summary writing

SummaryWritingChapter5Objectives1.Giveanappropriatedefinitionforasummary2.Knowthecharacteristicsofagoodsummary3.Learnthetechniquesinsummarywriting4.Learnthestepsinsummarywriting5.PracticeI.Whatisasummary?Asummaryisashortenedpassage,whichretainstheessentialinformationoftheoriginal.Itisafairlybriefrestatement---inyourownwords---ofthecontentsofapassage.Note:yousimplyreportbackwhatthewriterhassaid,withoutmakingvaluejudgments.II.CharacteristicsofagoodsummaryCanbeunderstoodwithoutreferencetotheoriginal;Isafaithfulreproductionof,orcontainsonlytheideasorinformationof,theoriginal;Isbriefwithoutanyunnecessarydetail;IsareadableunifiedwholeIII.Techniquesinsummarywriting1.ParaphrasingToparaphrasemeanstocompletelyandcorrectlyexpressotherpeople’sideasinone’sownwords.Examples:1.You’vecookedusallahotpotato.(atroublesomepersonorissue)2.Preventionisbetterthancure.（预防胜于治疗。）(Itisbettertopreventsomethingunpleasantfromhappeningthantrytoputitrightafterwards.)★Ithelpsusunderstandtheoriginalbetter.★Ithelpsusgraspthecentralideaandthemainpoints.★Ithelpsuswritesummariesthatarebriefandtothepoint,andinourownwords.Theimportanceofparaphrasing★Readtheoriginalcarefullyandcomprehenditsmeaningwhollyandcorrectly.★Considertheoriginalarticleasawhole,notinisolatedsentences.Stepsofparaphrasing1.First,trytofindthemainideainthereading;it’susuallyinthefirstparagraph.Next,skimthroughthearticle,glancingatanyheadingsandgraphics.Then,readtheconclusion.Theintenthereisbothtogiveyourselfareviewoftheworkandtoeffectivelyengageyourselfwithit.III.Techniquesinsummarywriting2.Thengobackandreadtheoriginaltextcarefully,jottingdown（草草记下）notesonorhighlightingtheimportantpoints.Writethecentralideaandtheauthor’sreasons(purposeandintent)forholdingthisviewpoint.Notethesupportingelementstheauthorusestoexplainorbackupher/hismaininformationorclaim.3.Makeanoutlinethatincludesthemainideaandthesupportingdetails.Arrangeyourinformationinalogicalorder,forexample,mosttoleastimportantorchronological.Yourorderneednotbethesameasthatintheoriginal,butkeeprelatedsupportingpointstogether.Thewayyouorganizetheoutlinemayserveasamodelforhowyoudivideandwritetheessay.4.Writethesummary,makingsuretostatetheauthor’snameinthefirstsentence.Presentthemainidea,followedbythesupportingpoints.Theremainderofyoursummaryshouldfocusonhowtheauthorsupports,defines,and/orillustratesthatmainidea.Remember,unlessotherwisestatedbyyourinstructor,asummaryshouldcontainonlytheauthor’sviews,sotrytobeasobjectiveaspossible.5.Asyoureviseandedityoursummary,compareittotheoriginalandaskyourselfquestionssuchas:HaveIrephrasedtheauthor’swordswithoutchangingtheirmeaning?HaveIrestatedthemainideaandthesupportingpointsaccuratelyandinmyownwords?6.Ifyouareaskedtowriteacriticalsummaryortoincludeacritique,youmaywanttoaskyourselfquestionssuchas:Doestheauthorsucceed?Howandwhyorwhynot?Whatarethestrengths,weaknesses?Why?Whatdidtheauthordowell?Notwell?Why?1.UsesynonymsorsynonymousphrasesHehadagoodcommandofEnglish.(HeknewEnglishwell.)2.ChangethestructureofsimplesentencesMybrotherhasanappreciationofmodernart.(Mybrotherappreciatesmodernart.)Waysofcondensation3.TurncomplexsentencesintosimplesentencesHereceivedawelcomethatwasascoldasice.(Hereceivedanicywelcome.)4.CombinethesentencesHurryup.Ifyoudon’t,you’llmissthetrain.(Hurryuporyou’llmissthetrain.)WriteasummaryonhowtomanageyourfinancesWhenyou'reawayfromhome,yourparentsexpectyoutoberesponsibleforyourselfandthisincludestakingcareofyourownfinances.Tomanageyourmoneysensibly,youneedaplantoworkwith.Writedownyourallowanceandexpensesforthemonth.Whatyouaredoingisactuallybudgetingyourincome.Makesurethatyousetasideasmallamountforyoursavings.Onewayofcuttingcostiseatingin.Itischeaperthaneatingout.Moreover,bycookingyourownmeals,youhavegreatercontroloverwhatyoueat.Besidesthat,ifyouknowoffriendswholiveinthesameareaasyou,youmightwanttoconsiderdrivingtocollegetogether.Thissavesonpetrolandparking.Inaddition,whenyoushopforhouseholditems,comparepricesfromoneshoptoanotherbeforemakingyourpurchase.Ifyoucan,waitforsaleswhenyoucangetbetterdiscounts.However,saleswherepricesaremarkeddownincrediblycansometimestemptyoutobuythingswhichyoudon'treallyneed.Therefore,becarefulanddon'tgiveintotemptation.Yoursummarymust:*notbemorethan60words,includingthe10wordsgivenbelow：Tomanageyourmoneysensibly,youmustfirststartwith...Answer：Tomanageyourmoneysensibly,youmustfirststartwithaplan.Writeoutyourbudgetandputasideasetamountforsavings.Youcansavemoneybyeatinginandcarpooling.Besidesthat,beforebuyinghouseholditems,comparepricesfirst.Ifpossible,waitforsalesbutdonotbetemptedtobuywhatyoudonotneed.(59words)WriteasummaryonhowwecanattractmoretouriststoourcountryOneofthemanysourcesofrevenueforthecountryistourism.Malaysiahaslotstooffertheworld.Wehavebeautifulbeaches,lushjungles,coolmountainretreatsandmoderncities.However,tofurthercapitalizeontourism,thereareafewareasthatmustbelookedinto.Firstly,wemustexposepeoplefromforeigncountriestowhatwecanoffer.Wecandothisbyholdingexhibitionsoverseas.Organizersofsuchexhibitionscanofferaglimps