Unit 3: Writing a Summary

Lesson 1: What Is a Summary?

Summary - a shorter and more condensed form of a text, and this is a good practice to follow when conducting research
or studying.

Summarizing - a text is distilling its essential concepts in a paragraph or two.

Summary has two goals:

1. to reproduce the key ideas and points of a text, identifying the general concepts that
prevail throughout the entire piece, and
2. to express these concepts and ideas with precise and specific language.
When reading a text, there are two techniques you can use to prepare for writing a
summary. These techniques are previewing and skimming and scanning.
Previewing - It is best to read any academic text with set goals in mind, especially when you plan to summarize it later
on for research or study purposes.
1. Do not skip the title! Make sure to read it as it is usually written to orient the reader
and should provide a hint as to what the central concepts of the text will be.
2. Take a few moments to consider the subject matter: Have you read about this topic before? Where and
when?
3. Who wrote the text? Do you already have information about the author?
4. Where was this text originally published? Who might be the audience for this kind of text? What could the
audience expect to find in the text?
5. When was this text originally published? Is there a connection between the time period in which it was
written and the field of study in which it was published?
6. Read the chapter titles or the headings that section the article or text.
7. Why has your professor assigned this text? Where does it fit into the course or subject as a whole? What
sort of facts and ideas are you expected to remember from this reading?
Skimming and Scanning - In order to be more focused when reading a text, it is best to get a general overview of it
before beginning to read thoroughly.
1. Before skimming, make use of the previewing techniques from the previous subsection.
2. Then, carefully read the introductory paragraph or perhaps the first two paragraphs. Ask yourself what the
point of the text appears to be, and try to predict the direction of the coming explanations, arguments, and
examples.
3. Carefully read the first one or two sentences of each paragraph, as well as the concluding sentence or
sentences.
4. In between the opening and closing sentences, keep your eyes moving and try to avoid looking up
unfamiliar words or terminology.
5. Carefully read the concluding paragraph or paragraphs.
6. Finally, return to the beginning and do a more focused reading of the text.
Scanning - similar to skimming, except you should have a more focused purpose.
What Is Included in a Summary?
An effective summary should be able to condense a passage into a shorter form because it only communicates the
essential facts of the original text.
1. Include the title and the name of the author in your first sentence.
 2. The first few sentences of your summary should contain the author’s thesis so that it is easier to recall what
the key points of the text are.
3. Often, longer articles are divided into subsections so that it is easier to organize information.
4. Omit specific examples unless they are extended definitions that are not central to the text.
5. In general, omit specific examples unless it is an extended definition that is integral to the author’s
argument.
6. Avoid opinions or personal responses in your summaries.
7. Be careful not to plagiarize the author’s words.
Lesson 2: Techniques in Summarizing Texts
Summarizing a Text
constructing a coherent compressed paragraph about a certain topic or concept.
Summarizing a text has two aims:
● To reproduce the overarching ideas of a text in order to identify the general concepts
● To express the overarching ideas of a text using precise and specific language
Steps in Summarizing Texts
One way to summarize the text is to use previewing or pre-reading techniques which can help you comprehend the
contents even before close reading.
● Once you read a text, you can now identify and include the title and author.
● Include the author’s thesis statement in the first two sentences.
● Write one or two sentences per main concept or idea in a text.
● If needed, divide the text into parts or by main ideas before summarizing the whole.
● Remember to omit the details that are not important; there is no need to go into the
minor and supporting details of the text.
● Avoid writing additional opinions about the text.
● Avoid plagiarism of the author’s work. Include quotations if you are directly quoting
the writer.
Summarizing IMRaD and Research
Summarizing research usually occurs in the last chapter of a thesis or dissertation, with a section titled “Summary of the
Study.”
Unit 4: Writing from Sources
Lesson 1: What Is Paraphrasing?
Paraphrasing - a restatement of a text, passage, or work articulating the meaning in another form.
These are the following characteristics of a good paraphrase:
● The paraphrase relays the information from the source text in your own words.
● The paraphrase leads the readers to the source of the information.
When to Paraphrase
It might be confusing to determine when to use paraphrasing versus other skills that encapsulate the idea of a source
text. The following guidelines may help:
● Use a paraphrase with short texts with one or two sentences or a paragraph with five sentences.
● Use a paraphrase when you want to minimize direct quotation or when you want to rewrite the author’s
words using your own without changing the meaning of the source text.
Kinds of Paraphrasing
Writing paraphrases requires changes in the source text to become a text that conveys how you understand it. These are
the kinds of paraphrases:
Change of Parts of Speech - Parts of speech are categories assigned to words according to their functions in a
sentence. Categories include nouns, pronouns, verbs, adverbs, adjectives, prepositions, conjunctions, and
interjections.
Change of Structure - In this type of paraphrasing, the structure of the sentence is changed to reflect the
writer’s interpretation of the source text.
Clause Reduction - In this type of paraphrasing, clauses are reduced or changed to phrases to lessen confusion
and interruption and make the sentences simpler.
Synonym Replacement - This is considered to be the simplest form of paraphrasing. It involves changing the
words in the sentence to similar words or synonyms.
Paraphrasing and Plagiarism
Plagiarism - taking a material that is not your own and pretending to own it. There are different types of plagiarism.
The kinds of plagiarism are:
Word-for-Word or Verbatim Plagiarism - known as “copy-paste plagiarism,” this kind of plagiarism happens
when a researcher copies another person’s work word-for-word or verbatim without proper citation of the
author(s).
Word Order Plagiarism - This happens when a writer changes some of the words of the author(s) by looking at
the synonyms of the words in order to make the passage look as if it were his or her own.
