How To Write A Summary Effectively In 11 Simple Steps

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Are you struggling to summarize long texts effectively? This blog will help you master the art of summarizing texts, whether it's a book, article, or a research summary. By breaking down complex information, you can retain the main ideas and present them in a concise and reader-friendly format. If you have ever been intimidated by long texts or research summaries, this blog will provide the tools necessary to become more comfortable with them.

What Is A Summary?

A summary is a brief summarization of a larger work that gives the reader a comprehensive understanding. To write a summary, a writer will gather the main ideas of an article, essay, television show, or film they’ve read or watched and condense the central ideas into a brief overview. Summaries provide an abridged description of another work in the form of a paragraph, providing enough detail so that the reader understands the subject of the summary, while highlighting the summary writer’s personal understanding of the subject matter.

What Is The Purpose Of A Summary

A summary is vital because it gives readers a quick overview of the main points of a text or piece of media, such as the abstract of a scientific paper. When you summarize something, you are distilling its most important points concisely. Writing a summary can help readers quickly understand the main points of a book, article, movie, or other source of information. Summaries are a great way to increase comprehension, save time, and facilitate accurate recall of information.

Efficiency and Productivity with Unriddle

Unriddle allows you to read faster and write better. Quickly find info in documents, simplify complex topics, take notes, and write with the power of AI. Unriddle is trusted by thousands of researchers and students, from the classroom to the boardroom.

Unriddle generates an AI assistant on top of any document so you can quickly find, summarize, and understand info. No more endless skimming.

Unriddle understands the meaning behind your writing and automatically links you to relevant things you’ve read and written about in the past.

Highlight text and Unriddle will show you the most relevant sources from your library using AI. Never lose a citation again.

Generate text with AI autocomplete to improve and expand your writing, with all suggestions based on the context of what you're working on.

Step into a collaborative workspace where everyone can contribute and chat with the same documents in real-time, and much more!

Read faster & write better — try Unriddle for free today.

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How To Write A Summary In 11 Simple Steps

1. Unriddle.AI Makes Writing Faster and Better

Unriddle is a remarkable tool that can significantly enhance your reading and writing skills. It enables you to browse through documents swiftly, simplify intricate topics, take notes, and compose with the assistance of AI. Unriddle is trusted by a multitude of researchers and students, from the classroom to the boardroom. This platform generates an AI assistant on top of any document, empowering you to find, summarize, and comprehend information promptly. No more endless skimming.

Unriddle comprehends the meaning behind your writing and automatically links you to relevant information you have read or written about in the past. By highlighting text, Unriddle can display the most pertinent sources from your library utilizing AI. Never lose a citation again. Unriddle allows you to generate text with AI autocomplete to enrich and expand your writing based on the context of your current work. By stepping into a collaborative workspace, everyone can contribute and chat with the same documents in real time, among many other features.

Read faster & write better — try Unriddle for free today.

2. Thoroughly Reading the Text

Read the text several times to ensure you grasp the author's message. On the initial read, concentrate on reading without pausing to take notes. Endeavor to pinpoint the purpose, the supporting argument, and any supplementary details. During the subsequent read, you can make comments in a notebook or in the margins of the text if you possess a physical copy.

3. Taking Notes to Identify the Main Idea

Jot down the main points, themes, or thesis you identify in the text. To discern the main idea, try to ascertain the tone and category of the text. For instance, it could be a literary essay or a scientific article. Search for any repetitions in the text. They are likely crucial if the author reiterates specific arguments throughout the text. Reading the title and determining the publication place and date can help you learn more about the intended audience.

4. Identifying the Main Arguments

Reread the text meticulously to discover elements that bolster those main points. For instance, you can search for repetitions, details referring to the title, or descriptions of characters. To identify important arguments in an article:

Print a paper copy or use a digital version to take notes.

Look for the sentence encapsulating each paragraph's main concept and underlining it.

After completing the entire article, review the underlined topic sentences.

5. Preparing Your Draft

Rephrase those sentences on the side of the page or in your notebook. When you record these elements, contemplate writing them in your own words and omit any unimportant details. Note down the author's first and last name and the article's title for later reference.

