summary writing.docx

summary writing.docx

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summarywriting

SummaryWriting

Thebestwaytodemonstrateyourcomprehensionoftheinformationandtheideasinanypieceofwriting-fromasingleparagraphtoanentirebook-istocomposeanaccurate,clearlyorganized,andclearlywrittensummaryofthatpiece.Bysummary,wemeanabriefrestatement,inyourownwords,ofthecontentofapassage.Thisrestatementshouldfocusonthepassage'scentralidea.Itshouldindicateallthemainpointsinthepassagethatsupportthiscentralideaandtherelationshipsbetweenthem,includingtheirorderandtheiremphasis.Inthecaseoflongerpieces,itshouldalsoincludeaveryfewimportantillustrationsorexamplesfromthepassage.Anditshouldindicatetheslant,bias,andpossiblyeventhetoneofthepiece,iftheseareimportant.Butthesummaryshouldnotcontainanyofyourownideas,opinions,orconclusions.

Whenyoufailtopickupthemeaningandtheimplicationsofasentenceortwo,there'snorealharmdone.Rather,itisoverthelongerstretchesofreading-theparagraph,thesection,thearticle,orthechapter-thatinattentive（疏忽）orhaphazard（偶然的）readingcreatesproblems.Overtheselongerstretches,youhavetotrynotonlytocatcheveryword,butalsotoperceivetheshapeoftheargument.

Youhavetograspthecentralidea,todistinguishthemainpointsthatcompriseit,torelatethepartstothewhole,andtonotekeyexamples.Thiskindofreading,ofcourse,takesalotmoreenergyanddeterminationthancasualreading.Butinthelongrun,it'sanenergy-savingmethodbecauseitenablesyoutoretainthecontentofthematerialandtousethatcontentasabasisforyourownresponses.Inotherwords,itallowsyoutodevelopanaccurateandcoherentwrittencommentarythatgoesbeyondasummary.

Writingsummariesisanexcellentwayofencouragingtheessentialhabitofclose,accurate,thoughtfulreading.Itisalsoanexcellentwayofencouragingyourwritinghabitsingeneral,sinceagoodsummaryexhibitsalmostallofthequalitiesofanyotherpieceofgoodwriting:

unity,clarity,coherence,accuracy,tightness,stylisticmaturity,andofcoursegrammaticalcorrectness.

Howlongshouldasummarybe?

Thisdependsbothonthelengthoftheoriginalpassageandonthepurposeofthesummary.Butagoodruleofthumbisthatasummaryshouldbenolongerthanonequarterthelengthoftheoriginalpassage.Ofcourse,ifyouweresummarizinganentirechapterorevenanentirebook,itwouldhavetobemuchshorterthanthat.Thisparticularsummaryisaboutathirdofthelengthoftheoriginalpassage;andwhileitshouldnotbelonger,itcouldverywellbeshorter.

1QualitiesofaSummary：

ObjectivityCompletenessBalance

Thequalitiesofasummaryareasfollows:

Objectivity:

Noideathatisnottheauthor'sshouldbeincludedinthesummary,andnoopinionofthesummarywritershouldbeinthesummary.Nojudgmentsarepermittedinasummary.

Completeness:

Dependingontheassignment,thesummaryshouldcontaineverymainideainthearticle.Statingonlythefirstmainideaoronlyonemainideaanddetailstosupportitwillnotgivethereaderacompleteideaofwhatthearticlewasabout.

Balance:

Givingequalattentiontoeachmainideaandstressingideasthattheauthorstresseswillresultinanaccuratesummary.

Afterfinishingwritingasummary,howdoyoujudgeorcheckit?

Questionstojudgeavalidsummaryareasfollows:

1）DidIincludealltheimportantideas?

2）DidIomitallunnecessarywordsandphrases?

3）Doesthesummaryreadsmoothly?

4）Wouldareaderofmysummarywhohadnotreadthearticlegetaclearideaofthearticle?

2HowtoWriteSummaries

YOUshouldbearinmindthefollowingrequirements:

yoursummaryshouldnotbelongerthanathirdoftheoriginalpassage;itshouldbefaithfultotheoriginal,withnochangeinfactsorviews,andnoimportantpointsleftout;anditshouldbewrittenincontinuousprose,notintheformofanoutline.

Hereisafive-stepprocessforwritingsummaries:

1.Readthearticlecarefully,trytounderstanditaccuratelyandlookformainideas.

2.Writealistofpointsinnoteformwhilereadingthepassageorthearticle.

3.Connectyourpointstowritearoughdraftofthesummaryinyourownwords.Refertothepassageorthearticleonlywhenyouwanttomakesureofsomepoints.Donotcountthenumberofwordsuntilyouhavefinishedyourroughdraft.

4.Revisetheroughdraft,insertingtransitionalwordsandphrases

5.Writeafaircopyofthesummarywithinthewordlimitaftercheckingforgrammaticalcorrections,punctuationandspelling.

