Writing a Summary. Audience and Purpose. Literature Essay

Writing a Summary (200-250 words)
Audience and Purpose
Writing summaries is a standard practice in academia. Online indices, for example, often include abstracts (a kind of summary writing) of the articles listed. Each article in many academic journals also begins with an abstract. Readers use these abstracts to determine if they want to read an entire article or to remind themselves of the content of an article they read some time ago. Summary writing also serves as a useful practice for students. For instance, writing a summary of one’s own work can help a student determine if an essay is complete and coherent. Writing a summary of another person’s work can help a student determine the main points of an essay to analyze or evaluate.
Remember: A summary of someone else’s work fairly describes the thesis and main points of the essay without judging the essay’s merit. Most of the summary should be a paraphrase of the essay, and quotations should be limited, accurate, and correctly punctuated.
Writing the Summary
Planning the summary. Choose one of the essays posted on Blackboard. Read the essay; reread it carefully. Note important words and mark key points. Next look at the summary notes you have taken: Do they accurately identify the thesis of the essay and the central points that support the thesis? Does the order of the essay appropriate for a summary. (Some authors may repeat themselves or circle around a point; a summary needs to be succinct.)
Drafting the summary. The first sentence of the summary includes the name of the essay, name of the author, and thesis of the essay. Summarize and paraphrase the important points that support the thesis.
Revising the summary. Return to the essay to make sure your summary is accurate, is written in your own words, and connects ideas smoothly. If your summary is too long, try to eliminate secondary points or reduce wordiness. If your summary is too short, explain in more detail a major point.
Evaluation Criteria
• identifies the thesis and main points of the essay
• identifies the author and title
• has a style and organization that are easy to follow
• includes only ideas or examples
• reads smoothly with transitions connecting ideas
• paraphrases the important ideas of the essay without using the author’s phrasing
• quotes sparingly and accurately
• avoids judgments about the essay and the ideas it contains
https://www(dot)ozy(dot)com/fast-forward/ugandan-women-fight-lazy-husbands-with-6-sex-tax/87045?utm_source=SM&utm_medium=Facebook&utm_name=Organic
https://www(dot)theatlantic(dot)com/science/archive/2018/04/are-we-earths-only-civilization/557180/?utm_source=facebook&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=the-atlantic&utm_content=cm&
https://www(dot)motherjones(dot)com/politics/2018/08/america-democracy-year-germany-wunderbar-together/
https://www(dot)nytimes(dot)com/2018/08/26/nyregion/a-single-road-with-many-names-traversing-many-worlds.html
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