18 Summarizing
Similar to paraphrasing, a summary is also a restatement of a text or passage in your own words. However, the summary only restates the main points of a text and is therefore much shorter than the original. You can summarize a passage or even a whole article or book in just a few sentences.
Key Takeaways
Use summarizing:
- To present the ideas of others without interrupting your own writing style
- When you do not need to go into as much detail
Quoting, paraphrasing, summarizing: Comparing all three
Here you can see all three ways of referring to a source in one place for comparison in MLA style format. All three must include a citation. If you do not include citations, you are committing an act of plagiarism.
Original Text
Quote
Paraphrase
Rogers theorizes that the Louisiana river monster and Shreveport citizens are distantly related as a DNA analysis found common distant relatives between the Louisiana river monster and Shreveport residents (47).
Summary
Look at the following example:
Original Text
Historians are uncertain of the true origins of the Louisiana river monster, but new evidence suggests the creature may have closer ties to humanity than previously thought. Student researchers recently tracked down a notorious river monster in the Shreveport area and obtained a DNA sample. After mailing the results to an online ancestry service, the students were shocked to find that the river monster shares distant relatives with many Shreveport natives.
