Summarizing

Sometimes a paraphrase uses up too much space or disrupts the flow of your own ideas. Instead, you simply want to capture the main ideas of a source “in a nutshell.” A summary can save space, distilling detailed text into one or two succinct sentences in your own words. Be careful as you reduce a long passage not to distort the original meaning or emphasis.

WRITING A GOOD SUMMARY

  1. Read the original passage several times.
  2. Without looking back, recall and state its central point.
  3. Reread the original passage one more time, making sure you’ve conveyed its ideas faithfully. Revise your summary if necessary.