summary response

1. State the author’s name and the title of the text you’re summarizing in the first 1-2 sentences of the summary.

2. Express the author’s main idea in your own words in the first 1-2 sentences of the summary

3. Identify main points that support the main idea. Write the main points in your own words

4. Use minor details (e.g. examples, explanations and specific details) only when needed to support the main points.

5. Arrange the ideas so the organization and transition words in the summary paragraph reflect the original text. f) Show that you are summarizing someone else’s ideas with expressions like “According to” + author’s name or author’s last name + a signal verb.

6. Paraphrase effectively. The point of a summary is to show that you understand what you have read; for that reason, it is important to paraphrase rather than quote directly from the text. When paraphrasing, employ various paraphrasing techniques rather than substituting a synonym here and there.

The Response:

A response is a critique or evaluation of the author's essay. Unlike the summary, it is composed of YOUR opinions in relation to the article being summarized. It examines ideas that you agree or disagree with and identifies the essay's strengths and weaknesses in reasoning and logic, in quality of supporting examples, and in organization and style. A good response is persuasive; therefore, it should cite facts, examples, and personal experience that either refutes or supports the article you're responding to, depending on your stance. (See the Writing a Response handout for specific response strategies.)

SUMMARY-RESPONSE ESSAY TEMPLATE