What Exactly Is A Summary?

by | Last updated on January 24, 2024

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A summary is

a brief statement or restatement of main points

, especially as a conclusion to a work: a summary of a chapter. A brief is a detailed outline, by heads and subheads, of a discourse (usually legal) to be completed: a brief for an argument.

What do you write about in a summary?

A summary is a brief summarization of a larger work that

gives the reader a comprehensive understanding

. To write a summary, a writer will gather the main ideas of an article, essay, television show, or film they’ve read or watched and condense the central ideas into a brief overview.

What is a summary example?

The definition of summary is a statement presenting the main points. An example of summary is

a type of review of what happened at a meeting

. … Summary is defined as a quick or short review of what happened. An example of summary is the explanation of “Goldilocks and the Three Bears” told in under two minutes.

What does summary mean?

1 : comprehensive especially : covering the main points succinctly. 2a : done without delay or formality : quickly executed a

summary dismissal

. b : of, relating to, or using a summary proceeding a summary trial. summary. noun.

What are the basics of a summary?

A summary begins with an introductory sentence that states the text’s title, author and main point of the text as you see it. A summary is written in your own words.

A summary contains only the ideas of the original text

. Do not insert any of your own opinions, interpretations, deductions or comments into a summary.

What’s a good summary?

A good summary should

give an objective outline of the whole piece of writing

. It should answer basic questions about the original text such as “Who did what, where, and when?”, or “What is the main idea of the text?”, “What are the main supporting points?”, “What are the major pieces of evidence?”.

How many sentences are in a summary?

A summary paragraph should be

no longer than six to eight sentences

. Once you finish a draft of the summary paragraph, read it over and revise it so it is short and to the point. Remove any sentences or phrases that seem redundant or repetitive.

What is summarizing and examples?

Summarizing is defined as taking a lot of information and creating a condensed version that covers the main points. An example of summarizing is

writing a three or four-sentence description that touches upon the main points of a long book

.

Why is it important to write a summary?

Summarizing

teaches students how to discern the most important ideas in a text

, how to ignore irrelevant information, and how to integrate the central ideas in a meaningful way. Teaching students to summarize improves their memory for what is read. Summarization strategies can be used in almost every content area.

How do you write a summary example?

  1. •Only the main points have been included.
  2. •The text is shortened without losing the essence of the material.
  3. •The summary writer’s own words are used.
  4. •Technical terms do not change.
  5. •Reporting verbs are used to discuss the text (i.e. suggests, contends, argues)
  6. •An In-text citation is provided.

What is a summary in simple words?

A summary is

a brief statement or restatement of main points

, especially as a conclusion to a work: a summary of a chapter. A brief is a detailed outline, by heads and subheads, of a discourse (usually legal) to be completed: a brief for an argument.

How do you describe a summary?

Frequently Asked Questions About summary

Some common synonyms of summary are

compendious, concise, laconic, pithy, succinct, and terse

. While all these words mean “very brief in statement or expression,” summary suggests the statement of main points with no elaboration or explanation.

What are the types of summary?

  • Main Point Summary.
  • Key Points Summary.
  • Outline Summary.

What are the steps to write a summary?

  1. Find the main idea. …
  2. When you begin writing, set the article aside and work from your list. …
  3. Organize your summary. …
  4. Keep opinions to yourself. …
  5. Make your summary concise. …
  6. When you are finished drafting your summary, compare what you have written with the original.

How do you write a summary about yourself?

  1. Introduce yourself.
  2. Include the most relevant professional experience.
  3. Mention significant personal achievements or awards.
  4. Introduce personal details.
  5. Use a casual and friendly tone.

What is a summary for kids?

students write summaries. A summary is

a few sentences that tell what a story is about

. You won’t have to tell everything that happens in the story. You just tell the main things and ex- plain why they are important or what they mean.

Juan Martinez
Author
Juan Martinez
Juan Martinez is a journalism professor and experienced writer. With a passion for communication and education, Juan has taught students from all over the world. He is an expert in language and writing, and has written for various blogs and magazines.