Students should first read for understanding of the text. Once they feel they understand what the author is saying, then they should follow the steps to writing a summary.
5 Steps to Writing a Summary
- Identify the Thesis
- Identify the Main Points
- Identify Key Support
- Toss Out the Words and Details
- Restate the Essentials in Your Own Words
Students should follow steps 1-3 with the text in front of them. The notes they make should only include individual words, not complete sentences from the text. Then, students set aside the original text (Step 4) and write the summary in their own words (Step 5.)
These steps to writing a summary will help students avoid plagiarism by using their own words and style of writing to express another author’s idea. In addition to using their own words, students also need to cite the author’s name and source where the original passage was found.