How to write a summary

The following fifteen rules will help summarising the chapters of the book.

1. Always read the text carefully and check for unknown words.

2. Always make sure you understand the overall meaning of the text and its
    structure.

3. Always take down key notes expressing the essential ideas.

4. Always arrange these ideas logically, possibly following the structure of the
    text.

5. Always connect these formulations with help of conjunctions and adverbials.

6. Always open your summary with a sentence clearly expressing the main ideas
    of the original text.

7. Always stick to the essential information and generalize by avoiding examples,
    enumerations, detailed data and adjectives and by using gerneralized or
    abstract terms.

8. Always write in the present tense.

9. Always use your own words as far as possible, but do not force yourself to
    eliminate the key words of the text.

10. Use short (!) quotations only if absolutely necessary.

11. Never analyse the text.

12. Never interpret the text.

13. Never add additional information.

14. Never comment on the text.

15. Never exceed 20-30% of the original length of the text (unless indicated
      otherwise by your teacher).