How to Write a Summary
Hardships at Valley Forge
Many soldiers died in the American Revolutionary War, but they were not all killed in the battle. Over the winter of 1777-1778, more than 2,000 soldiers died without seeing a single British soldier. They died from hunger, cold, and disease at the winter camp of Valley Forge.
The paragraph above gives a summary of what happened to soldiers at Valley Forge, without giving many details. A summary is a collection of main ideas about a topic. For example, you could explain the main ideas from an event during the Revolutionary War by writing a summary of what happened. Writing a summary can help you remember important ideas. It can help you review and remember a book, an article, a story, or a lesson.
The steps on the next two pages will help you write a summary.
STEPS IN Writing a Summary
1. Read Carefully
Read the selection that you ould like to summarize. Look for main ideas that tell you what the selection is about. As you read, look for answers to questions such as Who, What, When, Where, Why, and How. Then carefully read the selection a second time. Take notes if you wish.
2. Plan Your summary
Identify Topic Sentences.
A topic sentence introduces the main idea of a paragraph. The other sentences in the paragraph give details, reasons, and examples that support the main idea. For example:
"The Battle of Saratoga Americans had time to build up their forces while the British troops were on their way. The British were traveling over rough ground."(In blue written part) Their supply wagons moved slowly. Meanwhile, landowners and farmers came from all around and joined the American troops. By the time the British troops arrived, they were outnumbered.
This topic sentence highlighted in blue gives the main idea of the paragraph.
The rest of the sentences give details.
If you identify and list all of the topic sentences in a reading, you will have some of the main ideas of a selection. Choose the main ideas that you want to include in your summary.
3. Write a First Draft
Organize your main ideas in the order you want them to appear in your summary. Use only important information. Begin writing your summary, including the most important idea in your first sentence. Write complete sentences.
4. Revise and Edit Your Draft
Read your first draft. Did you include the important ideas? If not, add them. Did you include any details that are not main ideas? If so, cross them out. Details should not be part of a summary. To revise is to make these kinds of changes. After you have made the other changes, edit your work by correcting errors in spelling, punctuation, and use of capital letters.
5. Publish Your Summary
Write a final draft, including all corrections. If you are using a computer, you can just make changes to your draft document before printing and saving your revision. If you are writing by hand, neatly copy your summary onto a clean sheet of paper.
TIP: Some readings have headings in boldface that tell you what the main ideas are. Sometimes the table of contents can help you find the main ideas in a book.