Components of a Good Summary
• The author’s thesis/claim/argument
• Key points (sometimes called reasons) that
support the thesis
• Some details, but only enough to support the key
points and only if they’re striking—use direct
quote snippets for unique language
• Complete objectivity
• Publication info: author name, place of pub,
date, title of text
• Attribution in EVERY sentence
Summary, Paraphrase, DQ Notes
• Summary: convey the essential argument and
main/key points of a text, representing the
ideas accurately and concisely.
•
• Relies on description, paraphrase, and direct
quotation.
Summary, Paraphrase, DQ Notes
• Description: describe the main features of
text, including:
• Author
• Title
• Context/place of publication
• Thesis/main argument
• Key points that support thesis
•
Paraphrase
• Paraphrase: restates a passage in different words;
retains original meaning without plagiarizing.
• Steps for proper paraphrase:
• Read original carefully
• Substitute words, ask if precise meaning is upheld
• Rearrange sentences, asking yourself about precise
meanings
• Check the meaning of your paraphrase against the
original
• Identify the source you are paraphrasing/ attribute
Paraphrase Example
• Original: High school
cliques, which reproduce
the class divisions found
in society, originate from
three distinct sources:
racial differences, gender
differences, and social
differences.
•
• Morgan, Addie. “High
School Anxiety.” Time
42.2 (2010):
•
42-44. Print.
• Paraphrase: Peer groups
in high school mirror
society’s class
distinctions, which stem
from differences in race,
gender, and social status,
according to Addie
Morgan.
Plagiarism example
• Original: High school
cliques, which reproduce
the class divisions found
in society, originate from
three distinct sources:
racial differences, gender
differences, and social
differences.
•
• Morgan, Addie. “High
School Anxiety.” Time
42.2 (2010):
•
42-44. Print.
• Plagiarism: Peer groups
in high school reproduce
the class divisions found
in society and come from
three distinct sources:
race, gender, and social
differences, according to
Morgan.
Direct Quotation
• Direct Quotation: often, summaries directly
quote a few key phrases or sentences. Use
sparingly to convey key points,
unusual/unique language, or tone of original.
• Must be accurate
• Must have quotation marks around any
original language
• Don’t quote long sentences…if you want, you
can use an ellipsis to indicate words omitted.
Example of DQ
• Original: Although
educational reform in
America tends to focus on
curriculum issues, class
sizes, and security issues,
one lesson seems
increasingly hard to teach—
helping students appreciate
and welcome differences in
culture, racial heritage, and
personal identity.
• Condensed
Quotation/Paraphrase:
Educational reform,
according to Morgan,
should pay less attention to
“curriculum issues” and
“class sizes” and more
attention toward “helping
students appreciate[…]
differences in culture, racial
heritage, and personal
identity.”
Group Summaries
• In groups, you will collaboratively write an
academic summary for one of the articles that
uses all of the good strategies we’ve talked about
in class. You will need to first compare your
summary outlines with the members of your
group and discuss what to include. You may also
want to discuss why there may be differences in
your ideas about the thesis and key points. Once
you reach a consensus about what the summary
should include, type the information in paragraph
form. You will be sharing these with the class.