Summary Writing

In our everyday lives we are often asked for a summary - for example, when giving the gist of a conversation or newspaper article or lecture to a friend or telling someone what a play or radio programme was about or what points it was making.

What is a summary ? - a definition

It is a restatement in shortened form of the theme and the most important points in a description, story , speech , argument , debate , letter or any other type of composition. It is rarely more than one third of the length of the original and it may be much shorter.

(When asked to give a plot summary of a short story or other narrative you are expected to summarize the most important points of the action in the Present Tense.)

Method of working

The following suggested work-scheme provides for all the necessary stages in the careful preparation of a summary. The preparation of a summary consists of the following stages:

1. reading 2. selecting the main points (e.g. in expository or argumentative texts) 3. composing the summary

4. rereading the summary

1. Reading

All methods of summary must begin in the same way - with a very careful reading of the passage under question. This must be followed by an even more careful reading of the passage and possible by a third and fourth reading, until you are sure that you understand it as fully as possible. The first reading should give you a very general impression of what the passage is about. While reading the passage again , you should follow the development of the topic more closely, noting the stages by which it progresses. Having made sure that you understand the passage as fully as possible, you should then mentally or on paper note the theme : what exactly the text is about, what the author is "putting across", what the main idea is - according to the nature of the part of the text you're confronted with.

2. Selecting the main points

a) Put the text aside and ask yourself: what does the author want to say ? Answer this question in one sentence so as to form a clear idea of the theme or subject.

b) Take each paragraph or sense unit in turn, if the text under discussion consists of more than one.

Underline or jot down the central idea of each paragraph or sense unit. Each central idea should be summed up in one sentence, which we may call the key sentence (topical sentence) of the paragraph.

Then jot down the other points which you feel are closely linked with the theme and should be included in the summary and formulate them as simply as you can in your own words. If the text contains technical terms which are indispensable you may retain them; if not, find synonymous

expressions for the "key words" and try to include a few of them in one more general term.

Arrange the main points in a skilful logical order. The material in the original text may be presented in a different order in the summary, but it is advisable to keep to the order of the original.

3. Composing the summary

A summary is a formal piece of work and its style should not be too casual or colloquial.

Notice that your work in selecting and arranging material will have been wasted if your final summary is badly written. Do not pick out sentences or bits of sentences, and merely string them together.

Usually a summary should be written in a single paragraph or few short paragraphs.

The summary should not read like a mere list of points.

Therefore combine sentences by

a) using connectives or conjunctions such as 'but', 'yet', 'however', 'therefore', 'consequently', 'accordingly', 'despite XY' etc.

b) subordinating some of the ideas to others. (Use words such as 'although', 'since', 'as', 'in order to', etc.)

Concluding advice:

- do not add comments; do not use abbreviations; do not use direct speech; stick to one tense group (Present Tense Group recommended)