Three kinds of summary
| Length | You get | Good for |
|---|---|---|
| Short | 2 or 3 sentences | Deciding if an article is worth reading |
| Medium | One paragraph, about a quarter of the length | Notes and quick revision |
| Bullet points | 5 to 7 key points | Exam revision and slides |
Worked example
A 900-word news report about a new metro line becomes, as a short summary: “The city has opened a 27 km metro line with 26 stations. It is expected to carry 250,000 passengers a day and cut travel times across the city by up to an hour.”
Tips for better summaries
- Paste one article or chapter at a time, up to 500 words.
- Remove menus, adverts and comments copied from web pages.
- Check names and numbers against the original: AI summaries can occasionally get details wrong.
Using a summary in an assignment? Write it in your own words and cite the source. The paraphrasing tool and word counter can help.