6. Starting with an Introductory Sentence

In academic and formal contexts, summaries typically commence with an introductory sentence outlining the work’s title and author. This informs the reader immediately about what is being discussed. If the work has already been identified, starting with the title and author may not be necessary. For example, if you’re in a class currently discussing Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet, then you may not need to include that information in the introduction.

7. Explaining the Main Points

Identify and elaborate on the main arguments or messages, and provide supporting evidence, topic sentences, or thesis statements. Focus on the what, how, and why:

What are the key ideas or events?

How do they develop throughout the work?

Why are they important to the work’s overall message?

8. Quoting the Author

Quoting a specific passage from the author may be one of the best ways to explain their main point. If the author has credentials, such as a position of power or a relevant award, you can mention it to demonstrate the authority of the text.

9. Organizing Your Summary for Smooth Flow

Your summary should be coherent and easy to read. Therefore, you should use transition words to ensure logical progression from one idea to the next. It’s best to structure your summary similarly to the original work. Despite being a condensed version, it should still stand on its own as a cohesive piece of writing. Ensure that there is a clear beginning, middle, and end.

10. Concluding the Summary

Restate the author's conclusion or last main point to end your summary. Even though a summary is a short text, restating the most important part can help ensure your audience understands what you’re trying to convey.

11. Correcting and Refining

Once you complete your summary, consider reading it out loud and making any necessary corrections. Delete any repetition, and ensure smooth transitions between sentences. Check your grammar and spelling to guarantee your summary is error-free. You can have a friend or colleague read your summary to help notice any corrections you may have missed.

Complete Step-by-Step Guide On How To Use Unriddle's AI Research Tool

Here is a step-by-step guide on how to use Unriddle. I’ve also copied it below :)

From here, it's pretty simple.

Unriddle helps you read, write and learn faster.

Interact with documents via AI so you can quickly find and understand info.

Then start writing in a new Note and Unriddle will show you relevant content from your library as you type.

Get started by uploading a document.

Or read on for the full rundown.

Interact with documents

When you upload a document, Unriddle generates an AI assistant on top of this data.

Click 'New' in the right sidebar and then select 'Upload' to get started.

Use this assistant to answer specific questions about the text, summarize content and simplify jargon.

The trick is to be super clear about what you want.

If you're summarizing a research paper, for example, instead of saying “Summarize” or “Summarize this research paper”, say something like “Explain this research paper to me in simple terms. What method did the researchers use? What did they find? Why does it matter?”.

The second prompt will produce a much better overview of the paper because we're giving the AI more hints about what we want.

Automatic relations

Unriddle grasps the context behind each Note and Document in your library and automatically links them based on meaning.

Let's say you have a collection of nuclear physics papers in your library.

When you start writing a note about The Manhattan Project, simply mentioning "The Manhattan Project" will prompt Unriddle to find the connection between this note and the nuclear physics papers.

Even if you didn't explicitly mention the research papers, Unriddle's knowledge of Oppenheimer, his work, and the significant relevance of these papers means it understands the connection and automatically links them together.

In short, Unriddle shows you relevant content from your library at the exact moment you need it, even if you haven't explicitly mentioned it.

Citing your sources

Writing is hard when you have a ton of sources to track.

So we made it easy.

Highlight some text, click ‘Cite’ and you’ll see items from your library that contain information related to the selection of text you just highlighted as determined by our AI.

When you select an item Unriddle inserts a link into highlighted text that, when clicked, takes you to the referenced item.

Writing with AI

Click ‘New’ in the sidebar and hit ‘Note’ to open up a new note.

Here you’ll find all the text formatting options you’re used to and more.

Type ‘++’ to generate text based on the context of what’s already written.

Highlight text and click ‘Ask AI’ to open up the AI menu where you’ll find options to improve, expand, summarize and explain.

You can type custom prompts too!

Finally, you can open any note in a pane on the right side of the screen while interacting with documents. Just click the orange pencil icon at the top of the chat window.

Chat Settings

Adjust the model, temperature and response length in the Setting sidebar.

Click the cog icon in the top right corner of the screen and look for "Chat Settings".

These apply across all documents but you can easily flip between them regardless of settings at the time of upload.

Model: the machine learning model used to generate responses.

Temperature: the amount of creative license you give to the AI.

Max length: the maximum number of words generated in a response.

Got feedback or questions? Send us an email and we'll get back to you within a day.

