How to Summarise Other People’s Writing
Summarising the writing of someone else is surely not a very easy task and can be extremely boring and dull at times. Giving the right shape to a piece of writing requires a high level of skill, which is the reason why all newspapers and other forms of media hire professional editors, who are highly paid.
We are often given the task of summarising someone else’s writing in schools or colleges. If you are able to summarise an article efficiently, it will help you attain high marks in exams and create unique opportunities in your professional life as well.
Instructions
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1
Have a strong grip on the language
Unless or until you have a strong grip on the language, you will not be able to summarise a piece of writing efficiently. Therefore, it is imperative for you to enhance your vocabulary and avoid grammatical errors in your personal writing. This will improve your comprehension, which will help you to understand the important facts or messages in other people’s writing. -
2
Consider 5 W's and 1 H
The 5 W's and 1 H is a commonly used journalistic term, which means why, what, who, where, when and how. If you are summarising someone else’s writing, you must ensure that none of these aspects are removed or ignored. By taking into account the 5 W's and 1 H, you will bring clarity in the writing.
Do not miss any important fact given in the writing or it will not be presentable. -
3
Study the article
Before you start to summarise the article, you should study it thoroughly and make rough notes about the important facts and messages in the written piece. You must examine the title of the writing, introduction, body and the conclusion.
Identification of the idea is crucial while you edit or summarise someone else’s writing. You should not hesitate to consult a dictionary if you are not familiar with some of the words used in the article. -
4
Do not change the writing style of the writer
If you are an editor, you must understand that every writer has his/her own style of writing. While editing, you must not try to tinker with the writing style even if you personally do not like it.
However, while summarising writing in school or in an exam, you can adopt your own style while conveying the message.
