summarise

summarise — verb

1. to state the main points of a longer speech, text, or discussion in a short, cle

1.動詞及物C1
釋義

to state the main points of a longer speech, text, or discussion in a short, clear way

例句

Christopher asked Kabir to summarise the quarterly sales report before the board meeting.

summarise + noun phrase (report)

The article summarises the key findings of a ten-year study on climate change.

同義詞
  • outline

    focuses on the main structure or headings rather than condensing all key points

  • recap

    more informal; used in conversation to briefly remind someone of what was already said

  • condense

    emphasises shortening the original text while keeping its essential meaning

反義詞
  • elaborate

    to add more detail rather than condense information

文法句型

summarise + noun phrase

summarise + wh-clause

用法筆記

The object is typically a text, speech, discussion, report, or set of data. This sense is common in academic, business, and journalistic writing.

常見錯誤

❌Can you summary the report?
✅Can you summarise the report?
💡'summary' is a noun; the verb form is 'summarise'.
❌He summarised about the meeting.
✅He summarised the meeting.
💡'summarise' is transitive and takes a direct object without a preposition.

2. to serve as a condensed version of a longer piece of work, argument, or set of i

2.動詞及物B2
釋義

to serve as a condensed version of a longer piece of work, argument, or set of information

例句

The final chapter summarises the entire argument of the book.

stative: chapter summarises argument

Élise's opening statement summarised the team's position on the proposed changes.

同義詞
  • outline

    broader; can describe main sections without condensing the original

  • encapsulate

    more formal; suggests capturing the essence in a compact form

文法句型

summarise + noun phrase

用法筆記

Stative sense — the subject is the thing that serves as the summary, not a person performing an action. Contrast with sense 1 (GIVE SUMMARY), where a person actively condenses information.