How to write a summary
Summary writing
What is a summary?
A summary is the short version of a text which only presents its most important information. It only contains the facts that a possible reader needs to know in order to get a clear idea of what the original text is all about, e.g. the development of the main plot in a short story of play, the main line of argument in a non-fictional text etc.
What to do…
… before writing:
1. Read the text carefully and make sure that you understand it in every detail.
2. Read the text at least twice to find out what is important. Find the main ideas in the text and underline them. (Concentrate on basic ideas, facts and arguments. Leave out minor details, examples, statistics, anecdotes, quotations, dialogue etc.)
3. It may be useful to make a keyword outline. In some cases you will find the keywords in the text, sometimes you will have to find your own keywords.
… while writing:
4. Write your summary on the basis of these keywords. Try to express the ideas of the text in your own words and use sentence connectives.
5. Start your summary with an appropriate introduction that contains the following information
(if available): author, title, date of publication, theme, what kind of text is it?
6. Where necessary, change direct speech into reported speech.
7. Use the present tense for fictional texts.
8. Write your summary from the author's point of view. Don't use phrases like "The author mentions…", "The writer points out …" etc.
9. Do not add any new material such as your personal views, or interpretations
… after writing:
10. Check the following points:
a. Does your summary contain all the important ideas of the original text?
b. Are there still any words, details, etc. which are not essential?
c. Have you really left out your own impressions and opinions?
d. Have you connected the sentences well enough?
e. If it is a summary of a fictional text: Have you used the present tense?
f. Will a reader who does not
What is a summary?
A summary is the short version of a text which only presents its most important information. It only contains the facts that a possible reader needs to know in order to get a clear idea of what the original text is all about, e.g. the development of the main plot in a short story of play, the main line of argument in a non-fictional text etc.
What to do…
… before writing:
1. Read the text carefully and make sure that you understand it in every detail.
2. Read the text at least twice to find out what is important. Find the main ideas in the text and underline them. (Concentrate on basic ideas, facts and arguments. Leave out minor details, examples, statistics, anecdotes, quotations, dialogue etc.)
3. It may be useful to make a keyword outline. In some cases you will find the keywords in the text, sometimes you will have to find your own keywords.
… while writing:
4. Write your summary on the basis of these keywords. Try to express the ideas of the text in your own words and use sentence connectives.
5. Start your summary with an appropriate introduction that contains the following information
(if available): author, title, date of publication, theme, what kind of text is it?
6. Where necessary, change direct speech into reported speech.
7. Use the present tense for fictional texts.
8. Write your summary from the author's point of view. Don't use phrases like "The author mentions…", "The writer points out …" etc.
9. Do not add any new material such as your personal views, or interpretations
… after writing:
10. Check the following points:
a. Does your summary contain all the important ideas of the original text?
b. Are there still any words, details, etc. which are not essential?
c. Have you really left out your own impressions and opinions?
d. Have you connected the sentences well enough?
e. If it is a summary of a fictional text: Have you used the present tense?
f. Will a reader who does not