English 990 Unit 2

Guidelines for Writing a Summary

Summarizing usually is not as easy as some students think, but it is a very useful note- taking
technique. The technique consists of condensing into one or more paragraphs all the main ideas
an author has presented in a longer passage. The length of a summary will depend on how long
the original selection or chapter is. If it is a short text such as an essay, usually one paragraph is
enough. If you are working with a longer selection such as a chapter, then two or three
paragraphs should be enough. But I must say that if you dont understand a text well, you will
not be able to write a summary, and that is why summarizing is a very effective way to check
your comprehension.
Before writing a summary, you should understand the authors argument and purpose. When
writers write a selection, they make an argument. An argument consists of a point or main idea,
and the evidence presented to support that point -the supporting details. You dont have an
argument if you dont have the support for you point. In that case you only have the point. In
order to have what I call a solid argument, your support must be adequate and relevant. Take a
look at the mind map below.
Argument = Point + Support
Relevant

Adequate

When we visualize a text and make a mental picture of it, we are also visualizing the authors
argument. And that is what you are going to use when writing a summary.
Here are some important things to keep in mind when summarizing:
1. Include all the main points and the most important details the author presented in the text
in your summary.
2. Do not add anything the author hasnt presented in the text. And mostly, do not include
any of your personal opinion about the text. Always be objective and use a neutral tone.
3. It is important to keep the original order of events or sequence.
4. Paraphrase the main ideas use your own language to express the authors argument.
5. Use the third-person point of view and the present tense.
6. You summary should have a title, and it should be the same title of the original material.
You should also include the name of the author.
Assignment: Write a summary of the text with my annotations (Unit 1). Bring your summary to
our next class for discussion.