WRITING SUMMARIES

English 0750
February 2009
From Workplace
Communications
 “The term summary refers to a brief
statement of the essential content of
something heard, seen, or read. For any
kind of summary, the writer reduces a
body of material to its bare essentials.
Creating a summary is therefore an
exercise in compression.” (page 141)
 A summary is a brief restatement of the
key content of a communication. (Roy’s
summary)
Principles of Writing
Summaries
 Be brief
 Key in on main ideas

 Focus on important details

 Organize your ideas carefully

 Write clearly
Be Brief
 Summaries are shorter than the texts
they summarize
 Aim for 20-40% of the length of the
original text
 Use lists as appropriate
Key In On Main Ideas
 Identify the main points of the text
 State those main ideas clearly and early
in the summary
 Relate supporting details to the main
ideas
Focus on Important Details
 Spend your time on the most important
parts of the text
 Leave out less-important details
 Stay true to the original text—do not add
details that are not there
Organize Your Ideas
Carefully
 Follow the organization of the original
text as much as possible
 Use transitional words to indicate how
ideas are related to each other
 Use headings as appropriate
Write Clearly
 Use language your audience will easily
understand
 View the summary as a stand-alone
document
 Edit carefully to keep the reader focused
on the ideas at hand