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How to Write a Summary (Examples Included)

Ashley Shaw

Have you ever recommended a book to someone and given them a quick overview? Then you’ve created a summary before!

Summarizing is a common part of everyday communication. It feels easy when you’re recounting what happened on your favorite show, but what do you do when the information gets a little more complex?

Written summaries come with their own set of challenges. You might ask yourself:

• What details are unnecessary?
• How do you put this in your own words without changing the meaning?
• How close can you get to the original without plagiarizing it?
• How long should it be?

The answers to these questions depend on the type of summary you are doing and why you are doing it.

A summary in an academic setting is different to a professional summary—and both of those are very different to summarizing a funny story you want to tell your friends.

One thing they all have in common is that you need to relay information in the clearest way possible to help your reader understand. We’ll look at some different forms of summary, and give you some tips on each.

Let’s get started!

What Is a Summary?

How do you write a summary, how do you write an academic summary, what are the four types of academic summaries, how do i write a professional summary, writing or telling a summary in personal situations, summarizing summaries.

A summary is a shorter version of a larger work. Summaries are used at some level in almost every writing task, from formal documents to personal messages.

When you write a summary, you have an audience that doesn’t know every single thing you know.

When you want them to understand your argument, topic, or stance, you may need to explain some things to catch them up.

Instead of having them read the article or hear every single detail of the story or event, you instead give them a brief overview of what they need to know.

Academic, professional, and personal summaries each require you to consider different things, but there are some key rules they all have in common.

Let’s go over a few general guides to writing a summary first.

1. A summary should always be shorter than the original work, usually considerably.

Even if your summary is the length of a full paper, you are likely summarizing a book or other significantly longer work.

2. A summary should tell the reader the highlights of what they need to know without giving them unnecessary details.

3. It should also include enough details to give a clear and honest picture.

For example, if you summarize an article that says “ The Office is the greatest television show of all time,” but don’t mention that they are specifically referring to sitcoms, then you changed the meaning of the article. That’s a problem! Similarly, if you write a summary of your job history and say you volunteered at a hospital for the last three years, but you don’t add that you only went twice in that time, it becomes a little dishonest.

4. Summaries shouldn’t contain personal opinion.

While in the longer work you are creating you might use opinion, within the summary itself, you should avoid all personal opinion. A summary is different than a review. In this moment, you aren’t saying what you think of the work you are summarizing, you are just giving your audience enough information to know what the work says or did.

Now that we have a good idea of what summaries are in general, let’s talk about some specific types of summary you will likely have to do at some point in your writing life.

An academic summary is one you will create for a class or in other academic writing. The exact elements you will need to include depend on the assignment itself.

However, when you’re asked for an academic summary, this usually this means one of five things, all of which are pretty similar:

• You need to do a presentation in which you talk about an article, book, or report.
• You write a summary paper in which the entire paper is a summary of a specific work.
• You summarize a class discussion, lesson, or reading in the form of personal notes or a discussion board post.
• You do something like an annotated bibliography where you write short summaries of multiple works in preparation of a longer assignment.
• You write quick summaries within the body of another assignment . For example, in an argumentative essay, you will likely need to have short summaries of the sources you use to explain their argument before getting into how the source helps you prove your point.

Regardless of what type of summary you are doing, though, there are a few steps you should always follow:

• Skim the work you are summarizing before you read it. Notice what stands out to you.
• Next, read it in depth . Do the same things stand out?
• Put the full text away and write in a few sentences what the main idea or point was.
• Go back and compare to make sure you didn’t forget anything.
• Expand on this to write and then edit your summary.

Each type of academic summary requires slightly different things. Let’s get down to details.

How Do I Write a Summary Paper?

Sometimes teachers assign something called a summary paper . In this, the entire thing is a summary of one article, book, story, or report.

To understand how to write this paper, let’s talk a little bit about the purpose of such an assignment.

A summary paper is usually given to help a teacher see how well a student understands a reading assignment, but also to help the student digest the reading. Sometimes, it can be difficult to understand things we read right away.

However, a good way to process the information is to put it in our own words. That is the point of a summary paper.

A summary paper is:

• A way to explain in our own words what happened in a paper, book, etc.
• A time to think about what was important in the paper, etc.
• A time to think about the meaning and purpose behind the paper, etc.

Here are some things that a summary paper is not:

• A review. Your thoughts and opinions on the thing you are summarizing don’t need to be here unless otherwise specified.
• A comparison. A comparison paper has a lot of summary in it, but it is different than a summary paper. In this, you are just saying what happened, but you aren’t saying places it could have been done differently.
• A paraphrase (though you might have a little paraphrasing in there). In the section on using summary in longer papers, I talk more about the difference between summaries, paraphrases, and quotes.

Because a summary paper is usually longer than other forms of summary, you will be able to chose more detail. However, it still needs to focus on the important events. Summary papers are usually shorter papers.

Let’s say you are writing a 3–4 page summary. You are likely summarizing a full book or an article or short story, which will be much longer than 3–4 pages.

Imagine that you are the author of the work, and your editor comes to you and says they love what you wrote, but they need it to be 3–4 pages instead.

How would you tell that story (argument, idea, etc.) in that length without losing the heart or intent behind it? That is what belongs in a summary paper.

How Do I Write Useful Academic Notes?

Sometimes, you need to write a summary for yourself in the form of notes or for your classmates in the form of a discussion post.

You might not think you need a specific approach for this. After all, only you are going to see it.

However, summarizing for yourself can sometimes be the most difficult type of summary. If you try to write down everything your teacher says, your hand will cramp and you’ll likely miss a lot.

Yet, transcribing doesn’t work because studies show that writing things down (not typing them) actually helps you remember them better.

So how do you find the balance between summarizing the lessons without leaving out important points?

There are some tips for this:

• If your professor writes it on the board, it is probably important.
• What points do your textbooks include when summarizing information? Use these as a guide.
• Write the highlight of every X amount of time, with X being the time you can go without missing anything or getting tired. This could be one point per minute, or three per five minutes, etc.

How Do I Create an Annotated Biography?

An annotated bibliography requires a very specific style of writing. Often, you will write these before a longer research paper . They will ask you to find a certain amount of articles and write a short annotation for each of them.

While an annotation is more than just a summary, it usually starts with a summary of the work. This will be about 2–3 sentences long. Because you don’t have a lot of room, you really have to think about what the most important thing the work says is.

This will basically ask you to explain the point of the article in these couple of sentences, so you should focus on the main point when expressing it.

Here is an example of a summary section within an annotation about this post:

“In this post, the author explains how to write a summary in different types of settings. She walks through academic, professional, and personal summaries. Ultimately, she claims that summaries should be short explanations that get the audience caught up on the topic without leaving out details that would change the meaning.”

Can I Write a Summary Within an Essay?

Perhaps the most common type of summary you will ever do is a short summary within a longer paper.

For example, if you have to write an argumentative essay, you will likely need to use sources to help support your argument.

However, there is a good chance that your readers won’t have read those same sources.

So, you need to give them enough detail to understand your topic without spending too much time explaining and not enough making your argument.

While this depends on exactly how you are using summary in your paper, often, a good amount of summary is the same amount you would put in an annotation.

Just a few sentences will allow the reader to get an idea of the work before moving on to specific parts of it that might help your argument.

What’s the Difference Between Summarizing, Paraphrasing, and Using Quotes?

One important thing to recognize when using summaries in academic settings is that summaries are different than paraphrases or quotes.

A summary is broader and more general. A paraphrase, on the other hand, puts specific parts into your own words. A quote uses the exact words of the original. All of them, however, need to be cited.

Let’s look at an example:

Take these words by Thomas J. Watson:

”Would you like me to give you a formula for success? It’s quite simple, really. Double your rate of failure. You are thinking of failure as the enemy of success. But it isn’t as all. You can be discouraged by failure—or you can learn from it. So go ahead and make mistakes. Make all you can. Because, remember, that’s where you will find success.”

Let’s say I was told to write a summary, a paraphrase, and a quote about this statement. This is what it might look like:

Summary: Thomas J. Watson said that the key to success is actually to fail more often. (This is broad and doesn’t go into details about what he says, but it still gives him credit.)

Paraphrase: Thomas J. Watson, on asking if people would like his formula for success, said that the secret was to fail twice as much. He claimed that when you decide to learn from your mistakes instead of being disappointed by them, and when you start making a lot of them, you will actually find more success. (This includes most of the details, but it is in my own words, while still crediting the source.)

Quote: Thomas J. Watson said, ”Would you like me to give you a formula for success? It’s quite simple, really. Double your rate of failure. You are thinking of failure as the enemy of success. But it isn’t at all. You can be discouraged by failure—or you can learn from it. So go ahead and make mistakes. Make all you can. Because, remember, that’s where you will find success.” (This is the exact words of the original with quotation marks and credit given.)

Avoiding Plagiarism

One of the hardest parts about summarizing someone else’s writing is avoiding plagiarism .

That’s why I have a few rules/tips for you when summarizing anything:

1. Always cite.

If you are talking about someone else’s work in any means, cite your source. If you are summarizing the entire work, all you probably need to do (depending on style guidelines) is say the author’s name. However, if you are summarizing a specific chapter or section, you should state that specifically. Finally, you should make sure to include it in your Work Cited or Reference page.

2. Change the wording.

Sometimes when people are summarizing or paraphrasing a work, they get too close to the original, and actually use the exact words. Unless you use quotation marks, this is plagiarism. However, a good way to avoid this is to hide the article while you are summarizing it. If you don’t have it in front of you, you are less likely to accidentally use the exact words. (However, after you are done, double check that you didn’t miss anything important or give wrong details.)

3. Use a plagiarism checker.

Of course, when you are writing any summary, especially academic summaries, it can be easy to cross the line into plagiarism. If this is a place where you struggle, then ProWritingAid can help.

Just use our Plagiarism Report . It’ll highlight any unoriginal text in your document so you can make sure you are citing everything correctly and summarizing in your own words.

Find out more about ProWritingAid plagiarism bundles.

Along with academic summaries, you might sometimes need to write professional summaries. Often, this means writing a summary about yourself that shows why you are qualified for a position or organization.

In this section, let’s talk about two types of professional summaries: a LinkedIn summary and a summary section within a resume.

How Do I Write My LinkedIn Bio?

LinkedIn is all about professional networking. It offers you a chance to share a brief glimpse of your professional qualifications in a paragraph or two.

This can then be sent to professional connections, or even found by them without you having to reach out. This can help you get a job or build your network.

Your summary is one of the first things a future employer might see about you, and how you write yours can make you stand out from the competition.

Here are some tips on writing a LinkedIn summary :

• Before you write it, think about what you want it to do . If you are looking for a job, what kind of job? What have you done in your past that would stand out to someone hiring for that position? That is what you will want to focus on in your summary.
• Be professional . Unlike many social media platforms, LinkedIn has a reputation for being more formal. Your summary should reflect that to some extent.
• Use keywords . Your summary is searchable, so using keywords that a recruiter might be searching for can help them find you.
• Focus on the start . LinkedIn shows the first 300 characters automatically, and then offers the viewer a chance to read more. Make that start so good that everyone wants to keep reading.
• Focus on accomplishments . Think of your life like a series of albums, and this is your speciality “Greatest Hits” album. What “songs” are you putting on it?

How Do I Summarize My Experience on a Resume?

Writing a professional summary for a resume is different than any other type of summary that you may have to do.

Recruiters go through a lot of resumes every day. They don’t have time to spend ages reading yours, which means you have to wow them quickly.

To do that, you might include a section at the top of your resume that acts almost as an elevator pitch: That one thing you might say to a recruiter to get them to want to talk to you if you only had a 30-second elevator ride.

If you don’t have a lot of experience, though, you might want to skip this section entirely and focus on playing up the experience you do have.

Outside of academic and personal summaries, you use summary a lot in your day-to-day life.

Whether it is telling a good piece of trivia you just learned or a funny story that happened to you, or even setting the stage in creative writing, you summarize all the time.

How you use summary can be an important consideration in whether people want to read your work (or listen to you talk).

Here are some things to think about when telling a story:

• Pick interesting details . Too many and your point will be lost. Not enough, and you didn’t paint the scene or give them a complete idea about what happened.
• Play into the emotions . When telling a story, you want more information than the bare minimum. You want your reader to get the emotion of the story. That requires a little bit more work to accomplish.
• Focus. A summary of one story can lead to another can lead to another. Think about storytellers that you know that go off on a tangent. They never seem to finish one story without telling 100 others!

To wrap up (and to demonstrate everything I just talked about), let’s summarize this post into its most essential parts:

A summary is a great way to quickly give your audience the information they need to understand the topic you are discussing without having to know every detail.

How you write a summary is different depending on what type of summary you are doing:

• An academic summary usually gets to the heart of an article, book, or journal, and it should highlight the main points in your own words. How long it should be depends on the type of assignment it is.
• A professional summary highlights you and your professional, academic, and volunteer history. It shows people in your professional network who you are and why they should hire you, work with you, use your talents, etc.

Being able to tell a good story is another form of summary. You want to tell engaging anecdotes and facts without boring your listeners. This is a skill that is developed over time.

