TIPS FOR WRITING A SUMMARY
Follow the steps carefully and when you are finished, use the summarizing
checklist.
Steps for Writing a Summary
1. Skim the text to learn the main idea. Pay attention to the text’s
organization by noting the title, headings, and sub-headings. Look for the
main idea of a paragraph in the first sentence.
2. Read the text again to get a good sense of its meaning.
3. Use a dictionary to look up any new or difficult words. Use a thesaurus to
find a synonym for the new words.
4. Make point forms notes using key words to help you understand the key
point(s).
5. Re-read the original. Make sure your point form notes capture the
essential information.
6. Without looking at the original, use your point form notes to write
differently structured sentences.
7. Include only the main idea(s). Leave out examples and interpretations.
8. Check your work for correct grammar, spelling and punctuation.
9. Reference the source in text and on a Works Cited/References page.
Summarizing Checklist
 Did I read the material until I had a good understanding of its meaning?
 Did I look up difficult words in a dictionary and use a thesaurus to find
synonyms for those words?
 Did I write point form notes to capture the main idea(s) from the original?
 Did I compare my notes against the original to make sure I noted the key
information?
 Did I rewrite the sentences without looking at the original?
 Do my sentences have a different structure and different vocabulary than
the original?
 Did I retain the main idea from the original and leave out examples and
interpretations? Is my summary much shorter than the original?
 Did I check my summary for correct grammar, spelling, and punctuation?
 Did I reference the material both in text and in a References/Works Cited
page at the end of my document?
TIPS FOR WRITING A PARAPHRASE
Follow the steps carefully and when you are finished, use the paraphrasing
checklist.
Steps for Writing a Paraphrase
1. Read the text several times to get a good sense of its meaning.
2. Use a dictionary to look up any new or difficult words. Use a thesaurus to
find a synonym for the new words.
3. Make point forms notes about the content of the material.
4. Re-read the original. Make sure your point form notes capture the
essential information.
5. Without looking at the original, use your point form notes to write
differently structured sentences.
6. Check your paraphrase against the original to ensure that the structure of
the sentences and the vocabulary are different but that the meaning is the
same.
7. Check your work for correct grammar, spelling, and punctuation.
8. Reference the source in text and on a Works Cited/References page.
Paraphrasing Checklist
 Did I read the material until I had a good understanding of its meaning?
 Did I look up difficult words in a dictionary and use a thesaurus to find
synonyms for those words?
 Did I write point form notes to capture the information from the original?
 Did I compare my notes against the original to make sure I noted the key
information?
 Did I rewrite the sentences without looking at the original?
 Do my sentences have a different structure and different vocabulary than
the original?
 Did I retain the meaning from the original? Is my paraphrase about the
same length as the original?
 Did I check my paraphrase for correct grammar, spelling, and
punctuation?
 Did I reference the material both in text and in a References/Works Cited
page at the end of my document?
TIPS FOR USING A DIRECT QUOTATION
Follow the steps carefully and when you are finished, use the quotation checklist.
Steps for Using a Direct Quotation
1. Read the text to get a good sense of its meaning.
2. Use enough of the quotation that the original context is clear.
3. State where the quotation is from.
4. Introduce the quotation by using a synonym of ‘says’ (i.e. argues,
concludes, explains, proposes, states, suggests), when possible.
5. Keep the author’s words exactly the same as in the original.
6. Use quotation marks around the entire quotation.
7. Reference the source in text and on a Works Cited/References page.
Quotation Checklist
 Did I read the material until I had a good understanding of its meaning?
 Did I use enough of the quotation that the original context is clear?
 Did I clearly state where the quotation came from before I included the
quotation?
 Did I use a synonym of ‘says’ to introduce the quotation, when possible?
 Did I keep the author’s words exactly the same as in the original?
 Did I use quotation marks around the entire quotation?
 Did I reference the material both in text and in a References/Works Cited
page at the end of my document?