Summaries are due to Blackboard every Friday before
class!
Purpose:
Your purpose for writing this part of the assignment will
be to summarize, accurately and objectively, the
author’s central thesis and claims.
*You will gain skills in careful reading, concise summary
writing skills, and fair presentation of others’ ideas.
Audience: Your audiences
for these summary are
your instructor and your
classmates.
Genre: Your genre for this
part of the assignment is a
summary essay of
approximately 150 words
(about half of a doublespaced page).
Although your readers are
familiar with the text
you’ve chosen, they will
expect you to thoroughly
represent the article’s
thesis and key points and
provide accurate textual
evidence throughout your
essay.
1.) Introduce the text in the beginning of your summary so your readers know which
text you are summarizing.
Include: 1. the author’s name, 2. the article title, 3. the date of publication, and
4.the publication title within the first few sentences.
2.) Main Point: Focus on the writer’s arguments by reporting the text’s thesis and
reasons. Show that you understand the “big picture”—the writer’s purpose and how
he or she achieves or supports it.
3.) Key Points: List and/or discuss smaller points of importance throughout the
article. What did you find to be most relevant in terms of evidence, ideas, or
support? Here, it is helpful to include a paraphrase or quote from the article
(though no more than 2 quotes to avoid repeating the entire article).
4.) Conclusion: Every piece of writing should have a beginning, middle, and end. Be
sure to include the author’s closing points, arguments, or call to action at the very
end of your summary.
 Avoid including examples and evidence
that are too specific and consume a lot
of space in your summary.
 Your aim is to present an overall,
general picture of the article, not to
present all of the details in the article.
 Do generalize about types of
evidence, kinds of examples, and
rhetorical strategies used by the
author to support the argument.
Writing should
never have more
than 40%
quotes/60% your
own writing;
however, try to aim
for a 30%/70% mix.
Evidence Balance
Quotes/
Evidence
Writing/
Personal
Voice
The author believes….
The article addresses….
The text concludes….
Use author
tags/attribution:
To ensure that your
reader understands
that you are
reporting the
author’s ideas, not
your own.
Use an objective tone and an even mix of
paraphrased and quoted source material.
Summarize the article in approximately
150 words (one double-spaced page).
Do NOT include your
personal opinion of
the article.
Summaries are not
critiques.
Summary Example
Complete Article Summary: from article on pg. 345
Four key points (appear in red) of information: In the article “Confessions of an Ivy League
Frat Boy: Inside Darmouth’s Hazing Abuses” published in the March 2012 issue of Rolling Stone
Magazine, author Janet Reitman interviews a specific student’s experiences in Greek Life.
Main points summary: Reitman explains that in 2010, Andrew Lohse, a freshman student at
Darmouth, pledged to Sigma Alpha Epsilon (SAE), and was introduced to the secret life of
Greek hazing.
Key Points: The article goes into great detail about the hazings pledges endured, “One brother
recalls the night some of the pledges were served a scramble of vomit and eggs, known as a
‘vomlet’” (356). Andrew Lohse was said to participate in such events for nearly two years
before he was able to take a step back from the situation and see how awful it really was. The
article then details how Lohse attempts to put a stop to the hazing behavior by talking with
brothers, friends, and administrators; however, his attempts were futile as Lohse realizes he is
up against a corporate community that collectively ignores and accepts outlandish behavior
(350).
Conclusion/solution: Reitman concludes the interview by addressing Lohse’s current position
in this fight against hazing: he is currently the only student that has enough evidence to charge
criminally, through his personal confessions he admitted in his attempt to right this wrong.
*Author tags and article attributions are in blue.
What your summary will look like…
In the article “Confessions of an Ivy League Frat Boy: Inside Darmouth’s
Hazing Abuses” published in the March 2012 issue of Rolling Stone Magazine,
author Janet Reitman interviews a specific student’s experiences in Greek
Life. Reitman explains that in 2010, Andrew Lohse, a freshman student at
Darmouth, pledged to Sigma Alpha Epsilon (SAE), and was introduced to the
secret life of Greek hazing. The article goes into great detail about the
hazings pledges endured, “One brother recalls the night some of the pledges
were served a scramble of vomit and eggs, known as a ‘vomlet’” (356).
Andrew Lohse was said to participate in such events for nearly two years
before he was able to take a step back from the situation and see how awful
it really was. The article then details how Lohse attempts to put a stop to the
hazing behavior by talking with brothers, friends, and administrators;
however, his attempts were futile as Lohse realizes he is up against a
corporate community that collectively ignores and accepts outlandish
behavior (350). Reitman concludes the interview by addressing Lohse’s
current position in this fight against hazing: he is currently the only student
that has enough evidence to charge criminally, through his personal
confessions he admitted in his attempt to right this wrong.
Read and Summarize: Ethics
Due to Blackboard before class on Friday!
“The Effects of Fraternity/Sorority Membership on College Experiences
and Outcomes: A Portrait of Complexity” pg. 331
“Confessions of an Ivy League Frat Boy: Inside Dartmouth’s Hazing
Abuses” pg. 345 (re-write sample in your own words)