Writing a Summary
Once you finish prewriting, you are ready to create the first draft of your summary. These writing activities will help you create a strong beginning, middle, and ending for your summary.
Writing the Topic Sentence
The topic sentence is the first sentence of a summary. It states the focus (overall point or thought) of the text in your own words. To write an effective topic sentence, follow this formula.
Topic of the reading |
+ |
Overall point about the topic |
= |
Topic sentence |
|
Korean pop music |
gaining worldwide popularity through a mix of sound and technology |
Korean pop music is gaining a worldwide following through a mix of sound and technology. |
Write your topic sentence.
Answer the questions below to help you form a topic sentence for your summary of the article.
- What is the topic of āThe Modern Day Magellanā?
- What main point does the selection make about the topic?
- Create a topic sentence by combining your answers from questions 1 and 2 in a logical way.
Writing the Body and Ending
Write your body sentences.
The body sentences summarize other important details from the reading. These sentences should support the idea stated in the topic sentence. Arrange the ideas in the same order as they occurred in the original text.
Write your ending sentence.
Write an ending sentence if one seems needed. If the final body sentence works well as an ending, no additional sentence is needed.
Sample ending:
For all these reasons, K-pop is making a big impact.