This document provides guidance on summarizing passages that include stories, examples, and details. It explains that writers and speakers use these narrative elements to make their points more interesting, strengthen arguments, and clarify complex topics. When summarizing, one should focus on the writer's purpose and provide enough context for the example without extra unnecessary details. Effective summaries restate the key story or example in the speaker's own words and connect it back to the overall purpose. They use generalizations instead of descriptions and look for common themes when examples are grouped into categories.
2. Why Writers/Speakers Use These
• See: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZQiqHgE0h3U&feature=player_embedded
• To make points that are interesting
• To strengthen arguments
• To clarify things hard-to-understand material
3. In Summarizing . . .
• Focus on the purpose: a good summary
focuses on the writer’s purpose.
Provide just enough information to point the
reader to the example, story or detail to look for
more information;
Do not overstate;
Do not give too many details that need
explanation or background support.
4. Structures and Summary
• The speaker told a story about . . .
• The speaker told a story that . . .
• The speaker told a story of X to do (for the
purpose of) Y. . .
5. FROM THE VIDEO #1
• Bea Johnson told a story about how her family
downsized their home and their lifestyle.
• Bea Johnson told a story that showed how she
downsized her lifestyle while downsizing her
home.
• Bea Johnson explained how getting a smaller
home got her started in the zero waste
lifestyle.
6. Descriptions v. Generalizations
• Descriptions focus on visual details. They
don’t belong in summaries.
• Generalizations serve as “topic sentences” and
point readers to go looking for the details.
Generalizations are also connected to
purpose.
7. FROM THE VIDEO #2
• Descriptive details about trash: a huge can of
trash/ once a week; a handful of trash
collected in four months.
• Generalizations: significantly reduced trash
output.
8. Contrast
• Bea Johnson says that her trash output has
gone from one big can a week to a small
handful of trash in four months.
• Bea Johnson shows how the zero-waste
lifestyle has caused her trash output to drop
to almost nothing .
9. Groupings and Categories
• Sometimes writers will provide long lists of
examples.
• The point is to look for the common element
in the list and create a category.
• Again, focus on the purpose of the list.
10. FROM THE VIDEO #3
• Bulk, bring bottles, cleaning
products, homemade, vinegar, micro-
fiber, compostable tooth brushes, milk in
reusable bottles, stores in mesh bags, jars to
the store, one for meat . . .
11. Contrast
• Bea Johnson explains how she makes her own
cleaning products with vinegar and stores
items in jars and mesh bags she brings to the
store.
• Bea Johnson shows how she reduces
packaging waste as well as chemical impact on
the environment when purchasing groceries
and common household items.
