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summarize

B1
verb

Pronunciation

UK

  • /sˈʌmərˌaɪz/

US

  • /ˈsəmərˌaɪz/

Description

Imagine you have just finished a long book, a movie, or a busy day. Then someone asks, "What happened?" You probably would not tell every small detail. You would give the main parts so the other person can understand quickly. That is what "summarize" means.

To summarize is to take something long and express its main ideas in a shorter form. You keep what matters most and leave out extra details. Students summarize chapters for notes, reporters summarize events in short news pieces, and friends summarize their weekends in a few sentences. You can also summarize an idea or argument so it is easier for someone else to follow.

Examples

  1. 1

    Classroom

    At the end of the lesson, the teacher summarized the main points on the board.

  2. 2

    Catching up

    Can you summarize what happened while I was away?

  3. 3

    Article task

    Please summarize the article in your own words.

    • Phrase

      in your own words

      using your own way of saying it, not copying

  4. 4

    Proposal

    She summarized her proposal in one short paragraph.

  5. 5

    Visual data

    The table summarizes the results of the experiment.

    • Meaning

      tables, charts, and other visuals can summarize information too

  6. 6

    Policy handbook

    The new policy is summarized on page 2 of the handbook.

  7. 7

    Closing summary

    To summarize, we agree on the goal, but not on the deadline.

    • Phrase

      To summarize

      used before giving the main points briefly

Forms and spellings

4 forms open this card.

Main spelling

  • summarizeverb

Forms

  • summarizedpast tenseverb
  • summarizesverb
  • summarizing-ing formverb