Writing a Summary

The best way to demonstrate that you understand the information and the ideas in a piece of writing is to compose an accurate and clearly written summary of that piece.  By a summary we mean a brief restatement, in your own words, of the content of a passage (a group of paragraphs, a chapter, an article, a book).  This restatement should focus on the central idea of the passage.  The briefest of all summaries (one or two sentences) will do no more than this.  A longer, more complete summary will indicate, in condensed form, the main points in the passage that support or explain the central idea.  It will reflect the order in which these points are presented and the emphasis given to them.  It may even include some important examples from the passage.  But it will not include minor details.  It will not repeat points simply for the purpose of emphasis.  And it will not contain any of your own opinions or conclusions.  A good summary, therefore, has three central qualities: brevity, completeness, and objectivity.

Every article you read will present a different challenge as you work to summarize it.  As you'll discover, saying in a few words what has taken someone else a great many can be difficult.  But like any other skill, the ability to summarize improves with practice.  Here are a few pointers to get you started.  These pointers are not meant to be ironclad rules; rather, they are designed to encourage habits of thinking that will allow you to vary your technique as the situation demands.

1.)  Read the passage carefully.  Determine its structure.  Identify the author's purpose in writing.  (This will help you distinguish between more important and less important information.)

2.)  Reread.  This time divide the passage into sections or stages of thought.  The author's use of paragraphing will often be a useful guide.  Label, on the passage itself, each section or stage of thought.  Underline key ideas and terms.

3.)  Write one-sentence summaries, on a separate sheet of paper, of each stage of thought.

4.)  Write a thesis: a one-sentence summary of the entire passage.  The thesis should express the central idea of the passage, as you have determined it from the preceding steps.  You may find it useful to keep in mind the information contained in the lead sentence or paragraph of most major newspaper stories-- the what, who, why, where, when, and how of the matter.  For persuasive passages, summarize in a sentence the author's conclusion.  For descriptive passages, indicate the subject of the description and its key feature(s).  Note: In some cases, a suitable thesis may already be in the original passage.  If so, you may want to quote it directly in your summary.

5.)  Write a first draft of your summary by (1) combining the thesis with your list of one-sentence summaries or (2) combining the thesis with one-sentence summaries plus significant details from the passage.  In either case, eliminate repetition and less important information.  Disregard minor details or generalize them (e.g., Reagan and Bush might be generalized as "recent presidents").  Use as few words as possible to convey the main ideas.

6.)  Check your summary against the original passage and make whatever adjustments are necessary for accuracy and completeness.

7.)  Revise your summary, inserting transitional words and phrases where necessary to ensure coherence.  Check for style.  Avoid a series of short, choppy sentences.  Combine sentences for a smooth, logical flow of ideas.  Check for grammatical correctness, punctuation, and spelling.

[taken from Writing and Reading Across the Curriculum, 5th ed.  Laurence Behrens and Leonard J. Rosen.  New York: HarperCollins, 1994.  pp. 3, 5-6.]