Writing a summary. A summary is a brief explanation of a story or a piece of writing.It requires only the main ideas and supporting facts. In a summary, one can include some other things, but the story should not be rewritten. In other words, a summary requires reduction in text volume while at the same time retaining essential content. A summary is a shortened version of a text containing only the key information. The aim is to present the readers with a short, clear account of the ideas in the text. Summary writing is an important skill in both academic and business contexts. Preparing to write: Select the key information. Read the text carefully, looking up words you don't know. It is important to understand the whole sequence of the argument. Ask yourself what the text is all about. Think about the purpose of your summary and what your readers need to know. Highlight the key information ( the main ideas). Omit details such as examples, quotations, information in brackets, repetitions, figures of speech and most figures and statistics. Underline any information which you are not sure about. Only include such if you have space. Make notes on the key information in your own words. Writing the summary. Write a first draft of your summary using the information you have selected. Organize the ideas in your notes in a logical order. This need not be in the same order as in the original text, but must show the same argument. Condense the information where possible.