1. Writing a Summary
Your First Chance

2. Just checking…..
Who – Blue Oyster Cult and Bruce Dickinson, also – highlighting Gene Frenkle and his cowbell.
What – Recording “Don’t Fear the Reaper” – cow bell highlight
Where – Sunshine Studios
When – August, 1976
Why – Addition of cow bell disrupts the band, creates a minor rift – yet they are able to come together in the end
How – With the assistance of THE Bruce Dickinson, the band is able to come together

3. How To Write A Summary
ENG 101

4. Has Texting Killed Romance?

5. 1. Read the passage carefully.
Determine its structure.
Identify the author’s purpose in writing. (This will help you to distinguish between more important and less important details.)
Label above the title of the article.

6. 2. Reread, label and underline
This time divide the passage into sections or stages of thought (the author’s use of paragraphing will often be a useful guide.)
Label, on the passage itself, each section or stage of thought.
Underline/highlight key ideas and terms.

7. 3. Write one-sentence summary.
Be sure you include each stage of thought.

8. 4. Write a thesis – a one sentence summary of the entire passage.
The thesis should express the central idea of the passage, as you have determined it from the preceding steps.
Note – in some cases a suitable thesis may already be in the original passage, if so, you may want to quote that!

9. 5. Write the first draft of your summary
Combine the thesis with the one-sentence summaries plus significant details from the passage.
Eliminate repetition. Eliminate less important information. Disregard minor details, or generalize them. Use as few words as possible to convey the main ideas.

10. 6. Check your summary against the original passage.
Make whatever adjustments are necessary for accuracy and completeness.

11. 7. Revise your summary.
Insert transitional words and phrases where necessary to ensure coherence.
Check for style
You will want to ensure that you include: who, what, where, when, why, and how
Avoid series of short, choppy sentences
Combine sentences for a smooth, logical flow of ideas
Check for grammatical correctness, punctuation and spelling
A little something extra – look at your vocabulary and add 2 vocabulary words from lesson 3.

12. Finished? Hold on to your summary! We are going to add to it!