Which statement about summaries is incorrect?

Which statement about summaries is incorrect?

• A. They should be complete, concise, accurate, balanced, fair, neutral, and objective.
• B. They should include the reader's opinions.
• C. They should reflect similar proportion of coverage.
• D. They should stand alone as coherent and unified.

Answer: (B)

A good summary condenses a source by presenting its main ideas in a complete, concise, accurate, and objective way. It should be balanced and fair, avoiding personal interpretation or bias, so the summary accurately reflects what the original says. It should also mirror the source’s emphasis, meaning the proportion of topics covered in the summary should match how the source covers them, not over- or under-emphasize areas. Finally, a strong summary stands on its own: it’s coherent and understandable without needing to read the original text. Including the reader’s opinions would introduce subjective perspective, which conflicts with the goal of a neutral, factual condensation. That’s why the statement about reader opinions is incorrect. The other points align with how summaries are typically written: they are objective, proportionally representative, and self-contained.

A good summary condenses a source by presenting its main ideas in a complete, concise, accurate, and objective way. It should be balanced and fair, avoiding personal interpretation or bias, so the summary accurately reflects what the original says. It should also mirror the source’s emphasis, meaning the proportion of topics covered in the summary should match how the source covers them, not over- or under-emphasize areas. Finally, a strong summary stands on its own: it’s coherent and understandable without needing to read the original text.

Including the reader’s opinions would introduce subjective perspective, which conflicts with the goal of a neutral, factual condensation. That’s why the statement about reader opinions is incorrect. The other points align with how summaries are typically written: they are objective, proportionally representative, and self-contained.