Writing a Summary Paragraph

Here are suggestions for how to do it:

1. Carefully read the article and circle anything you don’t understand.  Consult a classmate, friend, teacher, tutor, dictionary or other reference source to help you understand any points or references that are unclear.

2. Underline the main ideas of the article.  Underline significant supporting details.

3. Write the main ideas and significant details in your own words. Try not to copy the original words.  However, sometimes you will need to use special words exactly as they are, especially if the words are technical.

4. Use the ideas to write a one-paragraph summary.  Begin the paragraph by citing the source (author, title, source) and giving the main point of the article.

5. Revise for grammar (especially verb forms and word usage) and mechanics (capitalization, punctuation, and spelling). 

6. Recopy neatly.