Summarizing Informational Text
Summary points
• A summary tells the important information in
a selection.
• A summary includes the important details that
support the main idea.
• A main idea sentence is the starting point of a
summary.
• A summary does NOT include your opinion
about the topic.
Steps to Summarize
• Step 1 Highlight the most important points in the
reading.
• Step 2 Mention the author and the title of the text in
your first sentence.
• Step 3 State the topic of the text and the thesis/main
idea at the beginning of your summary.
• Step 4 Identify the Topic Sentence of each paragraph.
• Step 5 Include only the most important points and
supporting details.
• Step 6 Paraphrase the author’s ideas rather than copy
sentences, but be sure to include some of the key
terms used in the text.
• Step 7 Present the ideas in the order in which they
were discussed in the reading selection.
• Step 8 Use transitional expressions to make
connections between ideas.
Ask yourself the following questions to
ensure a quality summary
•
•
•
•
•
•
What happened?
What is essential to tell?
What was the outcome?
Who was involved?
Why did this happen?
Is that a detail or essential information?
Summarizing Literature
Summary Points
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Identify the main characters
Describe the setting (time & place)
Explain the initiating event
Explain the rising actions
Explain the climax
What was the resolution?
How do characters react (in words and or
actions to the events)
Somebody…Wanted…But…So…Then
• Somebody = identify the character
• Wanted = describe the character’s goal
• But = describe a conflict that hinders the
character
• So = describe how the character reacts to the
conflict
• Then = describe the resolution of the conflict
• Somebody
Anne Frank
• Wanted
To hide from the Nazis
• But
Someone turned her in
• So
She died in a concentration
camp.
Her story was shared with
the world.
• Then
Writing the Summary
• Identify the title, author, and genre of the
book.
• Use your notes from Somebody, Wanted, But,
So, Then and next write a summary that
elaborates on this information with specific
details and textual evidence.
Ask yourself the following questions to
ensure a quality summary:
• What point is the author trying to make?
• What are the morals, the messages, the
lessons, or the themes conveyed in this story?
• Have I addressed all the elements of story?