Summary

Sarah H., Writing Center tutor

Introduction:

The goal of a summary is to present a full sense of an original work but in a more condensed form. It is a restatement, in your own words, of the author’s main points, purpose, and any supporting details. The process of summarizing encourages you to interact with the text, usually an article, chapter or book, improving your understanding of the work and your potential to analyze and critique it.

You might use summary to demonstrate your comprehension of a reading to a professor or integrate it as context within a larger essay, summarizing a scene from a novel you are analyzing. Summary length will vary depending on the length of the original work and the purpose of your summary. For example, a summary essay outlining a novel might go on for pages, the summary of a chapter for an annotated bibliography will be contained to a paragraph, and a summary of an article used for an analytical essay might be just a couple of sentences. In general, it is important that your summary be no more than one-quarter the length of the original and that you paraphrase the author’s ideas.

Process for Writing a Summary:

Read

Start out by reading the original. For now, read only for comprehension and do not take any notes.
When you’ve read through the original once, jot down a sentence summarizing the author’s main point. Then find the thesis (usually a sentence or paragraph near the beginning of the work that summarizes its intent or argument) and compare it to your sentence. If the two do not correspond, adjust your sentence or reconsider the thesis you selected.

Underline

Now read the original again, this time with a pencil in hand to underline main points and important details. Especially if it is a shorter piece, like a chapter or article, you might end up reading it three, four or even five times. Read it until you feel confident in your understanding, like you could explain what you read to a friend in clear, jargon-free language.
Note the main point of each paragraph.
Next, group related paragraphs or sections together (here’s where your notes on each paragraph’s main point will come in handy).
Then summarize in a sentence or two the main idea of each group of related paragraphs.

Write

Be sure to include all bibliographic or citation information in your introduction (the title and author of the article or book and, if applicable, the name and date of the journal, magazine or newspaper).
After you introduce the piece, insert the summary thesis you composed earlier. Next, you can add the sentences you wrote summarizing groups of related paragraphs, keeping them in the order of the original.
Conclude by reflecting on the author’s purpose for writing the article and its significance.

Revise

Read over the original again to make sure you’ve covered the author’s purpose and his main points. Add in anything you might have missed.
Have someone read your draft and ask them what they believe the original was about. Their interpretation will help you determine whether you’ve been specific enough and have included enough information.
Read your summary aloud and listen to how it “flows.” Eliminate repetition and consider adding transitional words or phrases to connect the ideas to each other.
Check for spelling/grammatical errors.

Remember

Do not include your own opinions or analysis in a summary. Only paraphrase the author’s ideas.
Your summary should accurately reflect the position, tone and experience of the original.
Generally, a summary should not include quotes—only paraphrased ideas. Though you should find the author’s thesis and underline his main points for reference, be sure to compose your own original statements summarizing his ideas.

Resources:

Colorado State University provides its Writing Guide: Standard Summaries, which details a number of issues you might encounter when writing a summary.

Syracuse University offers tips on writing the Summary Essay.

University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill offers suggestions for integrating summary into the analytical essay.