Definition: An abstract or a condensed presentation of the substance of a body of material.
Alright class, settle down, let’s take a look!
That dictionary definition – “an abstract or a condensed presentation of the substance of a body of material” – it's quite a mouthful, isn’t it? Let’s break it down in a way that makes sense.
Think of it like this: imagine you’ve just finished reading a really long book, or listening to a lengthy lecture. It’s packed with lots and lots of details, right? Lots of characters, plot points, arguments…it can be overwhelming!
A
summary
is like taking all those bits and pieces – the
substance
– and squeezing them into a smaller, more manageable form. It's a little snapshot, a quick recap, if you will.
It’s
abstract
because it doesn't include every single tiny detail. Instead, it focuses on the most important ideas and key points. You're pulling out the core message, like a diamond from rough stone!
So, when someone asks for a summary, they are asking you to give them the
essence
– the
what’s really important
– of what they just read or heard.
Let's try an example: if I told you a story about a brave knight rescuing a princess from a dragon, a summary wouldn't include every single word of the battle. Instead, it would focus on the core events: “A knight defeats a dragon and saves a princess.”
Does that make sense? Any questions before we move on?