A précis can be defined as a summary or shortened form of a piece of writing in which matters of detail are left out and only the important points are retained. It is a short digest of essential effects or ideas, then a whole passage The essence of a précis is compression and conciseness.
Are you wondering to write a good précis? If so, then we have got it all covered for you! Read a head to get to know what it is all about!
Some Basic Rules of Précis Writing:
Read the given passage carefully at least three times to have a good understanding of the writer’s view. Next is to underline important points from the passage which you think link with the main subject and explain the theme of the topic.
Use simple words and write in your language. You can use words from the passage but avoid using the whole sentence. A préc is of a passage should not be more than one-third of the original passage. Only important points from the passage, which give a proper explanation of it, should be used in précis.
Any comparison, example, or illustration must not be added to the précis. Ideas must be expressed in clear direct language. Never give your idea in the précis. No opinion is required, whether you find the passage favourable or unfavourable. Grammatical mistakes are forbidden, and there should be no spelling mistakes. For example, you should learn careful how descriptive words that start with A can be used under different circumstances.
The idea of your précis must be understood by a reader who has not read the original passage. The connection between sentences throughout the précis is essential. The idea must be coherent. Do Not use direct speech. If the author has written in the first-person pronoun, you should write in the third-person pronoun. If the name of the author is given then the précis should start with the name of the author.
Choosing a perfect title is the most important part of préc is writing. A title should be ordinary, not a complete sentence. The title can be chosen from the first or the last line of the passage.
USE OF PRÉCIS WRITING:
Précis writing is used in different fields of work. It is not only related to academics.
In case, you want to read about a review of a recently released movie. You can search for it on the internet. The plot of the movie is the précis writing which gives an idea of the actual movie without changing its theme.
Starting a new chapter and want to give a summary of the whole chapter. Explaining that chapter through préc is writing of the topic will help students to have an idea about it.
Précis’s writing is also used by different companies when offering jobs on newspaper or social media platforms.
Précis is also used in scientific research for making the gist of the topic
Do’s and don’ts writing:
Try to keep your writing tone in an active voice. The usage of passive voice makes the writing boring and complex. Avoid the use of vague nouns and cluster sentences. The use of these makes the précis long. Try to use a single word that can describe a whole sentence, do not use definitions. Reduce wordy phrases to a single word. Avoid the use of adjectives and eliminate prepositional phrases.
You do not need to use complex words. Instead, use a simple one. Avoid starting sentences with expletives. Do not use verb phrases or abbreviations. Never ask any questions in précis.
Features of a Good:
The key features for a good précis writing are; that it must not be lengthy, and it should be convenient to read. It must cover all essential points. It must be coherent to the topic. A good title helps in making the précis look representable.
In short, to write a good précis you first need to read and reread the passage carefully. Then comes the writing, a selection of good, appropriate, and simple words will keep your precis simple and direct. Revision is essential to rule out any mistakes or use of unnecessary words.
Try out these simple tricks and excel in your examination with flying colours.
