Summarizing, Paraphrasing, and Critiquing

A condensed version of the original piece of information. A condensed version of the original piece of information. A summary mentions only the main points and ideas. A summary mentions only the main points and ideas.

Imagine your friend is telling you a secret about something that happened during lunch yesterday, but your friend only has two minutes to tell you this juicy secret. You say, “ Girl, just summarize what happened because we don’t have time for all the details.” Your friend will only tell you the most important parts of the secret.

Summarizing involves condensing the original main ideas into a shorter and more specific text.

Sample Summary Original Text Summary The world’s top athletes with disabilities compete at the Paralympic Games, which are held just after the Olympics and at the same location. Competing at the international level requires the same dedication and skill of athletes with disabilities as are required of all athletes. Besides offering the participants entertainment and social contact, the Paralympic Games help its competing athletes to improve their physical strength, muscular coordination, and self-confidence. The Paralympic Games possess some of the most amazing athletes from around the world. Although these athletes have disabilities, they must display the same amount of talent and stamina as regular athletes. The Paralympics takes place immediately following the Olympics, and the games help to provide support, entertainment, and guidance to its athletes.

Very good. Now, explain why it is a summary.

Paraphrasing is restating the words of another person in your own words. You do not change the meaning of the original text. You do not change the meaning of the original text. You do not shorten the information. It is the same length as the original. You do not shorten the information. It is the same length as the original.

Imagine that you’re in the same situation. Your friend is telling you that juicy secret from yesterday’s lunch. However, this time, you want all the details. Imagine that you’re in the same situation. Your friend is telling you that juicy secret from yesterday’s lunch. However, this time, you want all the details. You say, “Don’t leave anything out! I want to hear all the details!” Your friend is not going to remember everything that was said word-for-word, so she will most likely paraphrase what was said by putting it in her own words.

Sample Paraphrase Original Text Paraphrase The world’s top athletes with disabilities compete at the Paralympic Games, which are held just after the Olympics and at the same location. Competing at the international level requires the same dedication and skill of athletes with disabilities as are required of all athletes. Besides offering the participants entertainment and social contact, the Paralympic Games help its competing athletes to improve their physical strength, muscular coordination, and self-confidence. The most elite athletes with disabilities from around the world can compete on an international level at the Paralympic Games, which immediately follow the Olympics. With the same skills and determination needed of all athletic participants, the disabled athletes gather to compete and socialize. Many find that the experience increases their self-esteem, endurance, and coordination.

Paraphrase: Lincoln's secretary of state, William Seward, recognized that the Emancipation Proclamation had restrictions when he stated, “We show our sympathy with slavery by emancipating slaves where we cannot reach them and holding them in bondage where we can set them free.”

A critique evaluates a written piece of work, while a summary reiterates the main idea and key points of a piece of work.

 Criticism is the practice of analyzing, interpreting, or evaluating a creative work, an essay, or article.  A critique can be written about anything.  But remember, it’s based on opinions. What does a movie critic do? What does a book critic do? What does a food critic do?

The new animated update of Dr. Seuss's environmental classic The Lorax is a lot like its target audience. It never sits still, runs around willy-nilly trying to locate a style that suits it, and bounces off the walls in a unceasing attempt to get your attention. Stealing some attitude from Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs, ancillary character slapstick from Despicable Me, faux Pixar cuteness, and a message mined from dozens of pro-Earth ecological screeds, it's both winning and whining, unable to settle down long enough to finds its own unique groove. Yet thanks in most part to the way in which directors Chris Renaud and Kyle Balda handle the majority of the material, and the cheek inherent in Ken Daurio and Cinco Paul's script, what could have been a trial ends up a rather amusing treat[…] The new animated update of Dr. Seuss's environmental classic The Lorax is a lot like its target audience. It never sits still, runs around willy-nilly trying to locate a style that suits it, and bounces off the walls in a unceasing attempt to get your attention. Stealing some attitude from Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs, ancillary character slapstick from Despicable Me, faux Pixar cuteness, and a message mined from dozens of pro-Earth ecological screeds, it's both winning and whining, unable to settle down long enough to finds its own unique groove. Yet thanks in most part to the way in which directors Chris Renaud and Kyle Balda handle the majority of the material, and the cheek inherent in Ken Daurio and Cinco Paul's script, what could have been a trial ends up a rather amusing treat[…]Cloudy with a Chance of MeatballsDespicable MeCloudy with a Chance of MeatballsDespicable Me In fact, by the end, The Lorax is a giddy, grin-producing guilty pleasure. You know you shouldn't fall for its made-by-committee charms, but the final product practically dares you to hate it. Sometimes, the dislike is easily distinguished. Most of the time, however, we are awash in well-made, if unruly, whimsy. - Bill Gibron Bill Gibron Bill Gibron Bill Gibron is a veteran film critic from Tampa, Florida.