WR 121: Summary Assignment #1
You task is to summarize the uploaded Reading
You don’t need to cite any sources.
This summary assignment will be a shorter, more condensed summary than what I will ask you to do for the second summary assignment. This summary assignment will invite you to practice identifying the main argument of an essay and summarizing only the points that are directly tied into the main argument. The length of this summary should be about a page. You are welcome to organize the summary in the way that makes the most sense to you. You might end up with one long paragraph or two paragraphs.
Here’s a helpful description of summarizing from Brenda Spatt’s Writing from Sources:
| “When writing a brief summary, you should add nothing new to the material in the source, nor should you change the emphasis or provide any new interpretation or evaluation. For the sake of clarity and coherence, you many rearrange the order of the ideas; however, as summarize, you should strive to remain in the background” (75). |
Here are a few key things to keep in mind as you start your summarizing process:
| 1. In order to remain in the background, discard any language that looks like “I think C.S. Lewis is a truly incredible writer,” or “I think C.S. Lewis is saying that learning is a Christian duty, whether or not the material is “sacred” material.”
2. This summary should not include any quotations. You are welcome to paraphrase the author’s argument, but use your own words to represent the author’s argument. a. When I say, “use your own words,” I do not mean identify with the writer and the argument they are making by taking it on as your own argument. Similar to what communication specialists call “active listening,” you are attempting to show the speaker (in this case writer) that you heard and understood what they were saying. You do this by paraphrasing their statements, which might mean using a key term that they use but also “translating” a component of their argument into your own words, thus your own understanding. 3. Before you even start writing the summary, go through the essay and take notes in the margins. Identify what Lewis’ points are. Once you have a comprehensive list of Lewis’ points, you need to discern what his main argument (or thesis) is; then you need to discern what his main points are and what his secondary or tangential points are. It is likely that an author will repeat the same point but use different evidence to develop that point. In your summary you don’t want repeat points. 4. When you write your summary, you want to start with a framework that identifies the question at issue, or the problem, that C.S. Lewis is responding to. In They Say, I Say chapter 1, the authors talk about starting a conversation with what others are saying; well, Lewis’s speech is also adding to a conversation. Identify that conversation and the problem that conversation is attempting to resolve. 5. You may absolutely rearrange Lewis’ argument to better represent it in a more condensed way. Your summary should be coherent, and it should make sense to a reader who has never read Lewis’ essay. Don’t just list the points that you wrote down in your notes. You want to craft those points into a coherent and comprehensive set of paragraphs. |
Here is a sample summary taken from Brenda Spatt’s Writing from Sources. You will notice that the first sentence establishes the framework that identifies the conversation the writer (in this case Bertrand Russell) responds to in his essay. You should also note that the author of the essay and the essay title are included near the beginning of this summary.
| “Some scientists, as well as other groups, consider that they need not influence the way in which their discoveries are used. However, Bertrand Russell, in “The Social Responsibility of Scientists,” believes that scientists have a responsibility to make sure that their work is used for, not against, the benefit of humanity. In modern times, he argues, it has been especially difficult for concerned scientists to speak out because many powerful groups prefer to limit and distort what the public is told, because government officials are too busy to be thoroughly informed, because scientists depend on the financial support of business and government, and because the public itself is reluctant to hear distasteful news. Nevertheless, Russell maintains that scientists have the knowledge and the prestige to command public attention, and their work is too vital for their voices to be suppressed. If they act together, they can warn us if their work is likely to be used for an antisocial purpose and, at least, they can propose less destructive alternatives.” |
Finally, your summary assignment should be formatted according the instructions in the syllabus:
| 12 pt Times New Roman font, double spaced, 1 inch margins, with a header (on the left hand side of paper, a title, and your last name + page number at the top right hand side of the paper.) Your header should look like this:
Your Name WR 121 Summary Assignment #1 Date of submission |
Your summary is due by Sunday, July 2, at 11:59 pm.
