Types of Writing

The back of a book jacket

Finding the similarities and

differences between two

musicians

A movie review for

“Les Miserables”

Writing a paper on the Bill of

Rights

What are the differences between these types of writing?

Summarize Analyze

Evaluate

Synthesize

SummarizeRestating the

main elements in a more

concise way

Analyze

Evaluate

Synthesize

Summarize• Restating the text in a more concise

(shorter) way

• Focuses on major points• Fiction: characters, conflict, and

resolution• Nonfiction: claim, evidence, counter-

claim, justification, and rebuttal

• Like a reporter retelling what happened • Who/what/when/where

• Unbiased → NO personal opinions

Synonyms for Summarizing• Report

• Sum up

• Synopsis

• Outline

• Retell

• Describe

• Generalize

How do I know if I’m summarizing?

• Am I stating something that would be obvious to a reader or viewer?

• Does my essay move in chronological order, or in the exact same order the author used?

• Am I simply describing what happens?

SummarizeRestating the

main elements in a more

concise way

AnalyzeBreaking

something apart and looking at the

pieces

Evaluate

Synthesize

Analyze• Examine purposefully and in detail the

structure of something for purposes of explanation and interpretation• Explaining – to clearly share a reason• Interpreting – creating your own

understanding of what the author is doing and why

• Looks at all aspects but does NOT make a judgment about it

Analyze• Focuses on why and how the writing is done

• Focuses on relationships, trends, patterns, roles of people, places, objects, situations, gains and losses, consequences or results of events, decisions and processes, causes and their effects, advantage and disadvantages, strengths/weaknesses 

Synonyms for Analyzing• Dissect

• Consider

• Investigate

• Interpret

• Break down

• Categorize

• Compare/Contrast

• Distinguish

• Examine

• Separate

• Select

• Explain

How do I know if I’m analyzing?

• Am I making an original argument about the text?

• Have I arranged my evidence around my own points, rather than just following the plot's order?

• Am I explaining why or how an aspect of the text is significant?

SummarizeRestating the

main elements in a more

concise way

AnalyzeBreaking

something apart and looking at the

pieces

EvaluateMaking a judgment

Synthesize

Evaluate• Making a judgment based on evidence or criteria

• Take a side and back it up

• Next step after analysis → now that you’ve broken down the pieces (analysis) what do you think about it?

• THIS is the place for your opinion

Synonyms for Evaluating• Judge

• Defend

• Choose

• Assess

• Argue

• Support

• Value

• Rate

• Discriminate

• Select

• Conclude

How do I know if I’m evaluating?

• Am I making a personal judgment or claim?

• Are you making a determination of value (good/bad, useful/not useful, valid/invalid)?

• Am I defending my evaluation with supportive evidence in order to be convincing?

SummarizeRestating the

main elements in a more

concise way

AnalyzeBreaking

something apart and looking at the

pieces

EvaluateMaking a judgment

SynthesizeTake separate ideas

and put them together to make something new

Synthesize

• Take separate ideas and put them together to make something new

• Explaining a concept or event with information from multiple sources

• Finding common threads

• Blending different ideas together into one new idea of your own

Synonyms for Synthesizing• Assemble

• Compose

• Create

• Design

• Develop

• Generate

• Prepare

• Reorganize

• Rewrite

• Revise

• Construct

• Combine

How do I know if I’m synthesizing?

• Am I looking at information or ideas from more than one place?

• Am I putting different ideas together (integrating) into something new?

• Am I finding common threads and making generalizations?

SummarizeRestating the

main elements in a more

concise way

AnalyzeBreaking

something apart and looking at the

pieces

EvaluateMaking a judgment

SynthesizeTake separate ideas

and put them together to make something new

Which was it? Summarize, Analyze, Evaluate, Synthesize?

1. Timeline graphic organizer

2. Venn diagram graphic organizer

3. Research paper

4. Taste test

5. Book review

6. Debate prep

Which is it?Matilda’s character is withdrawn and

uncommunicative, apparently unwilling or unable to form an intimate relationship. For example, she and her husband do not talk to each other much, except about external things such as his taste for boiled beef and her lack of a party dress and jewelry. With such an uncommunicative marriage, one might suppose that she would be more open with her close friend, Jeanne Forrestier, but Mathilde does not say much even to her.

• --E.V. Roberts and H. E. Jacobs (1998)

Which is it?• While blogger Jenna Marbles disagrees with the adage

that “nice guys finish last” and blogger TPindell agrees that nice guys indeed do finish last, both bloggers seem to imply that men and women can only forge successful relationship if they identify compatible romantic partners. (TPindell). Although Marbles’ and TPindell’s approaches differ, each advocates that both men and women develop the agency to identify and then choose the best partners for themselves, and that they don’t play into any part of the “nice guys finish last” stereotype by either equating being nice with being perfect, or by assuming that women are only attracted to “bad boys” when in fact women may only be inexperienced in identifying compatible partners.

Which is it?

To Greg Heffley, middle school is the dumbest idea ever invented. It's a place with hundreds of social problems, not the least of which are morons, wedgies, swirlies, bullies, and lunchtime troubles. To survive the never-ending days and become popular like he feels he deserves, Greg comes up with an endless series of can't-miss schemes, all of which, of course, go wrong.

Which is it?• The second and third movie in the Diary of a

Wimpy Kid series are not very good. Acting as the nervous adolescent Greg, Gordon is still doing a wonderful job because he is very handsome. However, the movie doesn’t work because the character of Greg is growing up, and it is really hard to find him funny anymore. Instead, we start to feel sorry for him. This movie does still have fair amount of the gross-out stuff kids love. I know this because of the number of scenes that are disgusting, but I still hear young children laughing at the theater. The movie would be better if they would allow the characters to act more grown up.