The document provides guidelines on creating effective summaries, emphasizing the importance of condensing key points from original texts while maintaining objectivity. It outlines steps for summarization, including identifying main ideas, creating descriptive outlines, and using direct quotations where necessary. The document also includes practical exercises for helping readers practice summarizing skills.

1. Summarizing
for speeches and essays.

2. Briefly . . .
Brenda Spatt, Writing From Sources, 8th ed. (Bedford/St. Martin's, 2011)

3. Summary, by Richard Nordquist
Definition:
A shortened version of a text that highlights its
key points.
The primary purpose of a summary is to "give an
accurate, objective representation of what the
work says; you should not include your own
ideas or interpretations" (Paul Clee and Violeta
Clee, American Dreams, 1999).
http://grammar.about.com/od/rs/g/summaryterm.htm

4. Summary, by Richard Nordquist
"Summarizing condenses in your own words the main
points in a passage. . . .
Reread the passage, jotting down a few keywords.
State the main point in your own words. . . . Be
objective: Don't mix your reactions with the summary.
Check your summary against the original, making sure
that you use quotation marks around any exact
phrases that you borrow.“
(Randall VanderMey, et al., The College Writer, Houghton, 2007)
http://grammar.about.com/od/rs/g/summaryterm.htm

5. Summary, by Richard Nordquist
Steps in Composing a Summary
"Here . . . is a general procedure you can use [for composing a summary]:
Step 1: Read the text for its main points.
Step 2: Reread carefully and make a descriptive outline.
Step 3: Write out the text's thesis or main point. . . .
Step 4: Identify the text's major divisions or chunks. Each division
develops one of the stages needed to make the whole main point. . . .
Step 5: Try summarizing each part in one or two sentences.
Step 6: Now combine your summaries of the parts into a coherent whole,
creating a condensed version of the text's main ideas in your own words."
(John C. Bean, Virginia Chappell, and Alice M. Gillam, Reading Rhetorically. Pearson
Education, 2004)
http://grammar.about.com/od/rs/g/summaryterm.htm

6. Summary, by Richard Nordquist
Characteristics of a Summary
Cite the author and title of the text. In some cases, the place of publication or the context for the
essay may also be included.
Indicate the main ideas of the text. Accurately representing the main ideas (while omitting the
less important details) is the major goal of the summary.
Use direct quotations of key words, phrases, or sentences. Quote the text directly for a few key
ideas; paraphrase the other important ideas (that is, express the ideas in your own words.)
Include author tags. ("According to Ehrenreich" or "as Ehrenreich explains") to remind the
reader that you are summarizing the author and the text, not giving your own ideas. . . .
. . . Report the main ideas as objectively as possible. . . . Do not include your reactions; save them
for your response.
(Stephen Reid, The Prentice Hall Guide for Writers, 2003)
http://grammar.about.com/od/rs/g/summaryterm.htm

7. http://www.ereadingworksheets.com/
Summary and Main Idea Worksheet 1
Directions: Read each passage and…
1. Create a title for the passage related to the main idea.
2. Accurately summarize the text.
3. Your summary must describe all key ideas from the
text.
4. Do not include opinions or personal info in your
summary.
5. Highlight or underline key ideas in each passage.

8. Picture this: a herd of elephants flies past you at sixty miles per
hour, followed by a streak of tigers, a pride of lions, and a bunch of clowns. What do you see? It
must be a circus train! One of the first uses of the circus train is credited to W.C. Coup. He
partnered with P.T. Barnum in 1871 to expand the reach of their newly combined shows using
locomotives. Before circus trains, these operators had to lug around all of their animals,
performers, and equipment with a team of more than 600 horses. Since there were no highways,
these voyages were rough and took a long time. Circuses would stop at many small towns
between the large venues. Performing at many of these small towns was not very profitable.
Because of these limitations, circuses could not grow as large as the imaginations of the
operators. After they began using circus trains, Barnum and Coup only brought their show to
large cities. These performances were much more profitable and the profits went toward creating
an even bigger and better circus. Multiple rings were added and the show went on. Today,
Ringling Bros. and Barnum and Bailey Circus still rely on the circus train to transport their
astounding show, but now they use two.
1. Main idea related title for the passage: _________________________________________________
2. Summarize the passage in your own words: _______________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________________
http://www.ereadingworksheets.com/

9. Summarizing
for speeches and essays.

10. Summarizing
for speeches and essays.
Formatted by Shelia A. Peace
All Rights Reserved 2014