Summarizing a chapter from a novel

Differences Author’s purpose is different in a novel or creative work Not organized by ideas or supporting a main idea Organized by telling a story

What you’ll do differently Follow the movements of key characters New actions or thinking by the main characters will indicate a new major detail Look where the author makes a new paragraph. This will often indicate a something new is happening. Write in 3rd person, even if the story is in 1st person He, she, they etc.

What you’ll do that’s the same Only include major details (major events or ideas from the main characters) Generalize details Use present tense Only quote if necessary Use your own words No opinion from you

For Example Look at paragraph #2 in Chapter 4 of A Long Way Gone. Notice that there id description about what the children ate and how they looked for food. These are details. How can you summarize this paragraph by replacing the details with general nouns and verbs?

Summary of Paragraph 2 They are sleeping in abandoned villages, using what they find there for food.

Summarizing a novel chapter Introduction Body State the name of the novel, the author and the chapter title/number that you’re summarizing Major events