Summarise for Dummies

Summarise is a word we use to describe the act of condensing information or capturing the main points of a longer piece of text, speech, or event. Think of it as a way to give a quick snapshot or overview of something without getting bogged down in all the details. It's like telling someone about a movie you just watched, and instead of describing every scene and line of dialogue, you give them a brief summary that highlights the key plot points and main characters.

When we summarise, we take the most important pieces and weave them together into a shorter version that still captures the essence of the original. It's a way to communicate efficiently by cutting out the extras and getting to the heart of the matter. For example, let's say you have a really long article to read about elephants. Instead of going through each paragraph and memorizing every little fact, you can summarise it by picking out the main ideas like their habitat, diet, and behavior.

Another way to think about summarising is like creating a movie trailer. Trailers are usually just a few minutes long, yet they manage to capture the essence of the movie and make us want to watch it. Similarly, when we summarise something, we create a shorter version that still gives enough information to understand the main ideas or key points.

So, when you come across a task that asks you to summarise, remember that you're being asked to take a big chunk of information and make it shorter and more manageable. Focus on the most important details and think about what really matters. It's like being a detective and finding the clues that hold the story together. By summarising, you can break things down to their core and make them easier to understand for yourself and others.