Idea Plagiarism - This happens when a writer paraphrases the work of another in his or her own writing, but
does not properly cite or attribute the idea to the author(s).
Appropriate vs. Inappropriate Paraphrase
In order to spot a good or bad paraphrase, you have to look at the source text and compare whether a paraphrase was
taken from the writer’s understanding of the source text, has copied portions of the text, or has committed one or more
kinds of plagiarism.
Importance of Paraphrasing
Paraphrasing is an essential skill in academic writing. It gauges the writer’s reading and writing skills.
Lesson 2: Techniques in Paraphrasing Texts
There are several techniques that can be utilized to paraphrase effectively:
○ change of words
○ change of sentence structure
Paraphrasing by Changing Words
When a writer paraphrases a text, he or she is rewriting the text using his or her own words. To be able to do this, you
must thoroughly understand the text that you just read.
To start paraphrasing, it is imperative that you follow these steps:
1. Reread the original text until you completely understand what it means.
2. Choose a technique below that fits the text that you are trying to paraphrase and helps keep the
meaning of the original text.
3. Write your paraphrased version beside the original text.
4. Check if the original and paraphrased sentences are similar in meaning.
Changing a Part of Speech
Parts of speech, usually nouns, verbs, adjectives, and adverbs, can be rewritten into a different part of speech.
To change a part of speech, you must do the following:
1. Identify which words can be changed and the form they could be changed into, whether it is a noun
into a verb, adjective into an adverb, etc.
2. Rewrite the sentence or passage adapting to the change in part of speech.
3. Check if the original and paraphrased sentences are similar in meaning.
Using Synonyms
Words in the original text can be changed to other words with similar meanings.
Changing Numbers and Percentages into Different Forms
Instead of using the actual numbers and percentages, they can be represented in other ways. Be sure to remember to
present the data accurately when converting numbers into percentages.
Paraphrasing by Sentence Construction
Another way to paraphrase passages is by changing the statements, phrases, and clauses. The writer should then be
aware of how sentences are constructed, as it is a crucial part of this kind of technique.
Changing the Word Order
This technique may involve changing the verb from the active voice to the passive voice or vice versa and moving
modifiers to different positions.
Utilizing Different Definition Structures
There are instances wherein the paraphrase can be changed to a formal, informal, or extended definition, depending on
which is presented in the original text. This will require the use of external references and resources in order to
paraphrase the text effectively.
Utilizing Different Attribution Signals
Direct quotes can be changed into reported speech using this technique. When using this technique, it is imperative to
remember when to use direct quotes and the appropriate language for formal writing.
Changing the Sentence Structure and Using Different Connecting Words
A writer can utilize different conjunctions and various clauses to construct different sentence structures. The writer must
be aware of the variety and functions of conjunctions to use this technique.
Tips for Paraphrasing
 ● Do not change technical terms and proper nouns.
● Cite your sources accordingly when you paraphrase a material.
● The lengths of the two sentences or passages should be the same, more or less.
● The meaning of the sentences should stay the same.
Lesson 3: Paraphrasing vs. Quoting
Quoting - involves taking what the author said and repeating it word-for-word. To avoid this, it is important to enclose
the copied text in quotation marks (“ “) when quoting and attribute the words to the original author.
When to Quote
When writing your paper, there are a number of times when you may decide to use quoting
instead of paraphrasing. Here are a number of instances:
● The author’s words already convey a powerful meaning.
● You feel that you can no longer word the information any better or simpler.
● You want to introduce the author’s stand using his or her own words.
● You want to show concrete evidence of or support for your claims.
● You want to highlight a particularly striking sentence the author wrote.
● You want to make sure your readers know the words are not your own.
How to Quote
When you want to use a quotation in your writing, always remember to introduce, cite, and
explain the quotation you will be using. For easier recall, you can refer to this technique as
the ICE method.
Introduce - To introduce a quotation in your writing, make sure to mention the author’s full or at least last
name, any significant or necessary background information, and a signal verb. We will be using the APA
guidelines for quoting, which state that the signal verb should be written in the past tense.
Cite - Make sure that you are also following the expected format of the citation you are using. A text copied
word-for-word should be enclosed in quotation marks, and should still follow its original capitalization and
punctuation marks.
Since we are using the APA guidelines, you must follow these rules:
● If you want to insert your own words inside a quotation, put them in square brackets ( [ ] ).
● If you want to change the capitalization of a word in a quotation, use square brackets.
● If you want to remove words in the middle of a quotation, use ellipses (...).
● If you want to emphasize something in a quotation, particularly if it is relevant to your writing,
place the emphasized words in italics, and state that the emphasis is your own.
Explain - Do not forget to explain the quotation or quotations that you used. Provide an explanation, insight, or
reason as to why you chose to include this quote. Do not let the quotation speak for itself; be sure to back it up
with your own words and reasoning.
To help with your explanation, try asking yourself these questions:
 ● What is the message of the quote?
● What does the quote add to the arguments or points that I am trying to make?
● Why is it important that I use this quote? What is its significance?
● What am I trying to prove with the use of this quote?
Paraphrasing vs. Quoting
Quoting is more often used with shorter phrases or sentences, while paraphrasing is more effective for longer sentences
or a group of sentences.
Quoting is also recommended when you want to make sure the original message and idea of the author is presented as
is.
Paraphrasing, on the other hand, is suitable for further elaborating on the author’s main idea by explaining it in your
own words.
When writing papers, paraphrasing and quoting are often used together. You might choose to use paraphrasing in
sentences that follow a quotation in order to drive the author’s point home, as well as reinforce it with your own words
and insights.