How to Write a Current Event Summary
To write a current event summary, you should first understand what a current event summary is. A current event summary is an overview or brief statement that presents the most important developments or newest information about a current topic. With this in mind, it is easy to understand why you should not just summarize events in your own words.
The Preparation Process for Writing a Current Event Summary
Identify a news article
Remember, it does not have to be an event that recently happened, but it should be a current topic. However, an event that occurred less than a week ago is more suitable for a news article than one that happened months ago.
When choosing a news article, you should pick one that is relatively short. A short article is easy to grasp, but it’s still okay if you need to read it more than once.
Read the news article
Start by reading through the entire article once or twice to get a general idea of what the essay addresses. After reading as many times as necessary, go back and highlight the critical parts of the article. This step will be easier if you have written a list of questions to answer beforehand.
Make a list of questions
For this step, you should ask yourself questions about the article. Remember that the question format is not important. However, make sure that you are prepared to answer the specific question.
A good current events summary should answer the questions who, what, where, when, why, and how. For example, if the article is about climate change, you can ask yourself these questions:
- Who are the stakeholders in climate change?
- What are some specific issues that are caused by climate change?
- Where is this happening the most?
- When did this start happening?
- Why is it important that we are concerned about climate change?
- How can we solve some of these issues that are caused by climate change?
Choose a perfect topic
Choosing the correct topic is the first step to writing an essay, including a current events essay. The topic should be of interest to you but should also be significant enough for people to want to read through.
Gather information about the event topic
The information included in a current event essay should be factual news and not your thoughts or opinions. Gathering information allows you to present a clear, well-understood argument.
As you research, remember to use a reputable news source. Try to avoid personal websites since most of them present biased personal views. Also, note the important details first since they validate your whole article.
Organize your research and writing
After carefully researching the event topic, organize the information to keep it clear and sensible.
The format for writing a current event summary varies according to the type of assignment that is given. But generally, a current event summary is one paragraph long and includes the thesis statement.
Thesis statements for current event essays
A thesis statement in a current event essay may be written in the following ways:
| • Single sentence • Two-sentences • Sentence fragment • Multiple sentences |
One sentence – A thesis statement can be one simple, concise sentence. For example, “The Cold War ended in 1989 after the Berlin Wall fell.”
Two sentences – A thesis statement that is two sentences long includes a topic sentence, followed by a second sentence that clarifies the topic sentence. For example, “The fall of the Berlin Wall symbolized the end of the Cold War. It also marked the end of communism in Eastern Europe.”
Sentence fragment – A thesis statement that is one sentence may be made up of multiple clauses. For example, “The Berlin Wall fell. As a result, the Cold War ended.”
Multiple sentences – A thesis statement made up of multiple sentences comes after a topic sentence and a transition. For example, “The Berlin Wall had been a symbol of the Cold War for more than 20 years. The fall of the Berlin wall in 1989 was significant. The conflict between the two superpowers ended after the wall fell.”
Concluding sentence – A thesis statement can be the last sentence in a current events summary. This type of thesis statement is used to wrap up the information but needs to be more specific than other types. For example, “The Cold War was a conflict between two nations with different political and economic systems, causing a tension between East and West.”
Write the summary
Writing the actual current event summary is the last step in the process of writing one. Current events summaries should create an appetite for the reader and satisfy the appetite adequately. Follow the steps below to create a top-notch current events paper summary.
| • Start by introducing the event topic and then providing details about it. Be sure to use descriptive language and avoid the overuse of adjectives. Also, stay on topic. Your introduction should contain your article’s key point. • Keep your summary focused on the event and not include any outside information that will distract the reader. • Finally, provide a conclusion that includes your thesis statement. This part can be very brief or have more detail depending on the length of the essay. |
Characteristics of a Quality Current Events Summary
A great current events essay summary should:
- Be interesting and relevant to readers of all ages.
- Have no grammatical or spelling errors. Apply your editing skills exhaustively.
- Be concise and without unnecessary details that would bore readers or confuse them.
- Include a thesis statement that clearly presents the main idea of the summary.
- Provide a brief conclusion that wraps up the information presented in the paper.
Examples of a Current Event Essay
Example 1
Here are examples of a current events essay written with all the steps outlined above:
“The Fukushima Daiichi nuclear disaster was a serious nuclear accident that occurred on March 11, 2011, in the Tohoku region of Japan. It is the largest nuclear disaster since the Chernobyl disaster in 1986.
The accident occurred following a 9.0 magnitude earthquake. Then there was an equally devastating tsunami. These events caused the failure of three nuclear reactors on the Fukushima I Nuclear Power Plant.
After being struck by these disasters, the power plant began to lose the ability to control the internal temperatures of the reactors. This led to a meltdown in three of the plant’s six nuclear reactors, causing the release of radioactive materials to the surrounding area. Radiation was released into the air and water, putting people along the coast in danger.
This disaster caused the Japanese government to rethink its plans for the future of its energy sources. Japan has currently halted all nuclear power plants that were up and running before the disaster.”
Example 2
“The fall of the Berlin Wall was a momentous event that marked the end of communism in Eastern Europe. It also contributed to the eventual demise of the Soviet Union.
For decades, the border between East and West Berlin was a symbol of the Cold War. On November 9, 1989, that symbol came down. A growing number of East Germans were fleeing to West Berlin and trying to cross the border wall that separated them from their western counterparts. Under orders from their superiors not to let anyone leave the eastern side, East German guards found themselves unable to stop the wave of refugees.
The guards, and other East German authorities caught at the wall, were hesitant to use lethal force against unarmed civilians. They opened the gates and allowed thousands of people into West Berlin. The people, celebrating their newfound freedom, dismantled the wall entirely only a few weeks later.”
Example 3
“The missing Malaysian Airlines Flight 370 has garnered much attention from the international community. The plane was a Boeing 777-200ER with 239 passengers on board when it went missing in March 2014.
This plane was last seen on radar traveling west over the South China Sea. The search has now focused on the Indian Ocean. There are still no clues as to what happened to the plane or where it might be. Investigating the passengers and crew found no evidence of a terrorist attack or foul play. This left the experts stumped on what could have caused the plane to disappear.
Experts continue their search in hopes of finding some insight into the fate of this seemingly unsinkable aircraft.”
Take Away
A high-quality current event summary is focused and relevant. This assignment requires well-researched news so that you can write a summary that represents the actual news story.
To write an informative summary, gather enough information from legit sources. Also, follow the correct format for writing an article summary. After getting all your facts right, Introduce the topic, and provide details about it using descriptive language. Finally, conclude with your thesis statement.
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