Which term best matches a concise overview of a longer text?

Which term best matches a concise overview of a longer text?

• A. Describe
• B. Explain
• C. Summarize
• D. Evaluate

Answer: (C)

A concise overview of a longer text is a summary. A summary pulls out the central message and the main points from the original work and presents them in a much shorter form, using your own words. It should capture the gist without including every detail, example, or description. This differs from describing, which would outline features or characteristics of something; and from explaining, which would go into how or why things work and provide more detail. It’s also not evaluating, which involves judging quality or value. In practice, you identify the key ideas and main points, then restate them briefly so someone else can grasp the overall purpose and takeaway of the text.

A concise overview of a longer text is a summary. A summary pulls out the central message and the main points from the original work and presents them in a much shorter form, using your own words. It should capture the gist without including every detail, example, or description. This differs from describing, which would outline features or characteristics of something; and from explaining, which would go into how or why things work and provide more detail. It’s also not evaluating, which involves judging quality or value. In practice, you identify the key ideas and main points, then restate them briefly so someone else can grasp the overall purpose and takeaway of the text.