Summarizing

SUMMARY WRITING
Summarizing is defined as taking a lot of information and creating a condensed version that
covers the main points.
A summary is a synthesis of the key ideas of a piece of writing, restated in your own words – i.e.,
paraphrased. You may write a summary as a stand-alone assignment or as part of a longer paper.
Whenever you summarize, you must be careful not to copy the exact wording of the original
source.
Steps in Composing a Summary
The primary purpose of a summary is to "give an accurate, objective representation of what

the work says." As a general rule, "you should not include your own ideas or interpretations." -
Paul Clee and Violeta Clee
"Summarizing condenses in your own words the main points in a passage:
1. Reread the passage, jotting down a few keywords.

2. State the main point in your own words and be objective. Don't mix your reactions with
the summary.
3. Check your summary against the original, making sure that you use inverted
commas around any exact phrases that you borrow." -Randall VanderMey, et al.
"Here...is a general procedure you can use [for composing a summary]:
Step 1: Read the text for its main points.

Step 2: Reread carefully and make a descriptive.
Step 3: Write out the text's essential or main point.
Step 4: Identify the text's major divisions or chunks. Each division develops one of the stages
needed to make the whole main point.
Step 5: Try summarizing each part in one or two sentences.
Step 6: Now combine your summaries of the parts into a whole, creating a condensed version of
the text's main ideas in your own words." -(John C. Bean, Virginia Chappell, and Alice M.
Gillam, Reading Rhetorically. Pearson Education, 2004)
Characteristics of a Summary
"The purpose of a summary is to give a reader a condensed and objective account of the main
ideas and features of a text. Usually, a summary has between one and three paragraphs or 100 to
300 words, depending on the length and complexity of the original essay and the intended
purpose. Typically, a summary will do the following:
 Cite the author and title of the text. In some cases, the place of publication or the context
for the essay may also be included.
 Indicate the main ideas of the text. Accurately representing the main ide
 (while omitting the less important details) is the major goal of the summary.
 Use direct quotation of keywords, phrases, or sentences. Quote the text directly for a few
key ideas; the other important ideas (that is, express the ideas in your own words).
 Include author tags. ("According to Ehrenreich" or "as Ehrenreich explains") to remind
the reader that you are summarizing the author and the text, not giving your own ideas.
 Avoid summarizing specific examples or data unless they help illustrate the facts or main
idea of the text.
 Report the main ideas as objectively as possible. Do not include your reactions; save
them for your response. -(Stephen Reid, The Prentice Hall Guide for Writers, 2003)
A Checklist for Evaluating Summaries
"Good summaries must be fair, balanced, accurate, and complete. This checklist of questions will
help you evaluate drafts of a summary:
 Is the summary economical and precise?

 Is the summary neutral in its representation of the original author's ideas, omitting the
writer's own opinions?
 Does the summary reflect the proportionate coverage given various points in the original
text?
 Are the original author's ideas expressed in the summary writer's own words?
 Does the summary use attributive tags (such as 'Weston argues') to remind readers whose
ideas are being presented?
 Does the summary quote sparingly (usually only key ideas or phrases that cannot be said
precisely except in the original author's own words)?
 Will the summary stand alone as a complete and coherent piece of writing?
 Is the original source cited so that readers can locate it?" -John C. Bea
What Does a Good Summary Do for Readers?
 A good summary meets the information needs of specific readers. More specifically, a
good summary helps readers
 save time and trouble.
 get the gist of something without having to read the whole.
 discover the relevance of the original document.
 get an overview of the document before digesting details.
 conduct their own research efficiently and keep up on developments in their fields.
 decide on a course of action.
Guidelines for Writing Summaries
Your goal when writing a summary is to boil down the information in an original
document or your full research report to its key ingredients.
Prewrite: Work with the original document by doing the following:

