Analysis vs Summar DLA - Mt. San Antonio College



Analysis vs. SummaryType your information in the space below.Student Name: Date: Instructor: Course:About This DLAImportant NoteAll the activities (4) in the DLA must be completed in their entirety before meeting with a tutor and receiving credit. Where indicated, complete your work on this sheet. If your instructor wants evidence of this completed DLA, return this form to him or her with the tutor’s signature included.Learning OutcomesThrough computer and other independent work, this activity will familiarize you with the differences between summary and analysis and help you write analytical papers.Activities (approximately 1 hour)Read the information, complete the activities that follow, and be prepared to discuss your answers when you meet with a tutor. IntroductionIn school and in many other areas of daily life, students are often expected to analyze parts of the world surrounding them. This means that they may be asked to analyze a situation and/or its outcome, a claim, a literary work, among many other things. Very frequently, though, students have difficulty knowing the difference between analysis and summarization, and they end up writing essays that contain a whole lot of summarization and little to no analysis. This DLA is intended to address this problem by clarifying the characteristics of summaries vs. analyses.What is summarization?A summary is a shortened, rephrased version of original source material. It provides readers with an overall understanding of the original work through a shortened version that includes just the main ideas of a passage, book, movie, etc. In short, a summary informs readers by answering more factual-type questions (such as who/what/when/where) about the original piece.What a summary doesBriefly restates information from the source by presenting only main points or key ideas Maintains a neutral/objective toneNormally uses third-person point of view (e.g., the author, they, he, she, researchers…)What a summary doesn’t doDoesn’t include your opinion or evaluationFor example, a student who attends a Writing Center workshop on sentence writing might write the following summary about the workshop: In the workshop I attended last week, the instructor taught us how to write and appropriately punctuate different types of sentences. She discussed simple, compound, complex, and compound-complex sentences and had us practice writing each of these sentence types.Notice that the student’s writing effectively represents a summary because it states only facts about the workshop (with no opinion, judgment, examination or any type of analysis).For further practice on summarization, see our “Summary Skills for Academic Writing” DLA.What is analysis?An analysis is a careful in-depth examination of a specific work, topic, or quote, among others. In general, an analysis asks that you break something into parts in order to study it. An analysis of a film, for instance, might look at the use of color or camerawork to understand the film’s meaning. An analysis of an essay might look at word choice or the examples used by the author. An analysis of fiction might look at how the story uses symbols or character descriptions to create meaning. In short, an analysis requires you to “read between the lines”/make inferences, think of how ideas relate to each other, consider the meaning and or effects of elements in the work. After carefully examining the work, you then write your thoughts or claims about the work and support them. An analysis differs from a summary in that the analysis presents your own original claims about the work you are examining. Analyses normally answer more critical questions such as why? how? so what?What an analysis doesLooks for deeper meaning (For example, you might discuss the author’s choice of words and explain how that choice changes or affects his/her text and what influence it has on readers.)Offers supported opinion and/or judgment (In other words, when you make an analytical claim, you offer details/descriptions/examples/explanations to “prove” it to the reader.Examines assumptions (For instance, when writing about an author’s argument, you can make claims about the unstated beliefs upon which he/she has built his/her argument and decide whether such assumptions are faulty/illogical or not. For example, if an author is arguing that after a certain school built a recreational area for students, the grades improved, you can discuss his [likely faulty] assumption that nothing else in the school that could have influenced the grades changed, and then you can look for evidence to support or disprove his assumption and overall claim—if that is your goal.)What an analysis doesn’t doDoesn’t just rephrase or describe information that has already been presented or that was stated by someone else (i.e., should not just summarize)Doesn’t just offer superficial interpretation of previously presented information (i.e., doesn’t just discuss what you feel it means)Doesn’t state an unsupported opinion (In other words, it doesn’t state an opinion you have without evidence from the reading to “prove” it.)For example, the previously mentioned student who attends a