- DictionarySum·ma·ry/ˈsəmərē/
noun
- 1. a brief statement or account of the main points of something: "a summary of Chapter Three"
adjective
- 1. dispensing with needless details or formalities; brief: "summary financial statements"
- 2. (of a judicial process) conducted without the customary legal formalities: "summary arrest"
summary: [noun] an abstract, abridgment, or compendium especially of a preceding discourse.
Synonyms for SUMMARY: outline, brief, summa, digest, sum, synopsis, resume, summarization; Antonyms of SUMMARY: expansion, amplification, enlargement, supplement ...
- How does the adjective 'summary' contrast with its synonyms?Some common synonyms of summary are compendious, concise, laconic, pithy, succinct, and terse. While all these words mean "very brief in statement...
- When would 'compendious' be a good substitute for 'summary'?The words compendious and summary are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, compendious applies to what is at once full in scope and bri...
- When is 'concise' a more appropriate choice than 'summary'?In some situations, the words concise and summary are roughly equivalent. However, concise suggests the removal of all that is superfluous or elabo...
- When is it sensible to use 'laconic' instead of 'summary'?While in some cases nearly identical to summary, laconic implies brevity to the point of seeming rude, indifferent, or mysterious. // an aloof and...
- How does the word 'pithy' relate to other synonyms for 'summary'?Pithy adds to succinct or terse the implication of richness of meaning or substance. // a comedy sharpened by pithy one-liners
- When might 'succinct' be a better fit than 'summary'?The meanings of succinct and summary largely overlap; however, succinct implies the greatest possible compression. // a succinct letter of resignation
- When can 'terse' be used instead of 'summary'?The words terse and summary can be used in similar contexts, but terse implies pointed conciseness. // a terse reply
Nov 23, 2020 · Table of contents. When to write a summary. Step 1: Read the text. Step 2: Break the text down into sections. Step 3: Identify the key points in each section. Step 4: Write the summary. Step 5: Check the summary against the article. Frequently asked questions about summarizing.
- What is a summary?A summary is a short overview of the main points of an article or other source, written entirely in your own words.
- How long is a summary?A summary is always much shorter than the original text. The length of a summary can range from just a few sentences to several paragraphs; it depe...
- What kinds of assignments involve writing a summary?You might have to write a summary of a source: As a stand-alone assignment to prove you understand the material For your own use, to keep notes o...
- How can I summarize a source without plagiarizing?To avoid plagiarism when summarizing an article or other source, follow these two rules: Write the summary entirely in your own words by paraphr...
- What’s the difference between an abstract and a summary?An abstract concisely explains all the key points of an academic text such as a thesis , dissertation or journal article. It should summarize...
May 27, 2021 · Change the length of the summary depending on how much information you want to include using the “Summary Length” slide bar. Finding the perfect structure for your summary is an important step in accurately conveying the information. Copy, export, or paraphrase the finished summary depending on your use for it.
- Paige Pfeifer
- 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.