SUMMARIZING

ACADEMIC TEXTS
 Lesson
Objectives:
In your journey through the discussions and different tasks,
you are expected to:
1. determine good and bad thesis statements;
2. identify the thesis statement of a given text;paraphrase/
explain ideas using own words;
3. outline a text; and
4. summarize a text.
What is the message of the song?
The message of the song is the thesis statement.
The message of the song is the thesis statement.
Saqueton and Uychoco (2016) defines thesis
statement as a sentence that states the claim or
stand that one will develop in the paper. It often
reflects an opinion or judgment that a writer has made
about a reading or personal experience.
A thesis statement contains a subject and a verb. It is a simple
declarative sentence, it commonly uses a single sentence, and
expresses a basic idea.
• In the introductory paragraph of your paper,
you should state your stand on an issue or
question in one sentence.
• This sentence is called a thesis statement.
• Your main idea will dictate the flow of the rest
of your paper.
Characteristics of a thesis statement:
• It shows your stand on an issue.
• It answers a question.
• It makes a claim that can be disputed.
• It is a single sentence at the start of your
paper that presents your argument to the
readers.
Keywords that signal a need for a thesis
statement:
• analyze
• interpret
• compare and contrast
• show causes and effects
• choose a side or stand on an issue
 How to Write a Thesis
• Formulating Statement
a thesis is not the first thing
you do upon receiving an assignment or
task.
• A thesis must be the result of a long
process of thinking and planning.
• Before you can develop any kind of
thesis, you must first do your research
on the topic.
 How to Write a Thesis
Statement
• Look for information and evidence,
then organize them based on the points
they make.
• Look for possible relationships between
pieces of information.
• Analyze and find the significance of these
relationships.
 How to Write a Thesis
Statement
• Afterward, you will most likely be able to
come up with a “working thesis” that has a
basic main idea.
• It’s okay if your thesis and your arguments
might need adjustments along the way.
 How to Write a Thesis
Example Statement
Given the following question:
Should the SOGIE Bill be passed in the
Philippines?
• Simple thesis statement:
“I believe the SOGIE Bill should be passed.”
• Improved thesis statement: “I believe the SOGIE Bill
should be passed because it ensures that all
basic human rights are available to all people,
regardless of sexual orientation or gender
expression.”
Parts of a Thesis
Statement
Parts of Thesis Statement
Topic – what is being talked about
Claim – attitude towards the topic/ point
Specific points – support your claim/ specific
topics to be tackled in the paper
Counterclaim – the opposing view or possible
objection to the claim
Going to college demands careful time management in
the areas of class time, study time and relaxation time.
Topic Claim Specific points
The thesis statement only lacks the counterclaim.
 Writing Strong Thesis
Statements
It is always a good idea to consult with
your instructor regarding your thesis
statements in order to get some feedback.
• It is also possible to do your own
evaluation so that you yourself can fine-
tune the thesis statement you have
written.
 Writing Strong Thesis
Statements
• Am I answering the question? Review
the question prompt and your thesis
statement.
• Have I taken a position that can
possibly be disputed by others? Your
thesis has to be persuasive and yet open
to opposition. It must not simply be
stating facts.
 Writing Strong Thesis
Statements
• Is my thesis statement specific enough?
Avoid using vague words such as “good” or
“successful” and try being more specific.
• Does my thesis statement pass the “So
what?” test? If a reader looks at your thesis
statement and asks, “So what?” then you might
need to make some clarifications, provide a
deeper relationship, or connect to a more
relevant issue.
 Writing Strong Thesis
Statements
A good thesis statement is supported
with facts and achieved through
hours of research. Creating an initial
statement and developing it to be
more specific is an excellent way to
start your research.
 Poorly Written Thesis Statements
Too broad
• I like dogs.
• Schools are wonderful.
• Losing weight, controlling my temper, and improving
myself are some New Year’s resolutions I am trying to
keep this year
Too narrow
• I like dogs because they bark.
• Growing up with three sisters has taught me to stand up for
myself, to share my hairdryer, and to cherish my family ties
 Poorly Written Thesis Statements
Too personal
• I think investing money in our space program is a misuse of
taxpayers' money.
Statement of fact
• Skipping breakfast is not good.
• The sun rises in the east.
Cliché
• The love of money is the root of all evil.
An announcement
• The thesis of this paper is the difficulty of solving our
environmental problems.
Example
Tobacco use, or smoking, kills nearly six million people every
year. In the Philippines alone, around 87,600 people die yearly
because of smoking-related diseases. That is 240 deaths every
day, or 10 deaths every hour. Most of these deaths come from
families in the lower classes, who can afford to buy cheap
cigarettes but cannot afford to be treated in most hospitals. As
long as cigarettes continue to be available even to the most
vulnerable in Philippine society, the number of smoking-related
deaths will only continue to rise. So, a heavier tax must be
implemented on all cigarette products so that they are not
accessible to the poorer communities in the Philippines.
Explanation
The paragraph introduces the problem through a quick
discussion of statistics on smoking-related deaths. It then
makes the connection between low cigarette prices and smoking-
related deaths in poorer communities in the Philippines. The
thesis statement, found at the end of the paragraph, then
introduces the paper’s stand: cigarette products should be
made more expensive so that less fortunate families will
have less access to them.
Paraphrasing
After identifying the thesis statement and the important details, you
will have to paraphrase them so you can integrate them into your
own work.

