How do you summarize an article?
Read the whole article once to find its main point. Then jot down the key points in your own words. Skip the examples, side notes, and filler. Now write 3 to 5 sentences that say what the article is about and the main reasons or evidence behind it. No opinions, no copied lines. Aim for about a third of the original length.
First read for the big picture. What is the writer actually trying to say? It usually shows up early, in the intro or the first few paragraphs. Once you have that main point, read again and mark the lines that hold it up. Those are your key points.
Then cut hard. Examples, repeated ideas, and background detail can go. They support the article but you don't need them in a summary. Keep only what someone would need to understand the point without reading the whole thing.
Now write it in your own words. Start with what the article is about, then add the main reasons or evidence. Don't copy sentences straight out, and leave your own opinion off the page. A summary tells people what the article said, not what you think of it.
- 1Read the whole article once just to get the main point.
- 2Find the one idea everything else is built around.
- 3Read again and mark the key points that back it up.
- 4Cross out examples, repeats, and background filler.
- 5Write 3 to 5 sentences in your own words: main idea first, then the support.
- 6Check it against the article: nothing copied, no opinions, about a third the length.