Guidelines on How to Write a Clear Summary

How Critical Reading Skills Helps with Summarization Skills

Jan 19, 2009 Dorit Sasson

How to write a clear summary depends on how well you are able to use critical reading skills.

Many college students will tell you that they struggle when it comes to summarizing a text. Since summarization skills are are needed for writing coherent research papers and critical essays, students need to be taught guidelines on how to write a clear summary during the very first few weeks of their English composition courses.

All too often, professors and instructors assume that students know how to write a clear summary. However, more professors are taking action and are providing more guidelines on how to write a clear summary as the demands of their courses become even greater.

Critical Reading Skills Helps Identify the Thesis Statement

In order to write a clear summary, students need to be taught of critical reading and redefining. When deciding on the essay's central point, consider the essay's significance as a whole and its stages of thoughts. Here are some questions to help guide you:

• What does each paragraph say?
• How is it organized?
• How does each part of the passage fit into the whole?
• What do all these points add up to?

Writing a Summary Means Using Your Own Words

This may seem logical, but too many students are dependent on the original language of the text. Remember, your own voice and writing style is unique so do not feel intimidated by experts and well-established author. They are merely expressing their opinions.

Using Critical Reading Skills Helps Put the Summary Together

Understanding how a text is structured helps with identifying the thesis statement. Knowing the thesis statement, or the author's main point, is critical for writing a clear summary. Every paragraph illuminates the thesis by providing supporting detail or explanation. Both thesis and topic sentences are general statements that are followed by supporting details. As you read, pay attention to the following:

• key words and transitional sentences
• the purpose of the author and why s/he is writing
• the purpose of the text: Is the purpose of the text to inform or entertain the reader?
• the structure of the text: Some authors explicitly state their thesis right away, right others provide supporting details leaving the thesis for the end of the text.

Use this information to guide you as you writing your first summary draft.

Writing First Summary Drafts

First summary drafts are not meant to be perfect, but they are an indication as to how well you were able to distinguish between critical and narrow reading. Critical reading helps you separate the main point from the other extraneous details.

Sometimes you won't know which details to exclude and this judgment is largely a matter of good critical reading skills. So how do you decide which details to include? It makes sense to find persuasive evidence that supports the author's assertion about a subject. The best way to start a summary is to begin with the author's thesis regardless where it appears in the original text. This ensures clarity for your reader.

Final Steps in Writing the Summary

Make sure you reread the summary to check that it matches the main ideas of the original text. Your summary should read smoothly and coherently so check to see that you've proofread your summary for mistakes in grammar, mechanics, organization and vocabulary. Hear yourself as you read your summary aloud.

Critical reading skills are important for gathering the information that is needed for developing the author's argument based on identifying the thesis statement of an essay. With good critical reading practice in place, you'll be able to easily identify a thesis statement when writing research papers for all your college subjects.

The copyright of the article Guidelines on How to Write a Clear Summary in Campus Life is owned by Dorit Sasson. Permission to republish Guidelines on How to Write a Clear Summary in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.

Writing a Summary Takes Time and Practice