V A R I O U S T E C H N I Q U E S I N

SUMMARIZING
A V A R I E T Y O F A C A D E M I C T E X T S
WHAT IS SUMMARIZING?
According to Buckley (2004), in her popular writing text Fit to Print, summarizing is reducing text to one-
third or one-quarter its original size, clearly articulating the author’ s meaning, and retaining main ideas.

According to Diane Hacker (2008), in A Canadian Writer’s Reference, explains that summarizing
involves stating a work’ s thesis and main ideas “simply, briefly, and accurately”.

From dictionaries, it is defined as taking a lot of information and creating a condensed

version that covers the main points; and to express the most important facts or ideas about
something or someone in a short and clear form.
VARIOUS TECHNIQUES IN SUMMARIZING A VARIETY OF
ACADEMIC TEXTS
Read the work first to understand the author’s intent. This is a crucial step
because an incomplete reading could lead to an inaccurate summary.
Note: an inaccurate summary is plagiarism!

One of the summarization techniques you can do is to present informaton through

facts, skills and concept in visual formats. You can provide the cause and effects
charts, time lines, and Venn diagrams, templates for outlines, use flow charts or
infographics.

To avoid difficulty, you need first to know the main points and the supporting
details. You can exclude any illustrations, examples or explanations.
VARIOUS TECHNIQUES IN SUMMARIZING A VARIETY OF
ACADEMIC TEXTS
You need to analyze the text to save time in thinking what you will do.

Think what information you will put in your summary. Be sure to cover the
main points and arguments of the document.

One of the best things to do in auto summarizing is restating the words into
different one. You should avoid using the original words of the author
instead; use your own vocabulary but be sure to retain the information.

You will fully understand what the document is when you organize all
ideas.
VARIOUS TECHNIQUES IN SUMMARIZING A VARIETY OF
ACADEMIC TEXTS
One of the things you can do is to write down all information in a coherent
and precise form. Keep in mind that a summary is a condensed version of the
original papr, so avoid making it long.

You can also decide to represent information through using dimensional

constructions in representing concepts, skills, or facts.

Paraphrasing is one if the skills you cna do in writing a summary. With it, do
not use the same words with the author.
M.I.D.A.S.
T O U C H
Main idea

Identify
Use basic signal words.

supporting details

Disregard unimportant information

Analyze redundant information

Simplify and label information

EXAMPLE 1
J A P A N E S E R A I L T U N N E L
EXAMPLE 1
J A P A N E S E R A I L T U N N E L

Increase in traffic 54km

connect Islands
(Honshu & Hokkaido ) Bullet trains

Predictions and
Never used tunnel
continuing growth

The longest rail tunnel Fall in the cost of flying

Not used as much as forecasters

opened 1988
predicted
EXAMPLE 2
T H E S Y D N E Y O P E R A H O U S E
EXAMPLE 2
T H E S Y D N E Y O P E R A H O U S E
Most famous architectural Competition: the Danish
wonders of the modern world architect Jorn Utzon

Recognisable both for Five theatres, five rehearsal studios, two main halls,
its roof shells four restaurants, six bars, and several shops.

Location in Sydney Controversial: expected $7

harbour milllion / the final cost $102

Difficult weather conditions, problems with

Performing arts centre
structural design, and changes to contract.

Started in 1959 and completed Inaugurated by Queen Elizabeth 2 on

in 1973 20th October 1973
 ANOTHER 5 EASY TECHNIQUES IN
SUMMARIZING VARIOUS ACADEMIC TEXTS
Technique 1

Somebody Wanted But So Then

“Somebody Wanted But So Then” is an excellent summarizing strategy for stories.
Each word represents a key question related to the story's essential elements:

Somebody: Who is the story about?

Wanted: What does the main character want?

But: Identify a problem that the main character encountered.

So: How does the main character solve the problem?

Then: Tell how the story ends.

Here is an example of this strategy in action:

Somebody: Little Red Riding Hood

Wanted: She wanted to take cookies to her sick grandmother.

But: She encountered a wolf pretending to be her grandmother.

So: She ran away, crying for help.

