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Annotation—Summary—Response

Instructions

Annotation

What is it?

Annotation is the process of adding notes to a text as a way of commenting or explaining what is being

said in a text.

Why should I do it?

Annotation provides a deeper reading and understanding of a text. It increases vocabulary and helps

people retain the ideas present more effectively than reading alone. It is a critical skill for being

successful in college and in life.

How to annotate a text:

1. Read the text all the way through to get a general understanding of what it is about. Mark anything that you think is:

a. confusing, b. interesting c. surprising d. important e. Mark anything that is unfamiliar or you don’t understand and keep going.

2. Read the text a second time. This time read slowly and thoughtfully.

a. Circle, underline, or stick on a post-it for important ideas and explain their significance.

b. Mark anything that jumps out at you c. Circle confusing words or phrases. Define from context or dictionary if possible. d. Note passages that seem inconsistent. Ask yourself why. e. Note passages that generate a strong positive or negative response. Ask yourself

why.

3. Write questions where you made annotations. These questions can be for the instructor to answer, for the class to discuss, for you to use in future writing assignments, or for you to

keep as a reminder of what you were thinking.

4. Think about the connections between this text and other texts you have read, information

from other classes, and personal experiences.

Summary

What is it?

A summary is a brief, objective account of all the main ideas of a text.

Why should I write one?

Summaries help people focus on the main ideas of a text. It allows students to show that they read and

understood a text. It helps students retain information about a text. It is also a very common assignment

in college and students should know how to write effective, clear, and concise summaries.

How to write a summary:

1. First read and annotate a text. Be sure you fully understand what the text is communicating. 2. Without looking at the text or your notes, write the first draft of your summary. 3. Go back over your first draft reviewing your notes to be sure you’ve included ALL the main

points.

4. Write the final draft of your summary using the following structure: a. Begin with the title and author of the text. b. Explain the main point c. Explain the supporting ideas

Things to remember:

 A summary does NOT include opinion or evaluation. A summary merely tells the reader what the text is about.

 Put everything in your own words. Do not copy and paste elements from the original text into your summary.

 A summary should be about ¼ the length of the original. So, a 1000 word article should have about a 250 word summary.

Response

What is a Response?

A response paper explains your response to the original text. There are no hard and fast rules about

what type of content is required in a response paper. It is your chance to communicate your personal

viewpoint and personal learning as they relate specifically to the text in question and the ideas and

values contained therein. A good response paper will artfully make a connection between the subject at

hand and your own experience.

A response paper answers one or more of the following questions:

 How do you feel about what you are reading?

 What do you agree or disagree with?

 Can you identify with the situation?

 What would be the best way to evaluate the text?

Some things to consider:

 Assume your audience is familiar with the text, so a response should not include a summary.

 In any writing, you have to back up your statements with evidence. For example, if you say that the text made you feel sad, you must explain HOW the text made you feel that way and why this

is significant for you. What values/beliefs/concepts are under discussion?

 You should have an overall focus in your response. (a thesis)

 Response papers for this class should be approximately 500 words.

Structure of a Response paper

1. Mention the title and author of the original text 2. Clearly state your focus for the response (do you agree, disagree, identify, or evaluate?) 3. Discuss your response. 4. Provide evidence/explanation of your response (Why you responded the way you did) 5. Repeat as needed to complete your paper 6. Conclude: sum up your response and give your reader a sense of closure and completion