When you feel that you have read and thoroughly understood the text, try to summarize the contents in your own words. A summary briefly captures the main ideas of a text and omits information that is less important. Try to identify the key points in the text, find the essential evidence supporting those points, and explain the contents concisely and fairly, so that a reader unfamiliar with the original can make sense of it all. Deciding what to leave out can make summarizing a tricky task—but mastering this skill can serve you well in all the reading you do in your academic, professional, and civic life. To test your understanding—and to avoid unintentional plagiarism—it’s wise to put the text aside while you write your summary. (For more information on writing a summary, see 14f.)