The document discusses strategies for understanding, outlining, and summarizing longer readings. It explains that the main idea in longer readings controls multiple paragraphs and is usually stated in the thesis statement at the beginning. It also discusses creating informal outlines to identify the relationships between ideas and scratch lists for compiling details to include in a summary. The purpose can be to inform or persuade, and the tone and language used will differ depending on the purpose.

1. Chapter 5
Understanding, outlining, and summarizing longer readings.

2. What we will learn:
 How to adapt what you know about paragraphs to
longer readings.
-Controlling Main Idea vs. Topic Sentences
-Recognizing Purpose: Inform or Persuade
 How to create informal outlines.
 How to summarize longer readings using scratch lists.

3. Understanding Longer
Readings
 The Main Idea controls more than one paragraph.
 Paragraphs vs. longer readings (multi paragraphs)
 Thesis Statement: when the “controlling main idea”
requires several sentences or a paragraph
 In long readings, the thesis statement is almost always found
at the beginning of the reading. (Unlike topic sentences, which
can be found anywhere in a paragraph.)
 Pay close attention to opening paragraphs in essays, journal
articles, and chapter sections.
 Focus on the overall main idea, while identifying the main
idea/topic of each individual paragraph.

(example: handout Research on Leadership)

4. Example
Topic Sentence of Paragraph 2
Job-centered leaders closely supervise their
employees in an effort to monitor and control their
performance.
Thesis Statement
At the University of Michigan, researchers have found
that leadership behavior among managers can be
divided into two categories: job-centered and
employee-centered.
Topic Sentence of Paragraph 3
In contrast, employee-centered leaders focus on
reaching goals by building a sense of team spirit.
Topic Sentence in Paragraph 4
The Michigan researchers also investigated which
kind of leadership is the most effective.

5. Purpose:
Inform vs. Persuade
Almost everything you read as a student will be written to
either inform or persuade you.

6. Writing to INFORM
 Hallmarks of Informative writing:
 The author does not suggest any evaluation of the issue
being discussed.
 The author does not use language in an attempt to
engage the reader emotionally.
 The author makes claims are supported by research.
 The author uses language that is fairly denotative, or
factual.

7. Write to PERSUADE
 Openly acknowledges that the opinions expressed in a
reading belong to the author.
 Writers who are trying to persuade you to share their
point of view create a tone using
language, allusions, and imagery.
 Tone indicates the emotion of the writer, and tries to
illicit emotion from the reader.

8. Inform
vs. Persuade
INFORM
PERSUADE

Titles do NOT evaluate the topic. For
example, “Multitasking in the Car is
Now the Norm.”

Often uses titles that take a stand:
“Multitasking and Driving DO NOT
MIX.”

Author avoids attributing their personal
point of view often by citing others to
support their statements: “The Harvard
Business School Study suggest that
people on social networks spend 70%
of their time looking at pictures.”

Reveals a personal opinion. For
example: “As an employer, let me say
out loud that I don’t find arguments
about social networks improving
productivity especially convincing.”

Employs a neutral tone. “The second
Iraq war began in the spring of 2003.”

Often employs an emotionally charged
tone. For example, “Katheryn
Bigelow’s harrowing film about the
daily horrors soldiers endured on duty
in Iraq and shows devastating scenes
of violent destruction.
(Page 263-264 Practice: 3-Part Theory of Love)

9. Outlining Longer Readings
Why Make Informal Outlines?
 Outlining can help you prepare for discussions and
exams, especially if the material is long and/or
complicated.
 Outlines identify relationships by aligning or indenting
sentences, words or phrases.
 The Goal: to create a blueprint of the author’s ideas
and their relationship to one another.

10. Tips for Making Informal Outlines
 Start with the title of of the essay, article or chapter.
 Follow with the thesis statement.
-Look for Key Words: “Three major studies indicate
working memory can be improved through training.”

11.  Streamline the Major Details
 Only include Minor Details that are crucial to your
understanding.
-Ask yourself, “How important is this to
understanding the “controlling main idea?”
 Indent to Reveal Relationships
 Be Consistent:
-Use letters, numbers dashes or asterisks to
separate major and minor details.
(Practice page 269-270)

12. Title: The 5 Languages of Love (Example of informal outline)
Main Idea: According to the author Gary Chapman, there are at least 5 different languages, or ways to
express love.
Supporting Details
--For some people, it’s sharing quality time
*not just being in the same room, but doing something together.
--Affirmations are necessary.
*These people want to hear the words expressed.
--Gifts are another language.
--Acts of service are crucial for some.
*Cooking dinner, doing laundry, or child care.
--Physical touch
*This group needs physical contact to feel loved.
--Problems occur when couples don’t speak the same language.
*You can learn each other’s languages

13. Scratch List
 A scratch list is a quickly jotted list of points.
 Great tool for compiling information for summarizing.
 Use your scratch list to evaluate details to put in (or
leave out) of your summary.
 When choosing what to put into your summary, always
keep the reader in mind.

(Practice page 305 – One point per paragraph)

14. Taking a Conversational Turn
Scratch List Practice
Paragraph 1: Turn-taking is essential to conversation.
Paragraph 2: When we want to keep on speaking without
interruption, we use specific signals.
Paragraph 3: We give up on our turn to speak by
dropping the volume or pitch of our voice.
Paragraph 4: We also employ turn-taking signals as
listeners.