1. Condensing original passage in your own words
Writing a Summary
Condensing original passage
in your own words
Writing Center Presentation adapted by Professor Linda G. Foss

2. Read Carefully Look for the writer’s purpose…why are they writing?
the controlling idea
the major supporting points
important terms

3. Annotate the Original Identify the topic and thesis
Mark supporting points
Find short quotes to incorporate in your summary
Identify author’s angle or bias

4. Write your Summary
Identify the author and title of work in your introduction
Condense by using only main ideas and omitting unnecessary details
Use your own wording & style
Use quotes sparingly for emphasis
Use proper citation of original

5. Write Objectively Do not change the author’s meaning in any way
Do not evaluate or react to the ideas of the original
Keep the summary short---from one paragraph to several pages depending on original and your purpose

6. Use Quotations
Use quotations only for emphasis or if unable to rephrase effectively
Make a quotation part of a sentence
Use signal phrases & citations
In Johnson’s “Way of the West,” he argues that the myth of the cowboy as a “self-made man battling the elements by use of his survival instincts” does not tell the whole truth (44).

7. Document the Original
Use the documentation system associated with the discipline or preferred by your instructor
Follow its rules and examples for formatting paper and citing sources
Sources must be indicated within the text, as well as fully cited at end of paper
Seek assistance from the Writing Center about documentation systems such as MLA, APA, Chicago