18 Writing a Summary

At some point in a course, your instructor may ask you to write a summary of a book, an article, a TV show, or the like. In a summary (also referred to as a. précis or an abstract), you reduce material in an original work to its main points and key supporting details. Unlike an outline, however, a summary does not use symbols such as I, A, 1,2, etc., to indicate the relations among parts of the original material.

A summary may consist of a single word, a phrase, several sentences, or one or more paragraphs. The length of any summary you prepare will depend on your instructor's expectations and the length of the original work. Most often, you will be asked to write a summary consisting of one or more paragraphs.

Writing a summary brings together a number of important reading, study, and writing skills. To condense the original assigned material, you must preview, read, evaluate, organize, and perhaps outline it. Summarizing, then, can be a real aid to understanding; you must "get inside" the material and realize fully what is being said before you can reduce its meaning to a few words.

How to Summarize an Article

To write a summary of an article, follow the steps described below. If the assigned

material is a TV show or film, adapt the suggestions accordingly.

I. Take a few minutes to preview the work. You can preview an article in a magazine by taking a quick look at the following:

A. Title.

i A title often summarizes what an article is about. Think about the title for a minute, and about how it may condense the meaning of the article.

B. Subtitle.

i A subtitle, if given, is a short summary appearing under or next to the title. For example, in a Newsweek article entitled "Growing Old, Feeling Young," the following caption appeared: "Not only are Americans living longer, they are staying active longer—and their worst enemy is not nature, but the myths and prejudices about growing old." In short, the subtitle, the caption, or any other words in large print under or next to the title often provide a quick insight into the meaning of an article.

C. First and last several paragraphs.

i In the first several paragraphs, the author may introduce you to the subject and state the purpose of the article. In the last several paragraphs, the writer may present conclusions or a summary. The previews or summaries can give you a quick overview of what the entire article is about.

D. Other items.

i Note any heads or subheads that appear in the article. They often provide clues to the article's main points and give an immediate sense of what each section is about. Look carefully at any pictures, charts, or diagrams that accompany the article. Page space in a magazine or journal is limited, and such visual aids are generally used only to illustrate important points in the article. Note any words or phrases set off in italic type or bold-face print; such words have probably been emphasized because they deal with important points in the article.

II. Read the article for all you can understand the first time through.

A. Do not slow down or turn back.

B. Check or otherwise mark main points and key supporting details.

C. Pay special attention to all the items noted in the preview.

D. Also, look for definitions, examples, and enumerations (lists of items), which often indicate key ideas.

E. You can also identify important points by turning any headings into questions and reading to find the answers to the questions.

F. Go back and reread more carefully the areas you have identified as most important. Also, focus on other key points you may have missed in your first reading.

G. Take notes on the material. Concentrate on getting down the main ideas and the key supporting points.

III. Prepare the first draft of your summary, keeping these points in mind:

A. Identify at the start of the summary the title and author of the work. Include in parentheses the date of publication.

i For example, "In 'Beyond the Gender Myths' (Time, October 19, 1998), Margot Hornblower states . . ."

B. Do not write an overly detailed summary.

i Remember that the purpose of a summary is to reduce the original work to its main points and essential supporting details.

C. Express the main points and key supporting details in your own words. Do not imitate the style of the original work.

IV. Quote from the material only to illustrate key points. Also, limit your quotations. A one-paragraph summary should not contain more than one or two quoted sentences.

V. Preserve the balance and proportion of the original work. If the original devoted 70 percent of its space to one idea and only 30 percent to another, your summary should reflect that emphasis.

VI. Revise your first draft, paying attention to the principles of effective writing (unity, support, coherence, and clear, error-free sentences} explained in Part One.

VII. Write the final draft of the paper.