INGL 3231 Prof. cristal heffelfinger The Summary INGL 3231 Prof. cristal heffelfinger

Summarizing is linked to active processing Comprehension Production Organization (mapping) Retrieval A good summary denotes an active and effective reading of a text. This technique may help you store and retrieve information more easily; therefore, it can aid your memory. It involves both high comprehension and production skills, since, on the one hand, you try to make sense of the text and, on the other hand, you re-create it. Storage

Main elements in a summary Title = same as the original Paraphrased main ideas Transition words and phrases Few details (if any) No opinions or external comments Use your own words. / Even though it is not advisable to include details, you may want to add supporting ideas to strengthen or clarify the main points. / No opinions or external comments: Your goal is to write about the article/story, not about the topic.

“ Summaries should be only 10 percent to 25 percent as long as the original selection” (Elder, 2008).

Basic rules: Prewriting Read the text more than once Skim the text Do careful reading Identify what’s important (and what’s not) Cross out repeated or trivial information Group together similar word categories Take notes Highlight main ideas in each paragraph Combine main ideas Your first step is to get a “bird’s eye view” of the text.

Basic rules: Writing Rewrite Refine Paraphrase main points Replace specific words with general categories Maintain the original ordering of elements Refine Incorporate transitions Use clean, straightforward, and neutral language Revise your grammar and punctuation Include the title Paraphrasing: Do not incorporate quotations or try to imitate the author’s style. Remember that, even though is a text based on another one, it is still your piece. // Original ordering: Although this is not a feature of all summaries (see Hunter College article, for example), it is advisable for our purposes. In fact, since our final objective is to write a review, it is useful to provide an overview of the structure of the text first. Then, discuss the main points in each section.

Make sure that you include: General topic Research question / Conflict Thesis Supporting arguments and evidence / Main events Conclusion / Ending or final message The items at the left make reference to essays and scholarly articles, while those at the right may be applied to works of creative literature.

Is summarizing the opposite of writing?

Close, but not really… Develop a main idea “Regular” writing Summarizing Develop a main idea Add examples and supporting arguments Accessorize with details! Find the main idea Use as few additional elements as possible Strip down the text (delete details)

Original Summary

References Dr. Murray and Anna C. Rockowitz Writing Center. (2017). The writing process: Guidelines for writing a summary. Retrieved from http://www.hunter.cuny.edu/rwc/handouts/the-writing-process-1/invention/Guidelines-for-Writing-a-Summary Elder, J. (2008). Entryways into college reading and learning. Retrieved from http://highered.mheducation.com/sites/dl/free/0073123587/380570/3 Odegaard Writing and Research Center. (n.d.). How to write a summary. Retrieved from http://depts.washington.edu/owrc/Handouts/How%20to%20Write%20a%20Summary.pdf Trent University. (2014). Writing article summaries. Retrieved from https://www.trentu.ca/academicskills/documents/articlesummary.pdf