The Writing Centre
How to write a summary
You will often need to write a summary in the course of your studies. This may be a stand-alone assignment, or it may
form part of a larger paper.
What is a summary? It is a short version of a longer text (article, book, report, novel, film etc.) that includes the overall
point of the original as well as key supporting points. There is no strict rule as to length in relation to the whole (it
depends on the concision AND THE LENGTH of the original), but the purpose is to produce something significantly
shorter for the reader while still delivering a proper understanding of the original. You might typically aim for about 15%,
meaning 1000 words is reduced to 150 words. But pay close attention to any requirements provided by your professor.
You are describing only what the author has written. You are NOT commenting on it, criticising it, evaluating it, or adding
to it. If your instructor also asks you to respond to the original, then do so. But it will usually be after your summary.
How do I prepare to write a summary?
1) Carefully read the original seeking to understand its main point (the argument they are making, or the situation
they are describing). You might ask yourself why the author was motivated to write this, what their purpose
was. This may well be alluded to in the title. Look too for all-embracing statements near the beginning and near
the end. In longer works these will typically be found near the end of the introduction, and/or in the conclusion.
2) Test your understanding by trying to explain the original text orally to a friend.
3) Then read again, labelling each paragraph with a summarising sentence in your own words. Highlight
particularly useful details. Pay attention to the author’s topic sentences as guides to meaning.
4) One job is to determine what you can miss out entirely, as less relevant to the main point, or as repetitious
(authors often make the same point more than once with different pieces of evidence to make their case more
persuasive). You are simply explaining what they said, so you don’t need to repeat it, or it may be possible to
combine those two similar elements in a single summarising sentence.
5) Your other task is to determine what level of detail you need to replicate. Do you need all the examples? Any of
them? Try to pick those that contribute best to understanding the overall point of the original. Explain them
briefly.
6) From your summarising sentences and key details construct an outline to guide your writing.
Writing up the Summary
1) Use simple present tense for MLA style papers: The author argues… Use the past simple for APA: the author
argued…
2) Open by identifying the author and title of the work you are summarising and explain the main point. For
example (APA style):
In her article “The role of laughter in business group formation,” management professor Tina
Wang (2010) showed that laughter produces a chemical change in the brain that encourages
social interaction, so encouraging laughter among team members can assist with group cohesion.
3) Use your paragraph summaries and key examples to write the summary IN YOUR OWN WORDS. Use the
author’s surname in signal phrases [Wang argued that…]. Avoid awkward repetition by sometimes using
pronouns where it remains clear who you are talking about, or use phrases like, “The author.” The following
paragraphs might each represent several dense paragraphs from the original.
Wang argued against the view that laughter’s benefits are indirect, that the brain chemistry
changes result from the social interaction rather than the other way round. She referenced a
number of studies that demonstrate that laughter is itself the source of these changes, which
occur when laughter is produced even in the absence of other people.
The author identified a range of neuro-physiological effects of laughter. Describing a key
process, she explained that endorphins are released by the mechanical process of laughing, and
added that NMR scans have shown that these chemicals activate the parts of the brain
associated with social skills.
4) Finish with a clear rounding up.
Wang concluded that the evidence from numerous studies strongly supports the view that
laughter assists social interaction, and that this physiological fact can be used by managers to
develop effective teams.
5) You may quote, but minimally. Give a page reference in your in-text citation.
Other resources
See Guidelines for writing a SUMMARY with IN-TEXT CITATIONS –Christine Bauer-Ramazini at
http://academics.smcvt.edu/cbauer-ramazani/AEP/EN104/summary.htm
Summary Writing Checklist:
https://www.bellevuecollege.edu/Artshum/materials/DevEd/Hodes/Sp06/084/Unit5Worksheet9Summary.htm
A sample non-fiction text summary: (from http://englishcompost.wordpress.com/2011/02/15/summary-paragraphexample/
The full article can be found at
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/02/18/nyregion/18semicolon.html?scp=1&sq=semicolon%20in%20unlikely%20places&st
=cse
A Summary of a Semicolon Sighting (MLA style)
Sam Roberts begins the New York Times article, “Celebrating the Semicolon in a Most Unlikely Location,” with the sighting of a
semicolon used on a city transit placard. He then explains that the semicolon is now rarely employed, and when it is, it is often used
incorrectly. But he celebrates the transit official’s grammatical correctness in this case, which gained the approval of grammar
experts such as author Lynn Truss. Roberts notes that the semi-colon does matter: incorrect usage has resulted in financial and legal
losses. Finally, he notes how the semicolon might just live on through the use of emoticons. ; )
Les Barclay/John Hill, 2016