Practice writing summaries by pairing up with a classmate and finding (probably online) a newspaper or blog page with a variety of opinion-oriented articles. For instance, check out the “Opinion” page in the New York Times or the home page of Arts & Letters Daily or the Huffington Post.

Agree on one or two pieces that both of you will recap separately. Then write the paired summaries, being careful to identify the items, describe them accurately, and separate your recaps from any comments you make about the material you have read. When you are done, compare your summaries. Discuss their accuracy and make certain that neither of you has inadvertently borrowed language from the original articles.