How to Write a Summary Essay

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How to Write a Summary Essay
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• A summary essay contains the key aspects of the
  original piece of writing. It is much shorter but
  with the same meaning. After reading a summary,
  your audience should find out what the main point
  is without them having to read the entire source.
  Here are some helpful tips on how to summarize a
  text.

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• Read the original text
• Carefully study the original piece of writing.
  Make sure you fully understand what it is about
  and all authors points are clear for you. Read
  more than once for better understanding.

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• Define the main points
• It can be very helpful to break up the whole
  piece into smaller parts. You can read each
  section, highlight the key points, and put them
  later in your own words. Mark those parts you
  want to say about in your summary as well as less
  important which you wont use to summarize the
  source.

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• Start with an introduction
• Briefly, state what the main points of the
  original source are. Write authors name, the
  title of his/her written piece, and if it is
  necessary, some background information about the
  author.

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• Start writing the first draft
• Try not to look at your notes and write
  everything from memory. The point is that writing
  a summary is not only about repeating original
  authors thoughts, but your own wording is very
  important.

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• Remember that youre not supposed to rewrite all
  authors ideas! Choose the main aspects and write
  something like a short overview of each of them.
  Prepare a list of questions to ask when writing a
  summary and ask them your advisor to clarify all
  things.

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• Write a body of your paper
• State essential points from the source and back
  all them up with examples. Dont include
  unnecessary ideas which only take the space of
  your essay. Focus on the most important things.

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• Use appropriate phrases
• The summary requires phrases such as the author
  proves, the article states, etc. It shows the
  audience it is not your text, but another
  author's.

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• Use transitional words between statements and
  paragraphs
• Make sure all your paragraphs fit together
  perfectly. For this, read your piece aloud so
  youll be able to hear vague parts and connect
  your sections better.

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• Revise, revise, and revise
• Check for grammar and spelling errors. Also, make
  sure you havent missed commas or misused any
  other punctuation mark. Perfect English makes a
  really good impression on the reader.

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• Ask someone to proofread your piece
• Another person can look at your text from an
  absolutely different light and give feedback what
  you can improve to make it more appealing.
  Proofreader must understand the main point of the
  original source from your summary. If not, its
  time for you to rewrite it.

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• Do
• Do quote authors words if needed. However, dont
  plagiarize and write everything in your own
  words.
• Do compose your sentences in present time even if
  the initial text was written a long time ago.

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• Do clarify all complex terms and phrases. Dont
  start summarizing and paraphrasing without the
  full understanding of the original source.
• Do quote according to academic requirements.

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• Do submit a paper only after thorough revision. A
  friend or a colleague can help you to improve the
  quality of your paper. So, ask for extra help or
  hire a professional from this great summary
  writing service.

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• Dont
• Dont write your own opinions on the topic. A
  summary must be objective and free of your own
  interpretations and examples. Just repeat what
  the original author said but in your own words
  and in your own writing style.

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• Dont estimate or judge the original piece. You
  need to summarize it without giving your own
  opinion about the author and his work. If you
  still dont know how to write a summary, use
  professional help.

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• Dont try to include I your summary all authors
  ideas and details. Concentrate only on the
  essential ones.

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• Dont repeat the same ideas even if the original
  author mentioned them multiple times. However, it
  a good sign that some point is crucial if the
  author wrote about it a lot. So, definitely
  include this idea in your summary. Find even more
  information in this Google book.

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