Wednesday, February 8, 2012


Image Source:  http://www.teachingchildrenphilosophy.org/wiki/Kids

A summary and analysis are two entirely different things. Summaries explain the plot, identify main characters, and point out information that would be obvious to any good reader. A summary simply is a recap of a piece of writing usually told to someone who has not read it. Summaries are generally easier to write and require less in depth thought than that of an analysis. The extent of thought it takes to write a summary is simply recalling what one has read. Summaries are generally brief and concise depending on how long the plot of a particular story might be.

An analysis is much the opposite. An analysis requires one to recall what they have read and then to think about what that text means logically. The logical meaning may not be agreed upon by others, but to the one giving the analysis it is understood. Using details and quotes from the text is how a writer of an analysis supports his interpretation of the text.  At the heart of an analysis is an opinion or a reader's own unique interpretation of a reading. The one giving an analysis might identify many of the main parts of a text just as in a summary, but instead an interpretation of what those main parts mean is described. A better thinker is required to properly analyze a text

Although summaries and analysis's both share similar characteristics, they are very different. A summary is more at the basic level of comprehension where an analysis goes more in depth. Both require effort on the part of the writer but an analysis requires the greater amount of the two.

Link: http://writingcenter.unc.edu/resources/handouts-demos/writing-the-paper/summary-using-it-wisely

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