Writing an Modified Objective Summary

Adapted by Mrs. Shoulders

What is an objective summary?Objective - Uninfluenced by emotions or personal

prejudices: an objective critic.

Summary - Presenting the substance in a condensed form; concise: a summary review.

What is an objective summary (continued)?Sometimes when we read, there is so much information in the text

that we also have to decide what is most important and worth remembering.

What is most interesting is not always what is most important, and there is often unimportant information in what we are reading.

After we determine what is most important, we then have to decide how to put the information into a format that is concise and clear.

Writing an Objective Summary Focus on the central themes in the story.

Organize the information clearly. This should be a focus of your introduction – what can the reader expect?

Since you are summarizing, use text evidence wisely. You don’t summarize by quoting the entire story. Use only to make a point.

Avoid stating opinions or personal thoughts.

Steps to Success Begin by stating the text/author, use a summary verb (discusses, illustrates,

explains, explores, or teaches) and end with the central theme of the story. Then explain what the reader can expect by how you have organized the summary.

Choose 1-2 ESSENTIAL details from the beginning of the text, 1-2 from the middle of the text AND 1-2 from the end of the text.

All of the details should explain how the central theme is developed through setting, characterization, and plot.

Conclude with by making a reference to your introduction and focus on author purpose? What did the author want to communicate to the reader in this story?

Some Do’s and Don’ts

Citations http://mail.clevelandcountyschools.org/~mmelton/FOV1-0003BD7C/Writing

%20an%20Objective%20Summary.pdf?Plugin=Metro

http://www.warrencountyschools.org/userfiles/3255/Classes/130709/WritinganObjectiveSummary%20.pdf?id=434926