not a place for… Opinions Background knowledge Personal information Detail

Your Answer should be INFORMATIVE How To Summarize Read the text. Ask “What is the main idea in this text?” “What are the key points?” Your Answer should be INFORMATIVE form a complete sentence or two cover main idea/issue, and main points said about it. use your own words

Example (a) What is the main idea in this sentence Example (a) What is the main idea in this sentence? How would you summarize it? “The amphibia, which is the animal class to which our frogs and toads belong, were the first animals to crawl from the sea and inhabit the earth.” Summary “The first animals to leave the sea and live on dry land were the amphibia.”

Analysing the status of information: “The amphibia, which is the animal class to which our frogs and toads belong, were the first animals to crawl from the sea and inhabit the earth.” “The first animals to leave the sea and live on dry land were the amphibia.”

Should It Go in My Summary? Only major ideas and information necessary for your purposes should go into a summary. Work out the Main Points AND the supporting points (examples, clarifications additions…)

Main Idea and Key Points The main idea is what the text is about. Key points are arguments or information that is used to support the main idea. Key points may be developed or elaborated with supporting details. Your summary should only include main ideas and key points, not supporting details.

Example (b) What is the main idea of this sentence Example (b) What is the main idea of this sentence? How would you summarize it in 1 sentence? “One of the most noticeable phenomena in any big city, such as London or Paris, is the steadily increasing number of petrol-driven vehicles, some in private ownership, others belonging to the public transport system, which congest the roads and render rapid movement more difficult year by year.” Summary: “Big cities have growing traffic problems.”

Example (b) “One of the most noticeable phenomena in any big city, such as London or Paris, is the steadily increasing number of petrol-driven vehicles, some in private ownership, others belonging to the public transport system, which congest the roads and render rapid movement more difficult year by year.” Summary: “Big cities have growing traffic problems.” 9

Example (c). What is the main idea? 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 II, . .   Another rarity is . . T These pennies were mistakenly double stamped, so they have overlapping dates and letters.  If it’s uncirculated, it’d easily fetch $25,000 at an auction.  Now that’s a pretty penny.   so, the 1943 copper penny is ultra-rare. the 1955 double die penny.

Example response (1) ’This text is about pennies.’ Bad Summary! Too short Does not include key ideas.

Example Response 2 The 1943 copper penny is worth a lot of money. Copper was hard to get during the war so there aren’t many of them. The 1955 double die penny is worth a lot too. These pennies were stamped twice on accident. Bad Summary! Too much unnecessary stuff. Main idea is not clear.

Good summary Example Response This text is about two very rare and valuable pennies: the 1943 copper penny and the 1955 double die penny. Includes key information. Doesn’t include unnecessary information Can be expanded with supplementary information. Is a TOPIC SENTENCE

Example (c). Analysis for our summary 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 II, . .   Another rarity is . . T These pennies were mistakenly double stamped, so they have overlapping dates and letters.  If it’s uncirculated, it’d easily fetch $25,000 at an auction.  Now that’s a pretty penny.   so, the 1943 copper penny is ultra-rare. the 1955 double die penny. 14

A topic sentence … … is the sentence that contains the main idea of the source text. usually the first, as well as the most general, sentence of the summary. may be followed by supporting detail.

Academic writing builds on what is known about your topic. You therefore need to … Summarize relevant points of previous writing for your reader (“what they say”) THEN …you show that you can use ‘their’ ideas and findings in your own way (“what I say”), to develop, expand, and create new ideas.

A good summary ... shows that you have understood the materials you have read makes it clear when the words or ideas that you are using are your own and when they are taken from another writer. contains the main points in the original text and is written in your own words. only includes information relevant to your text

Stages in producing a summary Read the text carefully. - Make sure you understand it. 2 Think about the purpose of the text. What was the author's purpose in writing the text? What is your purpose in writing the summary? Are you summarising to support the points you are making? Are you summarising so you can criticise the work before you introduce your main points? (ie do you disagree with the writer?)

3 Find the main ideas in the text - what is important. Distinguish between main and subsidiary information. Delete (most) details and examples, unimportant information, anecdotes, examples, illustrations, data etc.

4. Change the structure of the text. Identify the meaning relationships between the words/ideas - e.g. cause/effect, generalisation, contrast. Express these relationships in a different way. Change the grammar of the text: rearrange words and sentences. Change nouns to verbs, adjectives to adverbs, etc., Find alternative words/synonyms for words/phrases Do not change specialised vocabulary and commonly used words.

5 Rewrite the main ideas in complete sentences. Combine your notes into a piece of continuous writing. Use signalling words like 'therefore', 'however', 'although', 'since', to show the connections between the ideas.

6 Check your work Make sure your purpose is clear. Make sure the meaning is the same. Make sure the style is your own. Remember to acknowledge direct quotes and paraphrases.