Summary Writing

„Summarise the text“ or „Summarise the content of the extract given.” are common tasks set for pupils who learn a foreign language. For most of them, it is a highly challenging one worth practising. I collected some hints that might help them write a summary.  

Why does one have to write a summary?

A summary refers to the general comprehension of a text and it usually comprises a length of 25-30% of the original text. With regards to analyses and interpretation, it is defined as a key qualification deciphering the content of a certain text. In this way, it is possible to analyse the text’s structure (of argumentation) just as introduced linguistic and stylistic devices. Only if the message of a text is clearly identified, one will be able to both analyse and interpret the meaning of a text thoroughly and consider a broader context in terms of content and style.

How to prepare a summary

Every summary referring to the content of a text begins with an umbrella sentence, presenting (so far as this in known) information about the author, type of the text, publication date and the text’s thematic emphasis. The following key questions may be useful when developing the structure of a summary:

factual texts	literary texts (or extracts)
What is the theme/problem of the text? What is the author’s intention? How is his/her argumentation structured?	What is the situation like? Who are the protagonists and how do they behave? What is the general atmosphere of the text? What is the theme/problem of the text? How is the text structured?

When dealing with these key questions, it is always necessary to make a clear decision about other rather general but indispensable questions:

> What is of central importance?

> Which information can be considered as trivial and support the creative character of a text?

> Which points do not necessarily have to be mentioned?

> Is it possible to understand the message of the text even without the mentioning of these points?

> What is repeated and redundant?

Writing a summary

Obviously, the answers of the key questions build a basic component and serve as fabric for the summary but sometimes a detailed outline can be helpful as well. As a general rule, it is only allowed to introduce remarks that can actually be verified and found in the original text. In addition to that, the logic of argumentation should be clear and comprehensible.

Length: about one third or one fourth of the original text

Tense: present tense

Transformation: Pronouns, temporal adverbs and statements about location are changed (like in indirect speech, i.e. I becomes he or she, yesterday becomes the day before, here becomes there)  

Taboo: A summary neither includes direct speech nor quotations nor any judgmental personal statements!

With regards to linguistic features, a summary tends to require a slightly elevated level and a certain degree of abstraction. It is of conceptual nature and needs to be distinguished from a report or an account. The usage of generalisations and shortenings are necessary in order to achieve the already mentioned degree of abstraction:  

General terms: means of transport instead of car, bike and underground

Extensive evaluating verbs: to focus on, to claim, to maintain, to criticise, to report, to illustrate, …

Generalising adjectives: to be worried about, to be reluctant, to be concerned with, …

Conjunctions: temporal (before, when), causal (because, as, so), conditional (if, unless), concessive (though, although), contrastive (but, instead of), consecutive (so that, thus).

Abiturprüfungsaufgaben und Lösungen 2009 Brandenburg/Berlin. 4th ed. Freising, GER: Stark Verlag, 2008. Print.