Oxford Dictionary defines précis as ‘a summary of a text or speech’. Yet another definition says that précis is ‘a sketchy summary of the main points of an argument or theory’. A concise explanation of a précis is ‘a brief summary of essential points, statements or facts’. Therefore, précis means a brief summary of the given passage .It also means an abstract. It is pronounced ‘praysee’. It should be short and precise retaining in a few words the ideas that are contained in the original .Generally, précis should be one third of the length of the original passage. The original should be followed without changing the series of ideas presented therein.
In the present day busy world, précis-writing has enormous practical value. Business executives and Heads of Departments, who do not have enough time to go through long reports, depend on the précis made by their secretaries .Similarly, all other senior officials, who have no spare time to wade through long reports , documents and notes, want their secretaries to make a précis for them ,which enables them to take significant decisions. The accuracy of the decisions taken by senior executives depends on the exactness of the précis prepared by their secretaries. Students need to make summaries of long essays that are prescribed in their text books. Instead of depending on readymade notes, they should develop the art of précis-writing. This will help them in their future when they seek jobs. Hence, précis-writing is an essential skill that has to be developed and practiced by everyone.
How to Write a Précis
Firstly, read the given passage rapidly to find out the central theme. An all-important idea usually forms the theme of the passage. The central theme tells us what the passage is about. Then, try to analyze the tone of the passage – serious, satirical, critical, humorous, etc. After that, see what type it belongs to – descriptive or narrative or reflective.
Selection of a Title
The next step is to find a suitable title for the précis. The title should be a brief statement which highlights the central theme. It should be short, striking and catchy. A key phrase should be picked up from the passage itself. Most probably, you will find it in the opening lines or in the middle of the passage. Do not choose indistinct or irrelevant titles which mar the effect. Except Articles, Prepositions and Conjunctions, every word in the title must begin with a capital letter.
For example,
§ Self-help Groups to the Rescue of Poor Farm Women
§ Advantages of Sports and Games
You may carefully observe in these two titles that the first letters of each word are in uppercase, except the Prepositions ‘to’ and ‘of’ , Article ‘the’, besides the Conjunction, ‘and’. However, if the title begins with an article, it should be written in the uppercase.
For example,
§ A Stinging Censure
§ The Growth of Virtue and the Growth of a Plant
Central Points
After selecting an apt title, read the passage again, this time rather slowly and try to comprehend every sentence. Since it is for the second time that you are reading the passage, it is easy for you now to extract the main points. Choose the important matter and eliminate the unimportant. Your skill lies in picking up the material which revolves round the central theme and organizing it in an orderly fashion. You should be able to select the most pertinent points and eliminate the inessential.
The points that are superfluous and inappropriate should be straight away omitted. See to it that you leave out repetitions. Some authors have the habit of repeating the same ideas at the beginning of every paragraph for the sake of emphasis. Such repetitions may be eliminated because, economy of words is an essential feature of a précis. Examples, illustrations, quotations, anecdotes, metaphors, similes and other figures of speech can be removed. Redundant words and extraneous stuff also may be dispensed with. Clichéd expressions also should be deleted.
Now, make a list of important points that you came across in the second reading. While picking up the essential points, do not underline in the original text. If you do this, you could be tempted to reproduce the author’s original version .You are not supposed to copy verbatim. Blind copying must be avoided. Précis is not a mechanical reproduction of the given text. It will not make a good précis if you copy word to word from the original passage. As far as possible, attempt to summarize in your own words. But this does not mean that you should completely avoid the words used by the author .Many a time, a key word or a phrase has to be literally reproduced from the original text. Such key words and phrases are indispensable. Nevertheless, the language should be your own. Read the passage once again to locate any omissions that you have made. You should not leave out anything which is important.
Remember that the précis is only a summary and not an essay. Therefore, do not be tempted to add any ideas or thoughts of your own, however brilliant they might be. The précis should not have any ideas which are not in the original. And also, do not add any critical comments of your own. There is no need to analyze the original piece. You need to present only the abstract and not an analysis.
Language Aspects
The précis should contain an organic plan. It should be developed logically with a clear-cut, unbroken chain of ideas, which are linked accurately. Coherence has to be maintained throughout .The sequence should not be disturbed. Sometimes, for the sake of clarity, the sequence may have to be broken. In such a case, see to it that the précis is cogent and runs smoothly. In any case, the central idea of the passage should not be marred. It is very important to note that the précis should always be written in the Third Person. Even though the passage is in the First Person or in the form of a dialogue, it should be converted into the Third Person.
