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METHOD OF PROCEDURE

You must make up ur mind from the beginning that precis-writing means intensive brain-

work.There is no easy short cut to summarising a passage.To tear the heart out of a

passage means concentrated thought,and u must b prepared 4 close attention and hard

thinking.

1 READING

a) First read the passage through carefully,but not too slowly,to get the general idea of its

meaning.If one reading is not enough to give u this clearly,read it over again,and yet

again.The more u read it the more familiar will it become to you,and the clearer will b:

its subject,

what is said about that subject.

Ask urslf,"What is it i am reading?What does the author mean?What is his subject?What is

he saying about it?Can i put in a few words the pith of what he says?"

b) Usually u r required to supply a title 4 ur precis.This is a gud stage at which to dothis.Think of some word,phrase or short sentence that will sum up briefly the main subject

of the passage.Sometimes it is supplied by what we may call a key-sentence.This may b

found at the beginning or at the end of the passage.In its absence,u must get a clear idea of

the subject from the passage as a whole,and then sum it up in a suitable heading.

THe effort to find a suitable title at this stage will help you to define in ur mind what exactly

the subject or main theme of the passage is.

c) Further reading is necessary to ensure that u understand the details of the passage as

well as its main purport.Take it now sentence by sentence,and word by word.If the

meanings of any words are not clear,luk them up in a dictionry.THis is important coz a

phrase,a sentence,or even a word may b of prime importance,and misunderstanding of itmay cause you tok miss the whole point of the passage.

c) U should now b in a position to decide what part parts of the passage are essential and

what parts are comparatively unimporitant and can b omitted widout any loss.The process

of selection must not b in a haphazard or mechanical way.Discard incidentical and

unimportant details.

Jot down ur conclusions in brief notes_the subject,the title and the details which u consider

essential.

2) WRITING

a) Rough drafts

u shud now b ready to attempt the writing of the precis;but b sure of the limit within which

2 WRITING

IF u r told to reduce the passage to a third of its length,count the number of words in the

passage and by three.Dont exceed.


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He spoke off-handed.

John fell into the river and, before help could reach him,he sank.

john was drowned in the river.

The England of our own days is so strong and the Spain of our own days is so feeble,that itis not possible,widout some reflection and care,to comprehend the full extent of the peril

which England had frm the power and ambtion of Spain in the 16th century.

We cant nowadays fully realise what a menace Spain was to England in the 16th century.

d) INDIRECT SPEECH

a precis must b written in indirect speech,after a "verb of saying"in the past tense.For

example:

"Whether we look at the intrinsic value of our literature,or at the particular situation of the

country,we shall see the strongest reason to think that of all foreign tongues the English is

that which would be the most useful to our native subjects."Macualay

LORD MACUALAY said that England's noble literature and the universality of her language

made English the foreign language most useful for India.

The change frm direct to indirect calls for calls for attention to the following points,

1 correct sequence of tenses after the "verb of saying'' IN THE PAST TENSE.

2 clear differentiation of the various persons mentioned in the passage.Care must b taken

with pronouns he,she and they.To avoid confusion proper names shud b used occasionally.

3 correct use of adverbs and other words indicating time.4 Proper choice of "verbs of sayings",to indicate questions,comments,warnings,threats or

exhortations.

Great care must b taken to avoid lapsing into direct speech.

Some passages however best b summarised in direct speech,rely on ur judjment.

(#3) REVISION

Revise the final draft,

Take care of its length,

Compare it with the original to see that u hav not omitted any important point,Correct mistakesin spelling and punctuation,grammar and idiom.

Tips for Writing a Prcisby Constance DeVereaux

A well-written prcis should be a serviceable substitute for the original work. The goal is topreserve the core essence of the work in a manner that is both clear and concise. At a


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minimum, the prcis should include the topic or main thesis, the purpose of the research,what was studied, what methods were used, what results (or insight) were gained, and aconclusion. This guide provides tips and includes links to two sample papers, one on fetalprotection policies and the other on James L. Sundquist and constitutional reform.

