This document provides guidance on how to summarize different types of passages. It explains that to summarize nonfiction, one should identify the topic, find the main idea, and express the topic and main idea in your own words along with important details. When summarizing fiction, one should identify characters and setting, focus on the conflict facing main characters, track story events, and identify how the conflict ends.

1. Strategy
To tell in your own words what the passage is
about.
When you summarize a nonfiction passage,
you
HOW?
• Identify the topic
• Find the main idea that most of the details tell about
• Put the topic, main idea, and important details in your
own words.
Information taken from: Moore, D. (ND) Reader’s Workout: A practice book. Hampton-Brown

2. Strategy
To tell in your own words what the passage is
about.
When you summarize fiction, you
HOW?
• Identify the characters and setting
• Focus on the conflict, or struggle the main characters
faces
• Track the events of the story
• Identify the resolution, or how the conflict ends
Information taken from: Reader’s Workout: A practice Book