Summary Writing Guide – English 211

Follow this guide to form a body paragraph for an academic essay.

1. Write a topic sentence that begins with the main subject followed by what you will
say about it.

 Coca-Cola is the best tasting soft drink on the market.

2. Clarify what you mean by each of the elements of the topic sentence.

 In the competitive cola market Coca-Cola has proven for years that customers
keep coming back for the taste.

3. Present the dilemma by describing both sides of the issue.

 While many competing soft drinks claim their products taste better, surveys and
market results always indicate Coke as the leader.

4. Take some information from the source document that supports your position.

 A 2022 poll conducted over 22 countries, indicated that soft drink consumers
overwhelmingly preferred Coke.

5. Back it up with a quote, statistic or paraphrase. (Repeat 4 and 5)

 The study, released by Pollster Inc. showed “75% of soft drink consumers”
preferred Coke “in 19 of the 22 countries polled”.

6. Reflect on what is learned by this.

 With such refutable evidence, and annual profits to back it up, Coke sits
comfortably as a dominant force in the market.