A summary is a short statement that summarizes or informs the audience of the main ideas of a longer piece of writing. Essentially, the summary is a short version of a longer text. The size of a summary can vary based on the type of writing, but most often they are no longer than a page. Summaries can be found at the end of a piece of literature, such as on the back cover of a book. They are used to give an overview of what happens in the writing and review the main themes. This lesson will continue to explore what summary writing is, types of summaries, and examples of summaries.
What Does a Summary Look Like?
A summary should be an excerpt of writing that is written in either sentence or paragraph form, depending on the size of the main literature or type of writing. It is important to only include the main ideas, while in the case of books, not necessarily giving away the entire plot. The aim of a summary is to draw the reader's interest or to recap the important events in a work. Keeping the summary concise will give the reader the information they need the most, without any fluff.
There is a process that writers should use while drafting a summary in order for it to be most helpful to the reader. Some steps to follow include:
 |
1. Thoroughly read through the main text.
2. Identify the main ideas in the article. It may be helpful to create a list of main thoughts while writing if a summary will be required.
3. Draw from your memory to write the summary. This will help prevent plagiarism, and all will allow you to simply rephrase the main ideas in the summary. Separate your own words from the original text by creating a list of source material that was used.
4. The first sentence of the summary should be a thesis that describes what the summary will be about. Continue writing methodically, following the usual rules of creating a paragraph with good flow. Keep the summary short and unbiased,
5. Review your summary by comparing it to the main work. The two articles should have different phrasing but the same meaning. The summary should be short enough to convey only the main points, with a few supporting details at most.
What is Summary Writing? - Conventions of Summary Writing
To write a good summary, the author has a few tools and mechanics that they can follow to deliver an effective overview of the work. In the beginning of the summary, the author can contextualize the source by using language to give the source purpose within the work. The writer should establish the main point in the summary, then support that point with information from the source. Introduce the source and give a reason why that source is used within the article. For example,
In his 1963 "I Have A Dream" speech, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. articulates his vision for a world of freedom and opportunity for people of color.
The source is introduced here through the use of an author tag, a useful tool to write effective summaries as it cites the source material while describing the main idea of the source, which may be about the Civil Rights Movement in this case. The general format for an author tag is author's name + a reporting verb+ a quote (if present) or paraphrase. A reporting verb is a word that expresses a manner of speaking, such as "articulates."
Finally, the author of a summary should remember to keep the summary short and avoid using too many specific details. A summary is meant to recap the important points of a piece, not restate the entire analysis.
Why Are Summaries Written?
 |
Summaries can be written for a variety of reasons. A summary can be found at the end of a novel, the beginning or end of a news article, and even at the end of this lesson. The purpose can vary based on the written information or the writing style being used. Purposes for writing a summary include:
- A novelist has just finished their masterpiece, but they want to get the reader's attention to read it thoroughly. They create a summary to establish the main storyline while leaving out specific details to appetize the reader to explore further.
- A student is asked to describe what happened in a historical document. They read over the source material and decide that a summary is a concise way to present the information. They give the main ideas of the document to present the information to the class in an easy-to-understand manner.
- A lesson writer has just completed their research on how to write a summary. They have written a detailed lesson on the process, but need to make sure that students understand the important points. They decide to include a bulleted list of the important takeaways from the lesson to concisely explain the principal information.
Types of Summaries
Summaries are not limited to sentences, paragraphs, and bullet points at the end of an article. Some other types of summaries include:
- Abstract: A short description of what is to come, usually at the beginning of an article, before the introduction. They are very small, usually no longer than 150-200 words, and they are written in paragraph form. They prepare the reader for more detailed information and analysis and help them decide whether they want to keep reading or not.
- Epitome: Sometimes referred to as another word for abstract, an epitome gives the most important information while providing little other detail.
- Synopsis: Another form of a summary that gives the full narrative of a piece. They are typically between 500-1000 words, no longer than two pages. It is helpful to add in the emotions or reactions of people within the writing to keep the writing interesting. The synopsis is most often used in novel writing.
- Abridgment: Yet another form of abstract, abridgment condenses ideas down to simplify the style and structure of a piece of writing.
To unlock this lesson you must be a Study.com Member.
Create your account
