Diana Cason Bakersfield College Effective Summary Writing Diana Cason Bakersfield College

What is a summary? It’s a short but comprehensive (complete) restatement (using your own words) of an author’s key points. Being able to summarize a text shows that you understood it.

What should I include in my summary? Begin with a topic sentence that mentions the author’s name and the title as well as the overall point of the text. Include just the key points. Make sure that your summary answers the “reporter questions” (Who? What? When? Where? Why? How?). Usually each paragraph represents a key point that can be expressed in a sentence or two. Use transition phrases (first, next, also, finally, etc.) to improve organization.

What shouldn’t be included in my summary? Quoting the original text should be avoided since the purpose of a summary is to express the key points in your own words. Typically specific details like examples and statistics aren’t necessary. Your summary should only be about 25% of the length of the original text that you are summarizing. Using “I,” “we,” and “you” should also be avoided since the summary isn’t about you (the summary writer) or the person who is reading your summary. Avoid using the verbs “talks about” or “says” as in “The author talks about/says.” There are many other verbs that are more accurate, sophisticated, and appropriate for college.

What can I use instead of “talks about” or “says”? In her article, the author ___________... states explains points out reports describes discusses claims asserts contends proposes suggests indicates

What are some ways that I can start my summary? Assume that the author’s name is Maria Gomez, and the title of her article is “College Reading Skills Are Essential.” Maria Gomez states in “College Reading Skills Are Essential” that… In “College Reading Skills Are Essential,” Maria Gomez shows that… As Maria Gomez points out in “College Reading Skills Are Essential,”… The main point of Maria Gomez’s article “College Reading Skills Are Essential” is that…

How do I avoid plagiarism? Essentially… Plagiarism is copying another writer’s words or ideas. Sometimes plagiarism is unintentional, but even when the student doesn’t intend to plagiarize, he or she might still receive an F on the assignment. In addition to including the author’s name and the title, your own words should be used to restate the ideas in the text. Simply substituting one or two words is not enough. You should not be relying on the author’s sentence structure at all. Focus on the key points and express them as you would if you were trying to explain to someone else what the text is about.

Where can I see an example? Watch the video to see a summary of article demonstrated step by step.