Aim at variety. A well-regulated précis must have variety. Variety can be achieved by using varied sentences of different lengths and clause structures. Long and short sentences should be used alternatively to make the presentation vivid and striking. Use simple, complex and compound sentences to lend richness to the texture. Two simple sentences can be synthesized to construct one compound sentence. Similarly, a complex sentence can be converted into a compound sentence and vice versa. This is how you can reduce the number of words.
For example,
(1) She is tall. She is beautiful. ( 6 words )
She is tall and beautiful. ( 5 words )
(2) He will win the election. That is certain.
( 8 words )
He will certainly win the election.(6 words)
By using this technique, you may reduce some words, without changing the meaning. So, transforming sentences from one form to the other will be of great help to trim down the passage. You may also use one-word substitutes quite liberally, to cut the length.
For example,
(1) Carving figures in stone, wood, marble, etc., or casting them in metal = Sculpture
(2) Person who is made to bear the blame due to others = Scapegoat
This is how a long phrase or a clause can be replaced with a one-word substitute.
Avoid all kinds of ambiguity, i.e. in the form, meaning and language. The abstract that you have made should be lucid. Your précis should not look clumsy and awkward. Language should be simple and candid. Functional language should be used while making a précis. Use short sentences and simple expressions. Wordiness and padding should be strictly avoided. Avoid grammar mistakes. The sentence construction should be 100% grammatically correct. There is no compromise in this aspect. Spellings should be checked carefully. Do not make spelling mistakes. Look up in a dictionary for the spellings of difficult words.
Vague constructions spoil the effect. The précis should not read like a mere summary or compilation of loosely connected ideas. Try to make the précis look like an original piece of composition. Finally, revise the style, spelling, punctuation and grammar .See if the précis has a smooth flow. Maintain order , coherence and unity of thought throughout.
Traffic Signals
Another important aspect in précis-writing is the punctuation. Punctuation marks can often change the meaning of a sentence.
For example,
A sign on a street reads like this:
GO SLOW WORK IN PROGRESS.
It should actually be
GO SLOW. WORK IN PROGRESS .
You may notice in the first sentence, which is obviously incorrect, the Full Stop is wrongly placed after GO. This gives a totally different picture to the reader. He /she will be misled by this sign board and it also leads to confusion and chaos. Many people ignore punctuation marks thinking that they are not very important. You should note that punctuation marks are like traffic signals. If we ignore punctuation, it will hamper the meaning. Such silly mistakes will often result in serious errors. So, use the correct punctuation marks.
Using these guidelines, make a rough draft. See if you have arrived at the required length. If there are 150 words in the original, your précis should be one third of its length, i.e. 50 words. However, it is not possible to write the précis precisely in 50 words. Ten words more or less than the required number of words will not be treated as a lapse. Check the length of your précis. If it is longer than the prescribed word limit, revise it again. Condense it further so as to make it look convincing, neat and appropriate. When you reach the required length and feel satisfied with your work, make a fair draft which is ready for submission. It is always desirable to take a thorough practice till you achieve perfection.
The above mentioned guidelines will surely help you to make a good précis. Here is a sample. Observe it carefully. Read it two to three times. Comprehend the main idea. See how the main points are drawn. From the main points, the final draft of the précis is made quite meticulously. This is how you have to work on précis-writing.
Sample:
It is easy to say, ‘Enlarge your vocabulary; first,
that you may enter upon the privileges of a cultivated woman; and secondly, that you may be able to tell the truth easily and accurately.’ But it is another and more difficult matter to prescribe the means by which this is to be done. Every girl must, to a large degree, work out her own method. The reading of the best books and conversation with cultivated folk are both helps to the free use of words. The dictionary is the best friend for your task. Never allow a strange word to pass unchallenged. Usually, it is wise to look it up at the moment. If that is impossible, it must be written firmly on the memory and traced at the first opportunity. It is good to encourage in yourself the habit of dawdling a little over the dictionary. It is the only place where dawdling reaps a harvest. To learn two new words a day–thoroughly to learn them so that their use will not have a foreign accent–is to insure a large vocabulary before you reach middle age. (189 words)
Title: Enriching Your Vocabulary
Main Points
1. It is a mark of culture and also a means of self-expression to possess a large vocabulary.
2. Every girl should find her own methodology of enriching her vocabulary.
3. The two most helpful ways are reading and conversation. However, a dictionary is the best aid.
4. A new word should be looked up immediately or as soon as possible.
5. By middle age, one can build a large vocabulary if two new words are learned every day.
Précis
Every girl should endeavor to enlarge her vocabulary for successful self-expression. It is also a mark of culture. Reading and conversation are a great help in this regard. However, the best aid is the dictionary. Every new word should be looked up immediately or soon after. A rich vocabulary can be acquired by the time a person reaches middle age if two new words are learned every day.