Effective Steps for Writing a Summary Sentence - INK (2024)

A summary sentence is a shorter version of the original sentence. A good summary should be concise, accurate, and objective. It should be similar to the original sentence and convey the same meaning, but in an abridged version.

Summary Sentence: What it Entails

Writing a good sentence summary can help you understand a text in and out and make learning effective. Summary sentences help reinforce the central idea of the content and give the reader a good understanding of what it entails.

It is essential not to leave the vital points out when summarizing a sentence. The goal of summarizing is to give a clear overview of the content. The summary of a text must digest, condense, and present the essential ideas to the reader.

How to Write a 3-Sentence Summary

Writing a three-sentence summary can be challenging, but it doesn’t have to be. It just requires a bit of creativity and some platform knowledge. If you start by thinking about what idea your summary is trying to convey, you can keep it flowing. Consider this a guide to help you clearly and effectively communicate your message.

Step 1: Determine the Purpose of the Summary.

It is necessary to understand what you want your reader to know. Your summary should give the reader an overall idea of the text. To achieve this, you must first read and analyze the text carefully. Have a general overview of what the text is talking about and pen down essential points. Read the text adequately to get a full grasp of the central idea.

Step 2: Approach Your Summary with Your Qualitative Message in Mind.

Liken your message to a menu, and pick three essential ideas that you want to communicate. Choose the main thoughts that best describe the text and put each thought in a sentence. Ensure that you powerfully state each point. Keep your focus qualitative. It could be a good, bad, or neutral thing about your topic.

Step 3: Choose Keywords that Support Your Key Insights.

Choose words that best represent your three main points. Make sure to emphasize the point you want your reader to understand easily. Ensure that each word or thought you use is phrased clearly. It is far better to use simple words and make your summary straightforward than to use many complex terms and make it complicated.

Step 4: Write the Summary.

Although you’re required to write a three-sentence summary, it’s important to remember the underlying purpose of the document or project. The most important thing to remember is that a summary is a small window into a great deal of information. Your summary should convey the message of the original content properly.

General Tips for Writing Sentence Summary

• Write your summary in the form of a paragraph.
• Begin your summary with an introductory sentence that explains the text’s main point.
• Your summary should contain only the essential ideas from the original text. Don’t include your opinions and deductions of the text or any additional detail.
• Outline the key points. Be sure to include an introduction, middle, and conclusion.
• Do not lift sentences and phrases from the original text; instead, use your words.
• When you copy word-for-word from the original text, remember to cite the author. Use quotation marks around the passage to indicate that it is the exact words of another person.

Conclusion

As with any paper, a sentence summary should be unambiguous. Keep the reader in mind when you write and don’t add unnecessary words. Your sentence summary should convey your paper’s purpose, key insights, and conclusions.

Writing a good sentence summary is not a complex process; it is vital in presenting your work professionally.