| Learn to Summarize
In this handout, we'll be looking at how to summarize.
A summary is a condensed version of a passage. Similar to
paraphrasing,
summarizing involves using your own words and writing style to express
another author's ideas. Unlike the
paraphrase, which presents important
details, the summary presents only the most important ideas of the
passage.
When do I Summarize?
Summarize a passage when you simply want to give your readers a brief
overview of a text.
How do I Summarize?
When summarizing, follow the guidelines listed below:
-
Include only the main points of the original passage
- Do not worry
about following the original order of ideas.
- Keep the length
down to no more than half the length of the original.
Writing a summary essentially takes four steps:
1. Identify the main points of the passage. In some paragraphs, the
main idea is expressed in the topic sentence, yet in others, it may
not be explicitly stated at all. Additionally, a passage may contain
one or more points that are vital to its meaning. These elements must
be mentioned in your summary. However, you will not include all the
details, as you do in a
paraphrase. Instead, only choose the most
important.
2. Organize and present these main points in a coherent way. Be careful
not to use the author's words or to follow the sentence structure
of the original passage.
3. Make sure that you are faithful to the meaning of the source and
that you have accurately represented the main ideas.
4. Cite appropriately and integrate the summary into the text effectively.
Consult the APA or MLA manual or the
Academic
Center’s Quick
Guides for information on how to cite and the Academic Center
handout “Signal
the Use of a Source” for ideas on how
to integrate summarized information.
Next, you can
view
one writer's sample summary or you can check your understanding
of this handout by
completing
some summary exercises.
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