Tips for Writing Summaries
The ability to summarize a text is one of the most difficult and most useful skills you can acquire as a student and a writer. A summary condenses information; for example, a summary of an article would be a general overview of the main ideas and arguments of the article with little if any direct quotes from the article. A summary should not include your opinion or analysis of the text; it should include only a condensed version of the text that restates the author’s points in a shorter format—in your own words (very important!) for the convenience of your readers.
Steps to Follow When Writing a Summary
- Quickly read the article through once to ascertain its general meaning, overall organization, and tone.
- Reread the article, more carefully this time, with a pen in hand to “gloss” the text.
- Write what the paragraph “does” (how it contributes to the argument’s development: for example, makes a claim, provides evidence, creates emotion, draws conclusion, etc.) in order to see the structure and to quickly find the thesis and main ideas.
- On a separate sheet of paper, use your notes to make an outline, flowchart, or diagram of the article from the main divisions or parts of the argument.
- You do not need to explain everything the author has said; find the most relevant and crucial points for readers to get an understanding of the author’s meaning and intent. Indicate the author’s main point or thesis in your outline or diagram.
- Use your list, notes, and outline to create a prose summary. Include the most important points and relevant supporting details, showing how the author makes connections
- Include the author’s full name and the title of the text in the first sentence. For example, In “Against the Grain,” David Bartholomae argues that… Refer to the author by last name in the rest of the summary.
Reviewing Your Summary for Effectiveness
Analyze the effectiveness and accuracy of your summary by responding to the following questions:
- Does the first sentence of the summary include the source information and the original author’s main point?
- List the main points of the summary. Are they the same as the main points of the original article?
- Is there any information in the summary that should have been left out, for example, something that is too detailed or is a side note rather than a main point?
- Judging by the summary, what was the original author’s thesis or main point? Do you think the summary accurately reflects the author’s main point?
- Are there places in the summary where your opinion about the subject matter is evident? Where? (Remember that summaries should be objective without your opinion or analysis of the subject matter, unless the instructor has also asked for this.)
- Wherever you have borrowed a string of three or more words from the original text, did you use quotation marks and a citation?
Howe Writing Initiative ‧ Farmer School of Business ‧ Miami University
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