How to summarise

The following outlines the three stages and steps for summarising.

Before writing:

• Quickly scan the passage to identify the topic and purpose.
• Read the passage carefully to understand the content. Try to infer the meaning of any unknown words and phrases.
• Re-read the passage and note down the topic sentences and key words on your erasable noteboard.

While writing:

• Stick to the topic and purpose of the text. Keep the meaning and degree of certainty the same as the original writing.
• Focus on the key words and the main ideas only. Key points in the text will usually be repeated, developed and highlighted; include these in your writing.
• Write your summary without referring to the original, making sure to include all the main points. Do not include examples or supporting evidence in your summary.
• Use vocabulary that is relevant to the passage and appropriate for an academic environment. The best test responses use words from the passage appropriately and use synonyms effectively to show variety and range in language use.
• Do not add anything to the summary that was not present in the original and you should not include your opinion.

After writing

• Check the content of your summary to make sure it conveys the main ideas in the passage.
• Check that the basic structure of the sentence is correct. The best test responses are usually complex sentences that consist of a main clause and subordinate clause.
• Check punctuation and spelling. Make sure your sentence starts with a capital letter and ends with a full stop.
• Check the length of your summary. Make sure you write only one sentence that is no more than 75 words long. Check your word count after you have typed your response.