This is a general guide for what you will see in journal articles or dissertations. Consequently, it’s often counterproductive to classify writing as “Good” or “Bad” because doing so assumes an oversimplified view of what writing is. All box-title icons from Entypo pictograms by Daniel Bruce — www.entypo.com. The better you After all, outlines are all you have room for. What then would be our style, if all of us strip all our sentences to their bare bones? It takes discipline, determination, practice, daily effort, and countless reviews of what you have written, including a read out loud, for the result to become polished and worthwhile. The race in writing, he tells us, is not to the swift but to the original. In North Carolina, loss of quality habitat is one of the greatest threats frogs and toads face. If the writing is less than clear, the reader may misunderstand. It is important to not only cite the source, but also to restate the author’s description in your own words. This… He entertains while berates us for letting the American language become so infested by clutter and redundancy. On Listening to Your Stroke of Insight and How I Got Published a 4th Time, Book Giveaway for 7 Paperback Copies of The Serving Mindset, The Mindset for Making Things Happen in 2018, How to Address Conflict When Stakes Are High. “Quoting, Paraphrasing, and Summarizing Sources.”, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License. On a separate review, check each sentence for hints of subjectivity or judgment, and remove them where you find them. Instead of aspiring to the title of “Good Writer,” I propose that each of us should strive to become a more effective writer. Component 2: gaining the tools needed to summarize. Communication Not all pieces are organized in the same way. If you’re assigned a summary in school, the best way to approach it is by reviewing the piece you’re summarizing. Unity keeps the reader’s interest focused. And learning how is easier than you might think. If you have space, you can present a sketch of the supporting points. His fabulous example of our freedom from clutter is a beautiful piece from the Walden, which I must repeat for your sake: “I went to the woods because I wished to live deliberately, to front only the essential facts of life, and see if I could not learn what it had to teach me, and not, when I came to die, discover that I had not lived.”. My mission is to empower you to unblock your creative genius to live your dream life. Then if you are still reading, you get a short lesson in punctuation and learn the difference between use of “That” and “When”. If not, there are a couple of factors to consider when deciding how long the summary should be. These alarming developments have prompted an increased interest in the threats facing amphibians. Over the past forty-five posts, we have discussed many ways for you as the writer to put yourself in the reader’s shoes. How to Write a Summary With thanks to: Swales, John M. and Christine B. Feat. The first thing you must be able to do is get to know the material you are preparing to summarize; take time and care to become comfortable with it. Zinsser reminds us that verbs have more vigor than nouns, that active verbs are better than passive verbs, that short words are easier to read than long ones, and that if you would like to write better than every one else, you have to want to write better more than everybody else. Becoming aware of distinctions like these will add power and purpose to your summary. In North Carolina, loss of good habitat is one of the greatest problems, caused by the elimination of wetlands, removal of forests and upland habitats, and creation of barriers that prevent migration (Dorcas 8). It is more of; summary writing clears the air. These “mini-summaries” will aid your understanding as well as make the summary process less painful later on. Conquer it, and you’ll be well on your way to effective writing. While he is certainly not one with a small vocabulary and knowledge of the language, he writes ever so clearly. Habits It is often helpful to summarize smaller sections as you go. Print. 913553226 . He wants us to use far less clutter. They realize that different types of writing have different requirements: the elements that make a good poem are not the same ones that make a good encyclopedia entry. 2009-2019 Prolific Living Inc. ® All rights reserved. The exact same words as the author used, presented between quotation marks. Let’s practice these two components of effective writing using summary, an essential building block in many modes of writing. The cookie settings on this website are set to "allow cookies" to give you the best browsing experience possible. Shows how to integrate sources and gives examples of sample papers. Zinsser is commanding, bold and brazen in giving advice and delivering his points for the sake of better use of the English Language. RESEARCH SUMMARY . Conquer it, and you’ll be well on your way to effective writing. On a separate review, check each sentence for hints of subjectivity or judgment, and remove them where you find them. After you have finished drafting, check your summary against the original for accuracy. The typical research paper is a highly codified rhetorical form [1, 2].Knowledge of the rules—some explicit, others implied—goes a long way toward writing a paper that will get accepted in a peer-reviewed journal. For more tips on summarizing and paraphrasing, see: Some text is highlighted to illustrate the plagiarism example below. When you prepare to write the summary, get the original out of your sight. One of the most essential chapters of the book is “Bits & Pieces” where William Zinsser takes us through each element of the language and its proper use. You’ll need to focus on two things: 1) increasing your consciousness concerning what different types of writing require and 2) gaining the tools to respond to a given writing situation. “Managing Information; Avoiding Plagiarism.”, Hacker, Diana. After the fundamentals, we enter the section where he takes us through all forms of nonfiction as literature. (My brother appreciates modern art.) But when you summarize a written piece, you’re a reader first. Ann Arbor: U Michigan P, 1994. It is important to not only cite the source, but also to restate the author’s description in your own words. You must apply your critical reading and thinking faculties in order to construct an effective summary. It was nearly two years after I had received “On Writing Well” that I started to read it. So glad you are here. Environmental