| Summary means concise but comprehensive. It should | | | | specifics, such as illustrations, descriptions, and detailed |
| cover all the main points while remaining brief and | | | | explanations. |
| simple. For a summary to be good it should not just | | | | • Indicate the author's purpose in writing: to inform, |
| satisfy the writer; it must satisfy the reader. | | | | to persuade, or to entertain. If the passage is a |
| A good summary has the following characteristics: | | | | persuasive piece, report the author's bias or position on |
| 1. Proper citation. The summary usually begins by citing | | | | the issue. |
| the title, author, source, and, in the case of a magazine | | | | • Omit all personal opinions, ideas, and inferences. |
| or journal article, the date of publication. | | | | Let the reader know that you are reporting the |
| 2. Thesis Statement. The overall thesis of the text | | | | author's ideas. |
| selection is the author's central theme. There are | | | | 4. Grammar and the Mechanics of Writing: Proper |
| several aspects to an effective thesis statement: the | | | | grammar is essential as a writer. It will help you to |
| topic or general subject matter, and the author's major | | | | communicate clearly to your reader. The following are |
| assertion. The central theme is summarized clearly and | | | | particularly important: |
| accurately in a one sentence thesis statement. The | | | | • Restate the ideas in your own words as much as |
| thesis statement does not contain specific details | | | | possible. |
| discussed in the text. The thesis statement is stated at | | | | • Avoid direct quotations. |
| the beginning of the summary. | | | | • Use transitional words for a smooth and logical |
| 3. Supporting Ideas: The author supports his/her thesis | | | | flow of ideas. |
| with supporting ideas. Use the following basic guidelines | | | | • Edit and re-write your work. - Check your |
| when summarizing supporting ideas: | | | | grammar, punctuation, and spelling |
| • Cover all of the author's major supporting ideas. | | | | 5. Length: The length of a summary depends on the |
| • Show the relationships among these ideas. - Omit | | | | original document. |