Explanatory Summary: Understanding What Texts Say

Demonstrate our ability to comprehend a
college level essay and to summarize it
accurately. Format: 2 to 2 and a half pages;
12 pt. standard font; Times New Roman; 1
inch margins all sides plus Works Cited page;
typed and double-spaced; name, date, and
title. This paper must be submitted through
Canvas and the turnitin feature. I will not
accept any papers that are not submitted
through Canvas and the turnitin feature.
Assignment: An explanatory summary of one
of the following essays: “College Is a Waste of
Time and Money” by Caroline Bird; “Black
Men and Public Space” by Brent Staples;
“College Pressures” by William Zinsser.
Specifics: As straightforward as it may seem,
summarizing takes a great deal of
comprehension and synthesis on the part of
the writer. As you summarize, you need to put
the following things in your own words. 1. Your
understanding of the author’s main point(s). 2.
Your interpretation of the author’s ideas. 3.
The relationship between ideas – their logical
connections. 4. The manner in which the
author supports the main ideas in the essay.
In other words, what examples, testimony,
statistics, or research does the author use to
prove his/her point (cause and effect?
comparison/contrast? analogy?) What
oppositions are apparent, and how does that
frame the subject(s) of the essay? Important
points to remember: 1. A summary is not an
evaluation or a critique. It is a condensed
version of a piece of writing. 2. Annotating and
outlining the essay will increase the accuracy
of your summary. 3. Every piece of writing has
an intended audience. Your audience for this
assignment is me; therefore, you need to
consider what your audience will look for in a
summary.