chapter 5 summary writing

Chapter 5SUMMARIES

Chapter 5 Learning Objectives

In this chapter, you will learn how to: Understand the differences among the

several kinds of summary Write informative descriptive summaries Compose detailed informative summaries Create convincing evaluative summaries Accurately summarize both written and oral

Summaries—An Overview

Briefly capture the essential content of something heard, seen, or read

Are organized logically with clear and concrete terminology

Highlight key points with an awareness of what to leave out

Most commonly take the form of abstracts and executive summaries that accompany long reports

Understand the Differences Among the Several Kinds of Summaries

DescriptiveStates what the original document is

about but does not convey specific information

Functions like a table of contents in paragraph form

Kinds of Summaries, continued

Informative—most common form of summary Presents document’s content in greatly

compressed form May allow reader to skip the original altogether Conveys main ideas in shorter form Includes hard data—names, dates, statistics

Kinds of Summaries, continued

Evaluative Is fully developed, like an

informative summaryIncludes writer’s personal

assessment of the original

Write Informative Descriptive Summaries

Purpose: Help reader determine summarized document’s value in a given situation

Does not include recommendations or findings of the document See page 87 of the text for a sample descriptive

summary

Compose DetailedInformative Summaries

Purpose: May allow reader to skip the source document

Include source’s findings and recommendations

Include some factual details such as names/dates/statisticsSee pp. 87-88 of text for a sample

informative summary

Summaries Accompanying Long Reports Abstract

Provides an overview of the report Appears near the beginning

Executive Summary Assists management in making decisions without having to read the

report

Create ConvincingEvaluative Summaries

Purpose: Provide summary writer’s assessment of the source document, in addition to informative summary

Are more fully developed than informative summaries

Include summary writer’s subjective value judgments throughout See p. 88 of the text for an evaluative summary

General Characteristics of Good Summaries

Retain emphasis of original Do not introduce new or additional information

(unless writing an evaluative summary) Use simplest possible terms and complete

sentences with clear meaning Are organized coherently so that summary can

stand alone Are limited to no more than 25 percent of original

document’s length

Accurately Summarize Both Written and Oral Sources

Oral sources Take notes quickly without missing anything

Use personal system of shortcuts—abbreviations, symbols, etc.

Use hand-held recorder or download sourceTake notes to highlight important pointsUse notes to find points in recording

Accurately Summarize Both Written and Oral Sources Written sources

Read entire document straight through Watch for context clues Go back and underline or highlight most important

sentences in each paragraph Edit sentences you selected, compressing, combining,

and streamlining Reread summary and insert transitions as needed Include concrete facts as appropriate Do final edit and proofreading

Types of Context Clues

Study these four common types of context clues. Think about what information in the sentence is useful and what is not. Turn to your neighbor and discuss each one. Can you come up with different examples for at least two of the types?Definition–the word is defined directly and clearly in the sentence in which it appears. “ The arbitrator, the neutral person chosen to settle the dispute, arrived at her decision.” Antonym (or contrast)–often signaled by the words whereas, unlike, or as opposed to. “Unlike Jamaal’s room, which was immaculate, Jeffrey’s room was very messy.” “Whereas Melissa is quite lithe, her sister is clumsy and awkward.”

Synonym (or restatement)–other words are used in the sentence with similar meanings. “The slender woman was so thin her clothes were too big on her. Inference–word meanings are not directly described, but need to be inferred from the context. “Walt’s pugnacious behavior made his opponent back down.” “ The man gigged the large fish, but he needed his friend to enlarge the hole to drag it out of the frigid water.”

Review Question 1

1. Which type of summary best fits each of the following descriptions? (Choose from descriptive, informative, or evaluative.)

a. This type of summary is the most fully developed and includes the summary writer’s personal assessment of the original document.

b. This type of summary contains hard data from the original document, but does not include the summary writer’s perspective.

c. This type of summary states the topic of the original document, but does not give enough information to substitute for reading the original document.

Review Question 1

1. Which type of summary best fits each of the following descriptions? (Choose from descriptive, informative, or evaluative.)a. Evaluative. This type of summary is the most fully

developed and includes the summary writer’s personal assessment of the original document.

b. Informative. This type of summary contains hard data from the original document, but does not include the summary writer’s perspective.

c. Descriptive. This type of summary states the topic of the original document, but does not give enough information to substitute for reading the original document.

Learning Objective—Understand the difference among the several kinds of summaries

Review Question 2

2. What is the main purpose of a descriptive summary?

a. To enable a busy reader to skip the original document altogether, if necessary

b. To help a reader determine whether the summarized document is of any potential use in a given situation

c. To provide the writer’s personal assessment of the original document

d. To provide a replacement that is at least half as long as the original

Review Question 2

2. What is the main purpose of a descriptive summary?a. To enable a busy reader to skip the original document

altogether, if necessary b. To help a reader determine whether the

summarized document is of any potential use in a given situation

Learning Objective—Write informative descriptive summaries

Review Question 3

3. What is the main purpose of an informative summary?

a. To enable a busy reader to skip the original document altogether, if necessary

b. To help a reader determine whether the summarized document is of any potential use in a given situation

Review Question 3

3. What is the main purpose of an informative summary?a. To enable a busy reader to skip the original document

altogether, if necessary b. To help a reader determine whether the summarized document is of

any potential use in a given situationc. To provide the writer’s personal assessment of the original

documentd. To provide a replacement that is at least half as long as the original

Learning Objective—Compose detailed informative summaries

Review Question 4

4. The summary writer’s personal opinion should appear

a. In every type of summaryb. Only in an evaluative summaryc. Only in an executive summaryd. Only in an abstract

Review Question 4

4. The summary writer’s personal opinion should appeara. In every type of summaryb. Only in an evaluative summaryc. Only in an executive summaryd. Only in an abstract

Learning Objective—Create convincing evaluative summaries

Review Question 5

5. Details about the original document’s recommendations and conclusions, as well as hard data (names, dates, and statistics), should be included in which of the following?

a. A descriptive summaryb. An informative summaryc. An evaluative summaryd. All of the abovee. Both (a) and (b)f. Both (b) and (c)

Review Question 5

5. Details about the original document’s recommendations and conclusions, as well as hard data (names, dates, and statistics), should be included in which of the following?a. A descriptive summaryb. An informative summaryc. An evaluative summaryd. All of the abovee. Both (a) and (b)f. Both (b) and (c)Learning Objective—

Write clear, concise, and complete summaries

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