Writing Summaries

Summaries are usually....

• short

• long

Summaries and central ideas go hand-in-hand.

• true

• false

The central idea is

• A one sentence statement that sums up what the author wants us to learn from the text.

• stated clearly and in detail

• using additional details to say more about an idea.

• to briefly retell in your own words.

Should you include this sentence in an objective summary? This is one of the best books I have ever read!

• Yes

• No

Objective summaries should be unbiased. What does unbiased mean?

• Includes your personal experiences.

• Does not include your own personal experiences, opinions, or prior knowledge.

• Does not include evidence from the text.

• Your own judgement and opinion of the text.

Does the meaning of the text change when you write an objective summary?

• No, it's shorter but has the same meaning.

• Yes, of course the meaning changes because someone else is writing it.

• It depends on the material and who originally wrote it. 

Is the following an example of a subjective or objective summary:

The Tyrannosaurus Rex was a prehistoric carnivorous dinosaur. It walked on two legs, and had a massive skull balanced by a long, heavy tail

• Subjective

• Objective

What is the BEST summary of this passage? Tomorrow is Jill's birthday. She is excited because she gets to pick where she will eat dinner. Will it be Mexican food at the Big Enchilada House? Or will it be fried chicken at the Chicken Shack, or a big cheeseburger at Al's Hamburger Palace. She just couldn't decide. Then there was always the Pizza Shop with that great pepperoni pizza. How would she ever decide? Maybe she would just flip a coin.

• Jill has many restaurants to choose from for her birthday.

• Jill loves Mexican food.

• The Pizza Shop has the best pizza in town.

• Jill will choose a place by flipping a coin.

Which of the following is the better objective summary of The Lion King?

• This Disney animated feature follows the adventures of the young lion Simba, the heir of his father, Mufasa. Simba's wicked uncle, Scar, plots to usurp Mufasa's throne by luring father and son into a stampede of wildebeests. But Simba escapes, and only Mufasa is killed. Simba returns as an adult to take back his homeland from Scar with the help of his friends Timon and Pumbaa.

• In a tear jerker story, a young lion, Simba, becomes the victim of his cruel Uncle Scar’s plot to take the throne. After finding himself with the help of his friends Timon and Pumbaa, Simba heroically returns to Pride Rock where he overpowers Scar. While the film is charming and inspiring, I think the likelihood of a vegetarian lion beating his dominant uncle in a fight is hard to swallow.

How long should the average objective summary be?

• 1-3 sentences

• 3-6 sentences

• 6-9 sentences

• As long or short as you want it