1. Summary Writing September 2, 2014

2. What is a summary? A summary is… a shortened version of something that has been said or written, containing only the main points.

3. Step 1 Read and understand the prompt or writing directions. What are you being asked to write about? State the main ideas of the article or passage. Identify the most important details that support the main ideas. Write your summary in your own words, except for quotations. Express the underlying meaning of the article, not the meaningless details.

4. Step 2 Read, think about, and understand the text. Review the material to make sure you know it well. Use a dictionary or context clues to figure out the meaning of any important words that you don’t know.

5. Step 3 Take notes. Write down the main ideas and important details of the article.

6. Step 4 Organize and outline ideas. Put the important details you took notes on in Step 3, and put them in logical order.

7. Step 5 Write your summary. Your summary should be about one third of the length of the original article. Focus on the main point of the article and the most important details. Use your own words; avoid copying phrases and sentences from the article unless they’re direct quotations.

8. Step 6 Revise, proofread, and edit your summary. Check your spelling, grammar, and punctuation. Are all names spelled correctly and capitalized? Have you avoided writing run-on sentences and sentence fragments? Did you indent all paragraphs?

9. Remember… Do not rewrite the original piece. Keep your summary short. Use your own wording. Refer to the central and main ideas of the original piece. Do not put in your opinion of the issue or topic discussed in the original piece.

10. France is located in Western Europe, and it has over 65 million residents. Because France is famous in many ways, it is the most visited country in the world. The Eiffel Tower in Paris is one of France’s most well known monuments. It was built in 1889 for the World’s fair, and it was thought to be a temporary landmark at the time. However, the tower is still standing to this day. People also flock to Paris to visit the Louvre Museum, where the Mona Lisa can be seen. Another attraction in France is the beaches of Normandy. These beaches were the setting of the D-Day invasion during World War II, and many tours take visitors to the beaches each day. France is also well known for its food. People love to try French food because it is delicious and part of the French tradition. All of these factors contribute to France’s worldwide popularity.

11. Exit Ticket Directions: On a piece of notebook paper, answer the following questions. You do not need to write the questions. 1. What are the six steps of writing a summary? 2. About how long should a summary be? 3. Why is it important to write a summary in your own words?