Final answer:
Writing summaries can be helpful for initial understanding and clarifying thoughts, but should be limited in final academic writing to support your arguments and analysis.
Step-by-step explanation:
Writing a summary of a text can be extremely helpful in the initial stages of understanding and analyzing material, especially if you are not yet familiar with the content. Summarizing helps to clarify your thoughts and allows you to understand your reading better by forcing you to articulate the main points and relevant details in your own words. This initial clarity can be vital in deciding what you want to argue in your academic writing.
A summary serves as a useful tool for condensing and distilling the main point and most important details of the original source, and it should be written in your own words. Instead of focusing only on memorization, summarizing encourages critical thinking, helping you to put the author's ideas into your own words and treat them as arguments rather than facts. Utilizing summaries to provide background or illustrate points in your paper can be effective, but they should remain brief, ensuring that the bulk of your paper concentrates on your argument.
Nevertheless, it is important to avoid excessive summary, which can obscure your analysis and argumentation. To prevent this, make sure to read the assignment prompt thoroughly, formulate a strong thesis, and build your paper around your argument, using summaries only to support your points. By critically engaging with the text and noting your reactions and thoughts, you can enhance your critical reading skills and provide a deeper analysis for your readers.