Take your writing to the next level:

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Ashley Shaw is a former editor and marketer/current PhD student and teacher. When she isn't studying con artists for her dissertation, she's thinking of new ways to help college students better understand and love the writing process. You can follow her on Twitter, or, if you prefer animal accounts, follow her rabbits, Audrey Hopbun and Fredra StaHare, on Instagram.

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How to Write a Summary: Tips, Strategies and Best Practices

Writing a summary requires a deep understanding of the original text and the ability to concisely restate its main ideas in your own words, highlighting the essence of the content. 

This process begins with crafting an organized paragraph that opens with an introductory sentence, clearly mentioning the text’s title, author, and central theme, steering clear of personal commentary to maintain the integrity of the summarized information.

In this blog, you will discover various strategies and best practices for summary writing, including ways to start a summary, summary steps, and the recommended length for a summary.

Purpose and Benefits of a Summary

Understanding the purpose of a summary is pivotal in grasping its significance in both academic and professional realms. Summaries serve multiple functions, each tailored to enhance comprehension, retention, and communication of key ideas. 

Here's a breakdown of the types of summary, core components and benefits of summary writing:

• Academic Summaries : Used in scholarly contexts to condense research findings, theories, or literary works.
• Executive Summaries : Often found in business settings, these provide a snapshot of reports or proposals, highlighting key points for decision-makers.
• Abstracts : Common in scientific articles, abstracts offer a brief overview of research aims, methods, results, and conclusions ] .
• Main Idea or Thesis : A summary must encapsulate the central theme or argument presented in the original text.
• Essential Supporting Points : It should also highlight crucial supporting arguments or evidence that back the main idea.
• Independence from Original Text : While a summary relies on the content of the source material, it should stand on its own, providing a clear and concise rendition of the original work.
• Improves Comprehension : Summarizing forces the writer to distill complex ideas into simpler, more digestible formats, thereby enhancing understanding of the subject matter.
• Facilitates Future Reference : A well-crafted summary serves as a handy reference tool, allowing quick recall of a text’s key points without the need to revisit the entire work.
• Better Understanding : By summarizing, writers can showcase their grasp of the material, making it a valuable tool in educational settings to assess understanding.
• Objective Representation : Unlike critiques or analyses, summaries aim to objectively convey the essence of a text, focusing solely on the author’s ideas without personal bias or interpretation.

Understanding these aspects of summary writing underscores its value in effectively communicating complex information. This skill, once honed, becomes an indispensable tool across various domains, from academia to industry, underscoring the importance of mastering the art of summary writing.

Steps to Deep Reading Before Summarizing

Before embarking on the task of summarizing, engaging in deep reading is essential to fully grasp the content and nuances of the text. 

Listed below are some of the benefits of deep reading

Deep Reading Benefits :

• Deep reading is the mind's default mode for processing texts, allowing for deeper thinking and association with unique ideas.
• It improves focus and teaches the brain to commit to one task at a time, which is essential in today’s world of information overflow.
• Engaging deeply with a text provides more value, as immersion in the material follows the reader everywhere, encouraging positive action based on the information absorbed.

Here are the steps to ensure effective deep reading:

• Initiate with Skimming and Active Reading :
• Begin by skimming through the text to get a general idea of its main themes and structure.
• Actively read the article or text, paying close attention to its presentation. This might involve rereading certain sections and keeping the purpose and intended audience in mind.
• Divide the text into manageable sections. This helps in focusing on smaller parts of the text, making it easier to understand and summarize later.
• Summarize each section individually while ensuring it aligns with the overall main idea of the text. This step is vital in understanding the content thoroughly before proceeding to write a summary.
• Deep reading requires complete engagement with the text. Eliminate all distractions to immerse yourself fully in the material.
• Understand every word in the writing, especially unfamiliar ones. This might require looking up meanings to ensure comprehensive understanding.
• Read carefully and multiple times if needed, particularly the difficult parts, until they are fully understood.
• Question the text and identify any discrepancies or mistakes, fostering a critical thinking approach.
• Discuss insightful parts of the text with others. This can provide different perspectives and deepen understanding.
• Attempt to rewrite what you've read. Successfully doing so indicates a deep comprehension of the material.
• After a thorough initial reading, it's beneficial to give the article a deep re-read, highlighting passages that stand out.
• Refine the highlights to make the author's ideas easier to understand and scrutinize their relevance to personal experiences and existing knowledge.
• Write out high-level ideas by hand to further embed the new knowledge into the mind, and then explain these concepts in detail in a fresh document for a comprehensive understanding.

By adhering to these steps, readers can significantly enhance their understanding of the text, which is a crucial precursor to writing an effective summary. This deep engagement ensures that the summary captures the essence of the original text accurately and cohesively.

Crafting the Perfect Introductory Sentence

Crafting the perfect introductory sentence for a summary involves several key components that ensure clarity, conciseness, and a comprehensive understanding of the original text. Here's how to get started:

• Title and Author : Always include the title of the text and the author's name in the introductory sentence. This provides immediate context to the reader.
• Main Point : Clearly state the main point or thesis of the text as you understand it. This sets the stage for the rest of your summary.
• Use Your Own Words : Avoid direct quotations; instead, paraphrase the author's main ideas in your own words to demonstrate your understanding and keep the summary original.
• Start with the Source : Begin your summary by acknowledging the source material. This could be as simple as "In [Author's Name]'s [Title of the Text], the main argument focuses on...".
• Incorporate a Reporting Verb : Use verbs like 'argues', 'claims', 'contends', or 'insists' to present the author's main ideas. This not only introduces the summary but also sets a scholarly tone.
• Be Concise but Comprehensive : Your introductory sentence should capture the essence of the text in a nutshell, providing a snapshot of the author's thesis and the text's main theme.
• For a novel: "In [Author's Name]'s novel, [Title], the story revolves around the central conflict faced by [main character], highlighting [main theme or journey]."  
• For an academic article: "In the article '[Title]' by [Author's Name], published in [Year], the author contends that [main argument], supported by [key evidence]."  
• For a scientific research paper: "The research paper '[Title]' by [Author's Name], focuses on [main research topic], where the author argues [main findings]."

By following these steps and structure, you can craft an introductory sentence that effectively sets the stage for your summary, providing your readers with a clear, concise, and comprehensive overview of the original text. 

Condensing Main Points with Precision

Condensing the main points of a text with precision involves a meticulous process of identifying, prioritizing, and articulating the essence of the original material. Here's how to approach this crucial step in summary writing:

• Main Idea : Determine the central thesis or argument of the text. This is the backbone of your summary.
• Supporting Points : Pinpoint the essential arguments or evidence that bolster the main idea. These should be included to provide a comprehensive overview.
• Keywords : Spot keywords within the text as they often signal important concepts or themes.
• Use Your Own Words : Paraphrase the author's ideas into your own language to demonstrate understanding and avoid plagiarism. Remember, a summary should significantly condense the original text while accurately representing its main points.
• Structure : Present the main ideas in the order they appear in the original text, using transitional phrases for coherence. However, avoid creating an outline or merely listing the points as they occur.
• Omissions : Exclude any examples, detailed evidence, or rhetorical questions used by the author. The goal is to distill the text to its most pivotal elements, not to replicate its detailed discussions.
• Abbreviations and Symbols : Use abbreviations and symbols to note down key points. This helps in keeping your summary concise.
• Mind Maps and Columns : For longer texts, consider organizing the main points using a mind map or columns. This visual organization can help in understanding how ideas connect and which details are most important.
• Highlighting : Use colors and highlighting to differentiate between themes or categories of information. Writing small can also help in fitting more content on a single page.

In summary writing, the ability to discern and distill the essence of the text is paramount. By following these steps, writers can ensure that their summaries are both accurate and concise, providing readers with a clear and succinct overview of the original material without injecting personal opinion or unnecessary detail.

Ensuring Coherence and Smooth Transitions

Ensuring coherence and smooth transitions in writing is akin to creating a map for readers to follow, guiding them through the ideas presented in a logical and fluid manner. Here are strategies to achieve this:

• Use of Transitional Words and Phrases : Incorporate words such as 'subsequently' and 'conversely,' or phrases like 'as a result' and 'in conclusion' to link ideas and signal logical connections between them.
• Key Phrases Repetition : Pick up key phrases from the previous paragraph and incorporate them in the next. This creates an obvious progression for readers, making the text more accessible and easier to follow.
• Transitional Paragraphs : After major sections, employ transitional paragraphs to pause, regroup, and indicate where you are in your argument. These paragraphs should summarize major points, relate the previous section to the thesis, and connect it to what will follow, enhancing the overall flow of the essay.
• Avoid using personal pronouns such as 'I' or 'We', which can disrupt the objective tone of a summary.
• Beware of poor transitions that can lead to choppy, jumpy, or disconnected writing. These hinder the reader's ability to follow the organization or train of thought.
• Within Paragraphs : Use transitional words or phrases, or keywords from the preceding paragraph, to ensure connections are clear within a paragraph. This helps in joining ideas together in a sentence and sentences together in a paragraph.
• Between Paragraphs : Highlight connections between corresponding paragraphs by referencing relevant material from previous paragraphs in the next. Writing transitions that specifically connect one paragraph to another enhances the effectiveness more than using generic transitions.

By employing these strategies, writers can significantly enhance the cohesiveness of their writing. Effective use of transitions not only aids in better understanding by the reader but also ensures a smooth flow of ideas, making the summary more engaging and easier to comprehend. 

Conclusion: Wrapping up Your Summary

Throughout this article, we've explored the nuanced skill of summary writing, offering readers a detailed guide on effectively condensing complex texts into clear, concise summaries. From understanding the foundational purpose and benefits of summaries in various contexts to mastering the art of crafting the perfect introductory sentence and ensuring coherence with smooth transitions, the guidance provided aims to enhance both academic and professional writing capabilities. Emphasizing the importance of using one's own words and maintaining objectivity, this article has underscored the critical skills required for precise and effective summary writing, making it an invaluable resource for individuals looking to refine their summarizing abilities.

What are the essential guidelines for creating a summary?

To craft an effective summary, you should:

• Paraphrase the content using your own language.
• Focus on the core ideas of the original material and keep it concise.
• Refrain from incorporating your own interpretations or analyses; the summary should reflect the author's ideas, not yours.

How can I develop a strategy for summarizing a text?

Developing a summary strategy involves:

• Thoroughly reading and understanding the text.
• Taking notes on the central theme and key points that should be included.
• Using the author's original keywords and considering how their ideas pertain to your own arguments in your work.

Can you outline the five steps involved in writing a summary?

Certainly! The five steps for summarizing are:

• Read and comprehend the material you intend to summarize.
• Highlight or underline significant sections of the text.
• Jot down the primary arguments.
• Include relevant supporting details.
• Review your summary for accuracy and clarity.

What makes a summary both good and effective?

A good and effective summary should:

• Start with an introductory sentence that mentions the text's title, author, and the main thesis as perceived by you.
• Be composed in your own words, ensuring it's a paraphrase of the original.
• Only encapsulate the original text's ideas without adding your personal opinions, interpretations, or commentary.

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how to write a summary

A step-by-step guide to writing a great summary.

A summary of a literary work isn't just a plain-old synopsis. It's a valuable study tool, a foundational element of all kinds of essays, a common testing mechanism, and one of the basics of literary analysis. 

Whether you're in high school or college, developing a deep understanding of how and when to summarize a book or text is a valuable skill. Doing so might require a little more knowledge and effort than you'd think. 

That's why we're covering all aspects of summaries, from study tools to plot summaries, below.

What Is a Summary?

A summary is a brief overview of a text (or movie, speech, podcast, etcetera) that succinctly and comprehensively covers the main ideas or plot points. 

Sounds simple, right? Well, there are a lot of unique characteristics that differentiate summaries from other commentary, such as analyses, book reviews, or outlines. 

Summaries are: 

• In your own words. It's important that you don't just copy and paste the writer's words (in fact, that's plagiarizing). Writing the key points of a work in your own words indicates your comprehension and absorption of the material. 
• Objective. While a summary should be in your own words, it shouldn't contain your opinions. Instead, you should gather the main points and intentions of the writer and present them impartially. (If you include your opinions, it instead becomes an analysis or review.)
• More than paraphrasing. Many students fall into the trap of simply paraphrasing—plainly restating the ideas or events of the work. (Is our definition starting to sound contradictory? We told you it wasn't straightforward!) Rather than recounting the events or ideas in a work chronologically or in the order they're presented, instead consider the broad scope of how they all contribute to the narrative or argument. 
• Short. There are no strict rules regarding length, only that it is concise. It's largely dependent on the length of the text it summarizes: longer texts, longer summaries. It also depends on the assignment or objective. However, most are about one to two paragraphs in length. 
• Comprehensive. Yes, it's another seemingly contradictory descriptor, but an important one. Summaries are comprehensive, meaning they cover all of the main plot points or ideas in a work (so they inherently contain "spoilers"). You should present those ideas in a way that condenses them into an inclusive, but not exhaustive, recounting in order to keep it short.  
• Straightforward (even if the text isn't). A good summary should be easy to comprehend, presenting the reader with a simple but all-encompassing understanding of the work at hand. With complex texts, summaries can be particularly useful because they distill big, complicated ideas into a bite-sized package. 

When to Write a Summary

Like so many elements of literary analysis, summaries are misunderstood. We've already explained why they aren't as simple as most people think, but neither are their uses. 

Summary writing is a useful skill in a variety of circumstances, both in and outside the English and Language Arts classrooms. 

Readers, writers, teachers, and students can use summaries: 

• As a study tactic. The ability to summarize a book or text indicates that you've absorbed and understand the material. Plus, writing down notes (as in a summary) is a great way to retain material. Try summarizing at the end of a book chapter, after each section of an article, or periodically in textbooks. Doing so will help you digest the material you've just read, confirming you understood and retained the information therein. Stopping frequently to summarize is most effective because you're less likely to forget important plot points or ideas. 
• As an assignment. Teachers and professors often ask students to summarize a text as a test to confirm they read and understood the material. Before heading into class—especially if you have a test or quiz scheduled—try practicing summarizing the text. Write it down (rather than practicing it out loud or in your head) so that you can review your ideas and ensure you're presenting them succinctly and sensibly. 
• As part of an essay. If you're referencing a book or article in your own paper, you might need to summarize the source as the foundation for your argument. In this case, your summary should be particularly short so the reader doesn't lose sight of your own argument and intention. Introduce the name of the work and its author, then use one sentence (two at most) to describe their objective and how it relates to your own. 
• As part of a review. Summaries are very useful in an academic setting, but they have their place outside of it too. Whether you're on a book review site or just sharing a recommendation with a friend, being able to succinctly write a book summary (with or without spoilers) will help others to make their own judgements of a book. 

Your Step-by-Step Guide for How to Write a Summary

Step 1: read the work .

Summaries are often perceived as a workaround for reading the work itself. That's not a great strategy under most circumstances because you tend to lose a lot of the details and nuance of a work, but it's particularly impractical to do so when writing about the work. 

Remember, a summary is supposed to present your perception of the work as a whole. So in order to develop that perception, you have to first read the original text. 

Step 2: Take Notes 

As you read the work, simultaneously take notes. If you own the book, it might be helpful to add your notes to the margins or highlight passages that are particularly relevant or capture a key idea. If you don't own the book, try taking notes on your computer or in a notebook. You can still notate important passages by writing down the page and paragraph number or writing an abbreviated version of the quotation. Alternatively, try marking key passages with sticky notes or tabs. 

It might also be helpful to write out a short outline of the work as you go. While you won't want to use this verbatim (remember, you shouldn't just paraphrase the work), it can help you establish and remember the text's framework. 

Step 3: Identify the Author's Thesis Statement, Objective, or Main Point 

In some works, such as a journal article, a writer will provide a thesis statement. A thesis statement is a one-sentence synopsis of the author's argument and intention. A thesis statement can be really helpful in forming the backbone of your own summary, just as it forms the backbone of the essay. 

However, even when a thesis statement isn't present—like in a novel—the writer always has an objective or main idea. You should always identify this idea and use it to form the foundation of your summary. 

The main point might be apparent at the outset of the work. Other times, the author won't present it until the conclusion. Sometimes you might identify multiple objectives throughout the work. That's why it's important, as you read, to note any ideas that might be the  main  idea. Even those that aren't the  most  important will likely remain relevant. 

Step 4: Note Other Important Elements

If something stands out to you about the work and seems to play an important role in the text's overall narrative or structure, make a note about it. This could be a recurring theme, an incident in the storyline, or a deviation from the overall argument. 

As you identify and note important elements and moments in the work, the structure of your summary should begin to fall into place. 

Step 5: Prepare to Write Your Summary 

Once you've finished reading the work, review your notes and highlight the key points that came to light. Remember, your summary should be objective, so disregard any opinions you might have noted about the work. You should introduce the thesis or objective, briefly encapsulate the important ideas and moments from the work, and end with a conclusion that ties those ideas to the objective. Keep this structure in mind as you begin. 

Step 6: Begin by Introducing the Work 

As you begin, introduce the work, its author, and, if relevant, the context.

Depending on your situation—for example, if your teacher or professor has asked you to summarize a work as part of an assignment or quiz—this might seem redundant. However, it is standard practice to begin by introducing the work, even if the reader already knows what you're writing about. 

Example:  In  The Great Gatsby , F. Scott Fitzgerald... 

Step 7: Present the Thesis, Main Idea, or Central Argument

Once you've introduced the work, your priority is to clearly define the author's thesis, important point, or central argument. As mentioned above, sometimes the author presents this idea clearly and succinctly at the outset of their work; at other times, it's buried deep in the text. 

Regardless of how the main idea is presented in the work, it should be front and center in your summary. Some teachers might refer to this as a "topic sentence" or "introductory sentence." This is the central point around which you will construct the rest of your writing. As you progress, you'll highlight other ideas or occurrences that relate or contribute to this main idea, so it's important that your representation of it is easily understood. 

Example:  In  The Great Gatsby , F. Scott Fitzgerald uses the story of Jay Gatsby as a symbol of the social stratification, greed, and indulgence of 1920s America. 

Step 8: Briefly Discuss the Important Elements of the Work

After identifying the thesis or central argument, you should provide a brief overview of the work's other elements, ideas, and plot points. For the most part, the information you present throughout this section should bolster the thesis presented previously. Each sentence should serve as a supporting point for the topic sentence. Don't simply list ideas or plot points, but show how they're connected and inform the work as a whole. Of course, there may also be important elements of the work that are not directly tied to the main idea; it's ok to include these if you feel they are vital to understanding the work.

When writing the body, you should consciously and intentionally leave out unnecessary details. They tend to bog down your writing and lose the reader. 

Example:  The narrator, Nick Carraway, moves to New York's "West Egg," where he reunites with his cousin, Daisy, and her husband, Tom Buchanan. Fitzgerald clearly delineates social lines between West Egg (new money) and East Egg (old money), where Tom and Daisy reside. 

Nick attends a lavish party thrown by his neighbor, Jay Gatsby, and learns Jay formerly had a relationship with Daisy. The two reignite their forbidden affair. Tom reveals to Daisy that Gatsby earned his money illegally, through smuggling alcohol, and is actually a man of humble Midwestern origins. Daisy and Gatsby try to run away together, but Daisy accidentally runs over Tom's mistress. Tom, eager to exact revenge, convinces his mistress' husband that Gatsby was to blame in her death, and he murders Gatsby before committing suicide. Few of Gatsby's many friends attend his funeral.

Step 9: Write a Conclusion that Ties It All Together

Much like you introduce the author's major point at the outset of your summary, you should revisit it as you close out your writing. If you presented the author's main idea in the introduction, and then bolstered that main idea by recollecting plot points or important elements from the work, your conclusion should then reiterate how those elements relate to the main idea. 

Example:  Though Gatsby subscribed to the extravagance of his peers, his efforts to fit into the upper echelon of West and East Egg were negated by his humble origins; always out of place, he was rejected for his social class as much as his perceived crimes.  

Step 10: Edit

Before submitting your work, read it in full, and edit out any superfluous and redundant information. It's likely that unnecessary details snuck in as you were writing, and you might find that certain plot points just feel unnecessary within the scope of your finished product. 

In addition to editing for content, be sure to edit it closely for grammatical or spelling errors. Even if your summary is well thought out, its expertise is compromised if it's full of errors! 

How to Write a Plot Summary

The step-by-step guide to writing an effective summary, outlined above, applies to most summaries. However, each type has its own unique elements outside of those standard requirements. 

A plot or book summary, for example, should encapsulate the plot of a short story or novel. When writing one, there are unique strategies to follow.  

Dos of Writing a Plot Summary

• Note plot points as the book or story unfolds. Especially in longer novels, it can be difficult to keep track of the twists and turns in the storyline. That's why we recommend taking notes as you read. 
• Use online study guides for inspiration. Websites like SuperSummary provide in-depth summaries free of charge. While this is a good starting point when writing your own, it should only be for inspiration. Don't copy examples online (that's plagiarism!). 
• Be sure to cover the three main arcs of every story: the exposition, climax, and conclusion. The exposition is the moment when the conflict or driving narrative is introduced. The climax is when that conflict comes to a head, and the narrative reaches its most dramatic moments. The conclusion is when the conflict is resolved or the story comes to an end. You should also include any inciting incidents (the first domino in a plot point).
• Connect the dots. Throughout, you should demonstrate an understanding of how events and characters are related, rather than introducing each element as an independent variable. Remember, you should tie each plot point back to the main idea. 

Don'ts of Writing a Plot Summary

• Don't just regurgitate the storyline. Rather than drone through the story plot point by plot point, you should highlight key moments in the narrative and direct them back to the author's objective. 
• Avoid repetitive phrases like "then" or "next." A key indication you're just repeating the storyline point by point is utilizing a phrase like "then" or "next." While you should recount the major incidents of the narrative, it shouldn't feel so formulaic. 
• Don't let it drag on. Books are long, but summarizing a book should still be short. While it depends on the assignment and the work in question, your summary should be 200 to 600 words, max.

Example :   In  The Great Gatsby , F. Scott Fitzgerald uses the story of Jay Gatsby as a symbol of the social stratification, greed, and indulgence of 1920s America.   The narrator, Nick Carraway, moves to New York's "West Egg," where he reunites with his cousin, Daisy, and her husband, Tom Buchanan. Fitzgerald clearly delineates social lines between West Egg (new money) and East Egg (old money), where Tom and Daisy reside. 

Nick attends a lavish party thrown by his neighbor, Jay Gatsby, and learns he formerly had a relationship with Daisy. When the two reignite their forbidden affair, disaster ensues. Tom reveals to Daisy that Gatsby earned his money illegally, through smuggling alcohol, and is actually a man of humble Midwestern origins. Daisy and Gatsby try to run away together, but Daisy accidentally runs over Tom's mistress. Tom, eager to exact revenge, convinces his mistress' husband that Gatsby was to blame in her death, and he murders Gatsby before committing suicide. Few of Gatsby's many friends attend his funeral.

Though Gatsby subscribed to the extravagance of his peers, his efforts to fit into the upper echelon of West and East Egg were negated by his humble origins; always out of place, he was rejected for his social class as much as his perceived crimes.

For an in-depth analysis of The Great Gatsby , check out the our study guide (we have an audio guide, too!).

How to Summarize an Article or Essay

The nature of an article or essay is quite different from a novel or short story, and in many ways, your summary should be too. The outline above remains the same, but the details are different. 

Here's what you should and shouldn't do when writing your article summary. 

Dos of Writing an Article Summary

• Skim the original article first. To develop a basic understanding of the article and the writer's objectives, skim the content before reading it closely. Doing so will help you to identify some of the key points and then pay attention to the arguments around them when you read the article in full. 
• Then read the article closely, marking key passages and ideas. Noting important ideas as you read will help you develop a deeper understanding of the writer's intentions.  
• Note headings and subheadings, which likely identify important points. In articles and essays, the author often utilizes subheadings to introduce their most important ideas. These subheadings can help guide your own writing. 
• Keep it short. The rule of brevity applies to article summaries too. In fact, because articles are usually short compared to novels or books, your text should be correlatively brief. And if you're utilizing the work as part of your own essay or argument, just a couple sentences will do.

Don'ts of Writing an Article Summary

• Don't ignore the conclusion. When reading a long article or essay, it can be tempting to overlook the conclusion and focus on the body paragraphs of the article. However, the conclusion is often where the author most clearly outlines their findings and why they matter. It can serve as a great foundation for your own writing. 
• Don't copy anything from the article directly—always paraphrase. If you copy any passages word-for-word from the article, be sure to identify them as quotations and attribute them to the author. Even this should be done sparingly. Instead, you should encapsulate their ideas within your own, abbreviated words.  
• Don't forget to include proper citations. If you do include a direct quotation from the article, be sure to properly cite them. You can learn how to properly cite quotations in our Academic Citation Resource Guide . 

Example Summary of  "Gatsby as a Drowned Sailor" :  In her essay, "Gatsby as a Drowned Sailor," Margaret Lukens posits that a major, and often overlooked, motif in  The Great Gatsby  is that of the "drowned sailor." The novel, she points out, is immersed in nautical symbols and themes, particularly in the scenes surrounding Jay Gatsby. For example, Gatsby grew up on the shores of Lake Superior, now owns a house on the Long Island Sound, and supposedly spends much of his time on his boat. 

Lukens nods to the nautical imagery throughout Gatsby's lavish party, as well as Nick's interactions with Gatsby. Many of these, she argues, foreshadow Gatsby's death in his pool. Even his funeral is a testament to the motif, with the few attendees soaked to the skin with rain. Lukens presents a thorough case for the overarching nautical motif in  The Great Gatsby  and her argument that though Gatsby hooked a big one, ultimately it was "the one that got away." 

FAQs: How to Write a Book Summary  

How do you summarize without plagiarizing .

