Read the material to be summarized as you would anything you might read for pleasure. Read quickly and then put aside the material and consider what you remember about it. In one sentence, write down your overall impression of what you read. Write what you read about, rather than what you thought about it. This will ensure you are writing a summary and not an evaluation or critique. In this sentence, also include the title and the author.
Return to the material and skim it, this time taking note of when ideas shift. Make a list of the shifts or divisions. For a short piece such as a one-page article or a picture or chapter book, four to five divisions are about right. Sometimes the reading material will already be divided for you with subheads.
Reread the material now that you have a clear division of ideas. Read with the idea in mind that you need only understand what each section is about. Write one sentence to summarize each of the main divisions. To avoid unintentionally copying from the material, read closely and then close the book or set the reading material aside. Do not look at it as you write each sentence.
Put the overall impression sentence first and write the divisions sentences after it. Read the sentences together and see if they make sense. You may need to combine some sentences or add clarifying ones so the reader will be able to see the flow of ideas. Use transitional words and ideas from sentence to sentence. You might need to include words such as next, or in addition, or also. Show how the different sections are related to one another.
Review your summary and make sure you have the best writing possible. Your sentences should be clear and direct. Do not use first person because you will have an opinion piece rather than a summary if you do. Remember, this advice from the University of Delaware Writing Center: "Do not include your own opinion, but be sure to use your own words." Check that you have used the same verb tense throughout the summary. Make sure all sentences are complete and all words are spelled correctly.