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Essays: Summary, Comments

Summary

Reason

There is so much information today that it is not easy to keep up to date. We therefore trust in others to summarize the most important facts for us.

Try to recall how often you summarize something, e.g. when you're telling your friends the plot of the latest movie, when you are asked to give in brief the main points of a text you've read.

Preparation

First of all, you should have read the text / watched the film (of course). Make notes of the most important facts.

Structure and Content

Introduction - Give a brief overview.
Content - Tell the main points of the plot / content in your own words.
Important Tenses
The most important tense for a summary is the simple present. Actions happening one after the other are in simple present. Note, however, that you have to use different tenses for everything happening at the same time or before.

Some summaries are written in simple past. This is the case for example when summarizing newspaper articles.

Note
Leave out unimportant details. Always check your notes and only use details in your summary that are really essential for the plot.

Examples

At www.awerty.com you'll find examples for summaries on novels. Just read a few of them and make a list of useful phrases that you may want to use in your summaries.

A commentary is not usually part of a summary.

Practice: Now we will make a summary of a movie or a novel.

Comments (Stating your Opinion)

Reason

There are many real-life situations where you have to state your opinion, e.g. a friend asks you for advice, your boss wants to hear your opinion on a business matter. In English lessons, this is also a popular way of testing your English writing skills.

Preparation

Think about the topic first. What's your opinion? What arguments can you use to support your ideas?

Structure and Content

Introduction: defining the problem
Use the introduction to get the reader's attention and interest in the topic. Define the problem you are going to discuss and provide a short overview on what you think and why.
Opinion and Reasons
Give reasons for your opinion. Concentrate on one main point per paragraph. What to write exactly, depends on the task (see below)
Conclusion
Summarize the most important arguments that best support your opinion.
Important Tenses
Simple Present

Typical Tasks

Comment (stating your own opinion)
state your opinion and give examples and arguments that support your opinion
statement - reason - example
Compare
find common and distinct features
draw conclusions
Criticize
find advantages and disadvantages
comment on somebody's opinion (usually in a negative way)
Discuss
analyze all aspects of a problem (What is ...? / Is it okay to ...?)
weighing the pros and cons
Evaluate
analyze a problem
show advantages and disadvantages
Justify
support an opinion
show advantages