— Naveed

Examples Of A Summary

The Global Warming Threat

"In 'The Global Warming Threat,' Mark Thunen, a professor at the Central University of Norway, claims global warming is becoming a severe issue. Thunen supports this view by pointing out that natural disasters, like floods and wildfires, have become more frequent and disastrous than before. He notes that the statistics from meteorological institutes and scientific evidence support his claim.Thunen points out that it’s time for humans to take action."

Hansel and Gretel

“Hansel and Gretel” follows the story of a brother and sister who must use their cunning to outsmart an evil witch intent on consuming them. In the beginning of the story, a great famine sweeps across the land, leaving little food or resources to spare. Hansel and Gretel’s stepmother leads the children into the woods intent on leaving them there to die. When Hansel hears of her plan, he collects a pocket full of white pebbles, dropping them as a trail for he and his sister as their stepmother attempts her plan the next day.

When the duo makes their way home, the stepmother decides to bring them deeper into the woods. Hansel takes a slice of bread with him, leaving a trail of breadcrumbs behind. This time, birds eat the crumbs, destroying the trail back. Hansel and Gretel wander into a clearing, where they find a cottage made of treats. As they eat the house, the elderly woman who lives there invites them inside, where they discover she’s not a generous, old lady after all—she’s a witch with a particular taste for children.

According to Natasha Benton in her article 'Teens and Social Media,' social media could be the source of lower self-esteem and anxiety. Benton, a clinical psychologist and author of 'Disconnect,' uses evidence from a recent survey conducted by the English mental health institute to support her case. She suggests that teens spending extended time on social media platforms are more subject to depression. In addition, Benton invites parents to reduce their children's screen time and expose them to real social interactions."

Enhancing Research and Writing with Unriddle

Unriddle generates an AI assistant on top of any document so you can quickly find, summarize, and understand info. No more endless skimming.

Unriddle understands the meaning behind your writing and automatically links you to relevant things you’ve read and written about in the past.

Highlight text and Unriddle will show you the most relevant sources from your library using AI. Never lose a citation again.

Generate text with AI autocomplete to improve and expand your writing, with all suggestions based on the context of what you're working on.

Step into a collaborative workspace where everyone can contribute and chat with the same documents in real-time, and much more!

Read faster & write better — try Unriddle for free today.

Take Help With This Summary Writing Format

A summary provides a condensed version of a text, highlighting the main points and central ideas. To write a concise summary, follow these steps:

1. Identify the main point

Clearly state the main idea or argument presented in the original text.

2. Quote key passages

Select specific passages that support the main point and are essential to the text’s overall meaning.

3. Connect key passages

Use transition words and phrases to link key passages and ensure smooth flow between them.

4. Write a last sentence

Conclude the summary by reiterating the main point in a slightly different manner to create a complete wrap-up.

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Read Faster & Write Better With Unriddle for Free Today

Unriddle provides a comprehensive suite of tools and features designed to enhance your research and writing capabilities. With Unriddle, you can quickly find information in documents, simplify complex topics, take notes, and write more effectively with the power of AI. This AI-powered platform is trusted by thousands of researchers and students, from the classroom to the boardroom.

AI-Assisted Reading and Writing

Unriddle generates an AI assistant on top of any document, enabling you to quickly find, summarize, and understand information without endless skimming. By understanding the meaning behind your writing, Unriddle automatically links you to relevant information you’ve read and written about in the past. Highlight text, and Unriddle will display the most relevant sources from your library using AI, ensuring you never lose a citation again.

AI Autocomplete for Enhanced Writing

Unriddle features a powerful AI autocomplete function to help you improve and expand your writing. All suggestions provided by the autocomplete feature are based on the context of what you’re working on, helping you generate text with greater accuracy and efficiency.

Collaborative Workspace

Step into a collaborative workspace where all team members can contribute and chat in real-time using the same documents. This feature fosters teamwork, enhances productivity, and streamlines the writing and research process.

Try Unriddle for Free Today

If you’re looking to read faster, write better, and streamline your research and writing process, try Unriddle for free today. Unriddle is the ultimate AI writing assistant designed to empower you to become a more efficient and effective researcher and writer. Unleash the power of AI and take your writing to the next level with Unriddle.