Article: When you’re finding sources for the short essay, weed out any unnecessary sources so that you don’t become overwhelmed. Only cite sources that directly inform the topic you want to address. If you’re unsure about which sources are relevant, or which types of sources you should be gathering, talk with your instructor.  So, if you’re writing about Death of a Salesman, an article about symbolism in Arthur Miller’s plays would be useful. But, an article about the average cost of Midwestern hotels in the 1940s would be irrelevant. If you’re writing a scholarship essay, double-check the instructions to clarify what types of sources you’re allowed to use. Especially when writing a college application essay, it’s crucial that you stay within the word count. Cut extra words and information that isn’t strictly necessary. Remove adverbs, adjectives, and lengthy verb phrases, as well as cliches and generalizations.  A common cliche you might find in an essay is a statement like, "I'm the hardest working student at my school." For example, this sentence is too verbose: “I have been a relentlessly stellar student throughout my entire high school career since I am a seriously dedicated reader and thoroughly apply myself to every assignment I receive in class.” Shortened, it could read: “I was a stellar student throughout my high school career since I was a dedicated reader and applied myself to every assignment I received.” Writing in the active voice will help you keep your sentences succinct and to the point. Write sentences that express an idea clearly and directly. To keep your sentences brief, begin most sentences with the subject (the person or thing performing an action) and the action they perform, rather than describing how an object is acted upon.  Avoid writing something like, “Willie Loman can be seen as having achieved little through his life because he is not respected by his sons and is not valued by his co-workers.” Instead, write, “Arthur Miller shows readers that Willie’s life accomplishments have amounted to little. Willie’s sons do not look up to him, and his co-workers treat him without respect.” If you’re passionate about your essay topic, you may feel inclined to include multiple arguments relating to multiple facets of the topic. However, this will almost certainly put you over the word count. To avoid this problem, include only the best evidence supporting your strongest claim.  For example, if you’re trying to prove that WWII pulled the USA out of the Great Depression,  focus strictly on an economic argument. Avoid bringing in other, less convincing topics. For example, don’t dedicate a paragraph to discussing how much it cost the USA to build fighter jets in 1944.

What is a summary?
Quote only from secondary sources that are related to your topic. Remove verbiage to keep your essay under the word count. Write short sentences in the active voice. Present only the most relevant argument in your essay.