Writing a Summary

Writing a Summary

Overview

As a college student, you may be familiar with summary writing. Professors often ask students to summarize a specific reading, a short story, a newspaper article, or a lecture. Depending on the purpose of the writing assignment, they may ask you to write a short summary including the main idea and a few supporting details or a long summary including the main idea, key concepts, and more details. In college, summary writing could be part of a standardized reading test, or it could be an integral part of your preparation for a final exam. It is, therefore, important for you to learn how to write a concise and accurate summary of the original text.

Three Important Characteristics of a Summary

If you have written a summary, you most probably know that it is difficult to restate the author’s ideas in your own words. Remember that there are three important characteristics of a well-written, objective summary.

1.     An objective summary must restate the original text accurately without altering or modifying the meaning.

2.     A good summary should only include the relevant aspects of the original text. In other words, it is unnecessary to include the main point of each and every paragraph of the source in the summary. 

3.     The summary should be written in your own words. The trick is to change the language significantly without changing the main idea and supporting details presented in the original text. Think of yourself as an objective information processor. Your task as a summary writer is to simply present the main idea of the original source in your own language. Using your own words in writing a summary is important because you demonstrate to the reader that you have understood the original text correctly. If you copy sentences verbatim from the original text, you may be accused of plagiarism, an academic crime. (See page xx for more information on plagiarism.)

Preparing to Write a Summary

It will be important for you to fully understand the original text so that you can write an accurate and objective summary. The following steps will help you write a good summary.

1. Read the original text carefully, paying attention to the main idea and the sections. This is particularly important if you are writing a summary of a long piece.
2. It is helpful to determine what type of text you are summarizing. For example, are you writing a summary of a research paper, a short story, or a newspaper article? The purpose of identifying the genre of the original text is twofold: you can easily identify important bits and pieces of information, and you can improve your reading skills.
3. Read the original text a second time, highlighting, underlining, circling (whatever helps you) important pieces of information.
4. In one sentence, write down the main point of each section. Be careful to use your own words, retaining the original idea.
5. Make a list of the details that support the main idea. You may not need to include minor details such as specific examples in your summary.
6. Follow steps 1 through 5 a second time, revising, adding, or deleting information as you deem necessary.

Acknowledging the Source

Most novice summary writers usually forget to mention the source of the original text, giving the reader the impression that they are presenting their own ideas in a summary. To avoid this grave error, make sure that you mention the original source and the main idea in the first sentence of your summary, making it explicit to the reader that you are simply restating someone else’s ideas without expressing your opinion. Keep in mind that at no point in the summary should you use the word I or express your viewpoint. Let’s look at a few examples of how a summary should begin. Notice how the source is followed by the main idea.

According to Fromkin (2007), male nurses are as qualified (main idea) . . .

In her article “Is Nursing a Noble Profession?” Smith (2006) argues that nursing is not necessarily (main idea) . . .

Seliger and Sridhar (2008) suggest that registered nurses in the US (main idea) ... Hawkins (2005) asserts/maintains/ that nursing programs in the US are not doing (main idea) . . .

Notice the use of the simple present tense (highlighted) in each of the sentences.

Using Reporting Verbs

Good summary writers use a wide range of reporting verbs when referring to the original text. This is especially important if your summary is rather long. You need to remind the reader frequently that you are simply paraphrasing an author’s ideas without expressing your opinion. Your task is to always remain objective and use reporting verbs, leaving no confusion in the reader’s mind that you are stating your own ideas in the summary.

Here are some of the frequently used reporting verbs in a summary. Use them appropriately as they serve the purpose of your summary assignment.

Frequently Used Reporting Verbs

describe                             show                              note                                demonstrate explain                               propose                         find                                 report                            suggest                              state                               discuss                            observe                             examine                             argue                             contend                           provide maintain                            point out                       assert                               develop                             recommend                       claim                             study                               emphasize

Reminding the Reader

As mentioned previously, if your task is to write a longer summary, frequently remind the reader that, as a summary writer, you are only restating ideas presented in an original source. That is to say, your goal is to make it clear to the reader that you are not expressing your own views. You may want to remind the reader at frequent intervals that you are paraphrasing an original idea by saying:

• The author goes on to say that . . .
• The author further states that . . .
• Summer states/maintains/argues that . . .
• Smalley concludes that . . .
• Johnson believes that  . . .

If you are writing a long summary, it is recommended that you mention the author’s name at least three times: at the beginning, in the middle, and at the end of your summary. 

Inserting Transition Words

When you provide additional information to the reader, be sure to use transition words. They serve as signposts, signaling to the reader that you are about to present another idea.

Some Transition Words

in addition                                              additionally                                                           also                        further                                                     furthermore                                                 moreover more importantly                                  in fact

Avoiding Plagiarism                    

The term plagiarism is derived from the Latin word plagiare, which means “to kidnap.” It is a writer’s conscious and deliberate attempt to steal someone else’s ideas and present them as her or his own. In essence, plagiarism is akin to kidnapping someone’s baby and claiming that the kidnapper is the baby’s biological parent. Since the baby is too young to dispute the claim, most people would usually believe that the kidnapper is indeed the mother or father of the baby.

