In other words, summary paragraphs should be succinct and to the point.Īn evaluation judges the value of something and determines its worth. Although shorter than the original piece of writing, a summary should still communicate all the key points and key support. Like the summary’s purpose in daily conversation, the purpose of an academic summary paragraph is to maintain all the essential information from a longer document. A summary uses only the writer’s own words. Similarly, a summary paragraph condenses a long piece of writing into a smaller paragraph by extracting only the vital information. While in conversation, you probably described the major highlights, or the main points in just a few sentences, using your own vocabulary and manner of speaking. Chances are, at some point in a casual conversation with a friend, coworker, or classmate, you compressed all the action in a two-hour film or in a two-hundred-page book into a brief description of the major plot movements. Think about the last blockbuster movie you saw or the last novel you read. You probably summarize events, books, and movies daily. For now, identifying these purposes by reading paragraphs will prepare you to write individual paragraphs and to build longer assignments.Ī summary shrinks a large amount of information into only the essentials. As you will see, the purpose for writing will guide you through each part of the paper, helping you make decisions about content and style. To learn more about reading in the writing process, see Chapter 8 “The Writing Process: How Do I Begin?”.Įventually, your instructors will ask you to complete assignments specifically designed to meet one of the four purposes. Because reading and writing work together, your writing skills will improve as you read. You will encounter these four purposes not only as you read for your classes but also as you read for work or pleasure. In academic settings, the reasons for writing fulfill four main purposes: to summarize, to analyze, to synthesize, and to evaluate. Why write a letter to your congressman? To persuade him to address your community’s needs. Why write instructions to the babysitter? To inform him or her of your schedule and rules. Basically, the purpose of a piece of writing answers the question “Why?” For example, why write a play? To entertain a packed theater. The purpose for a piece of writing identifies the reason you write a particular document. The individual or group whom the writer intends to address. The attitude the writer conveys about the paragraph’s subject. The reason the writer composes the paragraph. Three elements shape the content of each paragraph: To create longer assignments and to discuss more than one point, writers group together paragraphs. Because all the sentences in one paragraph support the same point, a paragraph may stand on its own. One paragraph focuses on only one main idea and presents coherent sentences to support that one point. Paragraphs separate ideas into logical, manageable chunks. One technique that effective writers use is to begin a fresh paragraph for each new idea they introduce. Ask yourself whether you can focus easily on each point you make. During the writing process, it is helpful to position yourself as a reader. Even if you are reading a thrilling novel or an interesting news article, you will likely lose interest in what the author has to say very quickly. Imagine reading one long block of text, with each idea blurring into the next. Apply purpose, audience, tone, and content to a specific assignment.Identify the four common academic purposes.
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