What is Summarizing?
It is the process of restating the main ideas of a text in a concise and shorter form, using your own words. It involves identifying the key points and essential information while omitting details and unnecessary information. It is another skill that enhances critical thinking.
As a reader, summarizing the text helps you to recall the key points that the author has presented in an article. When you are done annotating a text, you could write a summary to help you to remember what you have read.
As a college writer, you will often be asked to summarize an article that you have read. Once you have determined the main points through reading and annotating, you can construct a paragraph summary by introducing it, explaining the central idea, restating the main points in your own words, and ending the paragraph with a sentence that emphasizes the author’s central point.
A summary should be concise, objective, and accurate.
Key aspects of Summarizing:
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Condensing information:
Summarizing involves reducing the length of the original text while retaining its core meaning.
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Using your own words:
Summarizing requires you to rephrase the original content in your own language, avoiding direct copying.
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Focusing on main ideas:
You should identify and highlight the central themes, arguments, or key points of the original text.
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Maintaining objectivity:
A summary should accurately reflect the author’s original message and avoid including personal opinions or interpretations.
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Providing context:Summaries can be used to introduce a topic, provide background information, or offer an overview of a larger work.
Here are the basic steps to writing a summary:
Step 1: Make note of the main idea of the reading. Create a main idea statement from what you have read.
Step 2: Identify the author’s purpose for writing. Do this by asking yourself, “Why did the author write this? Did they aim to persuade, inform, instruct, or entertain the reader?
Step 3: List the key points that support the main idea. Note that it is important to maintain the order of these points.
Step 4: Write a brief, clear paragraph using your notes. Start with the main idea statement, including the title of the work and the author’s purpose. Then, write the key points that support the main idea. Finish with a concluding sentence.
Template to help you write a summary: