Characteristics of a Good Summary Brief Complete Paraphrased Objective Steps in Writing a Summary Prewriting Read the article carefully making sure you understand the contents Annotate the article noting the thesis statement and the major supporting details Using your annotations create an outline that shows the main organization of the article Steps in Writing a Summary Writing Begin with a sentence that includes author s name title of the article thesis of the article According to Joe Smith in Healthy Eating for Life the foods we choose to eat influence the length and quality of our lives Joe Smith states in Healthy Eating for Life that the foods we choose to eat influence the length and quality of our lives Steps in Writing a Summary Writing Follow with sentences that paraphrase major supporting points Paraphrase state in your own words Enclose any directly quoted material in quotation marks After the first sentence refer to the author by last name or as the author Smith states a diet high in animal fats and sugars can lead to obesity and cardiovascular problems How to Condense a Summary Omit examples Omit restatements Create lists to combine key points from multiple sentences or paragraphs Steps in Writing a Summary Revising Compare the summary to the original article to make sure you have included all the important points Double check to make sure you have paraphrased the material accurately Proofread for complete sentences correct grammar punctuation and spelling