.In the Name of Allah, Merciful and Gracious

Introduction to Summary

:Definition: Summary or Précis

  To summarize is to use your own words so as to rewrite or retell the content of a given passage or speech in a brief, precise, and connected form.

:Elements of a Summary

According to the definition above, there four elements of writing a good summary. These elements must be fulfilled. Let’s explain them underneath.  

1. Using one’s own words:

      This means that you have to change the original sentences and structures into new ones, a matter which is achieved through paraphrasing. A student is familiar to the exercise of rewriting a sentence into another one.

For example: Change sentence B so as to make it similar in meaning to sentence A, using the words in the margin:

A.                      Although he was sick, he went to work.

B.  in spite of     ……………………….., he went to work.

Answer: In spite of his sickness, he went to work.

      In this respect, one simply has to learn other ways of expressing the same meaning.

2. Being Brief:

    This is related to two concepts:

    a) It is related to shortening the passage by picking out only necessary points, leaving the unimportant points.

    b) it means using vocabulary to replace a whole clause by just a word.

      For example: The man who makes wooden furniture in a workshop is often busy.

      Becomes:       The carpenter is often busy.

3. Precision:

      For a summary to be precise, one has to keep to the information stated in the original. This requires the ability of comprehension through which one is able to understand the passage, and hereby determine the true meanings.

4. Connection:

      A connected summary is one which is coherent. Omitting unnecessary information exposes the summary to being jerky unless ideas are logically joined.

      There are grammar relationships between sentences. This relationship helps student to join his sentences.

      For example: a) Reading books is very effective.

                             b) It helps student improve his English.                            

 The two sentences can be joined like this:

                        Reading books is effective in improving student’s English.

In the coming lessons, we shall discuss these summary elements.