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Writing Summaries for the WPE

Many WPE topics ask students to read and summarize an essay or article. A summary is a condensed statement conveying the main points of a longer work; ideally, a summary should restate the essence of the original in as few words as possible. Do not quote heavily from the article or essay that you are summarizing. Use your own words to show that you understand what you have read.

Tips for summarizing:

  • Circle key words or ideas in the original version.
  • Pay attention to topic sentences--the first and last sentences of the paragraph often suggest the main ideas of the essay.
  • Focus on the most important parts and eliminate less important material.
  • Use as few words as possible--your own words.
  • Get to the main points quickly.

 

 

 

 

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