Have you ever recommended a book to someone and given them a brief summary? Then you’ve already generated a summary!
In this article, we will discuss how to write summaries in detail.
Summarizing is a common aspect of everyday communication. It’s easy to recount what happened on your favorite show, but what happens when the information becomes more complex?
Writing a high-quality summary might be a difficult undertaking, but it does not have to be complicated. You may write brief and effective summaries using a few easy procedures and approaches. These summaries provide the substance of the original content. In this post, we’ll look at the top three easiest ways to create summaries.
What is a summary?
A summary is a simplified version of a lengthy document. Summaries are utilized in all writing tasks, from professional documents to intimate messages.
When you write a summary, your audience does not know everything you know.
When you want them to comprehend your argument, topic, or position, you may need to explain some details to catch them up.
Instead of having them read the article, you provide them with a quick summary of what they need to know.
Opening sentence: A summary’s initial sentence often includes the author and title of the text.
The main points of the original text are: This restates the author’s primary points.
Supporting arguments: Here, you will include the arguments that support the author’s thesis or major concept.
Final point: Conclude your summary with the author’s final point.
When to write a summary
There are numerous scenarios in which you may need to summarize an article or other source:
- As a stand-alone assignment, demonstrate your understanding of the content.
- Take notes that will help you recall what you’ve read.
- A literature review provides a summary of other scholars’ work.
When writing an academic piece, such as an essay, research paper, or dissertation, you will use sources in a variety of ways. To reinforce your thesis, consider using a brief quote or paraphrasing a few phrases or paragraphs.
However, it is often useful to summarize an entire article or chapter if it is particularly important to your research.
In any instance, the purpose of summarizing is to provide your reader with comprehensive original material. Follow the five stages mentioned below to create an effective summary.
How to Write a Summary?
If someone can create a summary, they can be considered a talented writer. Follow the steps below to learn how to write a summary.
1. Read the Text and Break It Down into Sections
The first step in producing a summary is to properly read the text you want to summarize. Take your time to study the text’s primary ideas, arguments, and supporting information.
You should read the article more than once to ensure that you fully understand it. Reading in three stages can be quite beneficial.
- Scan the content to obtain an idea of its topic and overall structure.
- Read the article attentively, marking key parts and collecting notes as you go.
- Skim the article again to make sure you understand the main concepts and reread any challenging sections.
2. Identify the main points in each section.
Once you’ve divided the material into pieces, concentrate on identifying the main points inside each one. Look for the author’s key points, arguments, and any supporting evidence or examples. Pay attention to any repeating themes or motifs that appear throughout the book. Also, emphasize any key facts, data, or quotations that support the author’s views.
For example, while discussing the characters in movies or novels, focus on the main characters rather than the secondary ones. The storyline line can be written briefly; do not narrate the entire story.
3. Write the summary and check it against the article.
Now that you’ve determined the important points, you can write your summary. Begin by writing a topic sentence that concisely expresses the text’s core idea or argument. Then, using your own words make sure to include the most significant aspects and leave out any irrelevant information. Aim for clarity and conciseness in your writing, and avoid using unneeded jargon or convoluted vocabulary.
The Three Ways to Write Summary
1. Manual Summary Generation
Writing a summary manually entails carefully reading the text and summarizing the important ideas. Here’s how to do it effectively:
Read carefully: Begin by reading the material thoroughly to understand the key ideas and arguments given.
Identify key points: Highlight or make notes on the essential ideas, arguments, and supporting evidence.
Condense information: Summarize each paragraph or section in your own words, emphasizing the most significant points.
Use bullet points or outlines: Organize the summary points in a systematic manner, such as bullet points or an outline.
Avoid adding new information: Make sure your summary simply contains information from the original text and does not offer new concepts.
Review and revise: After creating the summary, review it to ensure that it accurately portrays the text’s main themes and revise it as necessary.
2. Use Online Tools for Summarization
Several online tools are available to help automate the summarizing process, making it faster and easier. These programs employ algorithms to recognize significant sentences and phrases and generate summaries. Here’s how you use them:
Choose a reliable tool: Choose a trustworthy online summarizing tool that best meets your needs. Popular solutions include SummarizeThis, Resoomer, and Summary Generator.
Input the text: Copy and paste the text you want to summarize into the designated field or upload the document file.
Adjust settings (if necessary): Some tools let you change the length or topic of the summary. Adjust the settings to your liking.
Generate a summary: To generate a summary, click the “summarize” or equivalent button.
Review and edit: Examine the generated summary to confirm its accuracy and consistency. Make any necessary changes to improve clarity or add missing information.
3. Use AI-powered summarization tools
AI-powered summarizing tools use powerful NLP algorithms to construct summaries with better accuracy. Here’s how to apply them effectively:
Choose an AI tool: Choose an AI-powered summary tool that uses cutting-edge methods like neural networks or deep learning models. Examples include OpenAI’s GPT models, Summarizer.AI, and Zoho’s AI-powered summarizer.
Provide input: Enter the text you want to summarize into the tool’s interface, either by copying and pasting or uploading the document.
Specify length or focus: Some AI solutions allow you to set the length of the summary or highlight key subjects of interest.
Generate a summary: Start the summarization process, and the AI tool will evaluate the text and create a summary based on its comprehension of the material.
Review and refine: Check the generated summary for accuracy, coherence, and relevance. Make any required refinements or changes to ensure that the summary accurately conveys the substance of the original text.
Additional Tips for Writing Summaries
Paraphrase: Rather than simply copying sentences or phrases from the original text, try to paraphrase the information in your own words. This demonstrates your understanding of the material and helps prevent plagiarism.
Focus on the Main Ideas: When writing your summary, focus on capturing the main ideas and arguments presented in the text. Avoid getting bogged down in minor details or tangential points.
Be Objective: Strive to maintain objectivity in your summary by presenting the author’s arguments and evidence without inserting your own opinions or biases.
Keep It Concise: Aim to keep your summary concise and to the point. Summaries are meant to provide a brief overview of the text, so avoid including unnecessary details or excessive commentary.
Edit and Revise: Finally, be sure to edit and revise your summary for clarity, accuracy, and coherence. Check for grammatical faults and odd language. Make revisions as needed to improve the overall quality of your summary.
Frequently Asked Questions
What point of view should you take while writing a summary?
Writing your summary in the third person is the most appropriate approach. Writing in the third person allows you to maintain a more impartial and professional tone. This viewpoint also enables you to convey information without personal bias or beliefs. This style is prevalent in official writing and summaries in a variety of contexts, such as resumes, academic papers, and corporate reports.
How do I summarize a source without plagiarizing?
To avoid plagiarism in summarizing an article or other source, observe these two rules:
- Write the summary completely in your own words, paraphrasing the author’s thoughts.
- Cite the source using an in-text citation and a full reference so that your reader can readily locate the original text.
How can you make a summary more engaging?
To make your summary more interesting, highlight the most significant and intriguing points. Make sure you use clear and simple language, provide vivid descriptions, and provide relevant instances. Structure your summary to produce an engaging narrative flow. Additionally, examine the audience’s interests and modify the summary to meet their requirements and expectations.
What exactly is the length of a summary?
A summary is always significantly shorter than the original material. A summary can be as short as a few sentences or as long as several paragraphs; it is determined by the length of the material being summarized and the aim of the summary.
What skills are required to write a summary?
Strong reading comprehension to understand key ideas, excellent paraphrasing to condense material, and the ability to select and prioritize vital elements are all required while writing a summary. Furthermore, critical thinking abilities are required to convey complicated ideas in an intelligible and accessible narrative.