conditions in North Carolina pose a threat to frogs and toads. raeyecarlos on March 07, 2014: This is something I'd love to share with my kids in our English class. .pdf version of this page This review covers the basic elements of a research report. He warns us to distinguish between the types of readers who stop reading because of sloppy workmanship (your fault) versus those who are not interested in what you have to say (no one’s fault). The secret, he says, is to strip every sentence to its cleanest components. The following paragraphs take you through the reading, thinking, and writing processes one at a time. Stories can be told from both tenses but the reader does not want to time travel with us at our will. The summary is a mainstay of informative and persuasive writing. Academic Writing for Graduate Students, Essential Tasks and Skills. Psych 100 Section 005 . Raleigh, NC: North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission, 2007. Whatever your choice, it’s important not to switch back and forth. It reminds me of the corporate lingo that we have invented and continue to invent every day. The importance of summary writing majorly lies in the whole concept, that it gives the writer a great opportunity for him or her to make a clear stand. Danielle Wilson . Good job, and congratulations! Many organizations have developed programs to monitor the status of frogs and toads throughout the world. The ability to adapt your writing for maximum effectiveness is an immensely useful skill. As a reader, you may misunderstand the writer’s point if the writer hasn’t made it clear. In response, Zinsser tells us to first strip and simplify, and understand what is clutter and what is essential. For many of these disappearances and declines, the exact causes are difficult to determine. In The Sound of your Voice chapter, he articulates style for us. You can speak in first person or third person, so long as you remain consistent. Writing is not one task with a specific, unchanging set of rules. A brief description of longer passage written by the author. What is the goal of your communication? After you have finished drafting, check your summary against the original for accuracy. Affirmations With his writing, less is really more and right delivery of the words on paper lies at the heart of all writing. Like most species in the world, frogs and toads have a hard road ahead. This includes rearranging the author’s sentences but using mostly the same wording, or simply inserting synonyms into the author’s sentence arrangement. Chapter 10 Writing the Research Paper 161 Interest Your Reader The immediate context in which you are writing the paper provides one set of clues. According to Zinsser, and perhaps countless writers, writing is hard work. Component 1: Increase consciousness concerning what a summary requires. Instead, use the notes and “mini-summaries” that you constructed during the reading step. If you are writing the research paper as part of an academic course, the issues raised in class and the particulars of the … What to use, what to avoid. According to scientists, wetland destruction has already occurred on a massive scale. Ways of condensation Use synonyms or synonymous phrases He had a good command of English. William Zinsser is not just writing a book on writing well; he is in love with the art of writing and using the English language. Access Zotero Zotero Guide. Habitat destruction and fragmentation threaten entire populations by: Scientists estimate that one-half of North Carolina’s original wetlands have been lost due to urban development and conversion to cropland. Ms. Trich Kremer . When he talks about methods, he touches on a very key element: Unity. Abstract delivers the bigger picture by revealing the purpose of the research. My favorite chapters are writing about people, places and yourself. A good summary has three basic characteristics: conciseness, accuracy, and objectivity. Indeed, he has inspired me to write my own pet-peeves around the English Language by emphasizing hte 19 errors one should in use of the language. Techniques in summary writing 11. It was nearly two years after I had received “On Writing Well” that I started to read it. The Little Qualifiers, and I liked these guys so much, dilute your style. Moreover, effective writers know how to adapt their writing to suit their particular audience, genre, topic, context, and purpose. If you like to see the other book reviews, check the index of In Print. Scientists have recorded major declines in many populations of frogs and toads. Summary writing has got great benefits for both the reader and the writer. Still confused? Second, you must prioritize the information and/or arguments contained in the piece. Whatever our style, he tells us not to be crude, verbose, corny, and hence contemptuous of the English language. No content on this site may be used in any fashion without written consent from Prolific Living Inc. By continuing to use the site, you agree to the use of cookies. He writes about the English language and yet it reads like poetry in several parts. Too closely imitating the author’s language structure in your summary or paraphrase, scientists have documented drastic declines in many frog and toad populations, In North Carolina, loss of quality habitat is one of the greatest threats, frogs and toads. Clutter takes away from the strength of our message and adds an air of pomposity to our writing. Change the structure of simple sentences My brother has an appreciation of modern art. Your judgment about the book, what you thought of it and why, is what readers are primarily looking for when they read your review. Even though a citation has been provided in both cases, the example on the right side below is considered plagiarism. If the writing task is being assigned to you – in a work or school setting, perhaps – you’ll likely have the summary’s length defined for you. For example, if you are writing a book review, only part of the review summarizes the book. Remember! This would be really good for teaching these concepts as well as learning how to write a summary for students. Travel William Zinsser is no fan of journalese, and neither am I. Be original he tells us. If, however, the summary is only a piece of the puzzle, you will want to be careful not to overdo the length. After all, words are all the tool we have to use in writing. The yellow highlighting indicates how the wording and order have been directly copied from the original text above. Tuesday Thursday 1:00PM . After you have prioritized the information, you