Writing a Summary

1. Writing a Summary Condensing original passage in your own words Writing Center Presentation adapted by Professor Linda G. Foss

2. Read Carefully Look for • the writer’s purpose…why are they writing? • the controlling idea • the major supporting points • important terms

3. Annotate the Original • Identify the topic and thesis • Mark supporting points • Find short quotes to incorporate in your summary • Identify author’s angle or bias

4. Write your Summary • Identify the author and title of work in your introduction • Condense by using only main ideas and omitting unnecessary details • Use your own wording & style • Use quotes sparingly for emphasis • Use proper citation of original

5. Write Objectively • Do not change the author’s meaning in any way • Do not evaluate or react to the ideas of the original • Keep the summary short---from one paragraph to several pages depending on original and your purpose

6. Use Quotations • Use quotations only for emphasis or if unable to rephrase effectively • Make a quotation part of a sentence • Use signal phrases & citations • In Johnson’s “Way of the West,” he argues that the myth of the cowboy as a “self-made man battling the elements by use of his survival instincts” does not tell the whole truth (44).

7. Document the Original • Use the documentation system associated with the discipline or preferred by your instructor • Follow its rules and examples for formatting paper and citing sources • Sources must be indicated within the text, as well as fully cited at end of paper • Seek assistance from the Writing Center about documentation systems such as MLA, APA, Chicago