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Summary Writing Skills

The document outlines 8 steps for writing a summary: 1) Break down the text into sections, 2) Read the text straight through, 3) Re-read and underline key facts and topics, 4) Write one sentence to summarize each section, 5) Write a thesis statement that communicates the overall main idea, 6) Use the thesis as an introduction and sentences as the body, 7) Check for accuracy by re-reading the summary against the original text, 8) Revise the summary for style, grammar and punctuation.

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43 views2 pages

Summary Writing Skills

The document outlines 8 steps for writing a summary: 1) Break down the text into sections, 2) Read the text straight through, 3) Re-read and underline key facts and topics, 4) Write one sentence to summarize each section, 5) Write a thesis statement that communicates the overall main idea, 6) Use the thesis as an introduction and sentences as the body, 7) Check for accuracy by re-reading the summary against the original text, 8) Revise the summary for style, grammar and punctuation.

Uploaded by

dhiyaramprasad2306
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as DOCX, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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Summary Writing Skills

STEP 1: BREAK DOWN & DIGEST

First, skim through the text you are required to summarise and divide it into sections. Be
sure to focus on any headings and subheadings. Also, you should take note of terms in bold
and make sure you understand them before you read.

STEP 2: READ
Now that you have prepared, go ahead and read the selection. Read straight through. At
this point of time, you do not need to stop to look up anything that gives you trouble - just
get a feel for the author's tone, style, and main idea.

STEP 3: RE-READING
Rereading should be active reading. Make sure that you underline topic sentences and key
facts. Label areas that you want to refer to as you write your summary. Also, label areas that
should be avoided because the details - although they may be interesting, are too specific or
unrelated. Identify areas that you do not understand and try to clarify those points.

STEP 4: ONE SENTENCE AT A TIME


You should now have a firm grasp on the text that you will be summarising. In the previous
steps, you have divided the selection into sections and located the author's main ideas and
points. Now, write down the main idea of each section in one well-developed sentence.
Make sure that what you include in your sentences are key points, not minor details.

STEP 5: WRITE A THESIS STATEMENT [HYPOTHESIS]


This is the key to any well-written summary. Review the sentences that you wrote in STEP 4.
From the sentences, you should be able to create a thesis statement that clearly
communicates what the entire text was trying to achieve. If you find that you are unable to
do this step, then you should return to STEP 4 and make sure your sentences actually
addressed key points.

STEP 6: READY TO WRITE


At this point, your first draft is done. You can use the thesis statement as the introductory
sentence of your summary, and your other sentences can make up the body. Make sure that
they are in order. Add some transition words (for example: then, however, also, moreover)
that help with the overall structure and flow of the summary. Once you start writing, take
note of these points:
›Write in the present tense.
>Be concise: a summary should not be equal in length to the original text.
>If you must use the words of the author, cite them. Otherwise, USE YOUR OWN WORDS!
>Do not add in your own opinions, ideas, or interpretations into the summary. The purpose
of writing a summary is to accurately represent what the author wanted to say, not to
provide a critique.

STEP 7: CHECK FOR ACCURACY


Reread your summary and make sure that you have accurately represented the author's
ideas and key points. Be sure that you have correctly cited anything directly quoted from
the text. Also, check to make sure that your text does not contain your own commentary on
the selection.

STEP 8: REVISE
Once you are certain that your summary is accurate, you should (as with any piece of
writing) revise it for style, grammar, and punctuation. You should be able to understand the
main text based on your summary alone. If you do not, you may have focused too much on
one area of the piece and not enough on the author's main idea.

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