True or False
True or false: your objective summary should be 10-15 sentences
False, it should be 1 paragraph (so around 4 sentences)
List 2 summary action verbs you could use in the first sentence of an objective summary
explains, shows, details, compares, describes, details, proves, illustrates, etc.
Right now Jason was playing right field. He really wanted to play third base. Earlier this year, coach had put him in left field and second base in a game, but never at third base. Once in practice, coach let him play third base, but he kept missing ground balls. When he did stop one, he made a bad throw to first base. Maybe if he kept practicing, Jason would be good enough to play third base. That was his dream.
The best summary of this passage is:
Jason really wanted to play third base.
Jason was the best player on his team.
Jason had trouble catching ground balls.
Jason was too lazy to practice.
Jason really wanted to play third base.
It is a well-known fact that JK Rowling’s now-famous Harry Potter series was turned down by several publishers before it was finally picked up. Those publishers are likely kicking themselves in the pants right now. However, before that, JK Rowling was in a dire situation, and was on the brink of failure. Despite being turned down time and time again, she kept trying. Her efforts paid off. Harry Potter is now a ubiquitous character in today’s world culture. Despite failing over and over again, Rowling kept trying and fulfilled her dreams.
Which is the central idea of this excerpt?
A. People always fail the first time around.
B. Success can always be found in every situation.
C. People who try to stop you from doing something are usually jealous.
D. Never give up on your dreams.
D
True or false: you should use a lot of quotes in your objective summary
False, no direct quotes should be used!
What does it mean for a summary to be "objective"?
It contains only facts about or from the text. There are no opinions or reactions from the reader.
Is it an ant, you wonder, or a termite? Ants resemble termites, but they are quite different and can be easily distinguished. In contrast to termites, ants are usually dark in color, are hard bodied, and have constriction between the thorax and abdomen. Termites are light in color and shed their wings. Flying ants do not shed their wings. Also, ants and termites belong to different orders.
Select the best summary of this paragraph.
4
Most parents will agree that sports are good for children. In fact, many parents encourage their children to play certain sports. But recent studies have shown that young athletes who specialize in one sport and train intensively, have a significantly higher risk of stress fractures and other severe overuse injuries. It was found that young athletes who spend more hours per week than their age playing one sport – such as a 12-year-old who plays tennis 13 or more hours a week – were 70 percent more likely to get serious overuse injuries of the back, shoulder or elbow, than other injuries.
What is the author's main claim?
A. Playing sports is harmful to your health.
B. Back and shoulder injuries are more common than other injuries.
C. Children under the age of 12 should not play sports.
D. Playing only one sport for too long a period of time may cause injuries.
D
True or false: the central idea is an opinion based statement
False! Summaries and central ideas should only contain facts from the text, NOT opinions of the readers
Define "summary"
A short statement describing what happens in a text using your own words.
Books lay in the middle of his floor. Several broken toys were shoved halfway under the bed, and dirty clothes were everywhere. Frank's parents kept telling him to clean his room, but it never seemed to get clean. In fact, if Frank did manage to clean part of it, the rest of the room just got messier. In one corner of the room was an old peanut butter and jelly sandwich, and an open bag of potato chips was thrown on the dresser.
Pick the best summary:
Frank's room was a mess.
A peanut butter and jelly sandwich was in one corner of the room.
Frank liked potato chips.
Frank got in big trouble because his room was not clean.
Frank's room was a mess.
“Dog owners can make dog parks better by not allowing their dogs to congregate at entrances and exits. Often, owners let their dogs excitedly rush up to any new dog who comes in, often resulting in a fight. Another way to make the park experience better is to keep moving with the dogs. Instead of standing around in clumps, move around. Often, if the owners keep moving, the dogs will, too.”
Choose TWO central ideas found in this text.
A. Dogs like to fight with each other.
B. Dogs shouldn’t gather at entrances and exits.
C. Owners should keep their dogs mobile instead of stationary.
D. Owners need exercise just as much as their dogs need it.
B & C
True or false: you need 3 supporting details in your summary
True!
What should be placed around the article’s title in an objective summary?
"Quotation Marks"
It started when they got to the bears. Peter felt tired and his stomach hurt. He dragged himself over to see the elephants, which were eating from a stack of hay. Normally, the elephants were his favorite. Without much interest, Peter followed his classmates to the camels, which were busy swatting flies with their tails. Peter knew he should be having fun at the zoo, but he just felt terrible and all he wanted to do was lie down and rest. Even the lions and tigers did not interest him now.
The best summary of this passage is...
Peter's favorite animals were the elephants.
The camels were swatting flies with their tails.
It was really hot at the zoo.
Peter didn't enjoy the zoo because he felt really bad.
Peter didn't enjoy the zoo because he felt really bad.
Since its publication in 1868, Louisa May Alcott’s Little Women has been adapted countless times. Yet the latest film adaptation of Little Women, written and directed by Greta Gerwig, stands apart from the multiple movies, mini-series, and plays that came before it. More than a faithful retelling of Alcott’s novel, Gerwig’s soaring movie is faithful to Alcott’s life—and her legacy as a woman ahead of her time.
What is the main idea?
A. “Little Woman” is a classic novel that is very popular.
B. “Little Woman” has been turned into a movie.
C. The new “Little Woman” movie reflects Alcott’s point of view.
D. Greta Gerwig has directed many famous movies.
C
True or false: it is NOT ok to use "I", "My", "Me", or "Myself" when writing an objective summary
True!
List the 4 parts of an objective summary
Title, summary action verb, central idea, key/supporting details
When some people think about Texas, they think of cowboys on the open range-herding cattle up a dusty trail. However, Texas has much more than open prairie with large herds of cows. There are the mountains of West Texas, the piney hills of east Texas, and the emerald waters off the coast of Padre Island. Texas also has large coastal harbors with numerous sailboats, powerboats, inland lakes, rivers, swamps of southeast Texas with alligators and other exotic wildlife.
The best summary of this passage is:
There are many different, varied parts of Texas.
There are a lot of cows in Texas.
There are alligators in the swampland of southeast Texas.
Texas is one of the biggest states in the United States.
There are many different, varied parts of Texas.
“Every secret of a writer's soul, every experience of his life, every quality of his mind is written large in his works.” --Virginia Woolf
(1) Born into a privileged English household in 1882, author Virginia Woolf was raised by free-thinking parents. (2) She began writing as a young girl and published her first novel, The Voyage Out, in 1915. (3) She used her own experiences with depression as a major source. (4) In 1981, Louise DeSalvo published an alternate version of The Voyage Out under another title.
Which sentence best supports Woolf's quote?
3