Sample1

Whenhestoppedatavillage,themotoristwastoldthataqueenbeemustbehiddeninhiscarastherewerethousandsofbeesnearby.Onlearningthis,themanrealizedthattheonlywaytoescapewouldbetodriveawayasquicklyaspossible.Afteranhour'sharddriving,hearrivedinLondonwhereheparkedhiscaroutsideahotelandwentintohaveadrink.Itwasnotlongbeforeacustomer,whohadseenhimarrive,hurriedintoinformhimthathiscarwascoveredwithbees.Thepoormotoristtelephonedthepoliceandexplainedwhathadhappened.Thepolicedecidedthatthebestwaytodealwiththesituationwouldbetocallabee-keeper.Inashorttime,thebeekeeperarrived.Hefoundtheunwelcomepassengerhiddennearthewheelsatthebackofthecar.Verygratefultothemotoristforthisunexpectedgift,thekeepertookthequeenandherthousandsoffollowershomeinalargebox.Equallygrateful,themotoristdroveawayinpeace,atlastfreefromthe"blackcloud"whichhadhungoverhiscar.（192words）

◆Makingalistofmainpoints:

1.Drovequicklytoavoidbees

2.ArrivedinLondon

3.Parkedcar-hotel-drink

4.Customertoldhim:

bees-car

5.Telephonedpolice

6.Sentbeekeeper

7.Foundqueenbeenearwheels

8.Tookherandbeeshome-box

9.Droveaway.

◆Writingaroughdraft:

Becausehewantedtoescapethebees,thedriverdroveawayquickly.

Afterhetraveledforsometime,thedriverarrivedinLondon.Afterhehadparkedhiscaroutsideahotelhewentintohaveadrink.Whenacustomertoldhimthathiscarwascoveredwithbees,thedrivertelephonedthepolice.Andthenthepoliceaskedforabeekeeper.Thebeekeeperfoundthequeenbeenhiddennearthewheels.Sincethekeepertookthequeenandthebeeshomeinabox,thedriverdroveawayinpeace.（93words）

◆Makingafaircopy:

Inordertoescapethebees,thedriverdroveawayquicklyandaftersometimearrivedinLondon.Parkinghiscaroutsideahotel,hewentintohaveadrink.Whenhewastoldthathiscarwascoveredwithbees,thedrivertelephonedthepolice.Abee-keeperwassentforandsoonfoundthequeenbeenearthewheels.Hetookthequeenandthebeeshomeinaboxandthedriverthendroveawayinpeace.（80words）

Sample2

Atnoon,justasIwasleavingmyfriend'soffice,itsuddenlystruckmethatIhadnoideawhereIhadparkedmycar.IcouldhardlygouptoapolicemanandtellhimthatIhadlostasmallgreencarsomewhere.Iwouldsimplyhavetolookforitmyself.Walkingdownstreetafterstreet,Iexaminedeachcarcloselyandwasgreatlyrelievedtoseeasmallgreencarjustbehindanoldcart.ButhowdisappointedIwastodiscoverthatthoughthecarwasexactlylikemyown,itbelongedtosomeoneelse.Feelingquitetirednow,Igaveupthesearchandwentoffforlunch.Sometimelater,Ilefttherestaurantandwalkedidlydownthestreet.Turningthecorner,Inearlyjumpedforjoy:

mycarwasrightinfrontofme-andtherewasnomistakingitthistime.IcouldnothelpsmilingasIdrewnear.Pastedonthewind-screenwasalittleticketwhichinformedmethatthecarhadbeenvisitedbyapolicemaninmyabsence.Toaddtoitall,Iwasnowguiltyofaparkingoffense.（196words）

◆Makingalistofmainpoints:

1.Couldnotremember

2.Walkeddownstreetafterstreet

3.Examinedeachcar

4.Sawsmallgreenone

5.Same-butsomeoneelse's

6.Gaveupsearch

7.Wentforlunch

8.Leftrestaurant

9.Turnedcorner-foundcar

10.Sawticket-windscreen–police

◆Writingaroughdraft:

Becausethewritercouldnotrememberwherehehadlefthiscar;hewalkeddownstreetafterstreetlookingcarefullyatalltheparkedcars.Atlast,hesawasmallgreenonewhichwasjustthesameashisbutwhichbelongedtosomeoneelse.Henowgaveupthesearchandwenttoarestaurantforlunch.Helefttherestaurantsometimelaterandwalkeddownthestreet.Whenheturnedthecorner;hesuddenlyfoundhiscar.Ashewentcloser;henoticedthattherewasapoliceticketonthewind-screen.（96words）

◆Makingafaircopy:

Unabletorememberwherehehadparkedthecar;thewriterwentdown

streetafterstreetlookingcarefullyateachcar.Atlast,hesawasmallgreenonewhichlookedlikehisownbutbelongedtosomeoneelse.Henowgaveupthesearchandwentforlunch.Onleavingtherestaurantsometimelater;hewalkeddownthestreetandsuddenlyfoundhiscarjustaroundthecorner.Ashedrewnear;henoticedapoliceticketonthewind-screen.（82words）

Sample3

Theguardwentthroughcarriageaftercarriageinquiringwhethertherewasadoctoronthetrain.Hefoundoneatlastandquicklyledthedoctortotheluggage-vanwhereatallmanwaslyingonthefloorstretchedoutamongheapsofmail-bagswithacushionunderhishead.Theguardexplainedthathehaddiscoveredthemaninthepassageand,findingthatthemanwasseriouslyill,hehaddraggedhimintotheluggage-van.Thedoctorloosenedtheman'scollarandafterexamininghimthoroughly,hetoldtheguardthatthemanwasunconsciousandwouldhavetobetakentoahospital.Whenheheardthis,theguardansweredthatth