Summarising (U3)

To create / write a good summary, you should read the article or text a number of times to develop a clear understanding of:

• • the author's ideas and intentions

  • the meaning and details

  • the force with which the ideas are expressed.

Writing a summary

Use the following steps to write a summary.

Step 1

• • Write notes in point form using keywords; this will make it easier to express the ideas in your own words.

Step 2

• • Write the summary directly from your notes without re-reading the passage.

Step 3

• • Refer back to the original to ensure that your summary is a true reflection of the writer's ideas.

Tips

• • Topic sentences provide a quick outline of the main idea(s) presented in a paragraph.

  • When summarising a chapter or article, the introduction and conclusion should provide a good overview of the content.

Ref: https://www.dlsweb.rmit.edu.au/lsu/content/4_writingSkills/writing_tuts/summarising_LL/summary.html

Below is an example of this process from the first set of reading in your text:

Step 1: Read the information and take notes

Summary

• • Wilhelm Rontgen’s discovery of x-rays has lead to our modern understanding of matter and the nucleus

  • All of us are exposed to natural radiation. Life on Earth has adapted to this background radiation.

  • Terrestrial radiation is from the Earth, in the crust and low level

  • Cosmic radiation from the sky, universe. Atmosphere stops part of it as well as the magnetic field.