What is Précis?

What is Précis?
Précis writing is the art of summarising/condensation. Precis (pray-see, pl.
pray-seez) writing is a very useful skill. It has also been referred to as
“summary or “condensation”. The French gave it the name “précis” - the
pruning away of all that is inessential.
A précis is a brief, original summary of the important ideas given in a long
selection. In other words, a précis is a condensed restatement of a text. It is a
concise and lucid/clear summary that abandons all unnecessary details
(including illustrations, amplifications, and embellishments) in favor of
reproducing the logic, development, organization and emphasis of the original.
Retaining the substance of a fuller statement, it seeks to articulate another
author’s thoughts by extracting the maximum amount of information and
carefully conveying it in a minimum number of words.
What is the
purpose of
précis?
Précis writing aims at intelligent reading and
clear, accurate writing. It is a skill of analysis
that critically questions every thought
included and excluded. To be precisely, it
mercilessly reveals an author’s wordiness and
looseness of thought and construction. A
précis should strengthen our style, our sense
of proportion and emphasis, and our
sensitivity to word meanings and an author's
viewpoint. A précis is usually of a prescribed
length – in many cases, one-third (or at least
one-fourth) of the length of the original.
 • DOs of Précis Writing
• Read the passage carefully; more than
once if needed.
• Make a note of the important points.
Guide to a • Make at least two drafts—a rough one and
a fair one.
Successful Précis • The rough draft has the essence of the
original passage.
• The fair draft is a good summary of the
main points from the rough draft.
Guide to a • DON’Ts of Précis Writing
• Express your own opinion.
Successful • Use a question in the précis.
Précis • Use abbreviations or contractions.
 WHAT IS ABSTRACT?
Abstract is a summary of an article, book,
or other written publication. However,
abstract describes the scope of the text,
and does not contain extensive data.
Moreover, it is not designed to replace
the original. Rather, it is designed to help
the reader decide whether or not the
original is relevant to his or her research.
Particularly in the fields of science and
technology, the abstract is theme-oriented:
it focuses on specific topics in the original
text. It summarizes purpose and
methodology, observations, conclusions,
and recommendations.
 WHAT IS ABRIDGEMENT?

Abridgment is a shortened version of the

author's original work. In this respect,
abridged versions of books are used as a
means of popularizing literature.
Although reading a condensed version is
not the same as enjoying and appreciating
the original work in its entirety, these
publications do introduce literary works
to people who would perhaps never
progress through the more lengthy and
sophisticated originals.
All the types of summaries
are based on previously
existing source material.
They are surrogate texts,
as are the translation, the
paraphrase, the excerpt,
the review, and numerous
other types of texts.
Surrogate texts clearly vary
with respect to their form
and the nature of their
relationships with their
respective source texts, but
they have in common the
fact that they are target
texts resulting from a
transformation of source
material.
SIMILARITIES AND DIFFERENCES OF
SURROGATE TEXTS

The "summary" is a condensed version

of an original text. It is necessarily briefer
than the original, and it contains only the
main ideas of the source text.
SIMILARITIES AND DIFFERENCES OF
SURROGATE TEXTS
The "translation" is a surrogate text
which transfers an original message into
another language. Translation is thus an
interlingual process which requires the reformulation
of the message in another linguistic
system. The translated text should
accurately reflect all the content of the
original.
SIMILARITIES AND DIFFERENCES OF
SURROGATE TEXTS
The "paraphrase" is a rewording of an
original message in the same language as
the original—a sort of intralingual translation.
It involves the systematic substitution
of one lexical item, expression, or sentence
for another, and the finished product
closely resembles the original in structure
and in length.
SIMILARITIES AND DIFFERENCES OF
SURROGATE TEXTS

The "extract" or the "excerpt" is a portion

of an original text that has been copied
verbatim. Unlike the summary, it is
not a scale model; rather, it reproduces
segments of the original text as representative
of the whole.
SIMILARITIES AND DIFFERENCES OF
SURROGATE TEXTS

