How to summarize a text?

Elissa Nixon / June 3, 2019

Summarize a text

The summary must reflect both the author’s ideas and their organization. In order to accurately and objectively translate his words, he aims to reformulate, in a clear and concise manner, the ideas of the text. Moreover, it is relevant to analyze the text by annotating it before summarizing it to understand the author’s thinking.

Take note of the following:

1.The intention of the author

What was the purpose of the author in writing this text? What does he want to express?

2.The subject, the theme of the text and the thesis

What is the purpose, the main idea of ​​the text? What does the text cover? What idea serves as a guideline throughout the text? What position does the author support in this text?

3.The main ideas, the secondary ideas or the arguments

What are the main and secondary ideas presented by the author? It is important to reproduce the structure of the text while respecting the logic of the argument of the author.

4.The author’s conclusion

What observations does the author make in this text?

Write your text summary now:

First, make your own writing plan. Your text must contain the following elements:

Be sure to respect the balance of the original text structure. The length of your abstract should not exceed 20% of the original text.

Introduction

Present the document under study by mentioning the author, the title as well as the subject or theme and then identify the main idea: problem posed, thesis supported by the author.

Development

Reformulate (enunciate in one’s own words) the main ideas or arguments respecting the logical structure of the text and constantly weaving the links to be made between these elements and the thesis or the main idea supported by the author.

Conclusion

Synthesize the author’s thought by recalling the essential ideas of his text.