Read the document once or twice thoroughly.
Reread the document and use a highlighter or pen to underline or highlight unfamiliar phrases, key words, interesting ideas and significant concepts.
Write notes in the margins to remind yourself to look up unfamiliar words and to ask questions about the text such as "what does the author mean here?"
Find the text's thesis (overall main idea) and restate it in your own words.
Introduce the summary by writing the author's name, the title of the document and your paraphrased thesis statement.
Locate and paraphrase the sipporting main points of the document.
Write transitions between the main points that you are summarizing. These include such phrases as "then," "finally," "next," "also" and "additionally."
Integrate quoted material from the original document into your summary by placing quotation marks around a segment of material you use directly from the text. Attribute the quotation to the author.