Handout 5

• Summarizing


  The method of using few words to give the most important information about something, done quickly in a way that does not follow the normal process
• Summary


  A series of brief, concise statements, in your own words, of the main idea and the significant supporting details
• Rules in Summarizing

  1. Divide and conquer

  2. Read

  3. Reread

  4. One sentence at a time

  5. Write a thesis statement

  6. Ready to write

  7. Check for accuracy

  8. Revise
• The first sentence of a summary should state the main idea or thesis
• A summary should be shorter than the material being summarized
• A summary should not contain anything that is not in the original, and it must be written in your own words
• Topic


  The subject matter, what the reading selection is about
• Main Idea


  The core of the material, the particular point the author is trying to convey
• The main idea can be stated in one sentence that condenses specific ideas or details in the passage into a general, all-inclusive statement of the author's message
• The main idea is called a topic sentence in a paragraph, thesis statement in an essay or article, and theme in a literary piece
• Useful places to look for the main idea

  • Beginning of the paragraph
  • Middle of the paragraph
  • End of the paragraph