WRITING A SUMMARY 1. Summary – Why and How You need to use summaries of information, opinions and arguments of other people to support or provide evidence for your own ideas on academic topics. Writing good summaries also shows that you have read and understood the sources which you are supposed to study. Key characteristics of a good summary * It is shorter that the original text * It does not change the main meaning of the original text * It is written in your own words, otherwise you may plagiarize the text What is your method of writing a summary? · · · Discuss the features of an effective summary with a partner. Are the following statements true or false? A. identification of key points in the original B. some sentences/parts of sentences exactly the same C. different sentence structures from the original D. additional information which helps understand the topic E. simpler vocabulary than the original F. a personal comment on the subject 2. Summarizing a short paragraph a) Work with a partner and try to say the same thing differently. people individuals employment ……………… target ……………… employer ……………… satisfy ……………… pressure ……………… b) Read the paragraph and the notes below. Underline the parts that the writer has noted down. People working in all of these jobs have a range of targets to achieve and deadlines to meet in order to satisfy their employers. If you work in sales and marketing, you will almost certainly have to meet sales targets. If you are a teacher, you will have to meet deadlines for handling in students’ grades. Or, if you are an engineer, you will have to meet project deadlines. A shortage of time seems to cause pressure in a wide range of professions. Meet goals and deadlines = happy boss. Stressful jobs = deadlines + limited time. c) How different is the following summary from the original text? Is the student likely to be accused of plagiarizing? Meeting goals and deadlines is the key to keeping your boss happy. All of these stressful jobs have a lot of deadlines and limited time to meet them. 3. To write a summary, follow these steps: expand your notes change the order the main idea a mind map clearly and briefly have included all 1. Read the text through. 2. Highlight … 3. Reread the text making notes and / or … 4. Put away the original and … in your own words. 5. … of the points if it makes the structure more logical. 6. Re-read your summary to see if you … important information and expressed it …. 4. LANGUAGE FOR SUMMARIZING A) To introduce the main idea you can use phrases “According to the author“ “The author‘s opinion/view is that“ or reporting verbs in the present tense to indicate what the author says - the author… explains suggests analyses criticizes recommends compares argues informs claims points out Reorder the words in brackets to make correct sentences. Add punctuation where necessary. 1. (Escher according to) It should be possible to stabilize this chemical reaction for commercial use. 2. (that Bostock’s is view) Crime statistics are frequently manipulated to support political arguments. 3. (has out that Stevens pointed) Some plant species may die out before they have even been recorded. B) The expression of your personal opinion · is not a part of the summary itself · but may follow when you evaluate information and make conclusions · there is little need for using phrases such as I think or In my opinion You can use, for example It is likely that The evidence suggests that It can be argued that Complete the sentences with one suitable word. 1. It is more than ……….. that technological innovation is the key to manufacturing success. 2. The evidence ……….. that molecular water exists across the surface of the moon. 3. It could be ……. that the internet is forcing us to think about copyright. C) Paraphrasing: see Unit 5 Dalton’s atomic theory to revise the strategies of Use of synonyms (but not for technical terms) Changing the forms of words Changing the sentence structure (“transformations”) - transform the two sentences below: The spread of GM trials led to a series of protests. (use result from ) Despite their many advantages, lithium-ion batteries have some drawbacks. ( use although ) Sources Ex 1-3 Rogers, Wilkin: Skillful Reading and Writing, Macmillan, 2013,p.63 Ken Patterson: Oxford Grammar for EAP, OUP, 2013 5. PRACTICE: Read the text below and prepare the summary by doing the first 4 steps in ex.3. Air pollutants: Particle size makes a difference Joesten, Castellion & Hogg: The World of Chemistry, Thomson, 2007, p.77