Summary Writing Tips
Summary writing is not a very difficult task, but it is common in all the colleges and universities. The general definition tells that it is a restatement of somebody`s ideas. For example, a book`s summary requires retelling the content of the book pointing out to the key its aspects. Indeed, there are many types of summaries, and they vary according to the subject you need to summarize. The length of this brief abstract may also be different according to the length of the source you need to summarize. However, each piece of writing requires retelling the content rephrasing and reformulating the original author`s thoughts.
A Purpose of Summarizing
Before summary writing, think about your target audience. Be sure to consider the elements that will make your paper interesting to read. Undoubtedly, summaries benefit the reader because they give a clear and concise picture of the original work and economize the reader’s time. Busy readers always try to find the effective abstract and learn about the keenest details of the big work. Your summaries should be shorter, but equally important version of the original information. Also, to make your overview interesting, do not hesitate to ask yourself – what are the key elements of the subject? What are the aspects I should concentrate on? Why my paper is worth reading? As for your benefits, summarizing enables you to understand the material properly. If you are writing a summary, you should read the book or watch the movie. You cannot write an effective piece of paper basing only on a review found on the web. Also, summarizing allows you to present some work without analyzing or criticizing it; thus, the research context is absent.
What Can Be Summarized
If you do not know how to write a summary or what to summarize, feel free to find many effective manuals available online and get some writing inspiration. The most common tasks are book, article, or movie summaries. Try to avoid overusing the quotes, however, if you consider some author’s quotation particularly interesting, feel free to insert it. Summarizing allows your reader to understand the content of the subject objectively since you do not need to insert some personal views or opinions in this brief abstract.
The General Summarizing Tips
- Read the original work attentively and carefully;
- Make some notes to highlight the main points of the original text;
- Create a simple outline of the original work, as it will help you connect your paragraphs with the logical ties;
- Do not forget to check your paper for grammar and spelling mistakes.
Summary Conventions
- If you use the author`s idea, do not hesitate to make a proper citation according to the chosen writing style;
- Do not forget about the transition words – make your piece of writing clear and coherent. Do not jump from one point to another – let the reader concentrate barely on the main aspects of the subject;
- Despite the length of your paper, feel free to use the complete sentences. Do not overuse the number of quotes. Remember that if you fail to quote some material, your work will be plagiarized.
Now you know how to write a good summary. Be sure to apply a thoughtful approach and you will achieve success!