Use the handout as a guide to summarize the story "Scratching the Surface" by Audre Lorde.

Karen Pitt

English 112/150

An objective summary

1. is one-third the length of the original essay

2. foregrounds the main ideas (the thesis statement)

1. includes key words and phrases

2. mentions the supporting points the writer uses

1. is in your own words, thereby avoiding plagiarism

2. follows the author’s pattern of organization

3. uses the information in the original essay

4. avoids coloring the information with personal opinion

5. lists the source or the original essay—the title and the author’s name

Note: an objective summary conveys information, not opinion

Selected from The St. Martin’s Guide to Teaching Writing 5th ed. by Cheryl Glenn et al.