01-Feb-19

Summary writing
• A summary is a condensed version of a larger reading.

• A summary is not a rewrite of the original piece

• Summaries do not have to be long.

• …nor should they be long.

Summaries: tips for writing

• Keep your summary short.
• Use your own wording.
• Identify and explain the author’s central idea in the original piece.

• Do not put in your opinion of the issue or topic discussed in the

original piece.

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 01-Feb-19

How to write a summary

• Use your own words to briefly explain:
• the main idea
• relevant, supporting details

• Give the basic ideas and outline of the original reading.

• What was it about?
• What did the author want to communicate?
• What (or who) is the focus?

Summaries: tips while reading

• Identify the author’s thesis.
• Look for all the topic sentences and transition words.

• Use headings and sub-headings as a guide.

• List or cluster…
• the main idea of the whole piece
• the main supporting ideas, and
• the main evidence for each idea.

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Summaries: keywords and technical language

• Words that are repeated several times are likely to be keywords.

• Use of the same keywords or technical expressions is probably

unavoidable. (Ballhatchet, 2015)

• Provide an in-text citation on first use.

What makes a good summary?

Do… Do not…
Give an objective outline Offer subjective criticism

Describe the author’s main idea Include details that are

and supporting evidence that irrelevant to the main idea of the
proves it piece (digressions)

Express the sense of the original Simply rearrange words or follow

in your own words the author’s structure

(Ballhatchet, 2015)