Below are steps you need to follow in order for you to be able to summarise effectively. Place the steps in the correct order to make them meaningful.

How to summarise
1. Do not change the meaning of the original text.

2. Make a note on each paragraph, or, if the paragraphs are short or do not make complete sense on their own, combine them in such a way that the point being made is clear.


3. Begin by identifying the topic of the text. What is it all about? You can find the answer to this question only by browsing through the text for an overview of its content.

4. If you are summarising for the purpose of including the information in an assignment, do not forget to cite the source. The citation is normally placed at the beginning of a long summary.

5. If you must quote directly from the text in your summary, be careful not to mix the author's words with yours. Indicate all quotations by means of quotation marks, and then cite the page numbers) so that a reader can locate the quoted part quickly.


6. Identify the major sections into which it is divided, so that you can work with these more manageable chunks of text. You will probably find that each section focuses on a particular main point.

7. Now combine the notes you have made into a paragraph or paragraphs. This will depend on the length of the original text and whether the sections into which it is divided are subtopics in themselves.

8. Now read the text actively, annotating as you go along.


9. Do not include minor details or examples.

10. Read quickly through the introduction and conclusion in order to locate the main points that the writer makes.