Université de Mostaganem Abdelhamid Ibn Badis

Département de langue française

Matière :Anglais
M1 : SDL
Enseignante :Mme EMBAREK Louiza
louizaembarek6@gmail.com

How to Summarize

What is a summary ?

A summary is a shortened version of an original text , written in one’s own

words.It includes the thesis and major supporting points .
-The difference between paraphrasing and summarizing is that to paraphrase
means to express someonelse’s ideas in your own language, however, to
summarize means to dislit only the most essentiel point sof someonelse’s work.(
It mus tbe short and present the essential points.)
How long is a summary ?

It may be any lenght , from 25 % of the original to one sentence.

Step1 : Locate the topic

-The topic is a word or phrase that says what the text is about.Try to be as
specific as possible about the topic.
Step 2 :Purpose

- What is the purpose of the text :does it tell a story.( narrate) ? Inform ?
Persuade or raise the reader’s awarness of an issue ?
Step3 :What is the thesis ?

1-Look for the thesis ( what the author is saying about the topic) : Look first in
the introduction , then is the conclusion ; writers often write explicit thesis
statements.
2-Write the thesis in your own words.

Step4 : Divisions in the text :

1-Look for the major divisions of the text.In your own words summarize each
division in one sentence.
2-Make a list of all major points.

Step5 :Organizing sentences :

-Write a rough draft of the passage :Work with the sentences you have created to
produce a summary.