PISMP Sem.

3 WRITING Types of Essays Argumentative Discussive Creative Expository Narrative Summary

Week 8

English for Undergraduates

A good summary should present a clear, concise idea of the main points of an article to someone who has not read it. In order to write an effective summary, you need to have a true understanding of the original article. This means taking the time to read the article carefully to determine the authors purpose, main idea and supporting points. HOW TO WRITE A ONE PARAGRAPH SUMMARY? Step 1: Read the article once to determine the authors thesis. A Chimp Off Old Block By Curtis Rist The chimp prodigy Ayumu demonstrates his literary skills by matching Japanese characters to colored shapes on a computer screen. Ai, a 25-year-old chimpanzee, is something of a celebrity due to her mental prowess. At the Kyoto University Primate Research Institute in Japan, she has learned to read several dozen characters in kanji, a form of written Japanese. Still, researchers were taken aback in February when they discovered that Ais young son, Ayumu, maybe teaching himself how to read. Ai spends part of each day at a computer monitor, where she likes to match written words to colors and shapes so that she can earn 100 yen coins to buy snacks. On February 16, when only a video camera was watching, 10-month-old Ayumu jumped up to the monitor and correctly matched the kanji word for brown with a brown square. It was astonishing, says Tetsuro Matsuzawa, a primatologist at the institute. He had never even touched the screen before. Researchers are now hopeful that Ayumu will continue to learn simply by observing his mother, without having to be coached. So what did the precocious primate do with the 100 yen earned for making his first word match? He bought some raisins from our vending machine, says Matsuzawa. Theyre his favorite. Discover Magazine, January 2002 Step 2: Reread the article and take notes on the main points.

PISMP Sem. 3

Week 8

English for Undergraduates

Step 3: Using your notes as a guide, write the first draft of your summary. It should include: a) A topic sentence that states the name of the article, (including the author if available) and the main point. b) Supporting sentences that explain, in your own words, the main ideas presented in the article. An effective way to do this is by answering the questions what, where, when, who and why. c) A final statement that summarises any conclusions the author made in the article. Step 4: Revise the draft of your summary. A. Peer Revising. Exchange papers with a partner. Use the following worksheet as a guide for suggesting improvements in your partners summary. Writer:_______________________________ Peer Editor: ______________________________ 1. Does the summary begin with a sentence that states the name and main idea of the article? 2. Does the summary present the main supporting points? 3. Was the writer careful not to include any minor details or personal opinions? 4. Does the summary end with a statement that summarises the authors conclusions? yes yes yes yes no no no no

Incorporate any suggestions your classmate has made that you agree with. Write or type a revised version of your essay. B. Personal Revising Revising Checklist for Essays 1. Does the title of the essay give readers a good idea of what the essay is about? 2. Does the introduction create interest in the topic for readers? 3. Does the introduction state the main idea and the focus of the essay in a clear thesis statement? 4. Does the first (second, third) supporting paragraph have a topic sentence that clearly states the first (second, third) main supporting point? 5. Does every sentence in that paragraph support the topic sentence? 6. Have irrelevant sentences been eliminated so that the paragraph has a single focus? 7. Are the sentences in the paragraph arranged in a logical order? 8. Are there transitions in the paragraph to guide the reader from one idea to the next? 9. Do the supporting paragraphs provide adequate support and enough specific information to develop and prove the thesis of the essay? 10. Are the supporting paragraphs in a logical order? 11. Does the conclusion summarise the main ideas of the essay? yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes not yet not yet not yet not yet not yet not yet not yet not yet not yet not yet not yet

If the answer to any of the question is not yet, go back and try to improve your essay.

PISMP Sem. 3

Week 8

English for Undergraduates

Step 5: Edit your summary to make sure that the grammar, spelling, punctuation and capitalization are correct before you copy it over or type it. Editing Checklist for Essays 1. Is the first sentence of each paragraph indented? 2. Do your subjects and verbs agree? 3. Do your nouns, pronouns and possessives agree? 4. Are all the sentences complete (no fragments)? 5. Have you eliminated run-on sentences? 6. Is the punctuation correct in all the sentences? 7. Does the first word of each sentence begin with a capital letter? 8. Are all your words spelled correctly? yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes not yet not yet not yet not yet not yet not yet not yet not yet

If the answer to any of the questions is not yet, go back and try to improve your paragraph.

Source: Blanchard, K and Root, C. (2004) Ready to Write More: From Paragraph to Essay. New York: Longman