Unit 8 Lesson 3: Summarizing

Question 1

book review

Answer 1

a critical analysis of a text that summarizes the text’s contents, analyzes its subject and themes, and evaluates the effectiveness of the author’s work

Question 2

An objective summary

Answer 2

An objective summary helps the book review writer keep track of what they want to cover.

Question 2

central idea

Answer 2

the most important idea in a text; the key point the author wants to communicate

Question 2

summary

Answer 2

a concise description of the main ideas of a work

Question 2

objective

Answer 2

dealing with facts rather than personal feelings or opinions

Question 3

1.

What benefits does a well-written summary have for the writer and reader of a book review?

Answer 3

Writing a summary helps a reviewer prioritize crucial details to include about the book under review. A well-written summary helps the reader understand the contents of the book and its main points so they will better understand the critical analysis that will be part of the book review.

Question 4

Why is it important for a summary to be written objectively?

Answer 4

The purpose of the summary is to provide the reader with a brief overview of the entire text. The purpose is not to introduce the writer’s own personal opinions about the book.

Question 5

What problems might result if a book review writer does not provide a summary in a book review?

Answer 5

With no summary whatsoever, it could be hard for a reader to understand what the book review writer is talking about or evaluating. Most people reading a book review will not have read the book itself before, so omitting a summary means that they will have difficulty understanding the critical analysis to come.