By its very nature, a summary isn't plagiarizing because it should be written in your own words. However, there are cases where it might be difficult to identify an appropriate synonym, and the phrase remains somewhat close to the original. In this scenario, just be sure to differentiate the rest of the phrase as much as possible. And if you need to include a direct quote from the work, be sure to appropriately cite it. 

How to write a summary and a reaction? 

In some cases, your teacher may ask you to write a summary and a reaction. Whereas a summary is objective, a reaction is a matter of opinion. So in this case, you should present the actions or ideas of the work, then respond to those actions and ideas with your personal thoughts. 

Why write a summary? 

A summary is a helpful tool many educators use to test their students' comprehension of a text. However, it is also a useful study tactic because recounting what you read can help you organize and retain information. 

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How to Write a Summary

Last Updated: March 17, 2024 Approved

This article was co-authored by Richard Perkins . Richard Perkins is a Writing Coach, Academic English Coordinator, and the Founder of PLC Learning Center. With over 24 years of education experience, he gives teachers tools to teach writing to students and works with elementary to university level students to become proficient, confident writers. Richard is a fellow at the National Writing Project. As a teacher leader and consultant at California State University Long Beach's Global Education Project, Mr. Perkins creates and presents teacher workshops that integrate the U.N.'s 17 Sustainable Development Goals in the K-12 curriculum. He holds a BA in Communications and TV from The University of Southern California and an MEd from California State University Dominguez Hills. wikiHow marks an article as reader-approved once it receives enough positive feedback. This article received 26 testimonials and 90% of readers who voted found it helpful, earning it our reader-approved status. This article has been viewed 1,825,166 times.

Writing a summary is a great way to process the information you read, whether it’s an article or a book. If you’re assigned a summary in school, the best way to approach it is by reviewing the piece you’re summarizing. Read it thoroughly and take notes on the major points you want to include in your summary. When you get to writing your summary, rely on your memory first to make sure the summary is in your own words. Then, revise it to ensure that your writing is clear and the grammar, punctuation, and spelling are all perfect.

Sample Summaries

Reviewing the Piece

• The author might also state their thesis more plainly by saying something like "my argument is...." or I believe...
• In a fiction piece, the author will more likely emphasize themes. So if you notice that love - discussions or descriptions of it, for example - come up a lot, one of the main points of the piece is probably love.

• To put something in your own words, write it down as if you were explaining or describing it to a friend. In that case, you wouldn't just read what the author wrote. Do the same when you're writing down the major points in your own words.

• For fiction pieces, this means avoiding rewriting every single thing that happens in the piece. Focus instead on the major plot points and the main motivator for those points. Don't include everything that happens to the character along the way.

Writing The Summary in Your Own Words

• For example, you can start with something like “George Shaw’s '‘Pygmalion’' is a play that addresses issues of class and culture in early twentieth-century England.”

• If you absolutely must use the original author’s words, put them in quotation marks. This tells your reader those words aren’t yours. Not doing this is academic plagiarism, and it can get you in a lot of trouble.
• Make sure you format the quote correctly!

• For example, you might think that Hamlet spends a lot of time thinking and not a lot of time acting. You can say something like, "Hamlet is a man of thought, rather than action," instead of saying, "Why doesn't Hamlet do something once in a while?"

• In fiction pieces, you can say something like "Shakespeare's Hamlet then spends a lot of time brooding on the castle ramparts." This tells your reader you're talking about Shakespeare's play, not inventing your own story.

Revising Your Draft into a Coherent Summary

• If you notice an author has made the same point multiple times, though, it’s a good indicator that this is an important point, and it should definitely be in your summary.

• For example, in a summary of an article about the cause of the American Revolution, you might have a paragraph that summarizes the author's arguments about taxes, and another about religious freedom. You can say something like, "Although some colonists believed that taxes should entitle them to representation in Parliament, the author also argues that other colonists supported the Revolution because they believed they were entitled to representation in heaven on their own terms."

• Don't use spell-checker for spelling errors. It will catch if you spell something wrong, but not if you use the wrong spelling of a word. For example, it won't catch that you used "there" when you meant "their."

• Generally, a summary should be around one quarter the length of the original piece. So if the original piece is 4 pages long, your summary should be no more than 1 page. [13] X Research source

• Not only should they be comparing your work for accuracy, ask them to read it for flow and summation. They should be able understand what happened in the article or story by reading your summary alone. Don't hesitate to ask for criticism; then weigh those criticisms and make valid changes.

Expert Q&A

You Might Also Like

• ↑ http://teacher.scholastic.com/reading/bestpractices/comprehension/authorsmainidea.pdf
• ↑ Richard Perkins. Writing Coach & Academic English Coordinator. Expert Interview. 1 September 2021.
• ↑ http://utminers.utep.edu/omwilliamson/engl0310/summaryhints.htm
• ↑ https://public.wsu.edu/~mejia/Summary.htm
• ↑ http://www.hunter.cuny.edu/rwc/handouts/the-writing-process-1/invention/Guidelines-for-Writing-a-Summary

About This Article

Before you write a summary, read the piece you’re summarizing, then make notes on what you think the main point and major supporting arguments are. When you’re ready to draft your summary, start with the author and title, then use your own words to write what you think the author’s main point is in each section. Be sure to focus on what the author thinks and feels rather than what you do! Finally, reread your summary and check it for good spelling, punctuation, and grammar. For more suggestions from our reviewer about polishing your summary and improving transitions, read on! Did this summary help you? Yes No

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Writing an article summary.

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When writing a summary, the goal is to compose a concise and objective overview of the original article. The summary should focus only on the article's main ideas and important details that support those ideas.

Guidelines for summarizing an article:

• State the main ideas.
• Identify the most important details that support the main ideas.
• Summarize in your own words.
• Do not copy phrases or sentences unless they are being used as direct quotations.
• Express the underlying meaning of the article, but do not critique or analyze.
• The summary should be about one third the length of the original article. 

Your summary should include:

• Give an overview of the article, including the title and the name of the author.
• Provide a thesis statement that states the main idea of the article.
• Use the body paragraphs to explain the supporting ideas of your thesis statement.
• One-paragraph summary - one sentence per supporting detail, providing 1-2 examples for each.
• Multi-paragraph summary - one paragraph per supporting detail, providing 2-3 examples for each.
• Start each paragraph with a topic sentence.
• Use transitional words and phrases to connect ideas.
• Summarize your thesis statement and the underlying meaning of the article.

 Adapted from "Guidelines for Using In-Text Citations in a Summary (or Research Paper)" by Christine Bauer-Ramazani, 2020

Additional Resources

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How to Write a Summary - Guide & Examples  (from Scribbr.com)

Writing a Summary  (from The University of Arizona Global Campus Writing Center)

• Next: Writing an article REVIEW >>
• Last Updated: Mar 15, 2024 9:32 AM
• URL: https://libguides.randolph.edu/summaries

• How to Write a Summary

Proficient students understand that  summarizing , identifying what is most important and restating the text (or other media) in your own words, is an important tool for college success.

After all, if you really know a subject, you will be able to summarize it. If you cannot summarize a subject, even if you have memorized all the facts about it, you can be absolutely sure that you have not learned it. And, if you truly learn the subject, you will still be able to summarize it months or years from now.

Proficient students may monitor their understanding of a text by summarizing as they read. They understand that if they can write a one- or two-sentence summary of each paragraph after reading it, then that is a good sign that they have correctly understood it. If they can not summarize the main idea of the paragraph, they know that comprehension has broken down and they need to use fix-up strategies to repair understanding.

Summary Writing Format

• When writing a summary, remember that it should be in the form of a paragraph.
• A summary begins with an introductory sentence that states the text’s title, author and main point of the text as you see it.
• A summary is written in your own words.
• A summary contains only the ideas of the original text. Do not insert any of your own opinions, interpretations, deductions or comments into a summary.
• Identify in order the significant sub-claims the author uses to defend the main point.
• Copy word-for-word three separate passages from the essay that you think support and/or defend the main point of the essay as you see it.
• Cite each passage by first signaling the work and the author, put “quotation marks” around the passage you chose, and put the number of the paragraph where the passages can be found immediately after the passage.
• Using source material from the essay is important. Why? Because defending claims with source material is what you will be asked to do when writing papers for your college professors.
• Write a last sentence that “wraps” up your summary; often a simple rephrasing of the main point.

Example Summary Writing Format

In the essay Santa Ana , author Joan Didion’s main point is ( state main point ). According to Didion “… passage 1 …” (para.3). Didion also writes “… passage 2 …” (para.8). Finally, she states “… passage 3 …” (para. 12) Write a last sentence that “wraps” up your summary; often a simple rephrasing of the main point.

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• Authored by : Paul Powell. Provided by : Central Community College. Project : Kaleidoscope Open Course Initiative. License : CC BY: Attribution
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• Table of Contents

Instructor Resources (Access Requires Login)

• Overview of Instructor Resources

An Overview of the Writing Process

• Introduction to the Writing Process
• Introduction to Writing
• Your Role as a Learner
• What is an Essay?
• Reading to Write
• Defining the Writing Process
• Videos: Prewriting Techniques
• Thesis Statements
• Organizing an Essay
• Creating Paragraphs
• Conclusions
• Editing and Proofreading
• Matters of Grammar, Mechanics, and Style
• Peer Review Checklist
• Comparative Chart of Writing Strategies

Using Sources

• Quoting, Paraphrasing, and Avoiding Plagiarism
• Formatting the Works Cited Page (MLA)
• Citing Paraphrases and Summaries (APA)
• APA Citation Style, 6th edition: General Style Guidelines

Definition Essay

• Definitional Argument Essay
• How to Write a Definition Essay
• Critical Thinking
• Video: Thesis Explained
• Effective Thesis Statements
• Student Sample: Definition Essay

Narrative Essay

• Introduction to Narrative Essay
• Student Sample: Narrative Essay
• "Shooting an Elephant" by George Orwell
• "Sixty-nine Cents" by Gary Shteyngart
• Video: The Danger of a Single Story
• How to Write an Annotation
• Writing for Success: Narration

Illustration/Example Essay

• Introduction to Illustration/Example Essay
• "She's Your Basic L.O.L. in N.A.D" by Perri Klass
• "April & Paris" by David Sedaris
• Writing for Success: Illustration/Example
• Student Sample: Illustration/Example Essay

Compare/Contrast Essay

• Introduction to Compare/Contrast Essay
• "Disability" by Nancy Mairs
• "Friending, Ancient or Otherwise" by Alex Wright
• "A South African Storm" by Allison Howard
• Writing for Success: Compare/Contrast
• Student Sample: Compare/Contrast Essay

Cause-and-Effect Essay

• Introduction to Cause-and-Effect Essay
• "Cultural Baggage" by Barbara Ehrenreich
• "Women in Science" by K.C. Cole
• Writing for Success: Cause and Effect
• Student Sample: Cause-and-Effect Essay

Argument Essay

• Introduction to Argument Essay
• Rogerian Argument
• "The Case Against Torture," by Alisa Soloman
• "The Case for Torture" by Michael Levin
• How to Write a Summary by Paraphrasing Source Material
• Writing for Success: Argument
• Student Sample: Argument Essay
• Grammar/Mechanics Mini-lessons
• Mini-lesson: Subjects and Verbs, Irregular Verbs, Subject Verb Agreement
• Mini-lesson: Sentence Types
• Mini-lesson: Fragments I
• Mini-lesson: Run-ons and Comma Splices I
• Mini-lesson: Comma Usage
• Mini-lesson: Parallelism
• Mini-lesson: The Apostrophe
• Mini-lesson: Capital Letters
• Grammar Practice - Interactive Quizzes
• De Copia - Demonstration of the Variety of Language
• Style Exercise: Voice

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• How to Write a Summary | Guide & Examples

How to Write a Summary | Guide & Examples

Published on 25 September 2022 by Shona McCombes . Revised on 12 May 2023.

Summarising , or writing a summary, means giving a concise overview of a text’s main points in your own words. A summary is always much shorter than the original text.

There are five key steps that can help you to write a summary:

• Read the text
• Break it down into sections
• Identify the key points in each section
• Write the summary
• Check the summary against the article

Writing a summary does not involve critiquing or analysing the source. You should simply provide an accurate account of the most important information and ideas (without copying any text from the original).

Instantly correct all language mistakes in your text

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Table of contents

When to write a summary, step 1: read the text, step 2: break the text down into sections, step 3: identify the key points in each section, step 4: write the summary, step 5: check the summary against the article, frequently asked questions.

There are many situations in which you might have to summarise an article or other source:

• As a stand-alone assignment to show you’ve understood the material
• To keep notes that will help you remember what you’ve read
• To give an overview of other researchers’ work in a literature review

When you’re writing an academic text like an essay , research paper , or dissertation , you’ll integrate sources in a variety of ways. You might use a brief quote to support your point, or paraphrase a few sentences or paragraphs.

But it’s often appropriate to summarize a whole article or chapter if it is especially relevant to your own research, or to provide an overview of a source before you analyse or critique it.

In any case, the goal of summarising is to give your reader a clear understanding of the original source. Follow the five steps outlined below to write a good summary.