Goals of the Prcis

Compress and clarify a lengthy passage, article, or book, while retaining importantconcepts, key words, and important data.

Remove what is superfluous and retain the core essence of the work.

Give a brief description of key terms

Give a brief description of methods * an idea of the general approach used by theresearchers.

State the purpose of the research or piece of writing (why was it important to

conduct this research or write on this topic?)

When finished, the prcis should clearly state:

This is what was studied (argued, discussed).

This is how it was done (this was the focus).

This is what was learned.

This is what it means (why it is important).

Sample Prcis

"Fetal Protection Policies and the Cultural Mandate for Job Segregation by Gender"

"James L. Sundquist, Constitutional Reform and Effective Government"

Claremont Graduate School

Writing the Precis

As serious academic writers, you will have to read and remember large amounts of prose(and poetry) along withscientific and social-studies articles as well. In many of your college courses, you are

probably able to memorize factsand key statements with relative ease, but in English courses and others which also requireclose, critical reading, youare asked to go a step further, i.e., to present the informing argument of, let's say, anarticle and to reproduce thelogical development of the argument in as cogent a form as possible in your own words. Inorder to demonstrate thatyou have assimilated the central argument and proof of another scholar's criticalinterpretation, you must be able to


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summarize and even compose a precis of an argument.

A summary or a precis is NOT a personal interpretation of a work or an expression of youropinion of the idea; it is, rather, an exact replica in miniature of the work, often reduced toone-quarter to one-fifth of its size, in which you express the complete argument!

What actually happens when you write a precis? First, you must understand the completework so that you canabstract the central argument and express it cogently and completely. Next, you mustdevelop the argument exactlyas the writer has presented it AND reduce the work by 755-80% of its size. Of course, thisis possible when youconsider exactly how you "learn" to read the work.

The key word here is assimilation. When you read the material, it is probable that you willunderstand only thoseparts which have associations within your own experience (intellectual, emotional, physical,etc..

How you actually go about writing a precis depends largely on your ability to restate thewriter's central ideas afteryou have assimilated them in your own mind.

Here are the rules of the game:

1. Read the article many times most carefully.

2. Write a precis of the article in which you state the entire argumentand present the logical progression (the development) of the argument.

3. Reduce the article to one-fifth to one-quarter of its original length

and omit nothing from the essential argument. This is, in reality,the key to the whole enterprise!

4. Type the precis and begin with your abstraction of the central, inform-ing idea of the article. Having understood and written the central idea,present the essential argument in as cogent manner as possible.

(Clue: Once you have assimilated the article through the illustrationsand examples the writer uses to make his/her abstract ideas concrete,you do not have to include these in your precis!)

5. Here is a central rule:

Do not copy a single sentence from the article! You may usekey words and phrases only when you are expressing ideas which aretechnically precise or when you feel comfortable using the writer'sown words, i.e., you understand exactly he or she means, and thereis really no better way to express the concept.

Finally, in order to complete this assignment, you will have to read the work most carefully,ask questions about the


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work repeatedly, and reach into your own experiences so that you can shape most cogentlythe writer's concepts!

This assignment is not easy! When you have completed it well, you will never, never forgetthe argument, theexamples, and the development of the article. More than likely you will also be learningthat, when you write researchpapers and other critical papers, you ability to write the precis is central to the basics ofanalysis, synthesis,comparison, and other key, higher order thinking skills absolutely required for your successin college and in theprofession or career you have chosen when you graduate.

Palo Alto College

STEP #1Begin with an article that is relevant and interesting, one with meat to it.Read it and make sure that you understand it.

STEP #2Select the most important points contained in the article.Underline or highlight those points.

STEP #3Collect your key points.

Salt Lake CityIOC awarded SLC the 2002 Winter Olympics.leak from disgruntled employee of organizing committeequestions from member of IOCbidders suspected of bribing IOC members

four groups investigatingIOC members heavily courtedmembers pledge to return gifts of over $150IRS may investigateIOC members serve without pay but are allowed to accept plane tickets, accommodations,and lavishmealslooks like nearly $400,000 was paid in scholarships and financial aid to 13 studentssix recipients related to IOC membersmembers not accepting blame but citing past practicesgames will probably still be held in Salt Lake Citycity worried about sponsors pulling out

IOC investigatingsome members may be forced to resignreform is needed

STEP #4Place your ideas in sentences.Arrange your sentences into one unit,the "Synopsis."


