If you are working with a long original text, create a brief outline for each paragraph in the margin of the text. Include any keywords, phrases, or points in the summary. You can then use these notes in your summary paragraph. Focus especially on the first and last 2 couple of sentences or paragraphs in the text, along with some of the keywords. These can help you figure out the main idea.
For example, if you were using The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald as the original text, you may list several themes or ideas such as “friendship,” “social status,” “wealth,” and “unrequited love. ”
List these supporting examples and briefly summarize them by noting what happens in each example. You can then refer to these examples in your summary paragraph.
For example, you may begin with, “In the novel The Great Gatsby (1925), F. Scott Fitzgerald…”. If you are writing a summary of an article, you may begin with, “According to her article, “What is intersexuality?” Nancy Kerr (2001). . . ”
For example, you may write, “In the novel The Great Gatsby (1925), F. Scott Fitzgerald presents. . . ” For an article, you may write, “According to her article, “What is intersexuality?” Nancy Kerr (2001) claims. . . ”
For example, you may write, “In the novel The Great Gatsby (1925), F. Scott Fitzgerald presents the tragic figure of mysterious millionaire Jay Gatsby through the eyes of his neighbor, Nick Carraway. ” For an article, you may write, “According to her article, “What is intersexuality?” Nancy Kerr (2001) claims that discussions of sexuality in academic circles ignores the growing public interest in intersexuality. ”
For example, if you are writing about The Great Gatsby, you should address the two main characters in the novel (Jay Gatsby and his neighbor/the narrator Nick Carraway). You should also focus on what occurs, briefly, in the novel, where the novel takes place, and why Fitzgerald explores the lives of these two characters.
For example, if you are discussing an article, you may use the author’s key arguments in the article as supporting points. If you are discussing a novel or short story, you may use the key events in the story as supporting points.
Keep in mind a summary paragraph should simply state the essential information in the original text. You do not need to present an opinion or argument about the text in the summary paragraph. This can be done in a separate paragraph or section in your paper. Try to use varied, interesting verbs in your summary. If you use the same ones over and over, your reader will get bored as they read.
You may also show the summary paragraph to a writing instructor or a friend to get feedback on it. Ask the person to make sure the summary paragraph includes the essential information about the text in a concise, clear way.
