Table of Contents
What is Precis Writing?
Precis writing is about creating a concise summary of a passage. It includes all the essential points, the mood and tone of the author, and the main idea or gist of the passage. A precis is a condensed version of a larger text, written in as few words as possible, usually about one-third of the original length. The goal of precis writing is to convey the main idea of the passage accurately and briefly.
In precis exercises, you don’t add unnecessary details or copy the original sentences directly. Instead, you read the passage carefully, identify the central theme, and express the main points in your own words. This ensures clarity, conciseness, and coherence. Effective precis writing requires good summarization techniques and key points identification.
By mastering precis writing exercises, you improve your summary writing and abstract writing skills. It involves text condensation and condensing paragraphs to extract the main idea. This precise writing skill is essential for creating a brief summary that captures the important points and provides an overview of the passage. Synoptic writing and writing summaries are crucial for understanding and communicating the gist of any content.
Precis Writing Format
Here is the Precis Writing Format class 12:
Title
Always provide a title for your precis that captures the main idea of the original passage, even if there isn’t one in the original.
Introduction
Begin with a sentence that includes the main idea. Mention the author and the context if it’s relevant.
Body
Use summarization techniques to condense the text, covering the key points in the same order as the original passage. Ensure all important points, mood, and tone are included. This precise writing should use your own words, avoiding direct copying.
Conclusion
End with a sentence that summarizes the main idea. Make sure your summary writing is clear and logically structured.
Precis Writing Example
Example
Original Passage
The importance of education cannot be overstated. It is the foundation upon which we build our future. Education not only provides us with knowledge but also teaches us the essential skills required to navigate life. It shapes our character, influences our choices, and helps us to become responsible citizens.
Precis
Title: The Significance of Education
Education is crucial as it forms the foundation of our future. It imparts knowledge and essential life skills, shapes our character, and guides our choices, helping us become responsible citizens.
This format and approach ensure that your precis is effective and meets the necessary standards.
How to Write Precis?
A precis is a brief summary of the main points in a passage, article, or text. It is a shortened version of the original content, focusing on the key ideas, arguments, and important points. Here are the key steps on how to write precis:
- Read the Original Passage: Read the passage carefully to understand the central theme and main ideas.
- Identify the Main Idea: Note down the central theme, main idea, or gist of the passage. This main idea extraction is crucial for summarizing the content.
- Highlight Important Points: Highlight or underline key points and keywords to help in summarizing. This step is part of the key points identification process.
- Create an Outline: Make a clear and well-structured outline based on your notes. This outline will guide your summary writing.
- Write the Precis: Draft the precis using your outline, focusing on the main points and avoiding unnecessary details. This step involves precise writing and condensing paragraphs.
- Proofread and Edit: Review your precis for errors, clarity, and conciseness, ensuring it is well-organized and error-free.
By following these steps and guidelines, you can effectively create a concise and accurate summary of any text. This precis writing exercise will enhance your summarization techniques and overall writing skills.
Rules of Precis Writing
Maintain Objectivity:
- Present the information objectively without adding personal opinions or interpretations.
- Focus on summarizing the author’s ideas accurately for precise writing.
Use Simple Language:
- Write in clear and straightforward language.
- Avoid complex words and long sentences to ensure the summary writing is easy to understand.
Follow the Logical Sequence:
- Maintain the logical flow and structure of the original text.
- Present the main points in the same order as in the original to create a coherent condensed text.
Highlight Key Points:
- Identify and include only the essential points, facts, and arguments.
- Ensure all significant aspects of the original text are covered for effective key points identification.
Exclude Personal Comments:
- Do not include personal comments, opinions, or interpretations.
- The brief summary should reflect only the original author’s viewpoint.
Check for Accuracy:
- Ensure all facts, figures, dates, and other details are accurately represented.
- Double-check for any errors in grammar, punctuation, and spelling for accurate writing skills.
Write in Third Person:
- Write the precis in the third person, even if the original text is in the first person.
- Use pronouns like “he,” “she,” “it,” or “they” instead of “I” or “we” to create an objective overview writing.
Precis Exercises
Here are 3 Precise writing exercise for the practice purpose:
Precis Exercise 1
Original Passage
In today’s fast-paced world, maintaining a healthy lifestyle has become increasingly challenging. With busy schedules, people often neglect physical activity and opt for quick, unhealthy meals. This has led to a rise in lifestyle-related diseases such as obesity, diabetes, and heart problems. However, incorporating regular exercise and a balanced diet can significantly improve overall health. Simple changes like walking more, choosing nutritious foods, and reducing stress can make a big difference. It is essential to prioritize health to lead a fulfilling life.
Ans:
Precis
Title: Importance of a Healthy Lifestyle
Introduction: In the modern fast-paced world, maintaining a healthy lifestyle is challenging due to busy schedules and unhealthy food choices.
Body: Neglecting physical activity and opting for quick, unhealthy meals have led to lifestyle-related diseases like obesity, diabetes, and heart issues. However, incorporating regular exercise and a balanced diet can improve overall health. Simple changes such as walking more, eating nutritious foods, and reducing stress are essential steps toward better health.