Writing Center workshop on sentence writing might write the following analytical sentences about the workshop: In the workshop I attended last week, the instructor used effective teaching approaches that helped students clearly understand the different ways to write sentences. Instead of simply defining the types of sentences and providing one example of each, she chose to use colorful visuals to help us see the differences between the types of sentences, and then she had us write our own sentences and share them, which gave us a chance to get feedback and better understand what she was teaching.Notice that the student’s analysis contains supported opinion/judgment (i.e., He states the workshop was helpful and explains his reasoning behind this opinion.) He examines the instructor’s approach to teaching in order to explain why the approach was effective. ExamplesTake a look at the pairs of sentences below and notice the differences between summary and analysis in each pair. Summary: The movie Titanic tells the story of the accident involving the ship, and it also tells the story of the love between Jack and Rose.Analysis: Titanic’s producer uses a love story to hook viewers and keep them engaged while revisiting one of America’s most heartbreaking tragedies.Summary: In this English class, students learn how to annotate texts, write academic essays, and think critically.Analysis: This English class leads students to become more effective learners and betters individuals by teaching them crucial tools for critical reading, writing, and thinking.Summary: In his book, he discusses current societal issues and the effects of individual biases.Analysis: His book reveals his deep concern with current societal issues, and it does an excellent job of leading the audience to question its individual biases.Summary: Walt Disney’s adaptation of Cinderella tells the story of a beautiful young girl who is good and kind, but who is treated cruelly by her stepmother and two ugly stepsisters.Analysis: Walt Disney’s adaptation of Cinderella highlights virtuosity and hard work by emphasizing the positive outcomes for someone who has such qualities.As the above examples show, summary statements tend to be more “factual” in that they simply state what took place in the original work. On the other hand, analytical statements present the students’ original claims. Does a paper ever include both summary and analysis?Absolutely!Sometimes, a brief summary can be used at the beginning of a paper to establish context that will allow the reader to better understand your analysis. Such a summary, if it is brief, can work in an introduction or as an opening body paragraph. If the summary is in a body paragraph, you can begin the paragraph with a more “factual” topic sentence like “Cao’s novel has an eventful plot.”Other times, while writing your analysis, you might present factual details that we associate with summaries within a paragraph in order to support your claims. Just make sure you don’t slip entirely into summary.More ExamplesNow take a look at the sample paragraphs below to see how summary and analysis can work in context. A sample SUMMARY of Walt Disney’s adaptation of CinderellaRead the notes below.Read the sample summary paragraph below.Factual topic sentence (introducing a summary)Details/summary of the story (NO analysis)Walt Disney’s adaptation of Cinderella tells the story of a beautiful young girl who is good and kind, but who is treated cruelly by her stepmother and two ugly stepsisters. She spends her days doing chores, and she tries to do her best. The animals love her, especially two mice named Gus and Jaq. One day the king sends out an invitation to all the young women of the kingdom to attend a ball for his son, the prince, hoping to find him a wife. Cinderella hopes to go to the ball, but her stepmother gives her a long list of chores to do. She does her chores then finds that her animal friends have made a beautiful gown out of a simple dress of her mother's. When her mean stepsisters see her in the gown, they rip off the beads and ribbons and leave Cinderella in tatters. They go to the ball, and she is left crying in the garden. Suddenly, a fairy godmother appears to Cinderella. She makes a beautiful coach out of a pumpkin and turns the mice into horses and coachmen. She also waves her wand and puts Cinderella into a fabulous gown with glass slippers. She sends her to the ball with a warning to return by midnight when the spell will be reversed. Cinderella meets Prince Charming at the ball, and he is spellbound by her beauty and grace. Hearing the clock begin to strike midnight, Cinderella runs from the prince, leaving a glass slipper behind. The next day the prince sends the grand duke throughout the kingdom with the glass slipper to find the beautiful young woman. When he arrives at Cinderella's home, her stepmother has locked her in the attic; however, her mice friends free her. Her stepmother trips the duke when he tries to put the shoe on Cinderella, causing the shoe to shatter. Cinderella produces the other shoe from her pocket and it fits perfectly. Shortly afterwards, Prince Charming and Cinderella are married and live happily ever after.Notice