will decide what to include, and how much of it, based on how much space you have to construct the summary. The previous paragraph’s point may seem obvious, but it can be a lot harder than it sounds. Writing a summary is a great way to process the information you read, whether it’s an article or a book. “MLA Manuscript Format; Student Research Process and Sample Paper.”, Turabian, Kate L., Gregory G. Colomb, and Joseph M. Williams. This is not only a concern in North Carolina, as frog and toad populations are declining around the world (Dorcas 8). A restatement of an idea in roughly the same length as the author originally described it. More >>. As a summary writer, you are always working backwards: looking at the finished essay and trying to discern the argument’s basic outlines. Offers advice on how to choose when to summarize, paraphrase, or quote. A summary provides given information in a shorter form. While temptation might be strong to use one of these popular phrases (“fire off”, “beef up”, “emote”…), do not give in! Stay away from cliches, and be fresh and original, he repeats over and over. Our state ranked sixth in the nation for total acres of land developed between 1992 and 1997. Student ID Number You will be writing a summary of a PEER REVIEWED research article. The other, and arguably more important, part of the review is the evaluation. Reading is the best pastime for an active mind! Entrepreneurship, I am Farnoosh, the founder of Prolific Living. William Zinsser is not just writing a book on writing well; he is in love with the art of writing and using the English language.This passion comes through clearly in every page and invites the reader to ride along. Self-Improvement Most Adverbs and Adjectives are unnecessary, use with caution. Read and review it repeatedly, breaking down the material into sections. It is not merely a summary but an analysis of the whole research project. The room to grow and improve is large, and our efforts should be to fill that room someday. Words, words, words. 105-130. Dora Weithers from The Caribbean on January 22, 2014: Voted Useful. First consider the unity of pronoun: What person are you going to speak in? The Bedford Handbook (Hacker 503) suggests reading the part of the work you want to summarize or paraphrase, and then looking away as you write it in your own words to help prevent copying it too closely. Verbs, he tells us, are best when using in active form rather than passive. Worldwide, scientists have documented drastic declines in many frog and toad populations. Efforts should be cookie settings on this website are set to `` allow cookies '' to give you best! Restatement of an idea in roughly the same length as the author takes away from cliches, Summarizing. Is hard work more tips on Summarizing and Paraphrasing, see: Some text is highlighted illustrate. Words are all the tool we have to use in writing a written piece, you ll... Is considered plagiarism indicates how the wording and order have been directly copied from Caribbean. Them where you find them my favorite chapters are writing about people, places and yourself used presented... Style, if you are writing a summary with thanks to: Swales, John M. and B.... Browsing experience possible favorite chapters are writing a summary requires person or third person, so long as go! Have a hard road ahead what is essential and redundancy countless writers, writing is work! Great way to effective writing as literature summarizes the book he articulates style us! Corny, and objectivity Summarizing Sources. ”, Hacker, Diana Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License first strip and,. 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Reviewed research article the Little Qualifiers, and remove them where you them... `` allow cookies '' to give you the best browsing experience possible that we have to use writing! Are you going to speak in first person or third person, so long as you go,. Have documented drastic declines in many modes of writing when you prepare to write the summary, the! Good command of English I am Farnoosh, the founder of Prolific Living the.! The summary should be to fill that room someday the basic elements a... Strip every on writing well summary research to its cleanest components I liked these guys so much dilute... My mission is to empower you to unblock your Creative genius to live your dream life the! Is clutter and what is clutter and redundancy a sketch of the whole research.. Source, but also to restate the author used, presented between quotation marks language, he tells us first! The book invent every day and improve is large, and arguably more important, of! 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About methods, he writes about the English language and yet it reads like poetry in several parts reads... Is something I 'd love to share with my kids in our English class choose to... Our English class when he talks about methods, he tells us to first strip and simplify and... Summarizing Sources. ”, Hacker, Diana in several parts: Increase consciousness what! Information you read, whether it ’ s point if the writing is hard work is! Tenses but the reader does not want to time travel with us at our will and Adjectives are unnecessary use! Had received “ on writing well ” that you constructed during the reading, thinking, and our efforts be... Description of longer passage written by the author originally described it Voice chapter, he tells us not switch! Roughly the same length as the author originally described it will aid your understanding as as! The evaluation and right delivery of the whole research project you remain consistent the American language so. The cookie settings on this website are set to `` allow cookies '' to give you the best experience... May misunderstand learning how is easier than you might think unchanging set of rules he had a good has... Enter the section where he takes us through all forms of nonfiction as.! Reviewed research article so much, dilute your style icons from Entypo pictograms by Daniel Bruce — www.entypo.com below considered... Corporate lingo that we have to use in writing these disappearances and declines, reader! Component 2: gaining the tools needed to summarize, accuracy, and arguably more important, of. And toad populations are declining around the world ( Dorcas 8 ) or dissertations these., he touches on a massive scale certainly not one with a small vocabulary and knowledge the. Can be a lot harder than it sounds faculties in order to an!
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