Then: A woodsman heard her and saved her from the wolf.
SUMMARY
 ANOTHER 5 EASY TECHNIQUES IN
SUMMARIZING VARIOUS ACADEMIC TEXTS
Technique 2

SAAC Method
The SAAC method is another useful technique for summarizing any kind of text
(story, article, speech, etc). SAAC is an acronym for "State, Assign, Action,
Complete." Each word in the acronym refers to a specific element that should be
included in the summary.

State: name of the article, book, or story

Assign: the name of the author

Action: what the author is doing (example: tells, explains)

Complete: complete the sentence or summary with

keywords and important details
This method is particularly helpful for students who are learning the
format of a summary and need reminders to include the title and author's
name. However, SAAC does not include clear guidance about which
details to include, which some students might find tricky. If you use SAAC
with your students, remind them of the types of details that belong in a
summary before instructing them to work independently.
Here is an example of SAAC in action:

State: The Boy Who Cried Wolf

Assign: the name of the author

Action: what the author is doing (example: tells, explains)

Complete: complete the sentence or summary with

keywords and important details
Use the four SAAC cues to write out a summary of "The Boy Who Cried
Wolf" in complete sentences:

The Boy Who Cried Wolf, by Aesop (a Greek storyteller), tells what
happens when a shepherd boy repeatedly lies to the villagers about seeing
a wolf. After a while, they ignore his false cries. Then, when a wolf really
does attack, they don’t come to help him.
 ANOTHER 5 EASY TECHNIQUES IN
SUMMARIZING VARIOUS ACADEMIC TEXTS
Technique 3

5 W's, 1 H
The 5 W's, 1 H strategy relies on six crucial questions: who,
what, when, where, why, and how. These questions make it
easy to identify the main character, the important details,
and the main idea.
Who is the story about?
What did they do?
When did the action take place?
Where did the story happen?
Why did the main character do what he/she did?
How did the main character do what he/she did?
Try this technique with a familiar fable such as "The Tortoise and the Hare."

Who? The tortoise

What? He raced a quick, boastful hare and won.
When? When isn’t specified in this story, so it’s not
important in this case.
Where? An old country road
Why? The tortoise was tired of hearing the hare boast about
his speed.
How? The tortoise kept up his slow but steady pace.
 Then, use the answers to the 5 W's and 1 H to write a
summary of in complete sentences.

Tortoise got tired of listening to Hare boast about how fast he

was, so he challenged Hare to a race. Even though he was
slower than Hare, Tortoise won by keeping up his slow and
steady pace when Hare stopped to take a nap.
 ANOTHER 5 EASY TECHNIQUES IN
SUMMARIZING VARIOUS ACADEMIC TEXTS
Technique 4

First, Then, Finally

 THE "FIRST THEN FINALLY"
TECHNIQUE
helps students summarize events in chronological order. The three words
represent the beginning, main action, and conclusion of a story, respectively:

First. What happened first? Include the main character and

main event/action.
Then. What key details took place during the event/action?
Finally. What were the results of the event/action?
 THE "FIRST THEN FINALLY"
TECHNIQUE
Here is an example using "Goldilocks and the Three Bears."

First, Goldilocks entered the bears' home while they were

gone. Then, she ate their food, sat in their chairs, and slept in
their beds. Finally, she woke up to find the bears watching
her, so she jumped up and ran away.
 ANOTHER 5 EASY TECHNIQUES IN
SUMMARIZING VARIOUS ACADEMIC TEXTS
Technique 5

Give Me the Gist

When someone asks for "the gist" of a story, they want to know
what the story is about. In other words, they want a summary—
not a retelling of every detail. To introduce the gist method,
explain that summarizing is just like giving a friend the gist of a
story, and have your students tell each other about their
favorite books or movies in 15 seconds or less. You can use
the gist method as a fun, quick way to practice summarizing on
a regular basis.
 When summarizing is useful?

Summarizing is useful in many types of writing and at different

points in the writing process. Summarizing is used to support
an argument, provide context for a paper’s thesis, write
literature reviews, and annotate a bibliography. The benefit of
summarizing lies in showing the "big picture," which allows the
reader to contextualize what you are saying. In addition to the
advantages of summarizing for the reader, as a writer you gain
a better sense of where you are going with your writing, which
parts need elaboration, and whether you have comprehended
the information you have collected.