Language for summary writing
time to complete: 5-10 minutes
To help you with the clarity of your summary, you can use some of the following formulaic phrases:
The frame
The frame represents the main point of the article. This is where you make a reference to the author and use a reporting verb. It is usually the first sentence where you present the main idea. For example:
- According to Takanani (2019), …
- Xi’s (2016) article on the use of antidepressant drugs reports…
- Brown (2014), in his article “The Global Warming Crisis”, argues that…
Reminder phrases
If you write a longer summary, it is good to remind the reader that the information comes from another source. This clarifies that you continue describing the idea that is not specifically yours and helps you avoid plagiarism.
- The author goes on to say that…
- The study also reported…
- The article further highlights that…
- The researchers further explained that…
- (Author’s last name) also maintains/ argues/ claims that…
- (Author’s last name) concludes that…
Transition signals
Remember about using the transition words that correspond to the logic and presentation of the main text. For example, when the author compares and contrasts ideas, make sure you use vocabulary relating to comparing and contrasting.
Adapted from Smith (2019)
To sum up, when you are summarising…
- report ideas from the source text briefly,
- choose what is relevant and important for your writing,
- integrate ideas from the source text into what you wish to say by using language for summary writing.