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You should read the article more than once to make sure you’ve thoroughly understood it. It’s often effective to read in three stages:

• Scan the article quickly to get a sense of its topic and overall shape.
• Read the article carefully, highlighting important points and taking notes as you read.
• Skim the article again to confirm you’ve understood the key points, and reread any particularly important or difficult passages.

There are some tricks you can use to identify the key points as you read:

• Start by reading the abstract . This already contains the author’s own summary of their work, and it tells you what to expect from the article.
• Pay attention to headings and subheadings . These should give you a good sense of what each part is about.
• Read the introduction and the conclusion together and compare them: What did the author set out to do, and what was the outcome?

To make the text more manageable and understand its sub-points, break it down into smaller sections.

If the text is a scientific paper that follows a standard empirical structure, it is probably already organised into clearly marked sections, usually including an introduction, methods, results, and discussion.

Other types of articles may not be explicitly divided into sections. But most articles and essays will be structured around a series of sub-points or themes.

Now it’s time go through each section and pick out its most important points. What does your reader need to know to understand the overall argument or conclusion of the article?

Keep in mind that a summary does not involve paraphrasing every single paragraph of the article. Your goal is to extract the essential points, leaving out anything that can be considered background information or supplementary detail.

In a scientific article, there are some easy questions you can ask to identify the key points in each part.

If the article takes a different form, you might have to think more carefully about what points are most important for the reader to understand its argument.

In that case, pay particular attention to the thesis statement —the central claim that the author wants us to accept, which usually appears in the introduction—and the topic sentences that signal the main idea of each paragraph.

Now that you know the key points that the article aims to communicate, you need to put them in your own words.

To avoid plagiarism and show you’ve understood the article, it’s essential to properly paraphrase the author’s ideas. Do not copy and paste parts of the article, not even just a sentence or two.

The best way to do this is to put the article aside and write out your own understanding of the author’s key points.

Examples of article summaries

Let’s take a look at an example. Below, we summarise this article , which scientifically investigates the old saying ‘an apple a day keeps the doctor away’.

An article summary like the above would be appropriate for a stand-alone summary assignment. However, you’ll often want to give an even more concise summary of an article.

For example, in a literature review or research paper, you may want to briefly summarize this study as part of a wider discussion of various sources. In this case, we can boil our summary down even further to include only the most relevant information.

Citing the source you’re summarizing

When including a summary as part of a larger text, it’s essential to properly cite the source you’re summarizing. The exact format depends on your citation style , but it usually includes an in-text citation and a full reference at the end of your paper.

You can easily create your citations and references in APA or MLA using our free citation generators.

APA Citation Generator MLA Citation Generator

Finally, read through the article once more to ensure that:

• You’ve accurately represented the author’s work
• You haven’t missed any essential information
• The phrasing is not too similar to any sentences in the original.

If you’re summarising many articles as part of your own work, it may be a good idea to use a plagiarism checker to double-check that your text is completely original and properly cited. Just be sure to use one that’s safe and reliable.

A summary is a short overview of the main points of an article or other source, written entirely in your own words.

Save yourself some time with the free summariser.

A summary is always much shorter than the original text. The length of a summary can range from just a few sentences to several paragraphs; it depends on the length of the article you’re summarising, and on the purpose of the summary.

With the summariser tool you can easily adjust the length of your summary.

You might have to write a summary of a source:

• As a stand-alone assignment to prove you understand the material
• For your own use, to keep notes on your reading
• To provide an overview of other researchers’ work in a literature review
• In a paper , to summarise or introduce a relevant study

To avoid plagiarism when summarising an article or other source, follow these two rules:

• Write the summary entirely in your own words by   paraphrasing the author’s ideas.
• Reference the source with an in-text citation and a full reference so your reader can easily find the original text.

An abstract concisely explains all the key points of an academic text such as a thesis , dissertation or journal article. It should summarise the whole text, not just introduce it.

An abstract is a type of summary , but summaries are also written elsewhere in academic writing . For example, you might summarise a source in a paper , in a literature review , or as a standalone assignment.

Cite this Scribbr article

If you want to cite this source, you can copy and paste the citation or click the ‘Cite this Scribbr article’ button to automatically add the citation to our free Reference Generator.

McCombes, S. (2023, May 12). How to Write a Summary | Guide & Examples. Scribbr. Retrieved 14 May 2024, from https://www.scribbr.co.uk/working-sources/how-to-write-a-summary/

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 Academic Summary Skills

What is a summary?

A summary is a synthesis of the main points of an article written in your own words. It is a combination of selecting the relevant information and condensing it so that it is no more than a third of the length of the original text. A good summary illustrates that you have understood the text clearly.  ( Written by AEUK, 2022)

Summarising video

A 9:30-minute video on how to summarise effectively using t he 6-key stages of summarising. It also includes an example summary and two practice activities.

Video Download Worksheet:  This is the worksheet that accompanies the video : here

Suggested Steps in Writing Summaries

Example summary.

This uses the suggested steps in writing summaries.

Goal Setting Theory

Developed in 1968 by Edwin A Locke, goal-setting theory is based on the premise that setting specific and measurable goals is more effective than establishing unclear goals.  In his article, Locke illustrates five principles for setting clear objectives. Clarity: goals need to be clear and specific. Challenge: goals should be challenging because goals that are too easy are demotivating. Commitment: People need to be committed to the goal or they are less likely to achieve the goal. Feedback: Regular feedback should be provided to ensure the individual remains on track. Task complexity: goals should be broken down into smaller goals (Wrobleski, 2019).

Sample Notes

GST: specific & measurable goals more effective than unclear goals (Edwin A Locke, 1968).

• Clarity: goals = clear & specif.
• Chall: Not too easy > demot.
• Commit: No commit., no achieve.
• FB: provide fb reg.
• Task complex.: Div. tasks into manageable tasks.
• (Wrobleski, 2019).

Possible summary for Goal-Setting Theory

Drawing on the work of Edwin A Locke, Wrobleski (2019) defines goal setting theory as an idea where setting specific and measurable goals is more productive than specifying unclear goals. There are five fundamentals for setting clear aims: clarity, challenge, commitment, feedback and task complexity. 

 Summary Practice 1

• Read the text on Data D emocratization below.  Write a summary of between 30-50 words using the above ‘suggested steps in writing summaries’.

Democratizing IT

Data democratization refers to the process of making digital information available and accessible to everyone within an organisation, regardless of their technical know-how. It means empowering employees to work with data, understand data and make faster data-informed decisions. According to Marr (2021), when staff members are given access to the organisation’s data, operations become more streamlined and efficient as those who know the business will not have to wait for data scientists to analyse the data for them. However, organisations who democratize data need to have a strong leadership in place to ensure the data is properly managed.

Data democrat. = all elec. Info. avail. to  all employees.

Employees = work & undRst data & make faster decisions.

Bus. become more efficient = no waiting for IT specialists to analyse data (Marr, 2021).

But need good leader = ensure data is managed properly.

Possible summary for Data Democratization

Data democratization means making electronic information obtainable to all employees in an organisation. According to Marr (2021), this enables operations to become more systematic as the staff do not have to wait for IT specialists to analyse the data. However, as data must be managed appropriately, good leadership is essential.  

 Summary Practice 2

• Read the text on Behavioural Economics  below.  Write a summary of between 30-50 words using the above ‘suggested steps in writing summaries’.

Behavioural economics

Behavioural economics is a field of economics that incorporates the studies of psychology, neuroscience and sociology to better understand the decision-making processes of individuals (The Observer, 2017). This fairly new subject aims to gain a deeper understanding of why people, at times, make choices that are irrational and the thoughts and emotions that underpin the decisions made (The Guardian, 2017). Decisions, according to Samson (2018), such as whether to pay more for a certain brand, how much to spend on a holiday and which candidate to support in a public vote all involve a decision-making process and it is this mechanism that behavioural economists attempt to understand in order to predict human behaviour.

Behav, Econ. = econ. + psy, neurosci + sociol.

Aim = Better undRst DM process of ppl. (The Observer, 2017).

New sub.  -> deep undRst why ppl make rash D & thoughts & emo. underpin. dec. (The Guardian, 2017).

E.g, pay + 4 cert. brand,  how much 2 pay 4 hol. & who 2 vote for invol. DM. (Samson, 2018).

Behav. Econ. tries 2 undRst DM to predict hum. bev. 

Possible summary for Behavioural Economics

The Observer (2017) defines behavioural economics as a combination of economics and  psychological subjects used to analyse the decision-making process of individuals in order to predict human behaviour (Samson, 2017). Behavioural economists try to understand why people sometimes make poor choices and the thoughts that led to the decisions made (The Guardian, 2017). 

Writing Skills   summary writing

Here are six summary lessons based around 3 topics: general academic, business and STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics). Each topic has two lessons: introduction to summary writing and improve your summary writing. 

Introduction to Summary Writing: 1A General Academic 

Suitable for students beginning their academic studies, this lesson supports students through the summary writing process. It includes an introductory worksheet, an information guide and five practice   tasks which are based on general academic themes. Sample notes and sample summaries are also provided .   Example  Level  ** ** *  [B1/ B2/C1]   TEACHER MEMBERSHIP  / INSTITUTIONAL MEMBERSHIP

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Introduction to Summary Writing: 1B Business

Suitable for students beginning their academic studies, this lesson supports students through the summary writing process. It includes an introductory worksheet, an information guide and five practice   tasks which are based on a range of business topics. Sample notes and sample summaries are also provided .   Example  Level  ** ** *  [B1/ B2/C1]   TEACHER MEMBERSHIP  / INSTITUTIONAL MEMBERSHIP

Introduction to Summary Writing: 1C STEM 

Suitable for students beginning their academic studies, this lesson supports students through the summary writing process. It includes an introductory worksheet, an information guide and five practice   tasks which are based on STEM topics. Sample notes and sample summaries are also provided .   Example  Level  ** ** *  [B1/ B2/C1]   TEACHER MEMBERSHIP  / INSTITUTIONAL MEMBERSHIP

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Summary lessons.

These next lessons follow on from the above introduction to summary writing.

Improve your Summary Writing: 2A General Academic

Following on from summary writing 1A, this lesson provides students with further practice on the summary writing process. It includes a review worksheet, two practice tasks which are based on general academic subjects and a peer feedback checklist.  Sample notes and sample summaries are also provided . Example  Level  *** **   [B1/ B2/C1]   TEACHER MEMBERSHIP  / INSTITUTIONAL MEMBERSHIP

Improve your Summary Writing: 2B Business

Following on from summary writing 1B, this lesson, this lesson provides students with further practice on the summary writing process. It includes a review worksheet, two practice tasks which are based on business topics and a peer feedback checklist. Sample notes and sample summaries are also provided . Example  Level  *** **   [B1/ B2/C1]   TEACHER MEMBERSHIP  / INSTITUTIONAL MEMBERSHIP

Improve your Summary Writing: 2C STEM

Following on from summary writing 1C, this lesson, this lesson provides students with further practice on the summary writing process. It includes a review worksheet, two practice tasks which are based on STEM subjects and a peer feedback checklist. Sample notes and sample summaries are also provided . Example  Level  *** * *  [B1/ B2/C1]   TEACHER MEMBERSHIP  / INSTITUTIONAL MEMBERSHIP

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Academic Reading to Writing Summary

AEUK Academic Reading summaries have been specifically written for university reading tests. The texts are based around academic journals and the lesson includes key points with support and a model answer. Also includes a critical thinking worksheet.

A short 8-minute listening lecture written by AEUK on Amazon. It discusses the company, recruitment, recent criticisms of safety and Amazon’s response,  It includes a video, test questions, tapescript and PPT.   Exampl e.  Level *** ** [B2/C1]  / Video [9.10] /  MP3 / PPT link in download  / TEACHER MEMBERSHIP / INSTITUTIONAL MEMBERSHIP

Summary writing: the path to brexit.  .

The text discusses the background history of the EU, its three key treaties and the economics of the EU. It then highlights the dissatisfaction of EU policy in the UK that led to the referendum and then explores the future policies of leaving the EU.The summary writing task consists of a note-taking worksheet, a summary writing task, critical thinking questions, sample notes, a sample summary and sample critical thinking answers. ( Example )   Level *** ** [ B2/C1] TEACHER MEMBERSHIP  / INSTITUTIONAL MEMBERSHIP

Reading Test: The path to Brexit.

