Summary vs. AnalysisBy: Kayla Hume

What’s the Difference

Summary• Retelling the story using

the main points of the plot, characters, and setting.

• Not giving any opinion• Summary can benefit

analysis by giving the reader a simple background of the text

Analysis• Take the story apart into

pieces and examine what is going on.

• Use analytical thinking to explain why something is happening in the text, and argue for that.

Is it a Summary??

• Is this obvious from the text? If “yes” then it’s a summary

• Am I describing what happened not why? If “yes” it’s a summary

• Is what I wrote wrong? If “no” then you are summarizing.

• Usage of weak verbs=summary• About… If you are telling about the text it’s a

summary.

The Trouble With SummaryYou are not telling why something happened, you are simply stating what happened. We know the what now we need to know the why.

You are not using the analytical skills every person has. They are very valuable in the world and if you summarize everything you are not using them to their potential.

How to tell it’s an Analysis?

• You are not telling the reader what they already know, you are telling them why.

• You have to think about the story as a whole and connect it to an event that explains it.

• After you have analyzed to the max, you can form an argument based on the information you gathered about the text.

Analysis is Good!!!

After you learn to analyze a text then you turn it into an argument related to politics, history, or even the issues in society. You then are able to tell someone why the author wrote the text the way he/she did, and what importance it has on today's world.

Why is this useful?

• Teaches you to be a better thinker. Once you start to analyze you will never stop.

• It helps you to find meaning behind the ideas, themes, and events in a text or even movie.

• Helps develop good argumentative skills that can help all throughout life in work, family problems, and in other classes.

• Analytical skills are extremely valuable to: English & History majors, Law students, and even doctors!!

Be analytical!!!!Don’t be like an owl and only think about “Whoooooo”.

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