Reading to Summarize
Summarizing is a valuable academic, job, and life skill.
You will often be asked to summarize something, be it in a formal or an informal setting. For example, you may need to include a summary of a source within a research paper. At your job, your supervisor may request an oral or written summary to provide an update on a project you are tasked with completing. In your personal life, a friend may ask you to explain the gist of a movie before deciding whether to watch it. As with any skill, summarizing requires practice. Through practice, you will become more proficient and build your confidence to handle any of these tasks.
The next four chapters introduce you to summarizing, provide a process you can use to summarize effectively, and present guidelines for writing a summary. Examples are also included. The following chapters should be read in order, as each builds on the previous chapter.
As you learn about summarizing, practice applying the process to a reading of your choice from this textbook. Don’t forget to apply the reading process before summarizing.