Some cultures may be relatively tolerant of plagiarism, but plagiarism is considered to be a serious academic crime in North American educational institutions. The idea is based on the assumption that the original idea is the intellectual property of the author. It is also considered disrespectful and dishonest to borrow and use the works of distinguished authors without their consent and knowledge. A student found guilty of plagiarism can be expelled from a college or university and may find it difficult to pursue an academic career. It is, therefore, imperative that you always refer to the original source in a summary and avoid plagiarism.

Paraphrasing

When we paraphrase, we use our own words to express something that somebody has written or said. The purpose of paraphrasing is to make it easier for the reader to understand the original statement. Paraphrasing some of the sentences from the original source may be successful sometimes, but excessive paraphrasing in summary writing may give the reader the wrong impression that you do not quite understand the original work. Another reason you should avoid paraphrasing frequently in a summary is that the summary may be too close to the original text and you may be accused of plagiarism. If you are not comfortable or confident about your ability to paraphrase, it might be worth your while to read the original source carefully, highlight the important points, and rewrite what you have understood in your own words without referring to the original. Rewriting the main points will help you write the summary accurately and in your own words. When you write a summary of the original source, follow these steps:

1. Resist the temptation to use phrases and sentences from the original text, and always use your own words to write the summary. You may sometimes include the technical terms used in the original source.
2. Be sure to include the main idea and sufficient supporting details to make the summary clear to the reader.
3. Do not paraphrase excessively.
4. Do not lose sight of the content of the original text.
5. Use transition words to make the sentences flow smoothly. A summary without transition words can be choppy and difficult to understand.

Exercise

Read “Reducing Air Pollution” and try to determine the text-type. Then read the summaries that follow. Decide which of the summaries you like best. Write one or two sentences after each summary, explaining what you like or dislike about each. Finally, discuss each of the summaries with a partner.

Reducing Air Pollution in Urban Areas: The Role of Urban Planners

By Yasufumi Iseki

Recently, increasingly significant problems regarding energy use have emerged. Enormous amounts of pollutants are being emitted from power plants, factories, and automobiles, which are worsening the condition of the Earth. This environmental degradation is a clear result of acid rain, increased levels of carbon dioxide (CO2) in the atmosphere, and other forms of air pollution.

Acid rain and air pollution, for instance, are devastating forests, crops, and lakes over wide areas of Europe and North America. In fact, in Europe nearly 50 million hectares have been identified as damaged, representing 35% of the total forested area. In the United States, approximately 1,000 acidified and 3,000 marginally acidic lakes have been reported. Since the midcentury, CO2 levels in the atmosphere have increased by 13%, setting the stage for global warming. As atmospheric temperatures rise, grain output may significantly decrease, making it more difficult for farmers to keep pace with the growth of population. In urban areas, air pollution is taking a toll on buildings and human health.

To reduce the amount of environmental damage in cities specifically, developed countries have devised technology to control the harmful emissions. However, as these countries already have an abundance of vehicles that continues to grow in number, the efficacy of these measures is diminished. Since cars and other vehicles create more air pollution than any other human activity, the most effective means to reduce pollution is to decrease the number of vehicles. A major shift away from automobile usage in urban areas may be possible with the aid of urban planning.

Summaries

1. According to Yasufumi Iseki, air pollution can be controlled through effective urban planning.
2. In “Reducing the Air Pollution in Urban Areas: The Role of Urban Planners”, Yasufumi Iseki states that pollutants are worsening the condition of the Earth as a result of acid rain, increased levels of CO2, and other forms of pollution. In fact, 35% of the total forested area in Europe has been damaged, and in the United States, approximately 1,000 acidified lakes and 3,000 marginally acidic lakes have been reported. Since the midcentury CO2 levels have increased by 13%. Cars and other vehicles create more pollution than any other activity; thus, decreasing the number of vehicles is the most effective way to reduce pollution. This may be possible with urban planning.
3. The article, “Reducing the Air Pollution in Urban Areas” by Yasufumi Iseki claims that because cars and other vehicles are the greatest single source of air pollution, a reduction in the number of vehicles in urban areas would be an effective approach to improving the urban environment. Additionally, the author mentions that climate change has made it difficult for farmers to produce agricultural products for a growing population. Finally, Iseki suggests that reducing vehicles in urban areas could be achieved by seeking alternatives to traditional sources of public transportation.  
4. Yasufumi Iseki claims that urban planning can play a role in improving air quality in urban areas by prompting a shift away from heavy vehicle use. I do not agree with the author’s thesis and believe that this will be difficult to achieve because of the overabundance of vehicles in developed countries.

Discuss the four summaries with your classmates and find out whether they agree or disagree with your assessment.