Summarizing
What is a summary?
A summary is a condensation of an original writing. A summary relays the main points of a passage and reports what the author is really saying. A summary is not an explanation of, or a substitute for, the original. It adds no interpretation of evaluation and retains the approach and tone of the original author. It omits minor details, illustrations, quotations, anecdotes, and other inessential material. Unlike paraphrase, a summary may include some of the same wording as the original, especially in terms and definitions.
Why do writers summarize?
Writers summarize to give the reader an overview of what the original author said. A summary provides the reader with the main points of the original text. Writing summaries also helps authors avoid plagiarism.
How long is a summarized text?
A summarized text is significantly shorter than the original text. A general guide for summarizing is to have one or two sentences per paragraph of original text.
How do I summarize?
1 – Read the original two or three times or until you are sure you understand it.
2 – Determine the writer’s main ideas and organizational structure.
3 – Write a statement in your own words that digests the material.
4 – Rewrite in your own words the authors’ thesis statement and topic sentences.
5 – Read your summary and make sure you did not omit crucial points or ideas.
Guidelines for writing summaries
taken from Simon and Schuster Handbook for Writers (Troyka 1995)
1 – Identify main points.
2 – Condense the main points without losing the essence of the material.
3 – Use your own words to condense the message. If certain synonyms are
awkward, quote the words.
4 – Keep your summary short.
5 – Do not plagiarize.
6 – Write down all documentation facts so that you can document your source when you use it in your writing.