In your university life, it is important to learn how to summarize the texts that you read. The two most important reasons for this are as follows. Firstly, summarizing a text in your own words shows the reader that you really understood the text. Secondly, professors don't want students just to read texts. They want students to think and write critically about texts. Writing a good summary of a text gets you ready to respond critically to it.
When you have a text to summarize, you need to find the main ideas. These are usually at the beginning of a paragraph. If you want to summarize the full text, you will need to include most of the main ideas. If you are only summarizing part of the text, only summarize the main ideas that you need.
Then, look at the details. Are there any important details in the text that you need to include? If you are going to respond to a text then you need to include any details in your summary that you will talk about in your response.
One good way to mark the main ideas and details that you want to summarize is to underline them in the text.
Now you have chosen what to summarize, you need to put it into your own words. Doing this shows that you have understood the text, and protects you from committing plagiarism. (Plagiarism means using someone else's ideas or words as your own.)
Writing in your own words means that you need to change the words and the grammar. Don't just swap a few words because you might still be committing plagiarism. Instead, follow this process:
Read the text you want to summarize.
Cover it up.
Write what you understood.
Check that your summary matches the text.
By the way, it's OK to use the same keywords as the original text, but make sure you change the other words and grammar.
We are going to summarize the following text.
Walkable communities have many advantages for people who live in them. Firstly, they help people to stay healthy. When you can easily walk to places like shops or parks, you're more likely to get exercise without even thinking about it. This can make you feel better and stronger.
Secondly, walkable communities are good for the environment. When people walk instead of driving cars, there's less pollution. This is important because it helps to keep our air clean and reduces climate change. So, living in a walkable community can be good for both you and the planet!
First, we identify the main ideas and important details. I have underlined them above. The important detail is just my opinion because I want to criticize it later in my response.
Next, we write the summary in our own words.
The article gives two benefits of walkable communities. One benefit is because if shops or parks are accessible on foot then people can get exercise when travelling to them. Two is that walkable communities have environmental benefits such as a reduction in pollution.
Here are some things to notice about writing a good summary.
Key words stay the same ("walkable communities", "pollution") or change in form ("environment" > "environmental").
Non-key words and phrases are changed for synonyms ("easily walk" > "accessible on foot").
The grammar changes ("First, they help..." > "One benefit is...").
Finally, we can respond if we want.
The article gives two benefits of walkable communities. One is health benefits because if shops or parks are accessible on foot then people can get exercise when travelling to them. Two is that walkable communities have environmental benefits such as a reduction in pollution. While these benefits are impressive, we should remember that disabled people may find it difficult to access shops and parks in walkable communities.
Here is a summary that I wrote of the article on page 11 of the Reflect textbook.
Charles Montgomery conducted research into how city design can improve residents’ physical and mental health, finding that quiet, safe, and walkable cities with green spaces for people to gather can do this. For example, the UAE built traditional houses with courtyards to connect people, and squares for public meetings. In Tokyo, vegetable gardens were created on the roofs of railway stations where residents could learn to grow their own food and meet each other. Finally, in São Paulo, an old square was redesigned with seats and free internet access, as well as improved access for pedestrians and bikes.