Practice
Summarising: keep the main point
Sign in to saveA useful summary helps someone understand the message quickly. It does not try to keep every example, date, or side comment. First find the main point, then keep only the details a reader needs to understand that point.
Write a short English summary that states a source's main point and its essential supporting ideas in your own words.
Read and practice
Read the examples and try the written questions in this guide. Listening recordings are not available for this lesson yet.
Try the written questions
main point and supporting ideas /meɪn pɔɪnt ænd səˈpɔːtɪŋ aɪˈdɪəz/
The short answer
Read for the main point first. Keep the key supporting ideas, put them in a clear order, and express them in your own words. Leave out examples, repeated points, and background details unless they are necessary to understand the central message.
The article explains that flexible work can help employees manage travel time, but it also says that teams need regular shared hours to communicate well.
Why it works: A summary could keep the benefit and the condition without repeating every example from the article.
5 more examples
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The workshop leader says that learners improve their listening when they return to short recordings and notice one new feature each time.
The main advice is to listen again with a specific purpose.
Not this:The workshop
began at 10:15, had twelve participants, and used three recordings. What changes: These details may be accurate, but they do not explain the workshop leader's main advice. -
The notice explains that the library will extend evening hours during exam week because more students need quiet places to study.
The summary keeps the change and the reason for it.
Not this:The notice uses
blue headingsand includes a map of the second floor. What changes: The design of the notice is not part of its main message. -
In the interview, the designer argues that repairable products can reduce waste when people can easily find spare parts.
The claim and its key condition belong in a summary.
Not this:The designer wore a
green jacketand mentioned a childhood hobby. What changes: Those details do not support the argument about repairable products. -
The manager recommends a short written update before each meeting so that the group can spend more time making decisions.
The recommendation and its purpose make the message clear.
Not this:The meeting room has
new chairsand a large window. What changes: The room description does not explain the manager's recommendation. -
The report finds that public transport use rose after the city added more frequent weekend services.
A summary can state the result and the likely reason without listing every route.
Not this:The report contains
twenty chartsand an appendix with route numbers. What changes: The format of the report is usually extra detail unless the task asks about it.
Read the full guide
Do not start by shortening each sentence in order. A summary is built from decisions about importance. Ask what the writer wants the reader to understand after reading the whole source. That answer gives you the main point.
Find the main point before you write
Read or listen once for the overall message. Then ask: what is the source mainly trying to explain, argue, report, or recommend? Write a short note in your own words before you look closely at the details. This note gives your summary a clear center.
Main point: The speaker recommends regular short breaks because they can help people keep their attention during long tasks.
This note states the recommendation and the reason. It does not begin with a small example from the talk.
What question can help you find the main point of a source?
Ask what the source wants the reader or listener to understand after taking in the whole message.
Separate main ideas from extra detail
After you find the main point, mark the ideas that explain or support it. Keep a reason, result, problem, solution, or conclusion when it is needed. Leave out repeated statements, colorful examples, and facts that do not change the reader's understanding of the message.
Keep: The program offers evening classes for adults who work during the day.
Leave out: The first class has posters by the door and a machine that sells tea. Those details do not explain why the classes meet in the evening.
Keep the source's logic
A clear summary usually follows the source's useful logic. If the source presents a problem and then a solution, keep that order. If it makes a claim and gives a reason, show the connection. You do not need to copy the original order when it is confusing, but your reader should be able to follow why each idea appears.
The article identifies high energy costs, then suggests insulation as one way households can reduce them.
The summary connects the problem with the proposed response. A list of energy, homes, insulation, and costs would hide that relationship.
What order could you use when a source presents a problem and a response?
State the problem first, then explain the response and any result the source gives.
Use your own words without changing the meaning
Read a small part of the source, look away, and explain the idea as you understand it. Then compare your version with the source to make sure you kept the meaning. Change the sentence structure as well as individual words. Do not replace words with synonyms if the new phrase changes the strength or direction of the claim.
Source idea: The guide advises travelers to check entry rules early. Summary: The guide recommends checking entry requirements well before a trip.
Recommends is close to advises here. Saying the guide requires travelers to check would make the advice sound stronger than the source.
Show the writer's position accurately
Use a reporting verb that matches the source. An author may explain information, argue for a view, warn about a risk, or recommend an action. This small choice helps a reader understand whether the source presents a fact, an interpretation, or advice.
The author argues that cities need more shaded public spaces during hotter summers.
Argues shows that this is the author's position. States would make the sentence sound more neutral and factual.
Which reporting verb fits a source that gives practical advice: explains, recommends, or proves?
Use recommends when the source tells the reader which action may be useful.
Revise for focus and length
Read your draft as if you had not seen the original. Can a new reader identify the main point? Does each sentence explain that point or a necessary supporting idea? Remove details that repeat the same idea. Then check that you have not added your own opinion or a conclusion the source did not make.
Focused summary: The guide encourages new employees to ask questions early so that small problems do not delay later work.
The sentence gives the guidance and its reason. A personal comment about whether the guide is interesting would not belong unless the task asks for an evaluation.
What should you check in a final summary edit?
Check that every sentence supports the central message and that you have not added an opinion or unnecessary detail.
Before you go
Remember this
Find the source's central message, then select only the supporting ideas that explain it. Write those ideas in a logical order and use your own words. Check that every sentence helps the reader understand the main point.
Practice with the written examples
You can practice with the written questions in the Learn tab. Each answer includes an explanation.
Try the written questionsListening test not available yet
This lesson does not have the recordings needed for a listening test. Use the written questions in the guide to check your understanding.
Try the written questionsQuestions about "Summarising: keep the main point"
What is a summary in English?
A summary is a shorter account of a spoken or written source. It keeps the central message and the supporting ideas a reader needs, while leaving out details that do not change the message.
The workshop leader says that learners improve their listening when they return to short recordings and notice one new feature each time.
How do I find the main point of a text?
Read the whole text first, then ask what the writer mainly wants the reader to understand. Look for a repeated idea, a conclusion, a recommendation, or a problem that the other points explain.
The workshop began at 10:15, had twelve participants, and used three recordings.
What details should I leave out of a summary?
Leave out repeated points, decorative examples, minor background facts, and information that does not help explain the central message. Keep a detail when removing it would change the source's meaning.
The notice explains that the library will extend evening hours during exam week because more students need quiet places to study.
Should I use my own words in a summary?
Usually, yes. Explain the main ideas in your own words and sentence structure, then compare your version with the source to check that you have kept the meaning. Keep a precise term when changing it would make the idea less accurate.
The notice uses blue headings and includes a map of the second floor.
Can I include my opinion in a summary?
Not unless the task asks for an evaluation or response. A summary should present the source's message accurately. Put your opinion in a separate sentence or section when the task requires it.
In the interview, the designer argues that repairable products can reduce waste when people can easily find spare parts.