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You pick up an article that looks important. The clock is ticking, but it's packed with arguments that aren't that easy to dissect. You need to understand the article fast (and maybe explain it even faster, somehow). That's where you'll need to know about summarizing. Here's how you can stay on track while trying to find the main point of academic articles:
- Read the article carefully
- Identify the main argument
- Highlight supporting points
- Remove any repetitive or minor details
- Write the summary in your own words
- Keep it short and objective
Our guide will show you how to summarize an article in just five simple steps. And, if you're short on time or simply need help refining your papers, EssayWriters' professionals can always take over!
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What Is an Article Summary?
An article summary is a brief version of an article that covers the main idea and the most important supporting points. It gives the reader a picture of what the original text says without repeating every detail. A proper summary uses fewer words and simpler phrasing to restate the core idea. The final version should be much shorter than the source material. A well-written summary is what helps readers decide if they want to read the full article.
How to Summarize an Article: Five Simple Steps
The entire writing process becomes a lot more straightforward once you understand what it takes to summarize article.
Step 1: Read the Article Carefully
You need a full picture of what the article is saying. Read it through without skipping anything so you know what to include and what to leave out. Follow these steps once you read the article:
- Highlight the key points
- Mark any ideas that are repeated or emphasized
- Note the author’s conclusions
Step 2: Find the Main Idea and Supporting Details
Summarizing an article starts by figuring out the main point the author's trying to make. You have to pull that central idea and all the points that support it. Watch out for:
- The article’s core message
- Topic sentences that introduce new ideas
- Any data or examples that help explain the main argument
Step 3: Summarize the Content in Your Own Words
Now, rewrite those most important parts in your own words. Don't copy complete sentences; modify even the ones that you wrote that seem too close to the original. Your task is to explain the original message so that it sounds like something you would say normally. Break big ideas down and focus on what’s central to the author’s message.
Step 4: Keep Everything Objective
A summary is certainly not the place for personal opinions. You're summarizing it, not analyzing, so simply state the main points neutrally to make your writing more reliable.
- Skip emotional or biased language
- Don’t include your interpretations
- Stick to the author’s tone
Step 5: Review and Edit
Go back and read your article summary out loud once you've written it fully. A quick final read is necessary to make sure the summary does what it's supposed to. If anything seems confusing or you sense that it drags too much, smooth it out. At the end, your summary must:
- Capture the key points accurately
- Be short but not miss anything important
- Flow naturally from sentence to sentence
- Stay consistent with the original article
Simple Tips for Summarizing an Article
A few minor tweaks can go a long way as long as you focus on the right things. Follow these steps for a clean and accurate summary:
- Start with a one-sentence draft of the article’s core message. Boiling the article down to one sentence will help you stay on track.
- Don’t summarize paragraph by paragraph. Instead, combine similar ideas into one clear point.
- Take note of the tone and purpose of the author. The summary must have the same energy despite the different words.
- Use transitions. Phrases like "the article highlights” or “it concludes with” help guide the reader.
- Give yourself a soft word limit. For the majority of summaries, 100–200 words is sufficient to include all points without rambling on.
Professional essay writers on our platform can help you get started on your article summary so you end up with a paper you’ll be proud to submit.
What to Avoid in an Article Summarization
Even if you fully understand the article, it's quite easy to fall into typical traps when you are in a hurry. Here is what you need to look out for when writing a summary of an article:
- Overloading the summary with examples. One or two well-chosen examples are fine, but repeating every stat or quote from the article will weigh it down.
- Mixing in outside knowledge. Don’t include anything that wasn’t actually in the article. Stick only to what the author presented.
- Summarizing what you considered interesting rather than what the article covered. Your task is to represent the author's priorities, not your own.
- Statements such as "the article discusses many things" or "lots of ideas are presented" don't tell us anything. Be specific.
- Skipping the second draft. Even short summaries benefit from a quick rewrite.
Final Thoughts
If you’re aiming for a summary that actually works, or you simply want to become a better essay writer, here are a few things worth remembering: focus on the main idea and leave out the extras; use your own words, but make sure the meaning stays the same; keep it neutral; don’t insert your take on the topic; read it over once or twice to make sure it flows.
If you're still unsure about how to approach a summary after reading this article, EssayWriters can help you with everything from the first draft to the final revisions.
FAQs
How Do You Summarize an Article?
Start by carefully reading the article so you understand the message. Next, identify the central and supporting points. Using these, you should start to compose the first draft in your own words.
How to Start Off a Summary of an Article?
Your summary begins with a sentence stating the central point of the article. You may even add the author and the title if you're writing the summary as an academic assignment.
How Can I Keep My Article Summary Neutral?
Don't include your opinion or any personal interpretations about the article. Keep the language simple and also avoid emotional language. Stay objective and keep to what the writer says.
Sources
- Writing Article Summaries - Academic Skills - Trent University. (n.d.). Www.trentu.ca. https://www.trentu.ca/academicskills/how-guides/how-write-university/how-approach-any-assignment/writing-article-summaries
2. Six Effective Tips to Write a Summary | Robert Gillespie Academic Skills Centre. (2019). Robert Gillespie Academic Skills Centre. https://www.utm.utoronto.ca/rgasc/student-resource-hub/writing-resources/six-effective-tips-write-summary
