Summarising

What is a Summary?
A summary is a shortened version of a text that highlights its key points. It condenses a large amount of information into the essentials.

• Brevity: The summary should be roughly 1/3rd the length of the original passage.
• Own Words: Do not just copy sentences. Rephrase the main ideas.
• Objectivity: Do not add your own opinions, examples, or new information.
• Coherence: Ensure the sentences flow logically.
• Title: Always provide a short, relevant title.

The earth’s vital signs reveal a patient in declining health. We have begun to realize our ethical obligations to be good stewards of the planet and responsible trustees of the legacy to future generations. The concept of sustainable development was popularized in 1987 by the World Commission on Environment and Development. In its report, it defined the idea as “Development that meets the needs of the present, without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their needs”, i.e., without stripping the natural world of resources future generations would need.

Man has shifted his perspective from a mechanistic view to a holistic and ecological view of the world. It is a shift in human perceptions as revolutionary as that introduced by Copernicus who taught mankind in the sixteenth century that the earth and the other planets revolved around the sun. For the first time in human history, there is a growing worldwide consciousness that the earth itself is a living organism — an enormous being of which we are parts. It has its own metabolic needs and vital processes which need to be respected and preserved.

Word Count: Approx 65 words (Original: ~140 words).