What are Summaries?
Summaries are sentences (no more than a paragraph usually) that announces the main idea(s) and supporting primary details. While one sentence can usually summarize a paragraph, it may take several sentences or a paragraph to summarize a longer passage (short essay). Summaries of monographs (long essays) or book-length studies may run as long as several paragraphs. Guidelines for Composing Summaries Effective summaries must 1) be written in complete sentences, 2) speak in their own (objective) voice, 3) be brief, and 4) reflect the main idea(s) and their supporting primary development. General and Specific Summaries Summaries may be written as broad generalities (the general summary) or as detailed claims (the specific summary). Here is an example of a general summary statement: “There are several causes of childhood neurosis.” And its counterpart for the same passage, the specific summary: “Four causes of childhood neurosis are 1) special vulnerabilities, 2) unusual placement, 3) a ser
