Summarizing a text

A summary… Is a short version of a longer text Contains the central argument (thesis) and supporting arguments of the original text Shouldn’t be more than ¼ to ⅓ of the original

Steps in summarizing a text 1: Preliminary work Identify the central argument (thesis) Clarify meanings – read pen in hand – flag & look up unknown or unclear words/expressions Identify structure – sections (may be implicit) – logic of the argument – original structure can be kept

Steps in summarizing a text 2: Writing the summary Summarize each paragraph in a sentence – use your own words – drop examples Build summary from these sentences – no collage: rewrite to make them fit together – drop sentences that add nothing – avoid quotations Ensure logical progression of summary Ask: Is the summary the next best thing to reading the original?

Checklist Technical details – cover page is included? – text is mentioned? – word number is respected and stated? – grammar, syntax, spelling are adequate? – pages are numbered? – 1-inch margins, double-space, suitable font? Content – see marking criteriamarking criteria