Restating information in your own words in a shortened version.
A summary includes the thesis or central argument and supporting main ideas.
Never restate main ideas including the thesis. Do not write a summary like an essay (with main points often repeated).
Summarizing…
Include direct quotations only when appropriate and sparingly.
Do not add your opinions in the middle of summarizing unless you have clearly marked these ideas as yours and not the original author’s. Reintroduce the author’s name to clarify any confusing parts to the reader.
The length of the summary is determined by your purpose in writing it and the length of the original work.
Always acknowledge the author’s last name either in a parenthetical citation or in the body of the text.