Summarizing Literary Texts

Introduction In this lesson you will work on summarizing literary texts. You will learn how to summarize a story in a way that is objective, or free of opinions or judgements. What kind of information would you include in a story summary? Read these two plot summaries below. Decide which one is a good summary and which one is a bad summary. Put the summaries in the correct spot. Good Summary On a cool autumn day, a family of three bears goes for a walk in the woods. While they are gone, a young girl comes to their house. She eats their porridge, sits in their chairs, and then falls asleep. When the bears come home, they find the girl sleeping. Bad Summary This is an unbelievable story! it is about three bears that go for a walk while they wait for their breakfast to cool. You won't believe what happens while they're gone! Your best friend missed her favorite show. She knows you watch it, too, and calls asking you to summarize what happened. When you summarize, you briefly retell the main characters, setting, conflict, and important events. To paint as clear a picture as possible, you make sure your summary is objective, or free of your own opinions.Study these images about a time traveler. Look for details about character, setting, and events. Now review the graphic organizer below. Notice that it includes only essential details, tells events in the order they happened, and is free of personal opinions.Summarizing isn't just a way for you to describe a story to others. It can also be a tool to help you understand what you're reading. Stop occasionally to summarize what has happened. Be sure you include only the most important details. This process will help you check your understanding of a text and remember important details. Read the first three paragraphs of this science fiction story. Read the following summary of the story. Cross out any opinions and personal feelings in the summary. Continue reading the science fiction story. Then answer the question that follows. Which is the best summary for this portion of the text? Captain Young explores the planet's surface and begins building the base camp. Captain Young shows she is a strong leader by quickly establishing the base camp. The domes in the base camp will be used for farming, geological research, and communications. The drill at the center of the camp is made from molten-carbon. Read the science fiction story and answer the questions below. Who is telling the story? Answer in a complete sentence. Why did the Imperator meet with Allya? Answer in a complete sentence. What is the alien who returned with Allya and what clues helped you to know? Answer in a complete sentence. Which of the following would you include in a summary of "Prime Contact"? It's very funny that the Imperator doesn't realize that the alien is a house cat. The Imperator of Harlapan asks to meet the alien that has returned with Allya. The alien loses interest in the Imperator and starts liking its paws. The Imperator is fascinated by Allya's remarkable purple eyes. Which is the best summary for the last events of the story? Allya travels to the third planet and brings back an alien. The people of Harlapan are clearly very advanced. The servants the Imperator describes must be humans. The alien meows and licks its paws, revealing that it's a cat. The notes for a summary need to be arranged correctly into the order in which the events occur in the passage. Indicate the correct chronological order of the events below by matching its the correct number 1 to 8 for each sentence. 1 Allya and her crew visit another planet. 2 An alien creature boards Allya's ship. 3 The Imperator meets with Captain Allya. 4 Captain Allya tells how the servants care for their masters. 5 The Imperator asks to meet the alien. 6 The Imperator notices the alien's confidence. 7 The imperator lies down on the floor. 8 The alien makes a strange purring sound. Review: Fill in the blanks with the correct words. An objective literary summary should include the setting, characters and important events. A summary should be objective and not include opinions or unimportant details.