3: Writing a Summary of Another Writer’s Argument — Read

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Learning Outcomes

Write a thorough summary of an author’s text that includes that text’s main claim, reasons, counterarguments, and limits.
Choose phrases precisely to show the role of each point summarized within the larger argument.
Identify key similarities and differences between two arguments.
Write an essay summarizing and comparing two arguments that highlights what we can learn from their key similarities and differences.

3.1: What Is a Summary?
A summary describes the purpose and reasoning of an argument in different words.
3.2: Introducing the Argument and the Main Claim
We can introduce an argument and describe its main claim with common phrases chosen to reflect the writer’s purpose.
3.3: Describing the Reasoning
A summary can use typical phrases to point out the reasons an argument gives for its main claims.
3.4: Describing How the Author Treats Counterarguments
We can choose our wording in the summary to show the argument’s attitude toward any counterarguments it mentions.
3.5: Describing How the Author Limits the Claim
The summary should reflect any limits the argument has put on its claims.
3.6: Putting the Summary Together
We can combine our descriptions of the main claim, reasons, counterarguments, and limits into a summary essay.
3.7: Writing a Short Summary of a Long Argument
Understanding the structure of the argument will help us pick what to focus on and what to leave out of the summary.
3.8: Sample Summaries
Here we provide two sample summaries with margin notes on how they are constructed.
- 3.8.1: Sample Summary- "Spread Feminism, Not Germs"
- 3.8.2: Sample Summary- "Typography and Identity"
3.9: Comparing and Contrasting Arguments
To compare two different arguments, we can start by summarizing each and then use common phrases to highlight key similarities and differences.
3.10: A Sample Compare-and-Contrast Essay
Here we provide an annotated sample compare and contrast essay.
- 3.10.1: Annotated Compare-and-Contrast Essay
3.11: Common Summary Phrases
A list of all the summary templates discussed in this chapter.

A group of people working together at an outdoor table, one writing by hand and one on a laptop. — Image courtesy of Jopwell from Pexels.com under the Pexels License.

This page titled 3: Writing a Summary of Another Writer’s Argument was last modified on Tue, 13 May 2025 22:25:47 GMT and is shared under a CC BY-NC 4.0 license and was authored, remixed, and/or curated by Anna Mills.

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Learning Outcomes