GUIDE TO WRITING SUMMARIES
A summary should be brief, concise, accurate, objective, and complete. You will not include
direct quotations in a summary. Remember, a summary includes FACTS (main ideas); do not
include opinions in a summary.
FIVE TRAITS OF GOOD SUMMARIES:
1.
Brief—Summary is always proportionately much shorter than the work being summarized. Minor details
are omitted. Key points are stated in your own words. Quoting is eliminated entirely because quoting is
not a way of condensing. A general guide would be to keep the summary to roughly a third of the length of
the source text.
2.
Concise—Do everything you can to avoid repetition and wordiness. Use parallel structures to aid in
conciseness.
3.
Accurate—Stay true to the author’s points and structure. Do not rearrange information. Do not disagree,
argue or editorialize [that will come in later papers]. You are simply representing what the author has said
and retelling it in your own words.
4.
Objective—Personal impressions or opinions are not a part of summary. Stay neutral and represent only
what the author has said. However, if the author’s tone is emotional or expressive in some way, stay true to
the author’s views.
5.
Complete—Do not skip main ideas or sections. However, you will omit minor supporting details.
STEPS FOR WRITING A THESIS and beginning your SUMMARY:
***note, the guidelines for a thesis differ a little when writing a summary versus writing a persuasive piece.
A thesis statement is the central message of an essay. It’s the essay’s main idea.
1.
Your opening sentence, should, first of all, identify the author and title of the work you are about to
summarize. [Note: Titles of short works are placed in quotation marks.]
o In Gary Soto’s “Looking for Work,” . . .
o According to Stephanie Coontz in “What We Really Miss About the 1950s,”. . .
2.
Next, your opening sentence should identify the basic structure of the essay you read using a present tense
verb. (See pages 39-40 in They Say/I Say for some suggestions on those verbs.)
o In “An Indian Story,” Roger Jack narrates . . .
o In the selection from “Social Class and the Hidden Curriculum of Work,” Jean Anyon
classifies . . .
3.
Third, your opening sentence may suggest the tone of the essay (an adjective or an adverb).
o Horatio Alger’s sentimental selection from “Ragged Dick” . . .
o In “The Myth of Justice,” Michael Dorris argues cynically . . .
4.
Finally, the statement should express the main idea of the essay. Remember, a thesis is more than just
naming the topic or subject matter. You need to state the thesis in your own words—not the words of the
author.
title (quotation marks)
author (as given)
tone word (adjective)
o
5.
Claude M. Steele’s analytical essay, “Thin Ice: ‘Stereotype Threat’ and Black College
Students,” argues that black students are more successful when they do not perceive that
racial stereotypes will
structure word (present tense verb)
impose limits on them.
After you have prepared the opening statement, your essay should utilize concise, well-worded sentences
stating only the main points of the essay. No introductory paragraph or concluding paragraph is needed.
Write your thesis statement, and then immediately begin your summary. Divide paragraphs as needed
based on main ideas; don’t forget topic sentences. Include facts from the beginning, middle, and end of the
text. Remember: Do not use direct quotations in your summary.
Summary Assignment Sheet and Rubric
English 4: Unit 1
Assignment: Compose a summary of a text that deals with oppression, persecution, or
justice.
Purpose: This assignment is designed for you to complete a summary of a single text that deals
with oppression, persecution, or justice. As you write your summary, bear in mind the key
traits for summary writing included in the Guide to Writing Summaries: brief, concise, accurate,
objective, and complete. To be successful, you should frequently refer back to the Guide to
Writing Summaries handout.
Summary writing does not require a creative introduction. The thesis, which will remain
objective, should open your summary. The thesis is the first sentence of your summary, and
after your thesis, you will begin summarizing your reading.
Breaking up paragraphs is really dependent on the piece you are summarizing. As major points
shift, so should your paragraphs. A rough guideline is that the summary is a third the length of
the source text. Because the summary is meant to be concise, there is absolutely no quoting in a
summary. Your job is to remain objective and convey the most important points from the source
text.
Sources: Your source will be provided, and you will not need a Work Cited page to accompany
your summary.
Audience: Your audience for this assignment is the teacher, who expects to read a summary
that incorporates all the key traits of good summary writing. The key will be the utilization of a
variety of present tense verbs that help you objectively convey the important points of the
source text.
Length: Minimum 300 words/Maximum 400 words.
Due Date: Thursday, October 4 by 11:59 PM
Format/Medium/Layout: The analysis will be written using MLA format as a traditional
academic paper.
Stance: You are not conveying your stance in this piece of writing; you are, however,
conveying your interpretation of the author’s stance. Leave out your own opinion about
whether you agree with the author or not. The teacher’s role is to assess how accurately you
discovered and conveyed the author’s stance.
Rubric
Name:_______________________________
Period:_________
Below are the criteria to achieve an A+ thru B in any particular category. The “Somewhat Successful” essay
(B- thru C-) has not succeeded in one/some/all of these areas, and the “Unsuccessful” essay (D thru F) has
failed in one/some/all of these areas.
Textual Analysis
Purpose (10):
Successful (A+ thru B):
 Accurately and objectively captures the main points of the source text
Genre (25):
Successful (A+ thru B):
 Includes present tense verbs
 Abbreviates the source text without sacrificing key ideas
 Maintains an objective tone throughout
Design/Layout (10):
Successful (A+ thru B):
 Utilizes MLA formatting correctly
 Separates paragraphs effectively
Audience (20):
Successful (A+ thru B):
 Uses vocabulary appropriate for academic discourse
 Demonstrates grammar, spelling, and punctuation appropriate for a high school senior
 Assumes a level of intelligence and sophistication for the audience
Stance (10):
Successful (A+ thru B):
 Accurately represents the author’s ideas
Overall Comments: