How to Write a Summary: Format, Examples and Rules

Summary writing is one of the most useful skills in English. It is set in school exams, used in university assignments and reports, and tested directly or indirectly in English proficiency tests, including the Duolingo English Test. The good news is that it follows a method, and the method is the same whether you are summarising a news article, a chapter, a film or a conversation.

What is a summary?

A summary is a shortened version of a text that gives the reader its main idea and most important points, in your own words, without your opinion. Someone who reads only your summary should understand what the original said, even if they lose the details.

Three things define a good summary:

• It is shorter, usually a quarter to a third of the original, and often a single paragraph.
• It is accurate: it says what the author said, with nothing added and nothing important left out.
• It is in your own words: you rephrase, not copy.

Summary, paraphrase and analysis

These three are often confused, and mixing them up is a common reason summaries lose marks.

How to write a summary in five steps

1. Read the whole text first. Do not start writing after the first paragraph; the main point is often clearest at the end.
2. Find the main idea. Ask: if the author could say only one sentence, what would it be? Write that sentence down in your own words.
3. Note the key points. Underline or list the few points that support the main idea. Skip examples, numbers that do not matter, and repetition.
4. Write the summary. Start with the source and the main idea, then give the key points in order, linked with connectors (first, also, however, as a result). Use your own words.
5. Check it against the original. Is anything wrong, missing or added? Have you copied whole phrases? Is it short enough? Cut anything that is an example or an opinion.

The summary writing format

Most teachers and exams expect this structure for a one-paragraph summary:

For a longer text, such as a report or a chapter, the same structure stretches to two or three paragraphs, one for each major section of the original.

The 5 W’s of summarizing

For stories, news and events, the five W’s are a quick way to make sure nothing essential is missing. Answer each in a phrase, then join the answers into sentences.

The rules of a good summary

• Keep the author’s meaning. Do not change, exaggerate or soften what the original says.
• No opinion. “I think”, “I agree” and “this is a great article” do not belong in a summary.
• No new information. Do not add facts or examples that are not in the original.
• Main points only. Leave out examples, anecdotes, statistics that are not central, and repetition.
• Your own words. Paraphrase; if one phrase is essential, quote it briefly in quotation marks.
• Keep the order. Present the points in the order the original does, unless reordering makes it clearer.

Summary example 1: an article

The original (a sample passage written for this guide, 190 words):

When the town of Westbridge closed its main street to cars two years ago, many shop owners were worried. They believed that customers who could no longer park outside would simply drive to the shopping centre on the edge of town instead. Some even organised a petition against the plan. The council went ahead anyway, replacing parking spaces with benches, trees and space for market stalls. At first, footfall did fall slightly. But within six months, the street was busier than before. Families began to spend whole afternoons there, cafés added outdoor seating, and the weekend market became a regular event. Several shops that had been struggling reported their best year in a decade. Not everything improved: delivery drivers complained about longer walks, and older residents who relied on their cars found the change difficult, so the council later added a small shuttle bus. Today, most shop owners who signed the original petition say they would not go back. The council is now considering similar changes for two more streets, though it says it will consult residents more carefully this time.

The summary (58 words):

The article describes how Westbridge closed its main street to cars despite opposition from shop owners. Although visitor numbers dipped at first, the street soon became busier than before, and many shops had their best year in a decade. Some problems, such as access for older residents, led to a shuttle bus. The council now plans similar changes, with more consultation.

What was left out, and why: the petition, the benches and trees, the cafés and the weekend market are supporting details or examples. The main idea (the change worked despite fears) and the key points (early dip, later success, problems and the fix, next steps) are all there, in new words, at under a third of the length.

Summary example 2: a story

For a story or film, the 5 W’s do most of the work. Here is a summary of a short sample story about a lost dog.

In the story, a ten-year-old girl named Lina loses her dog during a storm in the village where she lives with her grandfather. She searches for three days and puts up posters, but hears nothing. On the fourth day, a neighbour she has never spoken to brings the dog back, having sheltered it in his barn. The story ends with Lina and the neighbour becoming friends, showing how a small crisis can bring people together.

Who: Lina, her grandfather, the neighbour. What: the dog is lost and found. Where: a village. When: during and after a storm. Why it matters: the friendship at the end. The final sentence gives the story’s point without adding an opinion about whether it is a good story.

Summary example 3: a conversation

Summarising speech is harder, because you hear it once and must decide quickly what matters. Here is a short sample conversation and its summary.

Student: Hi, I wanted to ask about my essay. I’ve been ill this week and I won’t be able to finish it by Friday.
Tutor: I’m sorry to hear that. How much have you done?
Student: About half. I’ve finished the research but not the writing.
Tutor: All right. If you send me a short plan by Friday, I can give you until next Wednesday. Can you also bring a note from the health centre?
Student: Yes, I can do both. Thank you.

The summary: The student asked the tutor for more time on an essay because of illness. After hearing that the research was finished but the writing was not, the tutor agreed to extend the deadline to the following Wednesday, on condition that the student sends a plan by Friday and brings a note from the health centre.

Notice that the summary is in reported speech (“asked… for more time”, “agreed to extend”), not a list of lines. That is the skill the Duolingo English Test checks in its listening summary (see below).

Useful phrases for summary writing

Varying these verbs instead of repeating “says” is an easy way to show vocabulary range in any graded summary.

Common summary mistakes

• Retelling everything. A summary that follows the original line by line is a shorter copy, not a summary. Choose.
• Copying sentences. Lifting phrases word for word shows reading, not writing, and can count as plagiarism in academic work.
• Adding opinion. “I found this interesting” turns a summary into a response.
• Missing the main idea. Listing details without saying what they add up to is the most common weakness.
• Getting it wrong. A confident summary that misreports the original is worse than a short one that is accurate.

Summaries on the Duolingo English Test

On the Duolingo English Test, the clearest summary task comes at the end of Interactive Listening: after taking part in a conversation, you write a short summary of it. Everything above applies, especially the main-idea-first opening and reported speech. The task page covers the timing, the scoring and the details of that task, so they are not repeated here.

Summary skills also help in Interactive Reading, where questions ask for the main idea and the best title for a passage, which is a summary in one line. Practise both under timed conditions in a full mock test.

How to practise summary writing

1. Take a short news article each day and write a three-sentence summary: main idea, key point, outcome.
2. Set a word limit, such as 60 words, and keep to it; cutting is the skill.
3. Summarise something you heard, such as a podcast clip or a conversation, from memory. That trains the listening summary.
4. Compare your summary with the original and mark anything that is wrong, missing or opinion.
5. Swap with a friend: if they cannot tell what the original was about from your summary, rewrite it.

Reported speech carries most conversation summaries, so it is worth revising the rules for changing direct speech into indirect speech, such as tense backshift and pronoun changes.

Questions people ask

What is a summary?

A summary is a short version of a text that gives its main idea and most important points in your own words, without your opinion. Someone who reads only the summary should understand what the original said. It is usually about a quarter to a third of the original’s length.

What are the steps to write a summary?

Five steps: read the whole text; identify the main idea in one sentence; note the key supporting points; write them briefly in your own words, starting with the source and the main idea; then check your summary against the original for anything wrong, missing, copied or added.

What is the format of summary writing?

An opening sentence that names the title or source and states the main idea, a body that gives the key points in order (one or two sentences each), and a closing sentence that gives the original’s conclusion. For short texts this is one paragraph; for long texts, one paragraph per major section.

What are the 5 W’s in summarizing?

Who, what, when, where and why, often with how. Answering each question in a phrase gives you the essential facts of a story, event or news article, which you then join into sentences. If an answer does not matter to the main idea, such as the exact date, leave it out.

What are the basic rules of summarizing?

Keep the author’s meaning; include only the main idea and key points; use your own words; add no opinion and no new information; and keep the original order. A summary is judged on being accurate, complete in its essentials, and short.

How many words should a summary be compared with the original?

A common guide is a quarter to a third of the original: about 60–90 words for a 250-word article. Exams and teachers often set an exact limit, which always wins. If you are over the limit, cut examples and details before you cut a key point.

How many paragraphs is a summary?

For an article, story or passage, one paragraph is usually right. For a long report, chapter or book, use one short paragraph for each major section. Very short summaries, such as a one-line main idea, can be a single sentence.

Should a summary include my opinion?

No. A summary reports what the original says; your view belongs in a response, a review or an analysis. Phrases such as “I think” or “I agree” are the clearest sign that a summary has turned into something else.

How do you start a summary?

With one sentence that names the source and states its main idea: “In the article ‘Quiet Streets’, the writer argues that closing roads to cars can help local shops.” This tells the reader what the whole summary is about before any detail.

What is the difference between a summary and a paraphrase?

A paraphrase restates one passage in different words at about the same length, keeping every point. A summary is much shorter and keeps only the main idea and key points of a whole text. Both use your own words, and neither contains your opinion.

What is the difference between a summary and an abstract?

An abstract is a specific kind of summary written by the author at the start of a research paper, usually covering the aim, method, results and conclusion in a fixed length. A summary can be written by anyone, about any text, for any reader.

How do you summarize an article?

Read it once for the gist and once for the structure. Identify the claim the writer is making, the two or three main reasons or events that support it, and the conclusion. Write those in your own words, starting with the article’s title and the main claim, and leave out examples and quotes.

How do you summarize a story or a film?

Use the 5 W’s: who the main characters are, what happens, where and when it is set, and why it matters, which is usually the ending or the message. Cover the beginning, the main conflict and the resolution in a few sentences, and leave out minor scenes and characters.

Can I use quotations in a summary?

Sparingly. A summary should be in your own words, but if one short phrase is essential, because it is a key term or a famous line, you can quote it in quotation marks. Never build a summary from copied sentences.

What tense should a summary be written in?

Use the present simple to report what a text says (“The author argues…”, “The article explains…”). For the events of a story or a conversation, the past tense is also accepted (“The tutor agreed to extend the deadline”). Choose one and keep it consistent.

Where does summary writing appear on the Duolingo English Test?

Most directly at the end of Interactive Listening, where you write a short summary of the conversation you just took part in. It also helps in Interactive Reading, where questions ask for a passage’s main idea and best title. The Interactive Listening guide covers that task in detail.

How can I improve my summary writing?

Summarise one short article a day in three sentences, keep to a word limit, and compare your version with the original for errors and omissions. Practise summarising things you hear as well as read. Vary your reporting verbs (argues, explains, suggests) to show range.

Quick reference: How to Write a Summary at a glance

Walk into the DET already knowing the room.

Keep reading