1. Determine whether you need to write a descriptive, informative, or evaluative
summary.
2. Skim the document or section to understand its overall point: check headings, topic
sentences, graphics, and so on.
3. Read the document carefully to glean important points.
Identify key material:
• Skip background, examples, descriptions, and most supporting details.
• Look for essential information—conclusions, main points, claims, key facts—signaled

by
Enumerating words: first, second, third, in addition, furthermore, finally
Contrasting-points words: although, however, by contrast, not only . . . but also, on the
other hand
Significance words: basically, central, crucial, essential, fundamental, indispensable,

important, key, leading, major, principal, serious, significant, main point, conclusion,
result, problem, solution, cause, effect
Draft: After reviewing your notes and annotations, generate the summary by putting the
key points in your own words.
Opening: State the central point of the document or section.
Middle: Stitch together the supporting points in the same order as in the original.
Closing: Conclude by tying the points together.
Revise: Check your summary by reviewing the ideas, organization, and voice:
• Are all the main ideas accurately conveyed?
• Does the organization of the summary reflect the organization of the original?
• Is the voice true to the original, or have you changed it?
Edit and Proofread: Check word choice, sentence smoothness, correctness, and design:
• Are the words plain English (or a technical vocabulary that the reader understands)? If
necessary, substitute simpler words or add definitions.
• Do the sentences read smoothly? If necessary, add transitions and reword long or
awkward sentences.
• Is your summary free of grammar, punctuation, and spelling errors? Double check after
using spell check and grammar check.
• Is your summary in an easy-to-read format? Change format elements (positioning, page

layout, typography) as needed.
Informative and Descriptive Summaries
Having selected the material to include in your summary, you must then decide whether your
summary will be informative or descriptive. Informative summaries adopt the tone of the
original full text, simply presenting the information it contains in shorter form. Descriptive
summaries adopt a more distant perspective, describing the original text rather than directly
presenting the information it contains.An informative summary of the Declaration of
Independence might begin as follows:
 When people declare themselves independent of their political ties, they should give
reasons. Governments are formed to protect equality and rights, including life, liberty
and the pursuit of happiness. If government does not do this, people can change the
government.
A descriptive summary of the same passage might begin as follows:
 Jefferson opens the Declaration of Independence by stating that a country declaring

independence needs to give its reasons. He goes on to discuss the purposes of
government in protecting individual rights and the legitimacy of change if government
does not live up to its obligations.
Note that the informative summary does not mention the author or title of the piece but rather
gets right down to the content. Thus it can present more information more compactly and more
precisely. To convey the content of a source, informative summaries are preferable to
descriptive summaries. In addition, when research material is simply reported for its factual
content, as in a synthesis paper, the informative summary is used.
On the other hand, descriptive summaries give a more nearly complete picture of the structure of
the original. They also establish a certain distance between the writer of the summary and the
writer of the original piece. This sense of objectivity is useful whenever the summarized
material is to be analyzed, evaluated, or otherwise discussed. For critical or evaluative
purposes, descriptive summaries are preferable. Hence descriptive summaries should be used
in book reviews, in essays of analysis, and in other essays discussing a text.

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SUMMARY WRITING

Steps in Composing a Summary

The primary purpose of a summary is to "give an accurate, objective representation of what

"Summarizing condenses in your own words the main points in a passage:

1. Reread the passage, jotting down a few keywords.

"Here...is a general procedure you can use [for composing a summary]:

Step 1: Read the text for its main points.

A Checklist for Evaluating Summaries

 Is the summary economical and precise?

What Does a Good Summary Do for Readers?

Guidelines for Writing Summaries

Prewrite: Work with the original document by doing the following:

3. Read the document carefully to glean important points.

Identify key material:

• Skip background, examples, descriptions, and most supporting details.

• Look for essential information—conclusions, main points, claims, key facts—signaled

Enumerating words: first, second, third, in addition, furthermore, finally

Significance words: basically, central, crucial, essential, fundamental, indispensable,

Opening: State the central point of the document or section.

Closing: Conclude by tying the points together.

• Are all the main ideas accurately conveyed?

• Is the voice true to the original, or have you changed it?

• Is your summary in an easy-to-read format? Change format elements (positioning, page

Informative and Descriptive Summaries

A descriptive summary of the same passage might begin as follows:

 Jefferson opens the Declaration of Independence by stating that a country declaring

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