How to Write an Effective Summary
The goal of writing a summary of an article,a chapter,or a book is to offer as accurately as possible the full sense of the original,but in a more condensed form.A summary restates the author’s main point,purpose,intent,and supporting details in your own words.
Writing an effective summary requires that you pay much attention to the series of steps:Read carefully; reread,label and underline; write,revise and edit.
Read the passage carefully.
Determine its structure.Identify the author’s purpose in writing.(This will help you to distinguish between more important and less important information.) After you finish reading,write down in one sentence the point that is made about the subject.In other words,write down a thesis statement which expresses the central idea of the passage,as you have determined it from the preceding steps.
You may find it useful to keep in mind the information contained in the lead sentence or paragraph of most newspaper stories--the what,who,why,where,when,and how of the matter.For persuasive passages,summarize in a sentence the author's conclusion.For descriptive passages,indicate the subject of the description and its key features.Note:In some cases a suitable thesis may already be in the original passage.If so,you may want to quote it directly in your summary.
Reread,label and underline.
Once you clearly understand the writer’s major point (or purpose) for writing,read the article again,underline the major points supporting the thesis--- these should be words or phrases here and there rather than complete sentences.In addition,underline key transitional elements which show how parts are connected.Omit specific details,examples,description,and unnecessary explanations.Note:you may need to go through the article twice in order to pick up everything you need.
Write,revise and edit.
Now begin writing your summary.Start with a sentence naming the writer and article title and stating the essay’s main idea.Then write your summary,omitting nothing important,eliminating repetition,disregarding minor details,or generalizing them,using as few words as possible to convey the main ideas and striving for overall coherence through appropriate transitions.Conclude with a final statement reflecting the significance of the article -- not from your own point of view but from the writer’s.Important note:throughout the summary,do not insert your own opinions or thoughts; instead summarize what the writer has to say about the subject.
Revise your summary.After you've completed a draft,read your summary and check for accuracy.Ask yourself:Does your summary make the same point as the article?Have you omitted anything important?Does your summary read smoothly with all parts clearly related?Keep in mind that a summary should generally be no more than one-fourth the length of the original.If your summary is too long,cut out words rather than ideas.Then look for non-essential information and delete it.
Edit your summary.Correct grammar,spelling,and punctuation errors,looking particularly for those common in your writing.Write a clean draft and proofread for copying errors.
As you revise and edit your summary,compare it to the original and ask yourself questions such as:Have I rephrased the author’s words without changing their meaning?Have I restated the main idea and the supporting points accurately and in my own words?
If you are asked to write a critical summary or to include a critique,you may want to ask yourself questions such as:Does the author succeed?How and why or why not?What are the strengths,weaknesses?Why?What did the author do well?Not well?Why?
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