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Step by Step Method for Summary Writing*

1. Look at your annotations. Skim over any marginal notes that identify the main point of a paragraph or section. Make a list of the main points. (If you skipped annotating for any reason, you will quickly discover how difficult it is to write a summary without a thorough understanding of the reading. You’ll have to go back and reread, annotating carefully.)

2. Make a list of all the key terms. This will jog your memory about important points and give you some terminology to use in our summary.

3. Draft a summary of the central idea and main points. Cover up the text so you can’t see it. Then, in your own words, write down a sentence or two that states the main idea (thesis) of the text. Once you have something written down, look back at the text and see how well you got the the author’s main idea across and if you have forgotten anything. Skim through your annotations or use your list of main points, and restate the main points in your own words. Look at your list of key terms for ideas of what else to include.

Read your summary over several times to make sure you have included all the main points, have not included details or examples, and have put the author’s ideas into your own words. Check to be sure you haven’t included your own thoughts or opinions. Add and delete as needed until you feel confident about your summary paragraph.

4. Write an introductory sentence. In your introductory sentence, mention the author’s full name and the full title of the original text with a very general statement about the purpose of the text. It might sound something like this:

In her article “The Perils and Promises of Praise,” Carol S. Dweck presents research on how to praise students appropriately to help them become motivated learners.

5. Reread and revise. Read over and revise your summary a few more times so that it reads smoothly, makes sense, and is entirely in your own words. Try reading it out loud, too, to catch any errors you might have made. Realize that everyone will summarize a reading slightly differently, though all summaries should include the same major points.

______________________ *Reproduced with slight modifications from Green and Lawlor, Read, Write, Connect, second edition, Bedford St. Martins (2016).