HOW TO WRITE A SUMMARY

HOW TO WRITE A SUMMARY (WRITTEN MEDIATION)
Writing a summary is a great way to process the information you read, whether it’s an
article or a book. If you have to write a summary, I hope these ideas can help you.
Read it completely and take notes on the major points you want to include in your
summary. When you get to writing your summary, rely on your memory first to make
sure the summary is in your own words. Then, revise it to make sure that your writing
is clear and the grammar, punctuation, and spelling are all perfect.
Part 1 – Reviewing the Piece
1. Read the piece completely. You should read it without making any kind of
marks. Instead, focus on really understanding what the author is trying to say.
This means that maybe you need to read one sentence or paragraph more than
once. You may also want to reread the whole piece. That’s fine.
2. Write down what you think the main point of the piece is. This will help you to
put the piece’s arguments in your own words. You can also ask yourself what
point or points or themes come up in all the entire piece. The title can also give
you a tip as to the main point of the piece.
3. Reread the piece, taking notes on the major points of it. Once you know for
sure what the author’s main point is, reread the piece looking for the ways they
support that point. You can find supporting material by looking for details that
refer to the title, surprises in the argument or plot, repetition or a lot of
attention to details such as descriptions of characters (if any). Write down each
time something like this occurs.
* To put something in your own words, write it down as if you were explaining
or describing it to a friend. In that case,
Part 2 – Writing the Summary in your Own Words
1. Work from memory to write the main point of each section. Without looking
at your notes, write a first draft (borrador) that includes the main point of each
section in your own words. A summary shouldn’t just repeat what the original
author said, so using your own words is very important.
2. Present the material using the author’s point of view. As you write, make sure
you’re only summarizing the original piece of writing. You shouldn’t put your
own opinions of the piece. Instead, summarize what the original author said
and retain the tone and point of view.
Part 3 – Revising your Draft into a Coherent Summary
1. Reread the draft you wrote from memory against your notes. Take your notes
out and compare them to your from-memory draft. If there’s anything
important you forgot to include, put it in your second draft.
2. Present the summary in chronological order. Don’t jump around to different
parts of the article but explain what happened in the sequence that it
happened.
3. Eliminate repetition. Sometimes in an article, the author might make the same
point many times as a way to underline their main points. In your summary,
you don’t need to do this. When you’re rereading your summary, delete any
repetitive points – even if the author makes them multiple times, you only need
to make them once.
* If you notice an author has made the same point many times, it’s a good
indicator that this is an important point, and it should definitely be in your
summary.
4. Check for grammatical and spelling errors. Once you’ve finished revising the
arguments in your draft, check the little things. Make sure there are no spelling
or grammar mistakes. Look for any additional or missing punctuation and
correct that as well.
5. Check your length. Once you’ve added anything you might have forgotten to
your summary, check how long it is. Be sure you wrote the number of words
you were asked.
6. Ask someone else to read your work. Another person may see an argument
or point in a completely different light than you have, giving you a new feel for
the work.
* They should be able to understand what happened in the article or story by
reading your summary alone.
Question
How can I start a summary?
These are some examples of the beginning of a summary:

- The text is about…
- The text describes…
- The article shows…

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HOW TO WRITE A SUMMARY (WRITTEN MEDIATION)

Part 1 – Reviewing the Piece

Part 2 – Writing the Summary in your Own Words

How can I start a summary?

These are some examples of the beginning of a summary:

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