Prof. Myrna MonllorEnglish 112

Stating/Transforming ideas that you have read into your own words

Being able to paraphrase demonstrates that you have understood what you have read

You should always cite the original source of the information

Read the complete paragraph/s

Mark the verbs and important words

See if changing the sequence of thoughts in the reading, helps you to rewrite in your own words

Alter the sentence structure

Lady Gaga knows how to make an entrance. Encased in a semi-clear giant egg carried by scantily-clad macho men, the pop star came to the Grammy’s and nobody else got attention after that. Not even Katy Perry in wings. The “Mommy Monster” debuted her new single “Born This Way” at the Grammy stage where she also got three nods for Best Pop Vocal Album for “The Fame Monster”, and Best Female Pop Vocal Performance as well as Best Short Form Music Video for “Bad Romance”.

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - It was the biggest, baddest, meanest froggy ever to have hopped on Earth. Scientists on Monday announced the discovery in northwestern Madagascar of a bulky amphibian dubbed the "devil frog" that lived 65 million to 70 million years ago and was so nasty it may have eaten newborn dinosaurs.This brute was larger than any frog living today and may be the biggest frog ever to have existed, according to paleontologist David Krause of Stony Brook University in Stony Brook, New York, one of the scientists who found the remains.Its name, Beelzebufo ampinga, came from Beelzebub, the Greek for devil, and bufo -- Latin for toad. Ampinga means "shield," named for an armor-like part of its anatomy.Beelzebufo (pronounced bee-el-zeh-BOOF-oh) was 16 incheslong and weighed an estimated 10 pounds (4.5 kg).

PHILADELPHIA — When people ask Krisy Plourde and Tom Golden where they got married, their answer will be a rough estimate: somewhere around 46th Street. Plourde and Golden said their vows aboard an elevated train on Sunday, just ahead of Valentine's Day. The nuptials, performed by Mayor Michael Nutter, took place on a special train from City Hall to west Philadelphia. While Plourde and Golden, both 28, were being wed in the first car, about 360 other riders were getting a narrated tour of the "Love Letter" series of rooftop murals that parallel the tracks.

A short version of a longer piece of writing Must capture the most important points of

the original Ideas must be expressed in your own words

Use the author's key words

Follow the original organization wherever possible

Include any important data or conclusions

Maintain a neutral, impartial tone

It is usually 1/10 of the original

For short articles, 3 to 7 sentences are enough

It has to state the main topic of the reading

Think of what is the main topic and its purpose (inform, persuade, narrate, create awareness)

Avoid repetition

Before you start, make a note of your source(s). If this is a book, an article, or a journal, write the following information at the head of your notes: Author, title, publisher, publication date, and edition of book.

How to Summarize

http://www.langara.bc.ca/writingcentre/handouts/summary.html

Writing Tips: Summaries

http://www.english.uiuc.edu/cws/wworkshop/writer_resources/writing_tips/summaries.htm