The text discusses the background history of the EU, its three key treaties and the economics of the EU. It then highlights the dissatisfaction of EU policy in the UK that led to the referendum and then explores the future policies of leaving the EU. The reading test worksheet tests  headings / T,F,NG / open answers / gap fill / information tables / reference words / vocabulary . ( Example ).  Level *** ** [ B2/C1]   TEACHER MEMBERSHIP   /   INSTITUTIONAL MEMBERSHIP

Summary Writing: CSR – Corporate Social Responsibility

The text discusses the popularity of CSR and its historical evolution from the 1950s. It highlights the key values associated with effective CSR policies and examines the key challenges of implementing it. Finally, the author points out that there are still a number of areas that need to be addressed regarding transparency and better legislation . The summary writing task consists of a note-taking worksheet, a summary writing task, critical thinking questions, sample notes, a sample summary and sample critical thinking answers.   ( Example ) .  Level *** ** [ B2/C1 ] TEACHER MEMBERSHIP  / INSTITUTIONAL MEMBERSHIP

Reading Test: CSR – Corporate Social Responsibility

The text discusses the popularity of CSR and its historical evolution from the 1950s. It highlights the key values associated with effective CSR policies and examines the key challenges of implementing it. Finally, the author points out that there are still a number of areas that need to be addressed regarding transparency and better legislation. The reading test worksheet tests   headings / T,F,NG / open answers / gap fill / information tables / reference words / vocabulary.  ( Example )  Level *** ** [ B2/C1]  TEACHER MEMBERSHIP   /   INSTITUTIONAL MEMBERSHIP

Circular Economy. Reading & Summary Writing Lesson 

The text provides an overview of both the linear and circular economy. It discusses the positive aspects of a circular economy and how economies can change to this new model. The summary writing task consists of a note-taking worksheet, a summary writing task, critical thinking questions, sample notes, a sample summary and sample critical thinking answers.  ( Example )  Level *** ** [ B2/C1 ] TEACHER MEMBERSHIP  / INSTITUTIONAL MEMBERSHIP

Reading Test: The Circular Economy 

The text provides an overview of both the linear and circular economy. It discusses the positive aspects of a circular economy and how economies can change to this new model.The reading test worksheet tests  headings / T,F,NG / open answers / gap fill / information tables / reference words / vocabulary.  ( Example )  Level *** ** [ B2/C1 ]   TEACHER MEMBERSHIP   /   INSTITUTIONAL MEMBERSHIP

TED Talk: A short listening lecture on what is the circular economy, how humans are the stewards of the earth and have a responsibility to protect it and examples of how the circular economy works. Exampl e.  Level *** ** [B2/C1]  / Video [13.13] / TEACHER MEMBERSHIP / INSTITUTIONAL MEMBERSHIP

Covid-19 pandemic, covid-19: reading & summary writing lesson.

The text provides an explanation of COVID-19, its possible origins, the global transmission of the virus, global responses and future control. The summary writing task consists of a note-taking worksheet, a summary writing task, critical thinking questions, sample notes, a sample summary and sample critical thinking answers . Example   Level *** ** [ B2/C1 ] TEACHER MEMBERSHIP  / INSTITUTIONAL MEMBERSHIP

Reading Test: COVID-19 Pandemic 

The text provides an explanation of COVID-19, its possible origins, the global transmission of the virus, global responses and future control. The reading test worksheet includes:  headings / T,F,NG / open answers / gap fill / information tables / reference words / vocabulary. Example     Level *** ** [ B2/C1 ]   TEACHER MEMBERSHIP   /   INSTITUTIONAL MEMBERSHIP

COVID-19 – Lecture Listening Test

This is a lecture on defining COVID-19, how COVID-19 affects the body, typical symptoms, why some people get sick and others don’t, COVID-19 mutations and recent vaccines. It includes a video, test questions and PPT. Worksheet Example   Level *** ** [B2/C1]   PPT link  /  Video   [12.14] / MP3 / TEACHER MEMBERSHIP / INSTITUTIONAL MEMBERSHIP

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Amazing value – five lessons in one book. introduction (internet research), reading test, summary writing, 1 x lecture listening & a seminar / example /   webpage link /, economic inequality, economic inequality: summary  reading & writing lesson.

The text discusses what is economic inequality and how it is measured. It also discusses the unfairness of wealth distribution between the rich and the poor and suggests possible solutions to address the situation. The summary writing task consists of a note-taking worksheet, a summary writing task, critical thinking questions, sample notes, a sample summary and sample critical thinking answers.  ( Example) Level *** ** [ B2/C1 ] TEACHER MEMBERSHIP  / INSTITUTIONAL MEMBERSHIP

Reading Test: Economic Inequality.

The text defines economic inequality. It discuses differences in income distribution between the rich and poor, it highlights how inequality is measured and offers a range of solutions to address income inequality. The reading test worksheet tests  headings / T,F,NG / open answers / gap fill / information tables / reference words / vocabulary.  ( Example )  Level *** ** [ B2/C1]   TEACHER MEMBERSHIP   /   INSTITUTIONAL MEMBERSHIP

Economic Inequality- Lecture Listening Lesson

This is a lecture on what is economic inequality, how is wealth distributed, how the past has affected the present and the current debate. it includes a video, test questions and ppt ( example ).   level *** ** [b2/c1] / ppt link in download   /   video   [10.00] teacher membership / institutional membership, economic inequality lesson pdf book, amazing value – five lessons in one book. introduction, definition, reading test & summary writing, 1 x lecture listening, [extra reading text] & seminar / example.

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Ethical Consumerism

Ethical  consumerism : reading & summary writing lesson.

The text provides a clear definition of ethical consumerism, discusses what is and what isn’t ethical consumerism and summarises the future of ethical consumption. The summary writing task consists of a note-taking worksheet, a summary writing task, critical thinking questions, sample notes, a sample summary and sample critical thinking answers.   Level *** ** [ B2/C1 ] TEACHER MEMBERSHIP  / INSTITUTIONAL MEMBERSHIP

Reading Test: Ethical Consumerism 

The text provides a clear definition of ethical consumerism, discusses what is and what isn’t ethical consumerism and summarises the future of ethical consumption. The reading test worksheet tests  headings / T,F,NG / open answers / gap fill / information tables / reference words / vocabulary. More reading tests     Level *** ** [ B2/C1 ] TEACHER MEMBERSHIP / INSTITUTIONAL MEMBERSHIP

Ethical consumerism 

This is a lecture on defining  ethical consumerism, the associated problems with consumers and the positive advances in the ethical consumerism movement. It includes a video, test questions and PPT. More listening tests.   Level *** ** [B2/C1] PPT /  Video   [09.01] / MP3 /  TEACHER MEMBERSHIP / INSTITUTIONAL MEMBERSHIP

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Financial Crisis

Summary writing: the causes of the 2008 financial crisis.

The text discusses the background history of the financial crash through focusing on prime and sub-prime mortgage lending. It then explores the key reasons behind the profitable trading systems of that time, highlighting the collapse and then the following banking regulations that were introduced in 2009/2010. The summary writing task consists of a note-taking worksheet, a summary writing task, critical thinking questions, sample notes, a sample summary and sample critical thinking answers.  ( Example ) .  Level *** **  [ B2/C1 ]  TEACHER MEMBERSHIP  / INSTITUTIONAL MEMBERSHIP

Reading Test: The causes of the 2008 Financial Crisis

The text discusses the background history of the financial crash through focusing on prime and sub-prime mortgage lending. It then explores the key reasons behind the profitable trading systems of that time, highlighting the collapse and then the following banking regulations that were introduced in 2009/2010. The reading test worksheet tests  headings / T,F,NG / open answers / gap fill / information tables / reference words / vocabulary . ( Example ) .  Level *** * * [ B2/C1]   TEACHER MEMBERSHIP   /   INSTITUTIONAL MEMBERSHIP

The Gig Economy

Summary writing: the gig economy.

The text discusses the rise of the gig economy and makes an attempt to define exactly what it is. It then highlights key gig companies investigating the importance and limitations of this new contemporary employment platform. Finally, it puts forward the future challenges of the gig economy for employees, employers and society . The summary writing task consists of a note-taking worksheet, a summary writing task, critical thinking questions, sample notes, a sample summary and sample critical thinking answers.  ( Example ) . Level *** ** [ B2/C1 ] TEACHER MEMBERSHIP  / INSTITUTIONAL MEMBERSHIP

Reading Test: The Gig Economy  

The text discusses the rise of the gig economy and makes an attempt to define exactly what it is. It then highlights key gig companies investigating the importance and limitations of this new contemporary employment platform. Finally, it puts forward the future challenges of the gig economy for employees, employers and society. The reading test worksheet tests  headings / T,F,NG / open answers / gap fill / information tables / reference words / vocabulary . ( Example )   Level *** ** [ B2/C1]   TEACHER MEMBERSHIP   /   INSTITUTIONAL MEMBERSHIP

The Gig Economy – AEUK Test

This is a lecture on the defining the Gig Economy and discussing the positives and negatives of three Gig Economies (AirBnB, Uber and Task Rabbit). It includes a video, test questions and PPT (see example ).   Level *** ** [ B2/C1 ]  / PPT link in download /   Video   [ 12.14] TEACHER MEMBERSHIP / INSTITUTIONAL MEMBERSHIP

Gig Economy Lesson PDF Book

Amazing value – six lessons in one book. introduction, definition, reading test, summary writing, lecture listening & seminar  more information, summary writing: globalisation: international trade..

The text defines the key points associated with globalisation. It discusses the disparity of progression of trade between countries and highlights the integration of in-ward and out- ward looking policies. It finally points out that three key areas of international globalisation are imperative for the economic growth of a country. The summary writing task consists of a note-taking worksheet, a summary writing task, critical thinking questions, sample notes, a sample summary and sample critical thinking answers.  ( Example )  Level ***** [ B1/B2/C1 ] TEACHER MEMBERSHIP  / INSTITUTIONAL MEMBERSHIP

Reading Test: Globalisation: International Trade.

The text defines the key points associated with globalisation. It discusses the disparity of progression of trade between countries and highlights the integration of in-ward and out- ward looking policies. It finally points out that three key areas of international globalisation are imperative for the economic growth of a country. The reading test worksheet tests headings / T,F,NG / open answers / gap fill / information tables / reference words / vocabulary. ( Example )   Level *** ** [ B1/B2/C1]   TEACHER MEMBERSHIP   /   INSTITUTIONAL MEMBERSHIP

Globalisation: economic, political, & cultural relationships   –   by Edeos

This lecture discusses the key elements to the rise of globalisation. It focuses on the inter-connected relationships of politics, culture and the economy. It includes a lot of important vocabulary. The worksheet is based on note-taking followed by a gap-fill summary. ( E xample) . Level: *** ** [B2/C1]  /   Video [8.10]  / TEACHER MEMBERSHIP / INSTITUTIONAL MEMBERSHIP

Understanding happiness: Reading & Summary Writing Lesson 

The text discusses the three dimensions of happiness, happiness at home and work and the recent research into what are the important features of happiness. The summary writing task consists of a note-taking worksheet, a summary writing task, critical thinking questions, sample notes, a sample summary and sample critical thinking answers .  (  Example )  Level *** ** [ B2/C1 ] TEACHER MEMBERSHIP  / INSTITUTIONAL MEMBERSHIP

Reading Test: Understanding happiness 

The text discusses the three dimensions of happiness, happiness at home and work and the recent research into what are the important features of happiness. The reading test worksheet tests  headings / T,F,NG / open answers / gap fill / information tables / reference words / vocabulary.  ( Example )  Level *** ** [ B2/C1 ]   TEACHER MEMBERSHIP   /   INSTITUTIONAL MEMBERSHIP

  What makes a good life? – Robert Waldinger

TED TALK: Lessons from the longest study on happiness by Harvard. It discusses the success of the study and what the findings were. [ Example]   Level: ** ** * [B2/C1]  / Download PPT.  / Video [12:46]   /  TEACHER MEMBERSHIP / INSTITUTIONAL MEMBERSHIP

Happiness Lesson PDF Book  

Amazing value – six lessons in one book. introduction, definitions, questionnaire, reading test & summary writing, 1 x lecture listening & seminar / example /   webpage link, agenda setting theory: reading & summary writing lesson .

Mass communication: The text provides an overview of agenda setting in the media. It discusses its purpose, impact and relevancy in contemporary society. The summary writing task consists of a note-taking worksheet, a summary writing task, critical thinking questions, sample notes, a sample summary and sample critical thinking answers .  ( Example )  Level *** ** [ B2/C1 ] TEACHER MEMBERSHIP  / INSTITUTIONAL MEMBERSHIP

Reading Test : Mass Communication: Agenda Setting Theory 

The text provides an overview of agenda setting in the media. It discusses its purpose, impact and relevancy in contemporary society. The reading test worksheet tests  headings / T,F,NG / open answers / gap fill / information tables / reference words / vocabulary.  ( Example )  Level *** ** [ B2/C1 ]   TEACHER MEMBERSHIP   /   INSTITUTIONAL MEMBERSHIP

A 10-minute lecture on Gatekeeping Theory. The lecture provides a basic historical background, followed by key factors associated with the theory and finally discusses its role in the 21st century . Exampl e.  Level *** ** [B2/C1]  / Video [10.19] / MP3 /   PPT link in Download / TEACHER MEMBERSHIP / INSTITUTIONAL MEMBERSHIP

Mergers and acquisitions, reading & writing argument essay [mergers & acquisitions].