Conclusion: Prioritizing health is crucial for leading a fulfilling life, despite the challenges of a busy lifestyle.
Precis Exercise 2
Original PassageEducation is the foundation of personal and societal growth. It empowers individuals with knowledge, skills, and values that are necessary for personal development and social cohesion. Through education, people learn to think critically, solve problems, and make informed decisions. Furthermore, education promotes equality and can break the cycle of poverty. By providing equal access to education, societies can ensure that all individuals have the opportunity to reach their full potential and contribute positively to the community.
Ans:
Precis
Title: The Role of Education in Personal and Societal Growth
Introduction: Education is crucial for both personal development and societal growth.
Body: It empowers individuals with essential knowledge, skills, and values. Education fosters critical thinking, problem-solving, and informed decision-making. Additionally, it promotes equality and helps break the cycle of poverty. Equal access to education ensures that everyone can reach their full potential and contribute positively to society.
Conclusion: Education is foundational for personal empowerment and societal progress, highlighting the importance of providing equal educational opportunities.
Precis Exercise 3
Original PassageThe preservation of the environment is a pressing issue that requires immediate attention. Human activities such as deforestation, pollution, and overconsumption of natural resources are causing severe damage to the planet. These actions lead to climate change, loss of biodiversity, and depletion of natural resources. It is crucial to adopt sustainable practices and reduce our ecological footprint. Measures such as recycling, conserving energy, and protecting natural habitats can help mitigate environmental damage. Everyone has a role to play in safeguarding the environment for future generations.
Ans:
PrecisTitle: The Urgency of Environmental Preservation
Introduction: Environmental preservation is a critical issue needing immediate action due to the severe damage caused by human activities.
Body: Deforestation, pollution, and overconsumption of resources lead to climate change, biodiversity loss, and resource depletion. Adopting sustainable practices and reducing our ecological footprint are crucial. Actions like recycling, conserving energy, and protecting habitats can mitigate environmental damage.
Conclusion: Everyone must contribute to safeguarding the environment to ensure a sustainable future for upcoming generations.
Do’s and Don’ts for Write Precis
Do:
- Read Thoroughly: Go through the passage multiple times to grasp the main idea and key details.
- Note Essential Points: Write down the important points and supporting details, skipping any irrelevant information. This helps in key points identification.
- Logical Flow: Start with the main idea and then present the supporting details in a logical order for concise writing.
- Clear Language: Use simple and clear language, avoiding complicated vocabulary. This ensures a brief summary.
- Stay Objective: Maintain objectivity by not adding your own assumptions or opinions.
- Correct Tenses: Pay attention to tenses, especially using past tense for historical information.
- Draft and Proofread: Write a rough draft first and proofread it to ensure accuracy and clarity in your precise writing.
- Title Appropriately: Give the precis a suitable title that clearly conveys the subject matter. This enhances the overview writing.
Don’t:
- Exceed Length: Ensure the precis is shorter than the original passage for proper text condensation.
- Avoid Abbreviations: Do not use abbreviations, contractions, or questions as they can confuse the reader.
- Stay Balanced: Do not focus too much on any one point; keep the information concise for effective summary writing.
- No Copy-Pasting: Rephrase sentences in your own words instead of copying them directly from the original. This is crucial for a good precis writing exercise.
- No Personal Views: Avoid expressing uncertainty or providing your own criticism/commentary to maintain the essence of abstract writing.
FAQs on Precis Writing
What is precis writing?
Precis writing is a summary of a passage in as few words as possible, covering all the important details and conveying the main idea of the passage. It is an exercise of compression that requires the writer to read the passage carefully and condense it into a concise version.
What are the 4 types of precis?
The four types of precis are: Precis of continuous matter: This type of precis is used for summarizing continuous passages of text. Precis of speech: This type of precis is used for summarizing speeches or oral presentations. Precis of correspondence: This type of precis is used for summarizing letters or other written correspondence. Precis of telegraphese: This type of precis is used for summarizing telegrams or other short messages.
What are the 5 C's of precis writing?
The 5 C's of precis writing are: Concise: A precis should be short and to the point. Clear: The language used should be easy to understand. Coherent: The precis should be well-structured and logically organized. Complete: The precis should cover all the important details of the passage. Correct: The precis should be free of errors in grammar, spelling, and punctuation.
What are the golden rules of precis writing?
The golden rules of precis writing are: Read the passage carefully: Understand the passage thoroughly before summarizing it. Identify the main idea: Determine the central theme or main idea of the passage. Use your own words: Avoid copying sentences directly from the passage. Keep it concise: Aim for a length that is one-third of the original passage. Maintain objectivity: Avoid adding personal opinions or biases.
What is the ABC of precis writing?
The ABC of precis writing stands for: A - Accuracy: Ensure that the precis accurately reflects the main idea of the passage. B - Brevity: Keep the precis concise and to the point. C - Clarity: Use clear and simple language to convey the main idea.
How to write a precis in 50 words?
To write a precis in 50 words, follow these steps: Read the passage carefully. Identify the main idea. Use your own words. Keep it concise. Ensure accuracy and clarity. Remember to maintain objectivity and avoid adding personal opinions or biases.