According to Saqueton and Uychoco (2016), paraphrasing is a

process in which a writer renders the essential ideas in a text,
which could be a sentence or a paragraph, using one’s own
words. Such a process sounds simple, but writing an effective
paraphrase entails the accurate restatement of ideas found in a
reference to suit your purpose.
 Importance of Paraphrasing

1. It is better than quoting an information from an

undistinguished passage. Be careful! Avoid
plagiarism or the act of using another person’s words
or ideas without giving credit to that person.
2. It helps you control the temptation to quote too much.
An academic text with too much quotations looks
untidy.
3. It helps you grasp the full meaning of the original text.
 Steps in Paraphrasing (Wyson, 2016)

1. Repeatedly read the passage to be paraphrased until you

have completely understood what it says. Doing so will help
you arrive at an accurate understanding of the text at hand and
prevent yourself from misquoting a passage.
2. Do not look at the passage while you are writing your
paraphrase. Doing so might influence your choice of words in your
paraphrase. If it does, then your paraphrase may bear a lot of
resemblance with the original passage, and this constitutes
plagiarism or using another person’s idea without proper attribution
Compare and Contrast
Original Text
“In order to communicate effectively with other people, one must have a
reasonably accurate idea of what they do and do not now that is pertinent to the
communication” (Nickerson, 1999)
Paraphrase A:
For effective communication, it Paraphrase B:
is necessary to have a fairly Nickerson (1999) suggests
accurate idea of what our that effective communication
listeners know and do not know depends on a generally
that is pertinent to the accurate knowledge of what
communication (Nickerson, the audience knows.
1999).
Compare and Contrast
Paraphrase A: Paraphrase B:
For effective communication, it Nickerson (1999) suggests
is necessary to have a fairly that effective communication
accurate idea of what our depends on a generally
listeners know and do not know accurate knowledge of what
that is pertinent to the the audience knows.
communication (Nickerson,
1999).

Do the paraphrased versions present only the author’s idea?

Yes, both paraphrases present only the author’s idea. Remember, when you
are paraphrasing you must avoid writing your opinion or view regarding the
ideas presented by the author in the original text. You must only write what
you understood, and make sure that the idea of the original text will still be
present in the paraphrased version.
Compare and Contrast
Paraphrase A: Paraphrase B:
For effective communication, it Nickerson (1999) suggests
is necessary to have a fairly that effective communication
accurate idea of what our depends on a generally
listeners know and do not know accurate knowledge of what
that is pertinent to the the audience knows.
communication (Nickerson,
1999).

Are the paraphrased versions properly cited?

Yes, they are properly cited. Do not forget to mention the source of the text.
Remember, you do not own the text. You only paraphrased it
Compare and Contrast
Original Text
“In order to communicate effectively with other people, one must have a
reasonably accurate idea of what they do and do not now that is pertinent to the
communication” (Nickerson, 1999)
Paraphrase A: Paraphrase B:
For effective communication, it Nickerson (1999) suggests
is necessary to have a fairly that effective communication
accurate idea of what our depends on a generally
listeners know and do not know accurate knowledge of what
that is pertinent to the the audience knows.
communication (Nickerson,
1999).
Which paraphrase stated the original text using new words and new structure?
Compare and Contrast
Original Text
“In order to communicate effectively with other people, one must have a
reasonably accurate idea of what they do and do not now that is pertinent to the
communication” (Nickerson, 1999)
Paraphrase A: Paraphrase B:
For effective communication, it Nickerson (1999) suggests
is necessary to have a fairly that effective communication
accurate idea of what our depends on a generally
listeners know and do not know accurate knowledge of what
that is pertinent to the the audience knows.
communication (Nickerson,
1999).
Which paraphrase stated the original text using new words and new structure?
You can observe that in paraphrase A, Hence, the better paraphrase is
some words and phrases were merely Paraphrase B. ( An Original )
copied and the structure is the same.
 OUTLINING
Outline is the blueprint of the text. Here, you can see the structure of the text as
well as the most essential details. It can either be topic outline or sentence
outline.
Which of the two sample outlines is topic outline? What about sentence outline?
What is the difference between the two?
SUMMARIZING
When summarizing, do the following:

a. Identify the thesis statement of the text;

b. Identify the most important details;
c. Paraphrase the important details;
d. Omit excess details;
e. Combine all important details in one paragraph;
f. Establish connection of ideas by using transitional words;
g. Use declarative sentences (Questions are not allowed!);
h. Use third person point-of-view; and
i. Be objective (Do not write your opinion about the subject.)
 SUMMARIZING
ACADEMIC TEXTS