Topic: Mergers & Acquisitions . Two short texts (included) – students read the texts, make notes of key arguments ,  and write a 400-600 word essay using in-text referencing and paraphrasing. Lesson includes teacher notes, outline & a model essay [webpage] .   Example  Level **** * [ B2/C1] / TEACHER MEMBERSHIP  / INSTITUTIONAL MEMBERSHIP

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Noise Pollution:  Reading & Summary Writing Lesson

The text discusses what noise pollution is and how it has recently been recognised as harmful to health. The text explores recent empirical evidence into the detrimental effects of noise pollution and presents the W.H.O (2018) guidelines for reducing urban noise.The summary writing task consists of a note-taking worksheet, a summary writing task, critical thinking questions, sample notes, a sample summary and sample critical thinking answers .  Example. Level *** ** [ B2/C1 ] TEACHER MEMBERSHIP  / INSTITUTIONAL MEMBERSHIP

Reading Test: Noise Pollution – the under-estimated threat to health

The text discusses what noise pollution is and how it has recently been recognised as harmful to health. The text explores recent empirical evidence into the  detrimental  effects of noise pollution and presents the W.H.O (2018) guidelines for reducing urban noise. The reading test worksheet tests  headings / T,F,NG / open answers / gap fill / information tables / reference words / vocabulary.  ( Example )  Level *** ** [ B2/C1 ]   TEACHER MEMBERSHIP   /   INSTITUTIONAL MEMBERSHIP

Why Noise is bad for your health and what you can do about it.   – Mathias Basner

TED TALK: This lecture discusses the rise in environmental noise and its psychological and physical effects. It proposes a number of possible solutions to control and reduce noise. Level: ** *** [B1/B2/C1]  /   Video [09:58] TEACHER MEMBERSHIP / INSTITUTIONAL MEMBERSHIP

Noise Pollution Lesson PDF Book

Amazing value – five lessons in one book. introduction, definition, reading test, summary writing, lecture listening & seminar   more information, contemporary office design: reading & summary writing lesson .

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Reading Test: Contemporary Office Design 

The text discusses the evolution of open plan office space, important considerations in office planning, the drawbacks associated with open plan and possible solutions.The reading test worksheet tests  headings / T,F,NG / open answers / gap fill / information tables / reference words / vocabulary.  ( Example )  Level *** ** [ B2/C1 ]   TEACHER MEMBERSHIP   /   INSTITUTIONAL MEMBERSHIP

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Mobile phone addiction: reading & summary writing lesson .

The text discusses the rise in mobile phone use, the factors that lead to addiction and implications for the future. Students take notes on key ideas and write a summary of 200-250 words. The summary writing task consists of a note-taking worksheet, a summary writing task, critical thinking questions, sample notes, a sample summary and sample critical thinking answers.  ( Example )  Level *** ** [ B2/C1 ] TEACHER MEMBERSHIP  / INSTITUTIONAL MEMBERSHIP

Reading Test: Mobile Phone Addiction 

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Reading Test:  Why  are some countries poor? 

The text discusses how wealth is measured, how governments and institutions influence wealth, the importance of international trade and a range of possible solutions. The reading test worksheet tests  headings / T,F,NG / open answers / gap fill / information tables / reference words / vocabulary.  ( Example )  Level *** ** [ B2/C1 ]   TEACHER MEMBERSHIP   /   INSTITUTIONAL MEMBERSHIP

  Why some countries are poor and others are rich   – The School of Life

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TED Talk: In this short (12 minute) lecture, the speaker explains how MNCs use the ‘double Irish Dutch sandwich’ to significantly reduce their tax liabilities. He also explains why many corporations have left their home countries and have set up in London instead. The listening test consists of ten comprehension questions, six critical thinking questions and an answer key . Exampl e.  Level *** ** [B2/C1]  / Video [12.27] / TEACHER MEMBERSHIP / INSTITUTIONAL MEMBERSHIP

Video Games:  Reading & Summary Writing Lesson

The text discusses three serious health issues connected to playing video games. The text uses eight key sources to highlight gaming to be a future health concern . The summary writing task consists of a note-taking worksheet, a summary writing task, critical thinking questions, sample notes, a sample summary and sample critical thinking answers. Example. Level *** ** [ B2/C1 ] TEACHER MEMBERSHIP  / INSTITUTIONAL MEMBERSHIP

Reading Test: The impact of video games on health.

The text discusses three serious health issues connected to playing video games. The text uses eight key sources to highlight gaming to be a future health concern. The reading test worksheet tests  headings / T,F,NG / open answers / gap fill / information tables / reference words / vocabulary.  (see Example )  Level *** ** [ B2/C1 ]   TEACHER MEMBERSHIP   /   INSTITUTIONAL MEMBERSHIP

Your Brain on Video Games – Daphne Bavelier

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Video Games Lesson PDF Book

Amazing value – five lessons in one book. introduction, definition, reading test, summary writing, lecture listening & seminar. example . .

Topic: The World is Going to University (The Economist, 2015) . Two page text (Download from the Economist) – students read text, make notes of key ideas, relevant support & write a 250 word summary.  Then write a 150-word critical response. Lesson includes a plan, outline, main points & support, a model summary and model response [webpage] .     Example  Level  **** *  [ B2/C1]   TEACHER MEMBERSHIP  / INSTITUTIONAL MEMBERSHIP

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The 4th Industrial Revolution

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Reading Test: The 4th Industrial Revolution (Industry 4.0)

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What is the  Fourth Industrial Revolution? –  Graeme Codrington

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• How to write an executive summary, with ...

How to write an executive summary, with examples

The best way to do that is with an executive summary. If you’ve never written an executive summary, this article has all you need to know to plan, write, and share them with your team.

What is an executive summary?

An executive summary is an overview of a document. The length and scope of your executive summary will differ depending on the document it’s summarizing, but in general an executive summary can be anywhere from one to two pages long. In the document, you’ll want to share all of the information your readers and important stakeholders need to know.

Imagine it this way: if your high-level stakeholders were to only read your executive summary, would they have all of the information they need to succeed? If so, your summary has done its job.

You’ll often find executive summaries of:

Business cases

Project proposals

Research documents

Environmental studies

Market surveys

In general, there are four parts to any executive summary:

Start with the problem or need the document is solving.

Outline the recommended solution.

Explain the solution’s value.

Wrap up with a conclusion about the importance of the work.

What is an executive summary in project management?

In project management, an executive summary is a way to bring clarity to cross-functional collaborators, team leadership, and project stakeholders . Think of it like a project’s “ elevator pitch ” for team members who don’t have the time or the need to dive into all of the project’s details.

The main difference between an executive summary in project management and a more traditional executive summary in a business plan is that the former should be created at the beginning of your project—whereas the latter should be created after you’ve written your business plan. For example, to write an executive summary of an environmental study, you would compile a report on the results and findings once your study was over. But for an executive summary in project management, you want to cover what the project is aiming to achieve and why those goals matter.

The same four parts apply to an executive summary in project management:

Start with the problem or need the project is solving.  Why is this project happening? What insight, customer feedback, product plan, or other need caused it to come to life?

Outline the recommended solution, or the project’s objectives.  How is the project going to solve the problem you established in the first part? What are the project goals and objectives?

Explain the solution’s value.  Once you’ve finished your project, what will happen? How will this improve and solve the problem you established in the first part?

Wrap up with a conclusion about the importance of the work.  This is another opportunity to reiterate why the problem is important, and why the project matters. It can also be helpful to reference your audience and how your solution will solve their problem. Finally, include any relevant next steps.

If you’ve never written an executive summary before, you might be curious about where it fits into other project management elements. Here’s how executive summaries stack up:

Executive summary vs. project plan

A  project plan  is a blueprint of the key elements your project will accomplish in order to hit your project goals and objectives. Project plans will include your goals, success metrics, stakeholders and roles, budget, milestones and deliverables, timeline and schedule, and communication plan .

An executive summary is a summary of the most important information in your project plan. Think of the absolutely crucial things your management team needs to know when they land in your project, before they even have a chance to look at the project plan—that’s your executive summary.

Executive summary vs. project overview

Project overviews and executive summaries often have similar elements—they both contain a summary of important project information. However, your project overview should be directly attached to your project. There should be a direct line of sight between your project and your project overview.

While you can include your executive summary in your project depending on what type of  project management tool  you use, it may also be a stand-alone document.

Executive summary vs. project objectives

Your executive summary should contain and expand upon your  project objectives  in the second part ( Outline the recommended solution, or the project’s objectives ). In addition to including your project objectives, your executive summary should also include why achieving your project objectives will add value, as well as provide details about how you’re going to get there.

The benefits of an executive summary

You may be asking: why should I write an executive summary for my project? Isn’t the project plan enough?

Well, like we mentioned earlier, not everyone has the time or need to dive into your project and see, from a glance, what the goals are and why they matter.  Work management tools  like Asana help you capture a lot of crucial information about a project, so you and your team have clarity on who’s doing what by when. Your executive summary is designed less for team members who are actively working on the project and more for stakeholders outside of the project who want quick insight and answers about why your project matters.

An effective executive summary gives stakeholders a big-picture view of the entire project and its important points—without requiring them to dive into all the details. Then, if they want more information, they can access the project plan or navigate through tasks in your work management tool.

How to write a great executive summary, with examples

Every executive summary has four parts. In order to write a great executive summary, follow this template. Then once you’ve written your executive summary, read it again to make sure it includes all of the key information your stakeholders need to know.

1. Start with the problem or need the project is solving

At the beginning of your executive summary, start by explaining why this document (and the project it represents) matter. Take some time to outline what the problem is, including any research or customer feedback you’ve gotten . Clarify how this problem is important and relevant to your customers, and why solving it matters.

For example, let’s imagine you work for a watch manufacturing company. Your project is to devise a simpler, cheaper watch that still appeals to luxury buyers while also targeting a new bracket of customers.

Example executive summary:

In recent customer feedback sessions, 52% of customers have expressed a need for a simpler and cheaper version of our product. In surveys of customers who have chosen competitor watches, price is mentioned 87% of the time. To best serve our existing customers, and to branch into new markets, we need to develop a series of watches that we can sell at an appropriate price point for this market.

2. Outline the recommended solution, or the project’s objectives

Now that you’ve outlined the problem, explain what your solution is. Unlike an abstract or outline, you should be  prescriptive  in your solution—that is to say, you should work to convince your readers that your solution is the right one. This is less of a brainstorming section and more of a place to support your recommended solution.

Because you’re creating your executive summary at the beginning of your project, it’s ok if you don’t have all of your deliverables and milestones mapped out. But this is your chance to describe, in broad strokes, what will happen during the project. If you need help formulating a high-level overview of your project’s main deliverables and timeline, consider creating a  project roadmap  before diving into your executive summary.

Continuing our example executive summary:

Our new watch series will begin at 20% cheaper than our current cheapest option, with the potential for 40%+ cheaper options depending on material and movement. In order to offer these prices, we will do the following:

Offer watches in new materials, including potentially silicone or wood

Use high-quality quartz movement instead of in-house automatic movement

Introduce customizable band options, with a focus on choice and flexibility over traditional luxury

Note that every watch will still be rigorously quality controlled in order to maintain the same world-class speed and precision of our current offerings.

3. Explain the solution’s value

At this point, you begin to get into more details about how your solution will impact and improve upon the problem you outlined in the beginning. What, if any, results do you expect? This is the section to include any relevant financial information, project risks, or potential benefits. You should also relate this project back to your company goals or  OKRs . How does this work map to your company objectives?

With new offerings that are between 20% and 40% cheaper than our current cheapest option, we expect to be able to break into the casual watch market, while still supporting our luxury brand. That will help us hit FY22’s Objective 3: Expanding the brand. These new offerings have the potential to bring in upwards of three million dollars in profits annually, which will help us hit FY22’s Objective 1: 7 million dollars in annual profit.

Early customer feedback sessions indicate that cheaper options will not impact the value or prestige of the luxury brand, though this is a risk that should be factored in during design. In order to mitigate that risk, the product marketing team will begin working on their go-to-market strategy six months before the launch.

4. Wrap up with a conclusion about the importance of the work

Now that you’ve shared all of this important information with executive stakeholders, this final section is your chance to guide their understanding of the impact and importance of this work on the organization. What, if anything, should they take away from your executive summary?

To round out our example executive summary:

Cheaper and varied offerings not only allow us to break into a new market—it will also expand our brand in a positive way. With the attention from these new offerings, plus the anticipated demand for cheaper watches, we expect to increase market share by 2% annually. For more information, read our  go-to-market strategy  and  customer feedback documentation .

Example of an executive summary

When you put it all together, this is what your executive summary might look like:

Common mistakes people make when writing executive summaries

You’re not going to become an executive summary-writing pro overnight, and that’s ok. As you get started, use the four-part template provided in this article as a guide. Then, as you continue to hone your executive summary writing skills, here are a few common pitfalls to avoid:

Avoid using jargon

Your executive summary is a document that anyone, from project contributors to executive stakeholders, should be able to read and understand. Remember that you’re much closer to the daily work and individual tasks than your stakeholders will be, so read your executive summary once over to make sure there’s no unnecessary jargon. Where you can, explain the jargon, or skip it all together.

Remember: this isn’t a full report

Your executive summary is just that—a summary. If you find yourself getting into the details of specific tasks, due dates, and attachments, try taking a step back and asking yourself if that information really belongs in your executive summary. Some details are important—you want your summary to be actionable and engaging. But keep in mind that the wealth of information in your project will be captured in your  work management tool , not your executive summary.

