I need a easy answer on how to do a summary/critique on a essay?

Answer 1

1. analyze the title (what does it mean?);
2. write the central idea (or argument), which is, obviously, related to the title;
3. try to understand what the author is DOING (comparing, contrasting, refuting an idea, etc.);
4. see if there are two opposing viewpoints; if so, which one does the author favor?
5. reread the conclusion: how does the author sum up what (s)he has just discussed?
6. try to come up with at least 3 key-words (these are directly related to content);
7. based on the key-words (that is, on the ideas behind them), write a critical evaluation of the author´s thesis (= central argument).
Good luck!

Answer 2

SUMMARY ASSIGNMENT

A summary is a "brief restatement, in your own words, of the content of a passage" that focuses on that passage's central ideas. The summary is an invaluable tool in writing ­ it is a method of demonstrating that you understand something before you begin to evaluate it.

The goal of a summary is to accurately identify the main ideas and arguments of the author. You should stick to the contents of the article and refrain from interjecting your own opinions.

Read the presented passage carefully. Identify its structure as well as the author's purpose in writing it.

Take the time to reread the text, dividing it into its individual stages of thought.

Compose one-sentence summaries of each separate stage of thought.

Compose a thesis, a one-sentence summary of the entire passage.

Complete the first draft of your summary by combining the thesis with the one-sentence summaries you've created.

Compare your summary to the original text, making sure you have not overlooked anything important.

Put time into revising your summary, tightening the language and reading for coherence.


CRITIQUE

Unlike the summary, a critique requires you to make some sort of evaluation.

Your critique should be properly documented, have a Works Cited page, and have a title more revealing and compelling than "Critique of Reich."

It is particularly important your critique contain the following components:

A strong thesis with quotations, an introduction and a conclusion.

An introduction identifies the passage under analysis and which provides pertinent background material. Additionally, you should state the author's primary point (his thesis) and the point(s) you intend to make about that article (your thesis).

An accurate - but succinct - summary (no more than 1/4 the length of your essay).

An analysis of the presentation which evaluates how well the argument was made.

Your response to the presentation. How do you feel about the author's views? Do you agree or disagree with some or all of the points the author is making?

Your critique should begin with its title.
Remember a critique does not have to be wholly negative or wholly positive; it is possible for your thesis to agree with a basic argument while seeing holes in the article's logic, to agree with only a part of the author's thesis, etc.