Chapter 4: Summarizing the Work of Others
Key Takeaways
Key Takeaways
- A summary is a condensed version of a text, put into your own words. There are many reasons you might find yourself summarizing others’ work in your writing.
- It’s important to consider your purpose when you begin writing summary. Your choices about what to summarize and how to summarize it should be determined by what you’re trying to accomplish with your writing.
- Following a three-step writing process (pre-writing, drafting, revising) will support you in writing effective and powerful summary.
- Different writing needs will lead to choices about when to use direct quote, paraphrase, or summary.
- Use a direct quote if someone else wrote or said something in a distinctive or particular way and you want to capture their words exactly.
- Paraphrasing rewords without drastically altering the length. Paraphrasing is helpful for establishing background knowledge or general consensus, simplifying a complicated idea, or reminding your reader of a certain part of another text. It helps maintain fluidity in your writing by putting others’ ideas into your own voice.
- Summary, as discussed earlier in this chapter, is useful for “broadstrokes” or quick overviews, brief references, and describing the state of knowledge.
