Formal Summary
How to Write Formal Summaries
· Read the selection carefully paying attention to the key words, phrases, and concepts.
· Look for all the main ideas and supporting information included in the original work.
· As you read, mark up the text underlining or notating as little as possible for the purpose of remembering as much as possible.
· Make sure you understand what the overall purpose/meaning of the text is before you begin to write. Organize the important information in a pre-writing format before writing the summary.
· Your summary must not include information or have judgments that are not in the text.
· Do not interpret or add details not found in the original text.
· When you write your summary, make sure you condense the text (about 1/3 to 1/4 the length of the original text).
· This must be written in third person only!
· Write a summary using only the facts and details from the original text:
· The topic sentence should be a clear statement of the main idea of the original selection.
· Add essential facts and details such as names, explanations, descriptions, dates, or places.
· State each key point in ONE clear sentence.
· Arrange ideas in the most logical order following the order of the original text.
· End your summary with a concluding sentence that ties the ideas together.