What Is A Summary
A summary is a concise statement or account of the main points of something, like a text or speech, usually shorter than its source material and written using your own words. A successful summary must be accurate, objective, comprehensive, and easy for anyone to comprehend –
Here are some tips on writing effective summaries:
- Read through the text carefully, identifying its main points.
- Write a brief statement that summarizes them all using your own words – making sure it is accurate, objective, and comprehensive!
- Proofread your summary carefully before submitting it.
- Find an article that needs to be summarized; note the author(s) and title; read through and highlight key points supporting its main idea;
- outline supporting details to strengthen it and submit.
- Start your summary off right by including an introduction that lists both the author(s) and title.
For instance, if you were summarizing “How to Write a Summary” by John Smith, start your summary off like this:
John Smith offers an in-depth guide on how to write an effective and concise summary. He walks readers step-by-step through his process for producing accurate summaries of texts.”
Once you’ve written an introduction sentence, outline key points that support the article’s main concept. When summarizing, be sure to use your own words rather than copy-pasting from its source text.
After summarizing an article, carefully review it to make sure that its details are accurate and concise.
How Long Should a Summary Be?
The length of a summary varies based on its purpose and original text length; as a rule of thumb, however, a one-quarter summary (ie for 1000-word texts this would be around 250 words long).
Of course, this is just an approximation; your actual summary’s length may change according to individual circumstances.
Keep these things in mind when writing a summary:
- Make sure the summary is accurate and covers the main points from the original text; use your own words instead of copying-
- pasting from its pages; make it easy for readers to comprehend;
Before submitting, be sure to carefully proofread and edit your summary.
How can I select what information should be included in my summary?
Summary are brief overviews of texts that are concise and to the point. They accurately reflect the main points of an original text by outlining its main themes, and written using the author’s own words; additionally, they should not provide critique or evaluation but instead cover its key elements.
Here are a few additional tips for writing effective summaries:
- Read the text carefully to identify its main points;
- Draft summary before revising and editing as necessary until your draft is accurate, concise, and unambiguous; proofread your summary prior to submission.