how the above paragraph (including its topic sentence) focuses on simply restating facts about the story (i.e., summarizing). One sign that the above paragraph is a summary is the frequent use of chronological transitions—words that signal time: one day, suddenly, the next day, afterwards. If you find yourself writing a paragraph with multiple words like these, you are probably summarizing as opposed to analyzing.Now take a look at the analytical paragraph below and notice the characteristics of an analysis.A sample ANALYSIS of Walt Disney’s adaptation of CinderellaRead the notes below.Read the sample analytical paragraph below.Student’s topic sentence (overall analytical claim/examination)The body of the paragraph mixes details/ summaries of the scene (in normal font) and the student’s analytical supporting points (in italics).Walt Disney’s adaptation of Cinderella highlights meekness, virtuosity, and hard work by emphasizing the positive outcomes for someone who has such qualities. Although Cinderella can take little action on her own, she is rewarded for her virtue and hard work by natural and supernatural forces. Cinderella is depicted as a beautiful young woman who is kind and hardworking. She is faithful to carry out her responsibilities in the limited role that she has as the servant of the house, but she is clearly trapped in a situation that she is powerless to get out of on her own. Her kindness to animals brings her the only comfort she gets throughout the story in her friendship with the mice, Gus and Jaq. Eventually, natural and supernatural forces come to the rescue of the virtuous young Cinderella. The mice work together to create a beautiful gown for Cinderella while she is occupied with completing a long list of chores, but she suffers a setback when her awful sisters tear apart her mother's dress. In this, and in many other instances, she meekly accepts their mistreatment, never objecting or rebelling. Suddenly, larger forces come into play as she weeps in the garden. Through the supernatural world, Cinderella finds her rescue. She has her very own fairy godmother who appears to her in her darkest hour. The godmother provides a magical affirmation of Cinderella's good qualities that help her to escape the human cruelty that she has experienced. When she steps into the ball, her beauty is clear for everyone to see, including Prince Charming, who completes her rescue. In the end, the natural and supernatural world combine to reward her for her qualities, and Cinderella lives happily ever after. In this and in many other Disney films, the expectations of women are clear: If they are conventionally beautiful, sweet, and obedient, they will be rewarded—and that reward will come in the form of marriage.As demonstrated in the above example, summary and analysis are intertwined within the paragraph, but the summary serves mainly to provide reference and support for the analysis as opposed to making a claim in and of itself. The analysis “frames” the above paragraph; in other words, the paragraph begins with an overall analytical claim, which helps the writer decide which details/summary to include in the paragraph to support the analytical claim(s). (Summarization in the above paragraph involves factual details from the story.)It’s important to note that the analytical topic sentence makes an overall claim as opposed to just presenting a fact or a summary. Notice that the analytical closing sentence (or conclusion) in the above paragraph revisits the overall idea of the paragraph (which is also introduced in the topic sentence).For information on how to integrate summaries in your writing, see our “Integrating Sources” DLA.ActivitiesCheck off each box once you have completed the activity.? 1. Review Analysis vs. SummaryUsing your own words, answer the following questions.What is a summary?Write Answer HereWhat is an analysis?Write Answer Here? 2. Online QuizGo to and take the Analysis versus Summary DLA Quiz. You must score at least 80% on the exercises before seeing a tutor. After you complete the task, PLEASE ASK A LAB TUTOR OR FRONT DESK ATTENDANT TO PRINT THE PAGE THAT HAS YOUR SCORE. DO NOT EXIT THE PROGRAM UNTIL THIS PAGE HAS BEEN PRINTED (FREE OF CHARGE).If you have any other questions, do not hesitate to ask a lab tutor.? 3. Identify and Create Analytical StatementsRead the paragraph below and answer the questions that follow. (1) In Diaz’s story, Papi shows some of the aspects of masculinity and the imbalance of power present in the Dominican culture. (2) Papi arrives home and the whole family is dressed, waiting for his arrival. (3) His son Yunior comments, “He didn’t say nothing to nobody, not even my mom” (306). (4) Papi holds all the power and as Yunior comments, it doesn’t seem that strange to him that Papi doesn’t even speak to his wife, illustrating that Papi believes that he is the center of the family and the family accepts this. (5) Papi also shows his dominance through the sheer volume of his voice. (6) Yunior compares his parents’ voices: “Papi’s voice was loud and argumentative; you didn’t have to be anywhere near him to catch his drift. (7) And Mami, you had to put cups to hear hers” (311). In the above paragraph, the student’s overall analytical claim (the topic sentence) is stated in:a) sentence 1b) sentence 2c) sentence 7d) none of the aboveIn supporting the analytical claim that there is an imbalance of power based on gender, what are three of the supporting points the student used in the above paragraph? Write them in your own words.Write Answer HereCreate an analytical closing sentence for the above paragraph. Look back at the topic sentence and main supporting points to help you write the closing sentence.Write Answer HereChoose 4a or 4b Below? 