Basics Of summarizing

Objectives:

•
Determine the purpose of
summarizing;
•
Discuss the features of
summarizing;
•
Apply effective strategies in
summarizing;
•
Self-audit
Usually Sometimes Seldom Never

1.I establish my reading purpose before I summarize.

2.I make sure that I fully understand the text before I

summarize.

3.I use my own words in my summary.

4.I include only the key ideas when summarizing.

5.I highlight key words and phrases and make annotations

when summarizing.

6.I refrain from adding comments in summarizing.

7.I vary sentence structure when writing a summary in

paragraph.

8.I use reporting verbs to my summary.

9.I cite sources.

10.I eliminate redundant ideas from the summary.

•
Total
Grand Total /30

•
Scoring
•
Score
•
Usually- 3 points
•
Sometimes- 2 points
•
Seldom-1 point
•
Never- 0

Level of Proficiency

•
28-30 Advanced
Let’s learn…..

•
Suppose you told your friend that
you just watched a great film
and your friend asks what the
story is. What would you do?
Would you tell the whole story?
Or just simply give the gist of the
story.
 What is summarizing?
•
As an important skill in critical reading, summarizing is often used to
determine the essential ideas in a book chapter, an article. These essential
ideas include the gist or main idea, useful information, or key words or
phrases that help you meet your reading purpose. Summarizing is generally
done after reading. However, it can be done as well while reading a text.
Summarizing is an important skill because it helps you…….
ü
deepen your understanding of the text;
ü
Learn to identify relevant information or key ideas;
ü
Combine details or examples that support the main ideas/s;
ü
Concentrate on the gist or main idea and key words presented in the text;
and
ü
Capture the key ideas in the text and put them together clearly and
concisely.
What is not summarizing

•
You are summarizing when you……
Ø
write down everything;
Ø
write down ideas from the text word-for-word;
Ø
write down incoherent and irrelevant ideas;
Ø
write down ideas that are not stated in the text; or
Ø
write down a summary that has the same length
or is longer than the original text.
Guidelines in summarizing
1. Clarify your purpose before you read.
2. Read the text and understand the meaning. Do not stop reading until you
understand the message conveyed by the author. Locate the gist or main idea of
the text, which can usually be found either at the beginning, in the middle, or in
the end.
3. Select and underline or circle the key ideas and phrases while reading; another
strategy is to annotate the text.
4. Write all the key ideas and phrases you identified on the margins or on your
notebook in a bullet or an outline form.
5. Without looking at the text, identify the connections of these key ideas and
phrases using a concept maps, graphic organizers or thinking maps.
6. List your ideas in sentences into a paragraph. Use appropriate transitional devices
to improve cohesion.
7. Combine the sentences into a paragraph. Use appropriate transitional devices to
improve cohesion.
8. Ensure that do not copy a single sentence from
the original text.
9.Refrain from adding comments about the text.
Stick to the ideas it presents.
10.Edit the draft of your summary by eliminating
redundant ideas.
11.Compare your output with the original text to
ensure accuracy.
12.Record the details of the original source
(author’s name/s, date of publication, title,
publisher, place of publishing, and URL [if online]). It
Formats in summarizing

•
There are three (3) formats that you may use in writing summaries
are idea heading, author heading, and date heading.
1. Idea Heading Format
In this format, the summarized idea comes before the citation.
Example:
Benchmarking is a useful strategy that has the potential to help
public officials improve the performance of local services
(Folz,2004; Ammons,2001). Once the practice of a particular city is
benchmarked, it can be a guidepost and the basis for the other
counterparts to improve its own.
2.Author heading format
In this format, the summarized idea comes after the citation. The author’s name/s
is/are connected by an appropriate reporting verb.
Example:
The considerable number of users of FB has led educators to utilize FB for
communicating with their students(Grant, 2008; as cited in Donmus, 2010).
The study of Kabilan and Abidin (2010) shows that the students perceived FB
as an online environment to expedite language learning specifically English.
Donmus (2010) asserts that educational games on FB fecundate learning
process and make students’ learning environment more engaging. As
regards literacy, this notion reveals that FB could be used s a tool to aid
individuals execute a range of social acts through social literacy
implementation (ibid). Blackstone and Hardwood (2012) suggest the
facilitative strength of FB as it elicits greater achievement on collaboration
among students.
3. Date Heading Format
In this format, the summarized idea comes after the date when the
material was published.

