What is a summary?

1. What is a summary? • When you summarize, you must present the main points in a clear, concise form. • Details, illustrations, and examples are seldom included in a summary.

2. How do I summarize? • First read the article for comprehension.

3. How do I summarize? Ask your self questions after your read, such as: • Who? • What? • When? • Why? • Where? • What was the effect?

4. The Breakdown • Who identifies who the story is about. • What explains what that person or group is doing. • Where tells where the story takes place. • Why tells the reasons behind the action in the story. • When tells when the action happened.

5. Now what? • Begin with a topic sentence. • Your topic sentence should include the main idea or main topic of the newspaper article. • Using the notes you took from your questions, write complete sentences to summarize the article. • At no time should you copy sentences word-for-word from the original article. • You should only have to look at the article to check for spelling of unusual or unknown words and names.

6. Citing a Newspaper Source • Author’s last name, first name. • “Title of Article.” • Name of Newspaper. • Date article appeared. • Page Number and Section.

7. Citing a Newspaper Source: Sample Bengston, Bill. “Ladybugs Calling.” The Aiken Standard. November 14, 1999. Section 2A.

8. Citing a Magazine Article • Author’s Last Name, Author’s First name. • “Title of Article.” • Name of of Magazine. • Volume #, Issue # • Date of Publication.

9. Citing a Magazine Article: Sample Curtsinger, Bill. “Tiger Sharks.” National Geographic. November, 1999. P. 121-122.

10. Who identifies who the story is about. • What explains what that person or group is doing. • Where tells where the story takes place. • Why tells the reasons behind the action in the story. • When tells when the action happened. Now try one on your own!