Summary Assignment

What is a Summary?

The first necessary piece of any academic analysis or argument is a summary of the text in question. Once a summary is complete, you can create a well-structured Analysis, Argument, or Critical Response Essay in which your point of view is supported with examples and evidence. You will use your ability to summarize for everything from one-sentence annotations to multi-paragraph papers. Usually, you are summarizing a source to use it FOR something – to support a point you are making in an argument or to explain an opposing view, for example.

Please keep in mind that a summary of any text, source, or passage represents your ability to read well and capture accurately someone else’s ideas, mostly in your own words and with few-to-no quotations. For your summary, you will NOT quote at all from the original. Instead, you will restate key words and main ideas from the original text to create a brief, accurate review of the text’s original ideas. A summary does not include minor details and, as a result, should be significantly shorter than the original text.

Why is it important to summarize concisely?

An academic essay like the ones you will be writing later this semester generally includes an informed blend of your ideas and new knowledge gained from reliable sources. A brief summary of relevant material from such sources can be used to support your ideas. Lengthy summaries of source material should be avoided; too much focus on the ideas of others can detract from your own voice and weaken the content of the essay you are working on.

Guidelines for Writing Effective Summaries

· Before writing any summary, it is important to use your critical reading skills. First, read the piece carefully. It might help to write down the main idea(s) of each paragraph in the margin next to it. Next, reread the article and look carefully for the main points the author is trying to get across. Look for information the author states explicitly, as well as what is implied by ideas that are not clearly stated. Look for any biases or missing information. Ask yourself questions while you read, such as “What is the big picture here? What is the author really trying to get across with this or that example?” The title will often provide a clue about the author’s main point. Most of all, slow down and take the time to reread the piece several more times. In summarizing an article, an op-ed piece, or an essay, think about how you would explain its message to someone who hasn’t read it. What should your reader know about the piece you are summarizing in order to understand its meaning?

· As you begin to write, you will want to introduce the text you are summarizing in the title. Here is an example of a title: Summary of “Home Should Not Be a War Zone” by Stanley McChrystal (McChrystal is the writer of the original piece, not the writer of the summary. You are the writer of the summary.)

· Include the author’s name, the date of publication, the title, and any important contextual information within the first few sentences

· You will also want to write a thesis in your own words that also appears within the first few sentences, whether or not the original writer used a thesis statement. I can’t stress enough that you will have to read the original text several times to figure out what this main idea is. Show that you understand the “big picture” – the writer’s purpose and how she/he supports it. Avoid quoting directly or giving examples and evidence that are too specific.

· Don’t repeat ideas and omit examples and details.

· Do NOT include a conclusion. When you cover the last point, stop. Conclusions can be graceful, but the goal here is brevity, not grace.

· Make sure your final draft is in proper MLA Format.

MLA Format for your paper will consist of the following header at the top of the first page, left-aligned:

Your Name

ENG 1201.109 or ENG 1209.211 (depending on which section you are in)

Dair Arnold (your instructor’s name)

Date

Then, center your title, and on the next line, start writing. Make sure your piece is double-spaced throughout.

· DO include a “Works Cited” page.