How brief should a 3-paragraph summary be?
The old saying is -- like a woman's skirt: long enough to cover the subject and short enough to be interesting.
To determine how brief a 3-paragraph summary should be, we first need to understand the purpose of the summary and the typical structure of a paragraph.
A summary is a condensed version of a longer piece of text that captures the main ideas and key points. The three paragraphs should provide an overview of the entire text while maintaining conciseness.
The length of a paragraph may vary but, on average, it should be around 100-200 words. So, assuming each paragraph is approximately 150 words, the total length of the summary would be around 450 words.
For a brief 3-paragraph summary, each paragraph can be further subdivided as follows:
1. Introduction paragraph (around 150 words): Begin with a concise opening sentence that captures the main idea of the text. Follow it up with 2-3 supporting sentences that provide additional context and background information.
2. Main points paragraph (around 150 words): In this paragraph, summarize the main points of the text. Identify the most important arguments, ideas, or findings presented, and condense them into a few sentences or bullet points.
3. Conclusion paragraph (around 150 words): Finish the summary with a concluding paragraph that provides a brief synthesis of the text. Highlight any significant implications, recommendations, or conclusions presented, and wrap up the summary by restating the main ideas in a succinct manner.
Remember, the purpose of a summary is to provide a concise overview, so prioritize capturing the most essential information while maintaining clarity and coherence. Adjust the length as needed, but aim for around 450 words in total for a brief 3-paragraph summary.