The summary is a brief version of some outside source using the student's own words. It includes the original source's main points (i.e., thesis and reasons). Above all, the summary strives to accurately convey the content of the original text without misrepresentation or misinterpretation. The summary should also be expressed completely in the student's own vocabulary.
The good summary will pay close attention to the logical progression of ideas and make good use of transitions to help move from one idea to the next. In other words, the summary should be presented as a coherent whole, able to make sense on its own. A poor or average summary might look like a list of unconnected thoughts and ideas.
Sample: Here is
an example of what your formal summary
should look like when you submit it.
| Student
Name
Sept. 15, 1998 ENG 101-*** Ms. Thompson The American farmer enjoys many advantages and privileges over
the European farmer. . .
|
Info: Notice that all
assignments should be labeled with this important identifying information:
name, date, course and section number (fill in the proper section), and
instructor's name. Single space this info.
Title: Title should be descriptive -- everyone will use a title like this one! Text of the Summary: The
summary should be about one
page in length, double-spaced. Notice that the formal summary does not
use attributive tags. Simply
put the excerpt's ideas
in your own words without saying "Crevecoeur says. . ."
Use 1 inch margins on all sides.
Works Cited Page: Provide the bibliographic information for the source on a separate sheet of paper using MLA guidelines. (Check St.M's page 525 for details on citing a selection from an anthology.) |