Guidelines For Writing A SUMMARY

Guidelines for writing a SUMMARY with IN-TEXT
CITATIONS
Christine Bauer-Ramazani
The purpose of a summary is to give the reader, in a about 1/3 of the original length of an
article/lecture, a clear, objective picture of the original lecture or text. Most importantly,
the summary restates only the main points of a text or a lecture without giving
examples or details, such as dates, numbers or statistics.
Skills practiced: note-taking, paraphrasing (using your own words and sentence
structure), condensing
Examples of acceptable paraphrases and unacceptable paraphrases (= plagiarism):
Plagiarism: What It is and How to Recognize and Avoid It
Before writing the summary:
1. For a text, read, mark, and annotate the original. (For a lecture, work with the
notes you took.)
o highlight the topic sentence
o highlight key points/key words/phrases
o highlight the concluding sentence
o outline each paragraph in the margin
2. Take notes on the following:
o the source (author--first/last name, title, date of publication, volume
number, place of publication, publisher, URL, etc.)
o the main idea of the original (paraphrased)
o the major supporting points (in outline form)
o major supporting explanations (e.g. reasons/causes or effects)
Writing your summary--Steps:
1. Organize your notes into an outline which includes main ideas and
supporting points but no examples or details (dates, numbers, statistics).
2. Write an introductory paragraph that begins with a frame, including an in-
text citation of the source and the author as well as a reporting verb to
introduce the main idea. The reporting verb is generally in present tense.
 ARTICLE:
In his/her article (or lecture) "________________________,”

_____________________ (year)
(title, first letter capitalized) (author/lecturer's last
name)
argues/claims/reports/contends/maintains/states that
____________________________.
(main idea/argument; S + V
+ C)
Example: In his article "Michael Dell turns the PC world inside out," Andrew E.
Serwer (1997) describes how Michael Dell founded Dell Computers and claims that
Dell’s low-cost, direct-sales strategy and high quality standards account for Dell’s
enormous success.
 BOOK:
In his book The Pearl, John Steinbeck (1945) illustrates the fight between good and evil
in humankind.
 INTERVIEW:
In my interview with him/her (date), __________________(first name, last name) stated

that ....
Reporting Verbs:
STRONG
ARGUMENT==>NEUTRAL==>COUNTERARGUMENT==>SUGGESTION==
>CRITICISM
refute
argue state suggest criticize
the claim
argue
claim report recommend
against
contend explain
maintain discuss
insist illustrate
posit observe
Other examples of frames:
 According to ___________________ (year),

________________________________________.
(author's last name) (main idea; S + V + C)
 ___________'s article on ______________ (year) discusses the
____________________.
(author's last name) (topic) (main idea; Noun
Phrase)
 ___________ (year), in his/her article, "________________" argues that
________________.
author's last name) (title of article) (main idea;
S + V + C)
 According to "Title of the Article" (year),
____________________________________________.
(main idea; S+V+C)
 _____________ has a major impact on ________ (author's last name,
year).
(topic/NP) (NP)
3. The main idea or argument needs to be included in this first sentence. Then
mention the major aspects/factors/reasons that are discussed in the
article/lecture. Give a full reference for this citation at the end of the
summary (see #6. below).
a. For a one-paragraph summary, discuss each supporting point in a
separate sentence. Give 1-2 explanations for each supporting point,
summarizing the information from the original.
b. For a multi-paragraph summary, discuss each supporting point in
a separate paragraph. Introduce it in the first sentence (topic
sentence).
Example: The first major area in which women have become a powerful force is
politics.
4. Support your topic sentence with the necessary reasons or arguments raised
by the author/lecturer but omit all references to details, such as dates or
statistics.
5. Use discourse markers that reflect the organization and controlling idea of
the original, for example cause-effect, comparison-contrast, classification,
process, chronological order, persuasive argument, etc.
6. In a longer summary, remind your reader that you are paraphrasing by using
"reminder phrases," such as
o The author goes on to say that ...
o The article (author) further states that ...
o (Author's last name) also states/maintains/argues that ...
o (Author's last name) also believes that ...
o (Author's last name) concludes that
7. Restate the article’s/lecturer’s conclusion in one sentence.
8. Give a full reference for the citation (see the example below for the in-text
citations in #2). For citing electronic sources, please see Citation of
Electronic Resources.
Further illustrations: Please see the video Tips on Summarizing on the Ohio State
Flipped ESL YouTube channel. This video investigates the basic elements needed
to create an effective one sentence summary and a summary paragraph.
References
Serwer, A. (1997, Sept. 8). Michael Dell turns the PC world inside out. Fortune, 76-86.
Steinbeck, J. (1945). The pearl. New York: Penguin Books.
© 2006 Christine Bauer-Ramazani, Saint Michael's College. Last updated: January 4,

2015

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Guidelines for writing a SUMMARY with IN-TEXT

Before writing the summary:

Writing your summary--Steps:

In his/her article (or lecture) "________________________,”

In my interview with him/her (date), __________________(first name, last name) stated

Other examples of frames:

 According to ___________________ (year),

Steinbeck, J. (1945). The pearl. New York: Penguin Books.

© 2006 Christine Bauer-Ramazani, Saint Michael's College. Last updated: January 4,

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