The UVic Writer's Guide


Use The Most Economical Wording Possible


Unless the original page is already severely condensed, a summary of about one-third or one-fourth the length of the original can usually preserve the essential points. The shorter the summary, however, the greater the danger of oversimplification or outright misrepresentation. Be careful to preserve the essential conditions or distinctions:

Moreover, preserve the relative emphasis of the original, giving more prominence to a point treated at length than to one mentioned in passing.


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Copyright, The Department of English, University of Victoria, 1995
This page updated Sept. 24, 1995