What Is A Summary And What Is A Response? This Page Will Gui

What Is A Summary What Is A Response This Page Will Guide You Throug

What is a summary? What is a response? This page will guide you through the basic principles of creating both a summary and a response. Summaries, which ask you to state the main idea(s) of a reading, are one of the most commonly assigned tasks in community college. But how do you do them?

They seem like a writing task, since most often you are asked to write a summary. But actually, they are a reading task first. You are being asked to read something, often something really long, and find the main ideas and put those ideas in just a few sentences. This is a very sophisticated task! Below are some tips and templates to help. Please watch this 3-minute YouTube video that will explain summary:

Paper For Above instruction

In academic and professional settings, the ability to effectively summarize and respond to texts is crucial for communication, comprehension, and critical thinking. Summaries and responses serve different purposes: a summary distills the main ideas of a text, while a response provides a personal or analytical reaction to it. Understanding the distinction and application of each is essential for engaging with scholarly material meaningfully.

A summary is a condensed version of a text that captures its core ideas, themes, and arguments in a succinct form. The process of creating a summary involves careful reading, identifying the main points, and expressing them clearly in one's own words without unnecessary details or interpretations. Summarizing is primarily a reading skill that tests comprehension and the ability to distill information accurately. Effective summaries are brief, accurate, and capture the essence of the original material. For example, when summarizing an article about climate change, one might focus on the central problem, key statistics, and proposed solutions, leaving out less relevant details such as anecdotal stories or minor data.

On the other hand, a response is a written or verbal reaction to a reading that includes personal insights, critical analysis, and sometimes connections to other ideas or experiences. Responding goes beyond merely stating what the text says; it involves evaluating, questioning, and engaging with the material critically. When writing a response, it is essential to reflect on how the reading relates to one's own knowledge or opinions and support these reactions with evidence or examples from the text. For instance, a response to an article on renewable energy might include agreement or disagreement with the author's points, supplemented with additional research or personal perspectives.

Effective summarization and response require different skills: summarizing emphasizes objectivity and conciseness, while responding emphasizes critical thinking and personal engagement. Both are vital academic skills that foster deeper understanding and meaningful communication. To master them, students should practice active reading strategies, such as highlighting main ideas and annotating texts, and develop clear organizational structures in their writing. Watching educational videos, like the recommended three-minute summary explanation, can further enhance understanding of these skills.

References

• Bean, J. C. (2011). Engaging Ideas: The Professor's Guide to Integrating Writing, Critical Thinking, and Active Learning in the Classroom. John Wiley & Sons.
• Graff, G., & Birkenstein, C. (2014). They Say / I Say: The Moves That Matter in Academic Writing. W.W. Norton & Company.
• Lunsford, A. A., & Ruszkiewicz, J. J. (2018). Everything's an Argument. Bedford/St. Martin's.
• McKee, A. (2003). Textual Practices: Essays on Text and Context. Routledge.
• Swales, J. M., & Feak, C. B. (2012). Academic Writing for Graduate Students: Essential Tasks and Skills. University of Michigan Press.
• Yoon, H. G., & McBride, C. (2017). Reading and Writing Strategies for Academic Success. Routledge.
• Hacker, D., & Sommers, N. (2016). A Writer's Reference. Bedford/St. Martin's.
• Wysocki, A. F., & Lynch, K. (2013). Writing New Media: Theory and Applications for Expanding the Teaching of Composition. Parlor Press.
• Howard, R. M. (2014). Critical Reading and Writing: An Introductory Coursebook. Routledge.
• Nelson, M. (2009). Critical Reading and Writing for Postgraduates. Open University Press.