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Mar 22, 2024 · 1 Start with the basics: Begin your summary by briefly introducing the main characters, setting, and the story’s central conflict to set the stage for your readers. 2 Outline the plot: Concisely recount the story’s major events in order, focusing on how the characters navigate the conflict and move toward the climax.
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Read the story. It will be very difficult to summarize a story without actually reading it. So crack open your book, or plug in some headphones and listen to it on your iPod. Don't always trust the internet sites that claim to summarize books, because they aren't always accurate.[1] X Research source As you're reading, keep in mind what the central idea of the story is.[2] X Expert Source ...Take notes. [4] X Research source You'll need to take notes as you read so that you have refer to them when you're ready to start the summary. Look for the "who? what? when? where? why?" These will give you the basis for what you want to cover in your summary.[5] X Expert Source Richard Perkins Writing Coach & Academic English Coordinator Expert Interview. 1 September 2021. [6] X Research sourceFind the main characters. You'll need to know who the story is about, after all, and you need to figure out which characters aren't as important to the narrative.[7] X Expert Source Richard Perkins Writing Coach & Academic English Coordinator Expert Interview. 1 September 2021. If you're reading a story with tons of characters, you won't want to note down every single character that appears ...Note down the setting. The setting is where the events take place. Now this can get complicated if the story you're reading takes place in a lot of different places. If that's the case, you'll need to be more broad.[8] X Research source Continuing the Harry Potter example: the main action takes place at Hogwarts, so you could write down something like 'the magical school Hogwarts in the ...Note the story's conflict. This means whatever is the main problem that the characters are having to overcome.[9] X Research source It doesn't necessarily have to be a villain, like with Harry Potter and Lord of the Rings.[10] X Expert Source Richard Perkins Writing Coach & Academic English Coordinator Expert Interview. 1 September 2021. For Harry Potter, the main conflict is Voldemort's ...Make sure you keep your summary short. It shouldn't be longer than the original story![16] X Research source Thanks Helpful 1 Not Helpful 0If you're writing an essay, you shouldn't only summarize the text. Thanks Helpful 11 Not Helpful 1Don't include your opinions when writing a summary unless you are explicitly prompted to by your teacher. Thanks Helpful 10 Not Helpful 3- 416.2K
1. Read the story thoroughly: The first step in summarizing a story is to read it carefully and completely. Make sure you understand the plot, characters, and themes. 2. Identify the main characters: Make a list of the main characters in the story, noting their relationships to one another and their key traits. 3.
- Read or watch the source material. The first step is fairly obvious: Read or watch whatever it is you’re writing a summary about. If you’re doing a book report or similar paper, there’s always a temptation to skip this step and just rely on other people’s summaries.
- Make a list of the key points. Next comes the outlining phase, where you list out what points to include in your summary. How many items go on your list depends on the length of both the summary and the source material.
- Write the summary in your own words. Next, write the first draft of your summary following the lists you made in the previous outlining stage. If you’re summarizing a book, film, or other media, it’s best to use chronological order (even if the story is told out of order).
- Edit and cut what’s unnecessary. Last comes the proofreading phase, where you reread your summary and correct any mistakes or awkward wording. For summary writing, watch out for unnecessary information, too; every word is crucial, so removing unnecessary information gives you more room to elaborate on the main points.
- Read the Work. Summaries are often perceived as a workaround for reading the work itself. That's not a great strategy under most circumstances because you tend to lose a lot of the details and nuance of a work, but it's particularly impractical to do so when writing about the work.
- Take Notes. As you read the work, simultaneously take notes. If you own the book, it might be helpful to add your notes to the margins or highlight passages that are particularly relevant or capture a key idea.
- Identify the Author's Thesis Statement, Objective, or Main Point. In some works, such as a journal article, a writer will provide a thesis statement.
- Note Other Important Elements. If something stands out to you about the work and seems to play an important role in the text's overall narrative or structure, make a note about it.
Nov 11, 2021 · You need to do a presentation in which you talk about an article, book, or report. You write a summary paper in which the entire paper is a summary of a specific work. You summarize a class discussion, lesson, or reading in the form of personal notes or a discussion board post.
Mar 17, 2024 · Last Updated: March 17, 2024 Approved. Writing a summary is a great way to process the information you read, whether it’s an article or a book. If you’re assigned a summary in school, the best way to approach it is by reviewing the piece you’re summarizing.
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