Jacob Hickey
English 110-H4
Professor Miller
“The Art of Summarizing” Response
In this chapter of “They Say/I Say”, the authors highlight summarizing in writing using clear examples and sentences to provide the reader with the materials needed to understand how summarizing works. At the beginning of the chapter the authors highlight relatable material on why many students fail to summarize properly explaining, “perhaps because they don’t want to take the trouble to go back to the text in question” or “because they fear that devoting too much time to other people’s ideas will take away from their own”. These statements are relatable for many people, including me as I have certainly had these fears before, nervous that I will adequately use the text correctly while not completely straying from my own ideas. The authors do admit this can be a fine line to walk because, as they add, “it means facing two ways at once”. You, as the writer must carefully craft a piece that does not stray completely away from your thoughts and arguments, but just enough so you are able to give the author’s points.
I found other points made to be extremely helpful as they write, “to write a really good summary, you must be able to suspend your own beliefs for a time and put yourself in the shoes of someone else.” I love how they word this because it is relatable to students at or around our age as they tell us, the students, that we need to think about what “they say”, which will truly provide the opposing view to make your essay well rounded. However, the authors advise the writer that although explaining what another says is important, it is critical to not stray completely from your own argument and thoughts. They provide insight into this complexing writing stating, “it also requires that your own response exert a quiet influence.”
Lastly, the authors describe how to summarize satirically to which they illustrate this as, “a writer deliberately gives his or her own spin to someone else’s argument in order to reveal a glaring shortcoming in it.” This way of summarizing is amusing, entertaining, and relevant in today’s culture with all of the various political and social differences facing the country. In using this form or any model of summarizing, the authors suggest using colorful verbs, instead of old and commonly used verbs, that will make your writing stand out. In summary, I found this chapter to be very helpful, and will use it in my writing, in any way I can in the future.
