Writing and Summary

WRITING A SUMMARY OF AN ARTICLE

WHAT IS A SUMMARY?

A summary restates the main ideas of an author in your own words. It keeps the essential information from the original passage while eliminating most supporting details, such as the examples and illustrations. A good summary makes the author's ideas clear, perhaps even clearer than in the original.

What is the difference between an abridgement, a paraphrase, and a summary?

An abridgement is a shortened form of a work that to a great extent keeps the language of the original. Although an editor has made decisions about which words or passages to delete, the article or book is presented as the work of the original author.

A paraphrase differs from an abridgement in that it is written in language different from the original. It follows the order of the original text and, unlike a summary, it recasts everything, not just the main ideas. It may be shorter than the original, but it could be longer.

A summary is generally much shorter than the original text. It includes only key ideas and omits the details. It may or may not follow