Welcome to CALL !

Hello everybody, I have created this blog in which you will find some samples of work you can do using different tools on the web.

In addition, you are ask to create your own blog and upload your projects. Your blog will be your electronic portfolio for the course.

Don't forget to check the "students" section and become one of the followers of the blog.







Datos personales

jueves, 2 de septiembre de 2010

Characteristics of a good summary

A good summary has the following  characteristics:

Proper Citation: The summary begins by citing the title, author, source, and, in

the case of a magazine or journal article, the date of publication and the text.

Thesis Statement: The overall thesis of the text selection is the author’s

central theme. There are several aspects to an effective thesis statement:

- It comprises two parts: a) the topic or general subject matter of the text,

and b) the author’s major assertion, comment, or position on the topic.

- This central theme is summarized clearly and accurately in a onesentence

thesis statement.

- The thesis statement does not contain specific details discussed in the

text.

- The thesis statement is stated at the beginning of the summary.

Supporting Ideas: The author supports his/her thesis with supporting ideas.

Use the following basic guidelines when summarising supporting ideas:

- Cover all of the author’s major supporting ideas.

- Show the relationships among these ideas.

- Omit specifics, such as illustrations, descriptions, and detailed

explanations.

- Indicate the author’s purpose in writing: to inform, to persuade, or to

entertain. If the passage is a persuasive piece, report the author’s bias or

position on the issue.

- Omit all personal opinions, ideas, and inferences. Let the reader know

that you are reporting the author’s ideas.

Grammar and the Mechanics of Writing: Grammar and related concerns

ensure that, as a writer, you communicate clearly to your reader. The

following are particularly important:

- Restate the ideas in your own words as much as possible. Avoid direct

quotations.

- Use transitional words for a smooth and logical flow of ideas.

- Edit and re-write your work.

- Check your grammar, punctuation, and spelling

Length: The length of a summary depends on how long the original document is.

Steps in Writing a Summary: Initially, summary writing can seem like a

challenging task. It requires careful reading and reflective thinking about the

article. Most of us, however, tend to skim read without focused reflection, but

with time and effort, the steps listed here can help you become an effective

summary writer.

Read the article

Reread the Article.

- Divide the article into segments or sections of ideas. Each segment deals

with one aspect of the central theme. A segment can comprise one or

more paragraphs. Note: news magazine articles tend to begin with an

anecdote. This is the writer’s lead into the article, but does not contain the

thesis or supporting ideas. Typically, a feature lead does not constitute a

segment of thought.

- Label each segment. Use a general phrase that captures the subject

matter of the segment. Write the label in the margin next to the segment.

- Highlight or underline the main points and key phrases.

Write One-Sentence summaries.

- Write a one-sentence summary for each segment of thought on a separate

sheet of paper.

Formulate the Thesis Statement.

- Formulate a central theme that weaves the one-sentence segmentsummaries

together. This is your thesis statement.

- In many articles, the author will state this directly. You may wish to take

his direct statement of the thesis and restate it in your own words. Note:

In news magazine articles, the thesis is often suggested through the

article’s title and sub-title.

- In other articles, you may have to write your own one-sentence thesis

statement that summarizes this central theme.

Write Your First Draft.

- Begin with a proper citation of the title, author, source, and date of

publication of the article summarised.

- Combine the thesis statement and your one-sentence segment summaries

into a one-to-two-paragraph summary.

- Eliminate all unnecessary words and repetitions.

- Eliminate all personal ideas and inferences.

- Use transitions for a smooth and logical flow of ideas.

- Conclude with a “summing up” sentence by stating what can be learned

from reading the article.

Edit Your Draft. Check your summary by asking the following questions:

- Have I answered the who, what, when, why, and how questions?

- Is my grammar, punctuation, and spelling correct?

- Have I left out my personal views and ideas?

- Does my summary “hang together”? Does it flow when I read it aloud?

- Have someone else read it. Does the summary give them the central

ideas of the article?

Write One-Sentence summaries.


- Write a one-sentence summary for each segment of thought on a separate

sheet of paper.

►Formulate the Thesis Statement.

- Formulate a central theme that weaves the one-sentence segmentsummaries

together. This is your thesis statement.

- In many articles, the author will state this directly. You may wish to take

his direct statement of the thesis and restate it in your own words. Note:

In news magazine articles, the thesis is often suggested through the

article’s title and sub-title.

- In other articles, you may have to write your own one-sentence thesis

statement that summarizes this central theme.

Write Your First Draft.

- Begin with a proper citation of the title, author, source, and date of

publication of the article summarised.

- Combine the thesis statement and your one-sentence segment summaries

into a one-to-two-paragraph summary.

- Eliminate all unnecessary words and repetitions.

- Eliminate all personal ideas and inferences.

- Use transitions for a smooth and logical flow of ideas.

- Conclude with a “summing up” sentence by stating what can be learned

from reading the article.

Edit Your Draft. Check your summary by asking the following questions:

- Have I answered the who, what, when, why, and how questions?

- Is my grammar, punctuation, and spelling correct?

- Have I left out my personal views and ideas?

- Does my summary “hang together”? Does it flow when I read it aloud?

- Have someone else read it. Does the summary give them the central

ideas of the article?

Write Your Final Draft.
 
Source :http://www.sdc.uwo.ca/writing/handouts/Summary%20Writing.pdf
Photobucket

No hay comentarios:

Publicar un comentario