summary and critical response 2
CMU Writing Center
Writing an Effective Summary
Purposes of summaries
To help you (and your readers) understand the main ideas of a text or a passage from a text.
To present information to readers that you will subsequently analyze, evaluate, respond to, etc.
Qualities of an effective summary:
An effective summary is
Objective
Comprehensive
Concise
Coherent
Accurate
Independent
Define these words
Objective
Comprehensive
Concise
Coherent
Accurate
Independent
Objective - based on facts rather than feelings or opinions
Comprehensive - including many, most, or all things
Concise - using few words: not including extra or unnecessary information
Coherent - logical and well-organized: easy to understand
Accurate - free from mistakes or errors [the information]
Independent - separate from and not connected to other people, things, etc.
Merriam-Webster
How to develop an effective summary
Suspend your own beliefs and opinions about the text and/or about the topic of the text.
This will help you stay objective.
How to develop an effective summary
Early in the summary, you should
Introduce the author and the title of the text
Introduce the purpose and/or thesis of the text.
How to develop an effective summary
Introduce the author and title of the text
In his book The Magic of Math, mathematician Ronald Heins . . .
Introduce the purpose and/or thesis of the text
In his book The Magic of Math, mathematician Ronald Heins explains how we use math in our everyday lives—often without even realizing it.
Let’s evaluate the beginning of this summary:
In her web article “Ten Reasons You Should Eat Broccoli,” Sarah Fredly, a nutritionist, tries to persuade her readers to eat more broccoli by explaining its health benefits.
What text is being summarized?
Who wrote the text?
Why did the author write this, and what it is about?
How to develop an effective summary
After you introduce the author, title, and purpose of the text, briefly explain the major ideas or points of the text
As you summarize the main ideas or points,
Be comprehensive, concise, and coherent
Be objective and accurate
Be independent
Be concise (don’t go into too much detail—stick with the main ideas)
Be objective (don’t respond to the author’s ideas/points—just present them. Also, make sure that you present the information and purpose correctly. Use appropriate action verbs to do this.)
Be independent (put the information in your own words)
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As you summarize the main ideas or points,
Be comprehensive, concise, and coherent
don’t go into too much detail—stick with the main ideas
13
As you summarize the main ideas or points,
Be objective and accurate
don’t respond to the author’s ideas/points—just present them
make sure that you present the information and purpose correctly
use appropriate action verbs to do this
14
As you summarize the main ideas or points,
Be independent
put the information in your own words
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As you summarize the main ideas and points,
Use active verbs to show what the author “does.”
For example:
Fredly explains what nutrients are in broccoli and describes what happens when we don’t get enough of these nutrients.
Josef Arable, an education professor at Midwest University, argues that colleges and universities should do away with grades in his essay “Say Goodbye, Grades.” To support his argument, Arable summarizes numerous studies that show the negative effects of traditional grading systems; he then delves into these negative effects, focusing on students’ motivation and confidence, students’ learning and retention of material, and instructors’ teaching practices. Ultimately, he claims, by emphasizing grades, students and teachers alike unintentionally prioritize results (grades) over process (learning).
Review: An effective summary . . .
Introduces the author, title, and purpose (and/or thesis) of the text
Identifies and connects the main ideas and points of the text without going into too much detail
Presents information truthfully and correctly
Avoids judging, evaluating, or responding to the text
Attributes the points and ideas to the author via active verbs