1. INDEED Method For Writing Summaries:

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• Identify the work (What is the name of the text?)

• Note the character speaking and any defining characteristics (Is he or she tall? short? young? old?) educated? uneducated?

• Decide the location of the story (Where is the story taking place?)

• Explain the main events or ideas (What precisely is happening in the passage or work?)

• Elaborate on any emphasized or repeated details (Did the author mention a famous person over and over? Did the author use a color repeatedly?)

• Describe each of these points by writing a short paragraph. This paragraph is your summary!

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Practice the INDEED method for writing summaries by completing a short activity! Click the blue arrow to begin!

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2. Stand-Alone Summary

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• Check out this website for a detailed explanation of how to write a stand-alone summary

• http://public.wsu.edu/~mejia/Summary.htm

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Click on the blue arrow to view an example of a completed stand-alone summary.

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3. How To Write A Summary Video With Shaun Macleod

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• All people have different learning styles, so this summary video will be helpful to you if you learn by listening or watching. Macleod explains some helpful tips for writing a summary. His tips are different from the first two summary-writing methods, but they are equally effective!

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Click the blue arrow to read the pros and cons of Macleod's summarizing method.

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4. Outline Method

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• With the outline method you can create a helpful summary of an entire book or just a short paragraph. This method is very useful because of its flexibility.

• On a sheet of paper or a computer document, begin your outline.

• Tips:

  • If you are writing a summary of an entire book, make the I, II, III, etc. sections correspond with chapters

  • If you are writing a summary of a single chapter, make the I, II, III, etc. sections correspond with paragraphs or groups of paragraphs

  • Remember to only include important information

  • Consider devoting your first section (section I) to the setting, main characters, speaker, and author for quick reference.

 

  Click the blue arrow for a video refresher on the format for writing an outline or click this link   for a document that will show you the format to use when creating an outline.

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Click the large blue arrow to continue!

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