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By an overwhelming margin, the International Olympic Committee (IOC) selected Salt LakeCity, Utah, as the site for the 2002 Winter Olympics. But based on leaks from a disgruntledemployee of the local organizing committee and questions from a member of the IOC, theSalt Lake City bidders are suspected of bribing IOC members. So far four groups haveopened investigations. The IOC members serve without pay and are pledged to refuse giftsin excess of $150; but they are heavily courted and allowed to accept plane tickets, hotelaccommodations, and lavish dinners. It now looks like they also took nearly $400,000 inscholarship money and financial aid to 13 students, six of whom were related to IOCmembers. So far no one is accepting blame; they are only citing past, similar behaviors.While the games will probably still be held in Salt Lake City, local organizers are concernedabout the pull-out of sponsors and the possibility that the IRS might begin an investigation.The IOC is investigating and some members may be forced to resign. Reform is needed.

Montgomery County Community College

Paraphrase, Summary, and Precis

Three writing strategies that will help you understand what you are reading are the

paraphrase, summary, and precis. All three ask you to put the information that you'rereading into your own words.

Paraphrase

When you paraphrase, you are explaining your source's argument, following its line ofreasoning and its sequence ofideas, in your own words. The paraphrase should give the reader an accurate understandingof the author's position onthe topic. The purpose of a paraphrase is to convey the meaning of the original messageand, in doing so, to prove thatyou understand the passage well enough to restate it. Remember, your job is not to proveyourself correct, but to

uncover and explain all the facts and arguments involved in your subject.

To paraphrase, first substitute synonyms for the passage's more important terms. Thesesynonyms should be accurateboth in denotative and connotative meaning. It does not matter yet whether you agree ordisagree with the passage; itonly matters that you comprehend what the show that you understand what the passagesays.

This restatement preserves both the original meaning of the passage and the author'sposition on the matter, but it maybe difficult to read at some points. Fine tune the sentence construction, possibly even

adding a phrase here and there toillustrate a point more clearly or show a connection between two ideas.

The paraphrase alters the wording of the passage without changing its meaning. It retainsthe basic logic of theargument, its sequence of ideas, and even the examples used in the passage. Mostimportantly, it accurately conveysthe author's meaning and opinion.


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Summary

A summary restates only the author's main ideas, omitting all the examples and evidenceused in supporting andillustrating those points. The function of a summary is to represent the scope and emphasisof a relatively large amountof material in an efficient and concise form. In your own words, state the thesis, mainarguments and conclusion of theoriginal. In both the paraphrase and summary, the author's meaning and opinion have beenretained. However, in thecase of the summary, examples and illustrative elements of the passage are omitted.Because they can be used toencapsulate everything from a long narrative passage of an essay, to a chapter in a book, tothe entire book itself,summaries can be tremendously helpful.

Precis

The precis (pronounced pray-see) is a type of summarizing that insists on an exactreproduction of the logic,organization, and emphasis of the original texts. It is of particular use in situations in whichyou want to detail therelative order, proportions, and relationships of the original parts of a text. An effectiveprecis retains the logic,development, and argument of the original in much shorter form. Thus, a precis is usefulwhen you are dealing withlengthy passages that demand careful attention to the logic and organization of anargument.

To write an effective precis, read the passage several times for a full understanding. Notekey points. It may, in fact, be

helpful to underline these words. Restate each paragraph in one or two sentences. In caseswhere there are very shortparagraphs, combine them in your restatement. Make sure that you retain the precise orderof the original points, andcombine the sentences into one or more smooth paragraphs. Finally, check your precisagainst the original to be surethat it is exact and retains the order, proportions, and relationships of the original.

