Summarizing

What is Summary?

• We use summary to reduces ideas and information into as few sentence as possible.

• A summary does not add your own thought

• Summary is used in writing many sort of papers such as Definition Essay, Argumentative Essay.

When do we use summary in our Essay?

• To summarize your own ideas in your topic sentences of each paragraph in your body

• To summarize another writer’s work to show how to support your own ideas or when you want to argue against another authors’ ideas

1- Underline the topic sentences of each paragraph

Steps to Summarize

2- Write that sentences in your own words on the side of the page or another piece of papers.

3- When you finish the article, read all the topic sentences that you marks or wrote down

4- In your own words re-write those main idea

Writing a Summary

5- Use complete sentences with good transition words

6- Be sure you don’t use the same words, phrase or sentence structures of the original (paraphrasing)

7- You may find you need to leave out some of unimportant details.

8- Your summary should be as short and concise as possible

NOTE

• In writing summary you need clearly explain the name of the author and the name of article, essay, books or other sources…etc.

• You also need to be sure to make it clear to reader when you are talking about the idea which is in the author’s works. You have to state the author last name or a pronoun (he or she) to show that you are still discussing that person ideas.

Verbs needed to state Author’s idea

• Says . Present• Comment . Argue• Persuaded . Remind us that• Intimate (detail) . According to• Suggest ….etc• Help us understand• Explain

EXAMPLE

• In “ My Favorite Shoe” by John explain us that…..

• John Smith in his article “ My Favorite Shoes” explains……………..