Summary writing

A summary is a condensed version of a larger reading. It does not have to be long. Your purpose in writing a summary is to give the basic ideas and relevant details of the piece you have read: What was it about and what did the author want to communicate? While reading the original work, take note of what or who is the focus and ask the usual questions that reporters use: Who? What? When? Where? Why? How? Using these questions to examine what you are reading can help you to write the summary.

Summary writing involves specific skills such as the following:

· Selection – choosing information that is relevant.

· Condensation – reducing the length of the given information while preserving the important points. This can be done by omitting unimportant details, or using single words to replace phrases or clauses.

· Reorganisation or rearrangement – taking the given information and arranging it in a different way.

· Paraphrasing or restatement – saying something in a different way, without changing the meaning.

Before writing a summary take notes - jot down the key words (phrases) that reflect the main content of the text (e.g. the main characters, some brief descriptions of them, the setting, key moments of the plot, etc.). Form sentences with the help of your key words.Connect the sentences into a text.

In the summary there should be three parts: Beginning, Middle, and End.

Beginning (Introduction). Identify the title of the book and its author. Distinguish the subject (topic) and the main idea of the chosen book, presenting only the essential highlights. Write a sentence (a thesis statement) which states the central idea (the author’s central theme) of the original text. Use it as the starting point. This sentence comprises two parts: a) the topic or general subject matter of the text, and b) the author’s major assertion, comment, or position on the topic. The thesis statement does not contain specific details discussed in the text.

Middle (Body). This part should summarise the ideas (facts) that support the central theme. Cover these ideas, show the relationships among them. Include only important specifics. Don’t include specifics, such as illustrations, descriptions, and detailed explanations. Specific statements should be combined to form general statements. Paragraphs should be organized according to the flow of the story in a consistent sequence. This part should be between two and five paragraphs long, depending on the complexity of the book.

End (Conclusion). Indicate the author’s purpose in writing: to inform, to persuade, or to entertain. If the piece is a persuasive one, report the author’s position on the issue. Do not put in your personal opinions, ideas, and inferences. Let the reader know that you are reporting the author’s ideas. Write a one-paragraph conclusion. Close the summary with key points from the previous paragraphs. Do not add new material.

Proofread the summary before submitting it. Check for grammar, spelling and punctuation errors. Meet the journalist's rule when reading through--check to see if the summary answers who, what, why, where, when and how. Double-check that the summary does not alter the significance or meaning of the story from the author's viewpoint.

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