The Objective Summary

What it is, What it isn’t,

and how to write one

Objective SummaryWhat is it?

• Objective = No opinion, no emotion, only facts

• Summary = Short statement including a central

idea and key details

• An Objective Summary is a short paragraph which presents the central idea and key details of a text without emotion or opinion.

• It starts with an IVC Statement, is supported by quotes, and ends with a conclusion sentence.

Objective SummaryThe Components (Pieces and Parts)

TITLE of the text• Large works such as books, movies, or plays are either

italicized or underlined:

Dracula or Dracula

Star Wars or Star Wars

Romeo and Juliet or Romeo and Juliet

• Small works such as poems, songs, or articles are in quotes.

“Mary had a Little Lamb”

“The Star-Spangled Banner”

“Coming to Our Senses”

Objective SummaryThe Components (Pieces and Parts)

AUTHOR of the text

• The author’s full name should always be used first:

Neil deGrasse Tyson…

William Shakespeare…

• Thereafter, you can use the author’s last name alone:

Tyson…

Shakespeare…

• To avoid repetition, you can also say “the author” or “she/he.”

Objective SummaryThe Components (Pieces and Parts)

• There are more verbs than just “states” or “says.”

• Use your Academic Verb List!

VERBS

• Analyze

• Argue

• Compare

• Contrast

• Describe

• Determine

• Develop

• Evaluate

• Imagine

• Integrate

• Interpret

• Organize

• Summarize

• Support

• Transform

Neil deGrasse Tyson analyzes…

William Shakespeare explores…

Objective SummaryThe Components (Pieces and Parts)

CENTRAL IDEA

• The main idea of the text. For example…

…greed can be ruinous.

…our five senses are important and limited.

…the concept of beauty.

…the history of basketball.

…why the driving age should be ten years old.

• You will be demonstrating your understanding of the

CENTRAL IDEA by citing quotes and key details from the

text.

Objective SummaryIVC Statement (ID, Verb, Central Idea)

In TITLE, AUTHOR VERB CENTRAL IDEA.

In Romeo and Juliet, William Shakespeare explores

the influence of family grudges.

Ifor “ID”

Vfor “Verb”

Cfor

“Central Idea”

Objective SummaryIVC Practice

• Write an IVC Statement for Neil deGrasse Tyson’s

“Coming to Our Senses.”

• Use your list of Academic Verbs!

• See below for a template.

In TITLE, AUTHOR VERB CENTRAL IDEA.

In three minutes…

�TIMED

Objective SummaryMore Components (Pieces and Parts)

• Directly from the text.

• Supports your central idea and key details.

• Must include a citation (usually the line number).

• Keep as brief as possible.

• Format with [ ] and …

QUOTE

Example:

According to Shakespeare, Verona was a place “[w]here civil

blood makes civil hands unclean” (line 4).

Objective SummaryMore Components (Pieces and Parts)

• Key details should be an explanation of your quotes.

• Should be in your own words.

• Should support the CENTRAL IDEA.

KEY DETAILS

Example with quote:

According to Shakespeare, Verona was a place “[w]here civil

blood makes civil hands unclean” (line 4). In other words, the

citizens of the city were murdering each other.

Objective SummaryQuote and Key Idea Practice

• List three key details from Neil deGrasse Tyson’s

“Coming to Our Senses.”

• Provide three quotes which illustrate those key details.

• Make sure you cite the line numbers of the quotes.

• See below for a template.

According to AUTHOR, “QUOTE” (lines x-x). In other words, KEY DETAIL.

In fifteen minutes…

�TIMED

Objective SummaryConclusion Sentence

Thus, Shakespeare explores the influence of family grudges.

Clearly, Shakespeare explores the influence of family grudges.

Therefore, Shakespeare explores the influence of family grudges.

In Romeo and Juliet, William Shakespeare explores the

influence of family grudges.

A conclusion sentence is a rewritten IVC Statement that

demonstrates you’ve made your point.

Quotes

and

Key Details

Objective SummaryConclusion Practice

• Rewrite your IVC Statement to be conclusory.

• Use your list of Academic Verbs!

• See below for templates.

Thus, AUTHOR VERB CENTRAL IDEA.

Clearly, AUTHOR VERB CENTRAL IDEA.

Therefore, AUTHOR VERB CENTRAL IDEA.

In three minutes…

�TIMED

Objective SummaryPutting Pieces Together - Formula

In “TITLE,” AUTHOR VERB CENTRAL IDEA.

According to AUTHOR, “QUOTE 1” (citation).

In other words, KEY DETAIL 1.

AUTHOR also VERB, “QUOTE 2” (citation).

AUTHOR’s point is KEY DETAIL 2.

AUTHOR closes by VERB , “QUOTE 3” (citation).

Here, AUTHOR means KEY DETAIL 3.

Clearly, AUTHOR VERB CENTRAL IDEA.

Objective SummaryConclusion Practice

• Combine your IVC Statement, quotes, key details, and

conclusion sentence into an Objective Summary.

• Vary your transitions to improve flow and

provide interest

In thirty minutes…

�TIMED

Objective SummaryExample

In “Coming to Our Senses,” Neil deGrasse Tyson examines how our five

senses are important, limited, and extended with technology. According

to Tyson, “[o]ur ears can register the…launch of the space shuttle, yet can

also hear a mosquito buzzing a foot away from our head” (lines 15-17). In

other words, our unaided senses have a large range of sensitivity. Tyson

also describes “how much richer the world would appear…if we were born

with high-precision, tunable eyeballs” (lines 102-104). The author’s point

is that there exists phenomena beyond those which our senses can

perceive, and if we were born with super-senses a whole new world would

be open to us. Tyson closes his essay by anticipating “[discoveries] that

tap into our growing list of non-biological senses” (lines 178-180). Here,

he asserts that our technological senses are still evolving, and there are

discoveries waiting to be made in the future. Thus does Tyson

demonstrate how our five senses are important, limited, and extendable.

Objective SummaryExample

In “Coming to Our Senses,” Neil deGrasse Tyson examines how our five

senses are important, limited, and extended with technology. According

to Tyson, “[o]ur ears can register the…launch of the space shuttle, yet can

also hear a mosquito buzzing a foot away from our head” (lines 15-17). In

other words, our unaided senses have a large range of sensitivity. Tyson

also describes “how much richer the world would appear…if we were born

with high-precision, tunable eyeballs” (lines 102-104). The author’s point

is that there exists phenomena beyond those which our senses can

perceive, and if we were born with super-senses a whole new world would

be open to us. Tyson closes his essay by anticipating “[discoveries] that

tap into our growing list of non-biological senses” (lines 178-180). Here,

he asserts that our technological senses are still evolving, and there are

discoveries waiting to be made in the future. Thus does Tyson

demonstrate how our five senses are important, limited, and extendable.