When summarizing a document, which practice is recommended?

• A. Start by restating the entire document verbatim.
• B. Include all minor details to ensure completeness.
• C. Restating main ideas in concise form, omitting minor details.
• D. Avoid summarizing and only quote the text.

Answer: (C)

Summaries are meant to convey the essential ideas of a document in a compact form. The best practice is to restate the main ideas concisely while omitting minor details. This keeps the focus on what the document is arguing or explaining, making the gist clear and easy to grasp. Reproducing the entire document verbatim isn’t a summary—it’s just repeating the text. Including every minor detail would make the summary long and less useful, defeating the purpose of a brief overview. If helpful, you can identify the central message or thesis, distill it into a few clear statements, and express them in your own words.