SUMMARY AND SUMMARIZING

A summary is a condensed report of a text or speech. Although a summary is not the same thing as an
analysis, summarizing involves both a process of analysis and translation and constitutes an important part of
learning. To write an effective summary, you have to determine what parts of the text or speech are important
and then figure out how the parts connect or fit together. You have to ask analytical questions like !hich ideas
in this text are the most significant" !hy" #ow do these ideas fit together" !hat do the key passages in this
text mean"
Qualities of a good summary:
$rief conveys essential information concisely% no extra words
Accurate doesn&t misrepresent the author&s ideas, arguments, sentiments, findings
'omprehensive conveys all important and essential information
(eutral avoids personal opinion, belief or )udgment% seeks to be as ob)ective as possible
*ndependent makes sense to someone who hasn&t read+seen the text+source
Strategies for summarizing: Read, re-read and annotate the source text.
, *n your first reading, try to get a sense of the author&s overall idea, purpose, and structure.
, Your next reading should be slower. -ead with pen in hand, marking important points and writing notes
in the margins.
, *dentify and underline key words .prominent, frequent, or highly charged words/ that will help you
discern the writer&s main assertions.
, (ote function words that might signal how the information in the text is related .e.g., but, and, on the
other hand, in other words, etc./
Summarize each section of the source text.
, A section may consist of a single paragraph or a series of paragraphs. *n your own words, note the
primary idea or assertion being developed in each section along with important material or evidence
that supports it.
e!innin! "ith the "riter#s thesis or main $oint, draft a summar% in %our o"n "ords.
, 0se quotes sparingly .a word or two at the most/% do not include illustrative material or examples that
are not necessary to make the author&s point.
The difference between summary and paraphrase:
$oth summaries and paraphrases ask you to express another person&s ideas in your own words. *n a
summary, you reduce the material text to its essential gist% a summary generally preserves the order of the
original text, but is always much shorter. *n a paraphrase, you try to capture the entire content and flavor of the
text. $ecause your aim is to be thorough and fair, a paraphrase may actually be longer than the original.