How to do summary writing?

SUMMARY WRITING

What is a summary?

A summary restates the main ideas of an author (leaving out most of the details) in one's own words, tt is generally about % the length of the original piece of writing

Why are summaries important?

Writing summaries develops many skills. First of all, it helps Ss better understand what has been read. Secondly, it teaches them how to be concise when expression ideas. This often demands more specific vocabulary, thus improving their vocabulary. Reusing newly learned vocabulary from the text also helps improve vocabulary. Finally, it better prepares Ss to write research papers. Thus reading, writing, and vocabulary development improves from summary writing.

How to do summary writing?

Students need to be taught how to do summary writing. The following are steps that need to be taught first. Initially it takes a lot of time. However, if one spends time developing this skill, they wiil save time in the end. Students can use the following steps.

1. Reread the article. Underline the sentence that contains the main idea. Then underline the topic sentences of each paragraph and important supporting details.

2. Go back over the article and make boxes around the key words/phrases that you underlined. The boxes should include the author's main ideas.

3. Make an informal outline of the article from the boxes. Usually, but not always, you should include in your outline one main idea from every paragraph of the article. Make sure they emphasize the ideas that the author thinks is important.

4. Now write the summary from your outline, without looking at the original article. This will prevent you from copying directly from the author.

5. The first sentence should follow this model: "In his article, "..." Jim Thompson (discusses, states, argues, describes)..." MAKE SURE YOUR FIRST SENTENCE GIVES THE THESIS OF THE ARTICLE.

6. At a later point in your summary remind the reader one more time you are summarizing another person's work: e.g. "Mr. Elliot or the author also states, believes, argues, etc...."

7. The author can be quoted once in the summary. Quotations marks are necessary.

8. It is also possible to allow Ss to include a response at the end. Make this a separate section that is entitled "My Response", It is here that Ss are allowed to express their opinions on the subject.

9. Read back over the summary. Make sure you haven't copied more than three words consecutively. Summaries restate in one's own words, not directly copying from the author.

10. Reread the summary out loud and make sure that the meaning is clear to someone who hasn't read the article.

11. Reread a second time for grammar and spelling mistakes.

12. Recopy or type summary.

ideas for Summary Writing taken from a lecture by Glen-Rice. University of South Carolina, 1995,

Дата добавления: 2015-11-14