Precis Writing | Importance | Qualities | Essentials | Steps

What is Precis Writing?

The word “Precis” is a French word. An English word is developed from this French word as “Precise”. Precis means a summary and precis-writing means summarizing. Therefore, a lengthy passage is presented in a few words without affecting main idea or theme of the passage under precis-writing. There is no hard and fast rules for precis-writing.

Summary and abstract words are used in the place of precis since both the words convey the same meaning. Summary is the presentation of statements in the form of notes with main heading and sub-heading and numbered points beneath them. Abstract is presented in the form of paragraph which contains main theme of the passage or an article. In nutshell, a precis-writing should be accurate, brief and clear i.e ABC.

Meaning of Precis Writing

Precis-writing means a brief and clear statement of the important matters of a longer passage.

Definition of Precis Writing

Precis-writing is defined as a brief statement in a summary form of the essential ideas in a longer article.

Importance of Precis Writing

Today, every businessman and top executives are forced to be busy to win in the competition. They have only meager time to spent for reading correspondences, newspapers, magazines, journals, announcement of the government and the like. They require main points of the communication and other items. Hence, a person is requested to read the full passage and present the important matters as in the form of precis. This process involves the precis writing.

Qualities of Good Precis Writer

The following soft skills are required to be a good precis-writer.

1. He/she should have the power of thorough understanding and judgement of the passage.

2. He/she must be understand.the real facts of the passage very quickly.

3. He/she must know maximum vocabulary and its meanings.

4. He/she should know the place of using any vocabulary.

5. He/she should avoid telegraphic language at the cost of brevity.

Essentials of Precis Writing

The following points should be kept in mind while writing the precis.

1. The precis must not exceed one-third of the length of the original passage.

2. The precis must be in indirect form and in past tense.

3. The precis should be in own words of the precis-writer.

4. The combination of the sentence of original passage should be avoided at the maximum.

5. The original words of the original passage should be avoided at the

6. If suitable other words are not available, the original words of the original passage may be used in precis-writing.

7. Different paragraphs are used in precis-writing. At the same time, there must be a continuity from first paragraph to next paragraph.

8. The main ideas or matters of the original passage should be presented in the same order in precis-writing at the maximum.

9. The precis must complete and self-contained and at the same time in lucid and concise.

10. The reader of the precis-writing should understand the subject matter in the same direction and the right sense of the precis-writer.

11. The precis must be in simple and direct. There should not be any grammar mistake in the precis-making.

12. Every precis must have a short and appropriate title.

Steps involved in Precis Writing

A precis-writer can follow the following steps while writing precis.

1. The precis-writer should read the full passage thoroughly to get main theme.

2. Once again read the passage for proper understanding of the material facts.

3. Underline or highlight all the important ideas.

4. Select a suitable title for the proposed precis-writing.

5. Hints may be developed by the precis-writer.

6. Verify the hints to know whether all the material facts are included for precis-writing.

7. The precis-writer can use his/her own language for precis-writing.

8. Confirm, whether unimportant points and irrelevant points are excluded in precis-writing.

9. Each material facts are presented in a separate paragraph.

10. Give importance whether each paragraph is well connected with next paragraph.

11. Now, the first draft is ready. At this stage, the precis-writer can count the number of words. If the number is one third of original passage, the precis writing is over.

12. Sometimes, the number of words of first draft is less than or more than one third of original passage. Few words may be added as in the form of sentence, if number of words is less than one third of original passage. Likewise, two or more sentences may be replaced in one sentence if number of words is more than one third of original passage.

13. Read the precis-writing for spelling mistake and grammar corrections.

14. Reconsider the appropriateness of the title of precis-writing and amend it, if necessary.