Make sure the summary can stand alone

You know this project inside and out, but your stakeholders won’t. Once you’ve written your executive summary, take a second look to make sure the summary can stand on its own. Is there any context your stakeholders need in order to understand the summary? If so, weave it into your executive summary, or consider linking out to it as additional information.

Always proofread

Your executive summary is a living document, and if you miss a typo you can always go back in and fix it. But it never hurts to proofread or send to a colleague for a fresh set of eyes.

In summary: an executive summary is a must-have

Executive summaries are a great way to get everyone up to date and on the same page about your project. If you have a lot of project stakeholders who need quick insight into what the project is solving and why it matters, an executive summary is the perfect way to give them the information they need.

For more tips about how to connect high-level strategy and plans to daily execution, read our article about strategic planning .

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How To Write a LinkedIn Summary (With Examples)

• Smodin Editorial Team
• Published: May 14, 2024

Are you one of the hundreds of job seekers looking to make a lasting impression on recruiters and potential employers? It can be disheartening to feel like you’re just another number in a sea of graduates who are ready to start their careers.

But you don’t have to feel that way anymore!

Writing a compelling LinkedIn summary can make all the difference in how potential employers and connections see you. It’s not just about listing your job titles and responsibilities, it’s also about crafting a narrative that showcases your personality, achievements, and aspirations.

With a compelling LinkedIn summary, you can make yourself stand out. And crafting them can be really fun – especially with the help of a good writing tool like Smodin AI Writer !

Before you get started, though, there are a few things to remember:

• Always start with a good opening line or ‘hook.’
• You can relax and have fun with your summary! It doesn’t have to be overly formal.
• Always write in the first person and write as you would speak.
• Try to avoid blocks of text by breaking your summary up into paragraphs or sections.

Think you’re ready? Great! Then, it’s time to get typing and have the perfect summary on your LinkedIn profile with these tips below.

1. Express Your Passion

You can start your LinkedIn summary by expressing what it is that drives you in a professional context. Share what excites you the most about your work and the impact you want to make through it.

Whether you want to solve complex problems, foster innovation, or help others succeed – you should make sure to let your passion shine.

This is a great way to open your summary since it shows who you are in a professional context – and where you could potentially fit within a company. For employers, this also helps them to see whether you would be an asset to their particular organization.

2. Define Your Current Role

Next, you’ll want to define your current role and responsibilities. Just be sure to do this as simply as possible without too much technical jargon. In this context, simple is always best.

For example, you can explain exactly who you’re helping, what type of problems you’re solving, and the overall impact of your work. This will help hiring managers understand where your strengths lie and decide whether you would be a good fit for a specific role in their company.

You can also use this to highlight relevant skills you may have for the industry you’re working in – or the one you want to work in.

3. Describe Your Professional History

As you’re writing your summary, you’re going to want to take your readers on a journey through your professional background. Of course, this should highlight your achievements, important transitions, and significant milestones. Basically, anything that could potentially make you stand out against the ‘average Joe.’

It’s also a good idea to connect the dots between your past experiences with your current role and how they have shaped where you are now. A proven track record of your skills and value within a specific role or industry highlights your worth to employers.

If you have any unrelated roles or have been through a few career pivots, you can also frame these as valuable learning experiences.

4. Talk About Your Achievements

So now it’s time to brag (just a little) about what you’ve achieved in a professional context in your LinkedIn summary. Although it’s important not to come across as arrogant, you don’t want to diminish your accomplishments! Instead, you’re going to want to list your achievements clearly and directly.

Perhaps you’ve surpassed your sales targets or led a successful project. If you have, then you’re going to want to include that in your LinkedIn summary! If you’ve been given any awards or recognition for your work, this is a good time to mention them.

5. Show off Your Personality

Authenticity is key for a good LinkedIn summary. You want people to get to know who you are – not just what you do. By sharing things like anecdotes, personal stories, or even some humor, you can show off your personality and your voice.

By staying true to who you are, you can set yourself apart from the crowd. After all, nobody wants to read a LinkedIn summary that is just a repeat of someone else’s! Although there is a formula you can follow to write your summary, you don’t want to lose who you are in a generic post.

So, no matter what you do, just remember to be yourself and have fun with it!

6. Explain What You Like Outside of Work

So, you’ve spoken about your professional journey thus far. But that’s only one aspect of who you are! This is just another component of showing off your personality. And it gives potential employers a glimpse into who you are outside of the workplace.

Share a few personal details about your hobbies and interests, for example. Plus, if you do any volunteer work, then you can share about that, too!

If you can relate these to your professional strengths – even better! It will show how your hobbies enrich your personal perspective and contribute to your professional success.

7. Issue a Call to Action

You should always end your LinkedIn summary with a call to action. With this, you can invite readers to connect with you, explore job opportunities, or learn more about your work. You can also make it easier for them to follow up on this. You can do this by linking to relevant resources or providing them with the necessary contact information.

When you’re done, you’ll be left with a LinkedIn summary full of passion. Not only that but it will also be filled with authenticity and compelling storytelling. Remember, the story is all about you ! And by using this guide and a great writing tool like Smodin Writer , you can create a powerful narrative that attracts attention and opens doors for new opportunities.

LinkedIn Summary Examples for Recent Graduates

If you have recently graduated and you don’t have much (or any) professional experience, then don’t panic! There are plenty of ways to work around your lack of experience and still write an amazing summary!

1. Software Engineer LinkedIn Summary

As a recent graduate with a degree in Computer Science, I am passionate about leveraging technology to solve real-world problems.

My coursework focused on software development, algorithms, and database management. This has provided me with a strong foundation in coding and problem-solving.

During my internships, I contributed to developing scalable web applications and learned more about the importance of collaboration in agile professional environments.

Now, I’m eager to start a new career where I can apply my technical skills to innovate and create incredibly impactful solutions.

2. Graphic Designer LinkedIn Summary

Armed with a degree in Graphic Design and a creative mindset, I am really driven by the power of visual storytelling.

Through my coursework and freelance projects, I learned to master design principles, typography, and Adobe Creative Suite.

My internship experiences helped to expose me to client collaboration and project management. In turn, this refined my ability to transform everyday concepts into compelling visuals and works of art.

I’m excited to join a dynamic team where I can bring my ideas to life and make more meaningful connections through visual communication.

3. Data Science and Analytics LinkedIn Summary

I am a recent graduate with a degree in Statistics from Cornell University and an innate fascination for data-driven insights.

I’m extremely passionate about finding patterns and trends that encourage decision-making in today’s data-driven world.

During my studies, I specialized in data visualization and predictive modeling techniques. I also gained valuable hands-on experience with statistical software like R and Python.

Ultimately, my goal is to use my analytical skills to my advantage. I’m ready to solve complex problems to help drive business success through actionable insights.

4. Social Media Strategist LinkedIn Summary

Creative communications graduate with a knack for crafting compelling narratives and super-engaging content.

Through my studies and several internship roles, I’ve honed my skills in social media marketing, content creation, and community engagement for multiple brands.

I thrive in fast-paced environments where I can blend my creativity with data-driven strategies to boost brand awareness and improve audience engagement.

I’m excited to join a team of like-minded individuals and bring fresh ideas, unique perspectives, and approaches to the world of digital marketing.

5. Human Resources Professional LinkedIn Summary

Human resources graduate who is passionate about fostering a more inclusive workplace and supporting employee growth and development.

With a strong foundation in HR principles and labor laws, I’m eager to apply my knowledge to help your business recruit top talent, streamline HR processes, and drive your overall organizational success.

During my internship with Business X, I gained practical experience in multiple facets of HR. These include employee relations, performance management, and implementing strategies like diversity initiatives.

I am fully committed to promoting diversity, equity, and, above all else, inclusion in all aspects of HR practices.

6. Financial Analyst LinkedIn Summary

I am a recent cum laude finance graduate with a keen interest in financial markets and investment analysis.

I am equipped with strong quantitative skills and a solid understanding of financial principles. This enables me to analyze data, evaluate investment opportunities, and provide strategic financial recommendations based on performance.

During my studies, I became proficient in financial modeling, portfolio management, data analysis, and risk assessment. Now, I’m ready to start a new journey within a career where I can contribute to informed decision-making and help businesses achieve financial success.

LinkedIn Summary Examples for Attracting Recruiters

For some of you, having job experience isn’t a problem. Instead, you want to attract hiring managers and get them to notice your LinkedIn profile above all the other candidates so you can secure your dream job.

Well, if that’s the case, then here are a couple of examples that you can draw inspiration from to make sure you stand head and shoulders above the rest.

7. Experienced Marketing Manager LinkedIn Summary

Seasoned marketing professional with a track record of driving brand awareness and boosting customer engagement.

My expertise spans digital marketing, content strategy, campaign management, and social media management with a focus on data-driven decision-making.

Within my role, I have successfully led cross-functional teams to execute unique integrated marketing initiatives and optimize overall performance metrics.

I am known for my strategic mindset and creative problem-solving, and I thrive in fast-paced environments where I can drive results and inspire teams to go above and beyond. I am all about exceeding expectations.

8. Professional Sales Executive LinkedIn Summary

Hi! I’m John, and I’m an accomplished sales leader with over two years of experience in improving revenue growth and building better client relationships.

I excel in developing strategic sales plans and negotiating complex contracts, and I can easily identify market opportunities for brands and businesses.

I have a natural ability to understand client needs and tailor individual solutions to unique problems. This has resulted in consistently exceeding sales targets and fostering long-term partnerships for businesses.

As a passionate advocate for incredible customer service and success, I’m seeking new opportunities to utilize my expertise and boost business growth.

LinkedIn Summary Examples for Career Transitions

So you’ve managed to graduate and secure yourself a position. But that doesn’t always guarantee you’re going to be happy in the role you’ve chosen! For example, if you studied finance, you may not want to be an accountant, right? Rather, you might want to work in financial planning for a business or show off your skills as an investment banker.

When you’re trying to make a switch, you can use these two handy examples below to get you started:

9. Transitioning Project Manager LinkedIn Summary

Professional project manager transitioning from the finance sector to renewable energy.

With a background in leading cross-functional teams and managing complex projects, I bring a wealth of transferable skills in stakeholder management, as well as budgeting and planning.

I have been inspired by the potential for sustainable innovation. Now, I’m excited to apply my strategic mindset and problem-solving abilities. I’m excited to use them to implement impactful initiatives in the renewable energy sector.

I am committed to continuous learning and growth, which translates into my eagerness to embark on this new career path.

10. Changing Careers to a UX Designer LinkedIn Summary

Experienced educator transitioning to a career in User Experience (UX) design.

With a background in instructional design and a passion for human-centered solutions, I believe I bring a unique perspective to the field of UX.

Through coursework and self-directed learning, I have achieved proficiency in wireframing and prototyping. I also have a good understanding of user research methodologies.

My ability to empathize with diverse user groups and translate insights into intuitive design sets me apart. This is why I’m keen to combine my creative skills with my analytical mindset to create more impactful user experiences.

What If I Don’t Have Much Work Experience?

Don’t worry if you’re light on experience! You can still put your best foot forward in your LinkedIn summary by highlighting your academic achievements. You can also mention any cool projects and internships you’ve tackled.

Consider any relevant skills you’ve gained in those experiences, like problem-solving or teamwork.

Here’s another tip: Try to sprinkle in some keywords from job descriptions related to your dream job. It will help your profile pop up in search results!

How Can I Make My Summary Stand out From Other Fresh Graduates?

To make your LinkedIn bio stand out from other job seekers, personalize it with your unique experiences and aspirations. You can also share specific examples of projects, internships, or coursework that will show off your skills and passion for your field.

Of course, you should always use engaging language and storytelling to grab your reader’s attention. As we mentioned above, including keywords related to your industry in your LinkedIn summary can optimize your searchability. So, don’t forget to add a few!

Should I Include Personal Interests or Hobbies in My Summary?

You should absolutely include your personal interests or hobbies in your LinkedIn summaries. This can jazz up your profile and give folks a peek into your life outside work, which can help to ‘humanize’ your profile. Just remember to only include hobbies that are relevant and add some ‘pizzazz’ to your professional image.

So, if your interests align with your career goals or show off cool traits like your creativity, then go ahead and add them in. It’s all about adding that personal touch!

How Long Should My LinkedIn Summary Be?

LinkedIn summaries should always be short and to the point. But what do we mean by a concise summary? Well, it should be around three to five small paragraphs that have around three sentences each.

By keeping your summary short, you can avoid waffling or having walls of text for recruiters to read. It will also force you to include only the most relevant information!

Final Thoughts

Crafting a LinkedIn summary that stands out can be trickier than it seems. That’s because it’s more than just listing job titles. It’s also about creating a narrative that shows off your personality and achievements.

Luckily, by following a few simple guidelines, you can create an interesting LinkedIn summary that sets you apart from your peers. Just don’t forget to add in a few personal interests and a call to action to wrap it all up! So, what are you waiting for?

It’s time to get typing with the help of Smodin.