+

Chapter 2

“Her Point Is”: The Art of Summarizing

+“Her point is…”

Chapter 1 discussed the significance of stating the “they say” before introducing the “I say.”

To do that, the editors suggest summarizing the “they say” argument as soon as possible in your writing.

Chapter 2 elaborates on this point: In order to be in dialogue with what others are saying, you must be able to effectively summarize what those others are saying.

If you can’t summarize them well, you run the risk of misinterpreting their ideas, or not explaining enough of their ideas to preface your own. Even worse, you could talk too much about their ideas and not your own.

+Suspend your disbelief…

Imagine you told a story a very important story to your best friend: YOUR VERSION: “Yesterday something really

horrible happened to me. Well, lots of things actually. First, as you know, it was Valentine’s Day. I was really excited to see my boyfriend but he wouldn’t answer my calls. It turns out, he wanted to break up. Ya, he dumped me last night! Then when I got home from school, I got a call from my boss telling me that I had to give up my shifts because they couldn’t afford to pay me this weekend.”

+“Her point is…!?”

Now imagine your best friend is telling your story to your other good friend, and she recalls it somewhat like this: FRIEND’S VERSION: “So I talked to (insert your name)

today. I guess she had a really bad day. Yesterday was V-day you know? Well, I guess she and her boyfriend got into this massive fight, and he stopped answering her calls. Then this morning she called him, I think from work, and he said he didn’t want to be with her anymore. Then I guess she got fired too? So no, maybe she wasn’t at work this morning. But she got fired. They don’t need her anymore.”

+Now if that were you…

Wouldn’t you be kind of annoyed if you heard that retelling of your story? Not only is it inaccurate, it falsely represents you. Worst of all, you can’t even defend yourself!

This example sheds light on how important it is to accurately summarize another person’s argument.

You wouldn’t want to misrepresent or misquote someone and have him or her find out, would you? They’d probably be equally as mad as you are at your friend for the mis-telling of your bad day.

+Those who refuse to summarize…1. Why is it that some writers don’t summarize another

author’s argument, the “they say,” or the context for which they are writing?

+ Answer:

Many writers shy away from summarizing for several reasons: They don’t want to go back to the reading and figure out

what it says (lazy!) They fear they will spend too much time devoted to the

arguments of others’ and not their own (lacking confidence!)

They think that by responding to an assigned article they are already on topic and therefore don’t need to summarize

+Our biggest summarizing mistake…

2. What are common mistakes made by writers when it comes to summarizing another author’s argument?

+ Answers:

Writers don’t write enough of what others are saying; and

Writers write too much of what others are saying.

+A delicate balance! Like yin and yang…3. What is the “delicate balance” or main

aspect of a summary that the writer should be trying to achieve?

+ Answer:

A good summary requires balancing what the original author is saying with the writer’s own focus.

Striking this balance can be tricky, since it means facing both ways at once:

Both outward (toward the author) And inward (towards yourself)

+Don’t stop believin’…

4. What is writing theorist Peter Elbow’s “believing game”?

+ Answer:

In order to play the believing game, writers must momentarily suspending their own beliefs/opinions/ideas and assuming the beliefs/opinions/ideas of those in the conversation.

In other words, it means putting oneself in the shoes of someone else.

Otherwise, writers run the risk of sounding biased—the writer’s own opinions will leak into theirs!

+He’s making a list…

5. What is a “list summary”? (and what does it suggest of the writer who is making the list?)

+ Answer:

A list summary is summarizing without any regard to one’s own interest

When a writer makes a list summary, he or she simply makes inventory of the original author’s various points but fails to focus these points around any larger overall claim.

In a sense, it reads much like “He states,…then he states…then the author states…” and so forth, much like a list!

+ Signal verbs for introducing summaries and quotations

Therefore, writers should avoid bland formulas like “she says” or “they believe”

Instead, they should use vivid, precise signal verbs as often as possible.

+Signal verbs…

6. What are 2 signal verbs for expressing agreement? What are 2 signal verbs for expressing disagreement?

+ Answer:

Some signal verbs to show agreement are acknowledge, admire, agree, praise, extol, endorse…

Some signal verbs to show disagreement are complain, deny, contradict, reject, refute…

HINT: Memorize a few of these stronger signal verbs and work them into your arsenal. You definitely have options to use besides “states” and “claims”!

+ Chapter 2 Review

Effectively summarizing is the best way to introduce what others are saying

Summarizing requires putting oneself into the author’s shoes and to capture the author’s argument without applying his/her own biases

To summarize, writers must strike a balance between carefully summarizing the arguments of others and their own argument

Using signal verbs can help writers to enhance summaries and avoid list summaries