4a. Practice with Your Own WritingSelect three topic sentences that you have previously written for analytical papers, write them below, and answer the questions that follow.Write Answer HereDo your topic sentences present your claims (examining or evaluating), or do they merely serve to introduce a summary of the original work you were supposed to analyze? In other words, are your topic sentences setting up the paragraph to be an analysis or a summary? Write Answer HereSelect one of the paragraphs from your work—one that is meant to be analytical—and look for the characteristics of an analysis. Think of things such as whether or not the topic sentence is analytical, the analysis is well developed, and the summarization/details serve only to support the analytical claims and/or provide context for them. Discuss your thoughts with a tutor. If you do not have your own writing samples to work with, please complete the supplemental activity below (4b).? 4b. Identify Effective and Ineffective Analytical ParagraphsRead the paragraphs below and explain—on the lines that follow—whether they are effective analytical paragraphs or not and why/why not. Consider the topic sentence (is it analytical or not?) and the body of the paragraph (does it present analysis or does it focus on summarization?). Paragraph 1One Saturday, Jem and his little sister, Scout, are walking down the street with their air-rifles looking for squirrels or rabbits. Jem sees a neighborhood dog who is walking erratically down the street. The children run home to tell their housekeeper, Calpurnia, who calls their father Atticus at his law office. Atticus and the town sheriff arrive soon. The two men agree that the dog is rabid, poses a threat, and needs to be shot. The sheriff hands Atticus his rifle. Atticus says he has not fired a weapon in thirty years, but it is a difficult shot and the sheriff presses Atticus to make it. Atticus takes aim and shoots the dog almost between the eyes. Jem is surprised and tries to say something but can’t. Later he learns that his father was considered the best shot in the county in his time but had never mentioned this to his children.Effective or ineffective? Write Answer HereWhy? Write Answer HereCan the analysis be improved? If so, how? Write Answer HereParagraph 2As To Kill a Mockingbird unfolds, one theme that is developed is Jem’s journey into manhood, especially as he begins to identify with his father. In the beginning of chapter ten, both he and his sister are complaining that their father does not do anything that, as Scout puts it, “would arouse the admiration of anyone.” One Saturday morning, the need arises for a local dog to be put down as he is suffering from rabies and presents a danger to the neighborhood. Since it is a difficult shot, the sheriff urges Atticus to make it. Atticus had not used a weapon in thirty years, but he is able to dispatch the dog with a single shot. Jem is stunned by this display of skill and can hardly speak. Scout says that “Jem was paralyzed.” As he is still taking this in, Miss Maudie explains that Atticus is a civilized man and had “decided he wouldn’t shoot till he had to, and he had to today.” Their father’s decision to use force only when called for and to be humble about his talents taught Jem that being a man is more about character than “manly” skills, and he finally identifies with his father as a model. He says to his sister, “Atticus is a gentleman, just like me!” This episode illustrates that Jem is internalizing the example that his father is setting as he navigates his journey into manhood.Effective or ineffective? Write Answer HereWhy? Write Answer HereCan the analysis be improved? If so, how? Write Answer Here? 5. Review the DLAGo to and use the Mt. SAC Writing Center Appointment System to make a DLA appointment, or sign-up to see a tutor on the “DLA Walk-in” list in the Writing Center. During your session with a tutor, explain your work to demonstrate your understanding of summary versus analysis. Refer to your own graded writing (or the completed activity) and explain to the tutor the strategies that you used to improve the analysis in your writing.Sign and date in the space below.Student’s signature:Date:Tutor’s Signature:Date:If you are an individual with a disability and need a greater level of accessibility for any document in The Writing Center or on The Writing Center’s website, please contact the Mt. SAC Accessible Resource Centers for Students, access@mtsac.edu, (909) 274-4290. Revised 03/26/2019 ................
................

In order to avoid copyright disputes, this page is only a partial summary.

Google Online Preview   Download