Writing a Summary and Response: A Guide for Students, Assignments of English Language

Lisa Tittle

Harford Community College

Basic Writing

Summary/ Response Assignment

After learning how to access appropriate materials in the databases at

the library and on the Internet, complete the following steps to write a

summary of an article.

1. Locate an appropriate article (2-3 pages in length and no more than 5

years old) using an electronic database. It should be about an area of

part of the thesis.

4. Highlight the main ideas in the article. Topic sentences should help

you identify the main ideas.

5. Underline the supporting details following each main idea that you will

use in your summary.

6. Use the material in numbers 4 and 5 and put them into a topical

outline format that would include a thesis appropriate for a summary.

Be sure to include the title of the article and the author’s full

name as well as the main idea of the article in your thesis for

the summary.

one page in length, and include the most important ideas in the article.

9. Take note of the author and his/her credentials. As you read the

article, take note of the sources, research, and experts to which the

author refers.

10. Once you have completed the summary, write a response to the

article. Consider the following questions:

purposes? Why or Why not? (answers to number 9 will help you

decide)