What is the purpose of a summary?
A summary presents a highly condensed account of what you have read, seen, or heard.
A summary helps you reduce a great deal of material so that both you and your reader can understand it more easily.
A summary reflects your understanding of the material.
What are the characteristics of a summary?
A summary is brief - much shorter than the original.
A summary is complete - it includes all the main points.
A summary is accurate and objective - it reflects the author's views, not yours.
If a professor wants your opinion, you are likely to be given a two-part assignment, such as "summarize and respond." You must differentiate between the two tasks by writing each in a separate paragraph.
How do you prepare to write a summary?
Read, view, or listen to the material carefully - often more than once. Understanding is critical.
Underline or circle key terms, phrases, and facts in written material. Note all the important points.
If the author makes numerous points or gives several forms of evidence, number them.
What is the format for a summary?
Write a summary in paragraph form.
The first sentence of the summary should indicate the topic, title, author's name (if available), and author's point of view.
Also recommended: mention when and where the work was published.
For example, you might begin with a statement such as the following:
In "Children of the Corn," an article in the August 28, 2000 Newsweek, Sharon Begley examines the tendency of increasing numbers of teenagers to follow a vegetarian diet which may or may not be nutritious."
The body of the summary should
State all the major points from the original and fill in just enough information to "flesh out" those points.
- In the example cited above, the article's major points included the reasons why more teenagers are becoming vegetarians, what the diet is like, why it may not be healthy, and how this trend is affecting teens and their families.
Present the most important points first. If necessary, rearrange the order of the author's main points so they make sense to a reader of your summary - especially if the material is circular or repetitive.
"Translate" the material into your own words. If an author's language is particularly significant, you may quote words or brief phrases from the material, but be sure to use quotation marks and parenthetical page citations.
"Flow" in an organized way. Make sure this flow is maintained even if you have used quotations.
Utilize transition words such as first, second, on the other hand, as a result, finally. Such words are helpful in identifying key points.
