ELA 10-2
Summary Writing Assignment
TASK:
Choose ONE of the following articles and write a summary of it, paraphrased into your own
words:
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“Why We Don’t Vote” – D2L
“Coping with Nervousness” – D2L
“The 2,000-Year-Old Wonder Drug” – pg. 423 in Ten Steps
CRITERIA:
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Create an outline of the main and supporting points found in the essay. Include this
outline with your summary paragraph.
Create a topic sentence that includes the title, the author, and gives an overview of the
essay. In other words, write a sentence that states what the essay is about.
Condense the article to approximately ¼ of the original length – approximately one
paragraph or page.
Ensure your summary is paraphrased into your own words and, if any quotations are
included, quotation marks are placed around borrowed material.
EVALUATION (see attached rubric):
/3
Outline (formal, map, or split-page notes)
/9
Summary (main and supporting ideas; concisely written)
/6
Organization (topic sentence, transition words)
/3
Writing (grammar and sentence structure)
/21
Total
2
3
4