University of Kansas

PRECIS

The following has been excerpted from Warriner's EnglishGrammar and Composition: Complete Course, pages 429-437.

A precis is a brief summary. Writing a precis is valuable trainingin composition. Since the writing requires you to be clear andconcise, you must choose your words carefully and arrange themskillfully you get the maximum amount of meaning into theminimum space.


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In addition to its value as a writing exercise, precis work isexcellent reading practice. In order to summarize another's ideasin your own words, you must understand the idea thoroughly.

In school and in life after school, there are many situations thatcall for the writing of a brief, accurate summary of reading. Youare frequently asked to prepare a summary of what you haveread in your textbook or in the library. Answers on examinationsoften require a brief summary. People in business, in club work,and in social work must prepare short digests of articles andreports.

Study the following facts about precis and the basic steps inwriting.

1. A precis is a short summary. It is not a paraphrase,which merely says in different and simpler words exactlywhat the passage being paraphrased has to say. A

paraphrase may be a long as the passage itself. A precisrarely is more than one-third the length of the originalselection and may be only one-fourth as long.

2. A precis gives only the "heart" of a passage. It omitsrepetition and such details as examples, illustrations, andadjectives unless they are of unusual importance.

3. A precis is written entirely in the words of the personwriting it, not in the words of the original selection.Avoid the temptation to lift long phrases and wholesentences from the original.

4. A precis is written from the point of view of theauthor whose work is being summarized. Do not beginwith such expressions as "This author says" or "Theparagraph means." Begin as though you were summarizingyour own writing.

In writing a precis proceed as follows:

1. Read carefully, sentence by sentence, the passage to besummarized. Try to grasp the writer's main point. Spottingthe topic sentence will help. Look up in the dictionary anywords whose meaning is not absolutely clear. As you read,

take brief notes to be used in your writing.

2. When you have finally decided what the author's mainpoint is, write it out in your own words. Do not use thewording of the original except for certain key words whichyou may find indispensable. If you cannot translate theidea into language of your own, you do not understandthem very well. Be especially careful not to rely too muchon the topic sentence. Do not add any opinions or ideas of


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your own.

3. Revise your writing until you are sure that you have givenan accurate summary.

4. Usually you will find your precis is too long, if it is morethan one-third the length of the original. Continue yourrevision until you have reduced the precis to the properlength. In this careful revision lies the principal value of theprecis as a composition exercise.

Montgomery Blair High School__________________Engr.Aftab

Last edited by Princess Royal; Saturday, May 10, 2008 at08:10 PM.

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Monday, June 23, 2008

SurmountSenior Member

Join Date: Apr 2008Location: Sara Pakistan...Humara PakistanPosts: 1,701Thanks: 667Thanked 769 Times in 496 Posts

An Introduction to Writing the Precis

An Introduction to Writing the Precis

As serious academic writers, you will have to read and remember large amounts of prose(and poetry) along with scientific and social-studies articles as well. In many of yourcollege courses, you are probably able to memorize facts and key statements with relativeease, but in English courses and others which also require close, critical reading, you areasked to go a step further, i.e., to present the informing argument of, let's say, an article

and to reproduce the logical development of the argument in as cogent a form as possiblein your own words. In order to demonstrate that you have assimilated the centralargument and proof of another scholar's critical interpretation, you must be able tosummarize and even compose a precis of an argument.

A summary or a precis is NOT a personal interpretation of a work or an expression of youropinion of the idea; it is, rather, an exact replica in miniature of the work, often reducedto one-quarter to one-fifth of its size, in which you express the complete argument!
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What actually happens when you write a precis? First, you must understand the completework so that you can abstract the central argument and express it cogently andcompletely. Next, you must develop the argument exactly as the writer has presented itAND reduce the work by 755-80% of its size. Of course, this is possible when you considerexactly how you "learn" to read the work.

The key word here is assimilation. When you read the material, it is probable that you willunderstand only those parts which have associations within your own experience(intellectual, emotional, physical, etc..

How you actually go about writing a precis depends largely on your ability to restate thewriter's central ideas after you have assimilated them in your own mind.

