Writing Summaries

Writing Summaries

What is a summary?

A summary is a shortened version of an author’s text, explanation, argument or narrative. It includes all the main points of the original but does not include the details.

Why summarize?

Ø To discuss someone else’s argument or text directly
Ø To supply context for a specific point in the another’s text that you are discussing
Ø To use as expert evidence for a point you are making in your own argumentative text
Ø To present an opposing point of view that you wish to refute

(From “A Bridgewater College Writing Center Handout,”
http://www.bridgewater.edu/WritingCenter/Workshops/summariztips.html)

Summarizing a Paragraph

Steps you should follow when summarizing a paragraph:

1. Read the whole paragraph carefully
2. Say/ask yourself, “What is the paragraph talking about?”
3. Try to find key words in the first sentence and the last sentence
4. Identify the main ideas
5. Ignore unnecessary information
6. Do not add any information that was not found in the text
7. Write a summary in your own words without changing the main ideas of the paragraph

(Adopted from “Special Connection”
http://www.specialconnections.ku.edu/cgibin/cgiwrap/speccon/main.php?cat=instruction&section=main&subsection=rc/paragraph#Q5)