How to Write a Summary - Sir Wilfred Grenfell College

SIR WILFRED GRENFELL COLLEGE LEARNING CENTRE
How to Write a Summary
In a summary (also referred to as a précis or abstract), you reduce material in an original work to its
main points and key supporting details. The length of your summary will depend on your instructor’s expectations and
the length of the article. Most often you will be asked to write a summary of one or more paragraphs. Writing a summary
brings together a number of important reading, writing, and study skills. To condense the original matter, you must
preview, read, evaluate, organize, and perhaps outline the assigned material. Summarizing, then, can be a real aid to
understanding; you must “get inside” the material and fully realize what is being said before you can reduce is meaning to
a few words.
1. Take a few minutes to preview the book.
How to Preview a Book
You can preview or survey a book by taking a quick look at the following:
a) TITLE: the title is often the shortest summary of the content of a book. Think about the title for a minute and
how it may summarize the whole meaning of the work.
b) TABLE OF CONTENTS: the contents will tell you the number of chapters in the book and the subject of
each chapter. Use the contents to get a general sense of how the book is organized.
c) PREFACE: may give reason for why the author wrote the book, or may summarize the main ideas developed
in the book.
d) FIRST & LAST CHAPTERS: in these chapters, the author may preview or review important ideas or
themes developed in the book.
e) OTHER ITEMS: note the way the author has used headings and subheadings to organize information in the
book. Check the opening and closing paragraphs of each chapter to see if they contain introduction or summaries. Look
quickly at charts, diagrams, and pictures in the book since they are probably there to illustrate key points. Note any
special features (index, glossary, appendixes) that may appear at the end of the book.
How to Preview an Article
You can preview an article in a magazine by taking a quick look at the following:
a) TITLE: even more than with a book, the title often summarizes the article’s content. Think about the title for
a minute and how it may condense the meaning of the article.
b) SUBTITLE: a subtitle, if given, is a short summary appearing under or next to the title. For example, in a
PSYCHOLOGY TODAY article entitled “superkids”, the following caption appeared: “No one knows why some children
who grow up under horrendous conditions – in homes with abusive, psychotic, or desperately poor parents – seem to
develop into extraordinary competent human beings.” In short, the subtitle, caption, or any other words in large print or
next to the title often provide a quick insight into the meaning.
c) FIRST & LAST SEVERAL PARAGRAPHS: 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. These previews or summaries can give you a quick overview of what the entire article is about.
d) OTHER ITEMS: note any headings or subheadings 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 accompanying the article. Page space in a magazine or journal is limited, and such visual aids are
generally used when they help illustrate important points in the article. Note any words or phrases set off in italic or
boldface type; such words have probably been emphasized because they deal with important points in the article.

How to Write a Summary (cont.)
2. Read the book or article for all you can understand the first time through. Do not slow down or turn back. Check or
otherwise mark main points and key supporting details. Pay special attention to all the items noted in the preview. Also,
look for definitions, examples, and enumerations. You can also identify important points by turning headings into
questions and reading to find the answers to questions.
3. Go back and re-read more carefully the areas you have identified as most important. Also, focus on other key points
you may have missed in your first reading.
4. Take notes on material. Concentrate on getting down the main ideas and key supporting points.
5. Prepare the first draft of your summary, keeping these points in mind:
a) At the start of the summary identify the title and author of the work. Include in parentheses the place of
publication, publisher, and publication date.
b) Do not write an overly detailed summary. Remember, 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 supporting details in your own words! Do not imitate or stay too close to the
style of the original work.
d) Quote from the material only to illustrate key points.
e) Preserve the balance and proportion of the original work. If the original concentrated 40 pages on one area and
only 3 pages on another, your summary should reflect that emphasis.
f) Revise the first draft, paying attention to the principles of effective writing (unity, support, organization, and
clear, error-free sentences)
g) Write a final draft of the paper.
A model summary of a magazine article follows:
MODEL SUMMARY
In an article titled “On Magic in Medicine” (Human Nature, January 1979), Lewis Thomas describes the widespread
tendency to create easy and simplistic explanations for our most serious diseases. In the past, for example, many people
believed tuberculosis was caused by night air and insufficient sunlight. This untested theory remained widely accepted
until science identified the single proven cause of the disease: the tubercle bacillus. Today there is a popular theory to
explain cancer, heart disease, stroke, and other diseases about which science is still largely ignorant. The theory is that
people become ill because they do not live right. They do not practice such basic health habits as eating breakfast,
exercising regularly, not smoking, and not drinking to excess. In fact, however, there is no conclusive scientific evidence
that keeping fit will ward off deadly diseases or add years to one’s life. Yet, people will continue to believe in “magic”
explanations and solutions until science comes in with cold, hard facts.
This information has been compiled and/or adapted by the Learning Centre. Please Drop by AS 234 and meet the assistants.
Revised 2004