SummarizingNon-Fiction Texts

Steps in Writing A Summary

•A summary consists of four or five sentences which focus a reader’s attention on the main ideas of a piece of writing. Each sentence centers on a strong action verb. It also focuses the reader’s attention to the author’s main idea, the author’s development, the author’s purpose, and the intended audience.

Steps in Writing A Summary

Step 1• Name of author, genre and title of work,

and a accurate verb such as “argues,” “claims,” “suggests,” or “describes,” and a THAT clause containing the major assertion (thesis statement) of the work.

•Author argues that . . .

Steps in Writing A Summary

Step 2• An explanation of how the author

develops and/or supports the thesis, usually provided in the same order as the work itself.

•Author supports with ______ , ______, and _______.

Steps in Writing A Summary

Step 3• A statement of the author’s apparent

purpose, followed by an “in order” phrase.•Author purpose is to ________ in order to

________.

Steps in Writing A Summary

Step 4• A description of the intended audience or

the relationship the author establishes with the audience.

•Author reaches the audience by . . . .

Steps in Writing A SummaryExample

(1) Jon Katz, in his essay “How Boys Become Men,” claims that men are insensitive because they have had to learn to hide their feelings during all the “macho marathon” (Katz 277) of growing up with other boys, who show one another little mercy. (2) Katz describes the code of conduct imposed upon boys, for example, never admitting fear, and gives an example from his own experience in which he broke the code by “ratting” on a friend, as well as two instances in which he has seen boys showing stoicism as they are hit or pushed by others. (3) Katz intends to explain why men seem so insensitive in order to help women understand why men sometimes seem “remote” or “uncommunicative” (Katz 275). (4) Katz uses many details to appeal to women’s sympathy for the tormented little boys who become uncommunicative men.

 • numbers are included in the example to illustrate how the steps

are used. Students may use numbers in early summaries to make them aware of the steps but then drop them as they become more proficient.