Example:
On the other hand, active participation of the citizens in
development contributes to a sound and reasonable government
decisions. In their 2004 study on the impact of participatory
development approach, Irvin and Stansbury argue that
participation can be valuable to the participants and the
government in terms of the process and outcomes of decision
making.
Using reporting verbs when summarizing
A reporting verb is a word used to discuss another person’s writings or
assertions. They are generally used to incorporate the source to the discussion
in the text. To illustrate, see the sample text below. The reporting verbs are
italicized.

Having a syntactically correct sentence is not enough to create meaning. As

Noam Chomsky pointed out, a sentence can be perfect in terms of syntax and
still not make sense. He showed this by coming up with the famous sentence,
“Colorless green ideas sleep furiously” (Chomsky, 1957).

In summarizing, you are highly encouraged to vary the verbs you use to make
your writing more interesting and to show importance to each of your sources.
You can use either the past or the present tense depending on your meaning.
Using the past tense usually indicates that view the idea to be outdated and
therefore want to negate it. On the other hand, using the present tense
generally indicates that you view the idea to be relevant or agreeable.
Hyland (1999) lists a frequency of reporting verbs
used according to discipline.
Discipline Reporting Verbs from left to right, most common to least common

Biology Describe Find Report Show Suggest Observe

Marketing Suggest Argue Find Demonstrate Propose Show
Linguistics Suggest Argue Show Explain Find Point Out

Sociology Argue Suggest Describe Note Analyze Discuss

Philosophy Say Suggest Argue Claim Point out Hold Think

Overall Suggest Argue Find Show Describe Propose Report

Checking for Understanding
Write S if the statement describes good summarizing and N if not.
1. Sean copied everything from the book.
2. Tomas extracted the key ideas in the text.
3. Red concentrated on the important details.
4. Anita looked for key words and phrases.
5. Sen simplified ideas.
6. Kai revised the main idea.
7. To add more information, Alexa added her analysis and comments to the ideas of
the author.
8. Mary wrote down the general and specific ideas of the text.
9. Sean added some of his related research to the information presented in the text.
10. Lanie extended the message of the text and included some of her interpretations.
Individual activity

•
Please see the given tasks assigned to you.
GROUP ACTIVITY
•
Look and go to this link: http://www.gov.ph/report/sona-technical/. Select
one technical report, and answer the questions in the table below.
Questions Answers

What are the key ideas or information? Identify

at least three.

What are the important details that support

each key idea or information?

Using you answers, write a summary of the

technical report on a separate sheet of paper.
Individually, find one academic text related to your interest. Then, follow the guidelines and summarize the text. Then,
find a partner and exchange summaries and original texts. Read both and then evaluate your partner’s summary
using the rubric below.

Criteria VGE GE SE LE N
(5) (4) (3) (2) (1)
The summary accurately reflects the message of the original text.
The summary reworded the key ideas in the original text without
Rubric for Evaluating a Summary
compromising the accuracy or content.
The summary incorporates only the key ideas.
The summary does not contain any personal comments or opinions.
The summary cites sources properly.
The summary is shorter than the original text.
The summary uses appropriate reporting verbs.
The summary uses different heading formats.
The summary has smooth transitions.
The summary is free from grammatical errors.
TOTAL
Legend: VGE- To a very great extent; GE- To a great extent; SE- To some
Film showing
“ The Dirty Minds”

•
Write a summary of its plot about the movie. Make sure to follow the format
below:
•
Times New Roman, 12
•
1.5 Spacing
•
1” margin on all sides
•
Short bond paper
E-Link
Hone your skills in summarizing by checking the
following websites.
Place the following activities in a clear folder.
1.Summarizing Activities
Ø
http://www.ereadingworksheets.com/free-reading-worksheets/reading-comprehensio
2.Summarizing Exercises
Ø
http://highered.mheducation.com/sites/0070780412/student_view0/summarizing_exer
3.Summarizing Exercises
Ø
http://www.uefap.com/reading/exercise/menu_nt.htm
4.Skills Practice: Summarizing
Ø
http://learning.blogs.nytimes.com/2013/09/27/skills-practice-summarizing-an
-article/?_r=0
Let’s reflect
Reflect on the learning that you gained after taking
up this lesson by completing the given chart below.
What were your misconceptions about the topic What new or additional learning have you had
prior to taking up this lesson? after taking up this lesson in terms of skills, content,
ad attitude?
I thought……. I learned that….