A Summary Must Include
- The author & the title of the article (who and what)
- Who wrote it & what is it called?
- You may refer to the author by his or her last name after first giving the full name.
- The context (where & when it was published and any relevant events surrounding the article).
- The original publication date & location
- Notice where you get the article.
- Audience & purpose
- Who is the intended audience? It isn't "everyone" or "general." Think about to whom the article is directed.
- What is the purpose? To persuade, to call for action, to inform the audience, or to entertain?
- Look for key words that give clues.
- The main idea (the thesis) of the article
- The thesis isn't always stated directly, so put it in your own words.
- The main supporting points
- Summarize only the supporting points.
- There's no need to summarize specific examples or data unless it's absolutely necessary for illustrating the main points.
- Be as objective as possible.
- Your opinion and response does not belong in the summary. There should be a clear distinction between the summary and the response.
- Direct quotes of key words, phrases, or sentences
- You should use direct quotes to help explain the main points.
- When using direct quotes, make sure to put exact words pulled from the text in quotation marks and follow MLA citation formatting.
- Use sparingly and only when necessary:
- When the author's words may be more accurate than yours
- To convey author's attitude, tone, or stance
- Don't quote long sentences
- Author tags (According to…)
- Author tags are small phrases before a direct quote or paraphrase that includes the author's last name.
- e.g. "According to Ehrenreich" or "Ehrenreich explains"
- Use different phrases instead of the same one over again (e.g. "Ehrenreich says")
- When using author tags prior to a direct quote, then a comma usually comes before the quotation.