summary

INSTRUCTIONS FOR WRITING A SUMMARY
First, read the original passage carefully; skim through the entire piece first,
then look at each part in more detail (some parts will contain more
significant ideas than others).
Next, select main ideas rather than examples; sometimes this may require
figuring out the ideas behind the examples. Try not to mention specific
numbers or anything of an illustrative nature. You may wish to underline,
highlight, or make marginal notes on the original document before trying to
write out your summary in coherent prose.
In deciding how much of the original to include, prepare to observe the
length requirement.
Use your own words (paraphrase) rather than quoting. Edit your summary
carefully for coherence (smooth flow of ideas) and for grammar. Finally,
read back over the original passage, then read back over your summary to
ensure that to the best of your ability you have effectively reproduced the
main ideas.
Note that a good summary is free­standing, i.e. the person reading your
summary does not need to refer back to the original passage in order for
the summary to make sense.
Double check for errors in the following:
­­grammar (remember that grammatical errors can affect meaning)
­­length (note that you should not be exceeding the space available)
­­use of your own words (make sure that you do not have 3+ words in a row
from the original)
­­getting the main ideas (ensure that you do not include specific examples)