Summary

A good way to master the content of a text is to summarize it: reduce it to its main points, in your own words. Some assignments call for brief summaries, as when you summarize the plot in a critical essay about a novel. Summary, however, is also an essential tool in research papers and other writing that draws on sources.

A summary should state in as few words as possible the main ideas of a passage. When you need to summarize a few paragraphs or a brief article, your summary should not exceed one-fifth the length of the original. For longer works, such as chapters of books or whole books, your summary should ne quite a bit shorter in proportion to the original. Below you can find a procedure for drafting a summary.

Steps in summarizing

  • Understand the meaning Look up words and concepts you don't know so that you understand the author's sentences and how they relate to one another.
  • Understand the organization Work through the text to identify its sections -single paragraphs or groups of paragraphs focused on a single topic. To understand how parts of a work relate to one another, try drawing a tree diagram or creating an outline. There are some nice mind mapping programmes available -have a look at the Brainstorming tools in the software section.
  • Distill each section Write a one- or two-sentence summary of each section you identify. Focus on the main points of each section, omitting examples, and other supporting evidence.
  • State the main idea Write a sentence or two capturing the author's central idea.
  • Support the main idea Write a full paragraph (or more, if needed) that begins with the central idea and supports it with the sentences that summarize sections of the work. The paragraph should concisely and accurately state the thrust of your entire work.
  • Use your own words By writing, you re-create the meaning of the work in a way that makes sense for you. 

Example

Here you can find an excerpt from a J. Gee paper on videogames.

Original text

The first step towards understanding how videogames can (and we argue, will) transform education is changing the widely shared perspective that games are "mere entertainment." More than a multi-billion dollar industry, more than a compelling toy for both children and adults, more than a route to computer literacy, video games are important because they let people participate in new worlds. They let players think, talk, and act-they let players inhabit-roles otherwise inaccessible to them. A 16 year old in Korea playing Lineage can become an international financier, trading raw materials, buying and selling goods in different parts of the virtual world, and speculating on currencies. A Deus Ex player can experience life as a government special agent, where the lines between state-sponsored violence and terrorism are called into question.

This is a textbook example of an introduction. The topic sentence comes first, stating that videogames will change education because they are more than just entertainment. As is usual in paragraphs that have the topic sentence at the beginning, the move goes from general to specific: the first part of the second sentence is already at the same time an more detailed elaboration of the topic ("it's also about industry & computer literacy"). At the end of the second sentence, new information is added: videogames let people participate in new worlds. Also note the comparative way in which Gee, in this second sentence, presents his arguments: in doing so, he not only creates a (mini-)climax, but also successfully captures his readers' attention. The theory is then illustrated with 2 examples.

Draft summary

Videogames are more than just videogames: they are profoundly changing the world we live in, affecting not only industry but also education. In games like Lineage or Deux Ex, players can enact different roles in videogames and experience new worlds.

This is not a bad attempt, albeit perhaps somewhat too long; the reference to examples is not quite necessary; there's also no mention of the impact videogames have on computer literacy.

Revised summary

Next to their huge impact on industry and computer literacy, videogames will change our educational system because they allow for role playing.

This is better: short, yet capturing the essence of the original paragraph. 

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