Here are the rules of the game:

1. Read the article many times most carefully.

2. Write a precis of the article in which you state the entire argument

and present the logical progression (the development) of the argument.

3. Reduce the article to one-fifth to one-quarter of its original lengthand omit nothing from the essential argument. This is, in reality,the key to the whole enterprise!

4. Type the precis and begin with your abstraction of the central, inform-ing idea of the article. Having understood and written the central idea,present the essential argument in as cogent manner as possible.

(Clue: Once you have assimilated the article through the illustrationsand examples the writer uses to make his/her abstract ideas concrete,you do not have to include these in your precis!)

5. Here is a central rule:

Do not copy a single sentence from the article! You may usekey words and phrases only when you are expressing ideas which aretechnically precise or when you feel comfortable using the writer'sown words, i.e., you understand exactly he or she means, and thereis really no better way to express the concept.

Finally, in order to complete this assignment, you will have to read the work most

carefully, ask questions about the work repeatedly, and reach into your own experiencesso that you can shape most cogently the writer's concepts!

This assignment is not easy! When you have completed it well, you will never, neverforget the argument, the examples, and the development of the article. More than likelyyou will also be learning that, when you write research papers and other critical papers,you ability to write the precis is central to the basics of analysis, synthesis, comparison,and other key, higher order thinking skills absolutely required for your success in collegeand in the profession or career you have chosen when you graduate.


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#6

Thursday, March 25, 2010

wasikhanMember

Join Date: Feb 2010Posts: 23Thanks: 5Thanked 11 Times in 5 Posts

Writing a Prcis

A prcis is a brief summary. Writing a prcis is valuable training in composition. Since the

writing requires you to be clear and concise, you must choose your words carefully andarrange them skillfully so you get the maximum amount of meaning into the minimumspace.

In addition to its value as a writing exercise, prcis work is excellent reading practice. Inorder to summarize another's ideas in your own words, you must understand the ideathoroughly.

In school and in life after school, there are many situations that call for the writing of abrief, accurate summary of reading. You are frequently asked to prepare a summary ofwhat you have read in your textbook or in the library. Answers on examinations oftenrequire a brief summary. People in business, in club work, and in social work must prepare

short digests of articles and reports.

Study the following facts about prcis and the basic steps in writing.

1. A prcis is a short summary. It is not a paraphrase, which merely says in different andsimpler words exactly what the passage being paraphrased has to say. A paraphrase maybe as long as the passage itself. A prcis rarely is more than one-third the length of theoriginal selection and may be only one-fourth as long.
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2. A prcis gives only the "heart" of a passage. It omits repetition and such details asexamples, illustrations, and adjectives unless they are of unusual importance.

3. A prcis is written entirely in the words of the person writing it, not in the words of theoriginal selection. Avoid the temptation to lift long phrases and whole sentences from theoriginal.

4. A prcis is written from the point of view of the author whose work is beingsummarized. Do not begin with such expressions as "This author says" or "The paragraphmeans." Begin as though you were summarizing your own writing.

In writing a prcis proceed as follows:

1. Read carefully, sentence by sentence, the passage to be summarized. Try to grasp thewriter's main point. Spotting the topic sentence will help. Look up in the dictionary anywords whose meaning is not absolutely clear. As you read, take brief notes to be used inyour writing.

2. When you have finally decided what the author's main point is, write it out in your ownwords. Do not use the wording of the original except for certain key words which you mayfind indispensable. If you cannot translate the idea into language of your own, you do notunderstand them very well. Be especially careful not to rely too much on the topicsentence. Do not add any opinions or ideas of your own.

3. Revise your writing until you are sure that you have given an accurate summary.

4. Usually you will find your prcis is too long, if it is more than one-third the length of theoriginal, it is too long, continue your revision until you have reduced the prcis to theproper length. For the purpose of this class your prcis should be no longer than 1 typeddouble spaced page with 1 margins (approx. 200 250 words).

Last edited by Princess Royal; Thursday, March 25, 2010 at03:15 PM.