Summary writing

![((Hello steemians, I will like to share with you how we can summarize our stories, events, passages etc. summary is a short account of something giving the main points. To summarize therefore is to make a short general account out of something longer or more detailed. For example, a story, a passage, events , speech etc. TYPES OF SUMMARY - Single sentence summary : Here student is asked to summarize a passage or a paragraph in a sentence or give a title to a passage. -Paragraph level summary. -Multiple paragraph summary. FEATURES OF A SUMMARY 1. Summary restates the message of the original text- exactly as the original text. 2. Summary is brief as it focuses on only the essential elements. 3. Summary is in a writer’s own words. 4. Summary usually maintains technical words. 5. Summary uses appropriate reporting verbs - suggests, claims, observes etc. 6. Summary is devoid of examples, explanations, unnecessary adjectives and adverbs. WHAT WE SHOULD NOT DO WHEN WRITING SUMMARY. (DON’TS) a. Avoid function words in the form of frills of examples, which only facilitate understanding of main points. b. Avoid explanations and illustrations. c. Avoid formalities and unnecessary details in the form of phrases and clauses which tend to illustrate. d. Avoid repetitions which serve to clarify the main points. e. Avoid jokes and adjectival details which tend to describe. f. Avoid adverbial details which modify specific concepts. g. Avoid redundant materials. For example using synonymous adjectives to describe a noun is redundancy. For instance, what a beautiful, pretty, attractive girl. In summary one adjective is enough to describe the noun or situation. h. Avoid extraneous materials- these are materials which are not based on information given in the summary passage but come from outside. i. Avoid wholesale lifting - use your own words as possible as you can. j. Avoid adding unnecessary ideas. WHAT WE SHOULD DO WHEN WRITING SUMMARY (Do’s). a. Be brief and factual - brevity of thought and expression. b. Separate the main points from the dispersable ones or chaff. c. Stick to vital information, important materials, relevant points, main issues, bare necessities. d. Use direct and simple grammatically correct English. e. Identify the basic topic sentences which summarize each paragraph for writing the summary. f. Reduce paragraph into sentences and sentences into phrases and words. g. Use only ideas in the passage. h. Use complete intelligible sentences. I took my students through and it was effective. I know if you are able to go through then there will be no difficulties in writing your summaries. Thank you.