The "review" briefly describes the content

of a text, but it also expresses the reviewer's
opinion of the original. This element
of subjective evaluation differentiates
the review, and any form of literary criticism,
from the objective summary.
The precis has several distinctive features. First, it is usually
of a prescribed length—in many cases, one-third of the
length of the original. The precis combines the
characteristics of the paraphrase and the summary: the
precis should be a fluid text which stands on its own as an
accurate, condensed re-creation of the source text, rather
than a collage of expressions and sentences copied from the
original. In precis-writing, the quality of original
composition is an important factor.
 This emphasis on original composition is
understandable, since precis-writing is primarily
an academic exercise. Precis-writing exercises
have long been used in secondary schools and
schools of higher learning to develop language
and communication skills. In this context, the
precis is of great educational value. On the one
hand, it develops passive language skills—the
ability to read intelligently, to detect the
principal ideas and the pattern of thought in
texts, and to become aware of the logic and
quality of thought underlying a passage. On the
other hand, it develops active language skills—
the ability to use words effectively and to write
clearly and precisely.
 Precis-writing is also an excellent testing tool, and
has been used as part of entrance examinations by
colleges, universities, and civil services in countries
such as Great Britain, France, and Canada. It enables
examiners to evaluate not only the linguistic skills
but also the general intellectual abilities of the
candidates.
 PRECIS WRITING SAMPLES
There is an enemy beneath our feet—an enemy more deadly for his complete impartiality. He recognizes no
national boundaries, no political parties. Everyone in the world is threatened by him. The enemy is the Earth
itself. When an earthquake strikes, the world trembles. The power of a quake is greater than anything man
himself can produce.
But today scientists are directing a great deal of their effort into finding some way of combating earthquakes
and, perhaps at some time in the near future, mankind will have discovered a means of protecting itself from
earthquakes. An earthquake strikes without warning. When it does, its power is immense. If it strikes a modern
city, the damage it causes is as great as if it has struck a primitive village. Gas mains burst, explosions are
caused and fires are started. Underground railways are wrecked. Buildings collapse, bridges fall, dams burst and
gaping crevices appear in busy streets.
If the quake strikes at sea, huge tidal waves sweep inland. If it strikes in mountain regions, avalanches roar down
into the valley. Consider the terrifying statistics from the past 1755: Lisbon, capital of Portugal—the city was
destroyed entirely and 450 killed; 1970: Peru—50,000 killed. In 1968, an earthquake struck Alaska. As this is a
relatively unpopulated part, only a few people were killed. But it is likely that this was one of the most powerful
quakes ever to have hit the world.
Geologists estimate that during the tremors, the whole of the state moved over 80 feet farther west into the
Pacific Ocean. Imagine the power of something that can move an entire subcontinent! This is the problem that
scientists face. They are dealing with forces so immense that man cannot hope to resist them. All that can be
done is to try to pinpoint just where the earthquake will strike and work from there. At least some precautionary
measures can then be taken to save lives and some property. (329 words)
 PRECIS WRITING SAMPLES
Rough Draft
- Earthquake is one of the worst enemies of mankind.
- It causes great damage as it strikes without warning.
- Scientists are finding ways to combat the disaster.
- Earthquakes cause great damage to life and property.
- Statistics have reported that the intensity of earthquakes can be so terrible that they can move an entire
continent.
- Alaska moved over 80 feet farther west into the Pacific Ocean when an earthquake struck in 1968.
Title: Earthquake—the enemy beneath our feet
PRECIS: An earthquake is one of the worst enemies of mankind as it causes great damage to life and property.
Statistics have reported that the intensity of earthquakes can be so terrible that they can move an entire
continent. Alaska moved over 80 feet farther west into the Pacific Ocean when an earthquake struck in 1968.
Scientists are finding ways to combat the disaster, but the problem is that it strikes without warning, and only
precautionary measures can be taken to save life and property. (84 words)
 PRECIS WRITING SAMPLES
We call anything beautiful that gives us pleasure, and that depends as
much upon ourselves as upon what is outside us. Perhaps the majority of
people find the sea beautiful when it is blue. If someone has lived in Italy
as a child and has to live beside the grey northern seas when he is grown
up, he will think that the grey seas are ugly: and that nothing can be so
beautiful as the blue Mediterranean. But suppose a Scotsman who loves
Scotland has to go and live in Italy. He might find the blue sea after a little
while very uninteresting. Only when he went home and saw the grey sea
again would he find the sea beautiful.
We are made in different ways, and grey may be just as beautiful as blue,
just as the cry of a baby may be found sweeter in someone’s ears than the
finest note of the finest singer that ever lived. Nothing is beautiful or ugly
in itself, but thinking makes it so. (172 words)
 PRECIS WRITING SAMPLES
Title – Test of Beauty
Nothing in this world is beautiful or ugly in itself.
Things appear beautiful or ugly according to the idea of
the beauty of ourselves. The same thing may appear
different to people brought up in different
environments. Generally, speaking the majority of
people consider a thing beautiful that gives pleasure.
But this depends on our outlook. (56 words)
 PRECIS WRITING SAMPLES
Man first appeared on earth half a million years ago. Then he
was little more than an animal. Even so, early man had certain
advantages over the animals. He had a large brain, he had an
upright body with quick-moving hands. He invented a language
to communicate with his fellow men.
This ability to speak was of supreme value because it allowed
men to share ideas and to plan together: speech has enabled
ideas to be passed on from generation to generation. These
special advantages put men far ahead of all other living
creatures. Since those far-off times, when he first made his
appearance, man has achieved a great deal. (110 words)
 PRECIS WRITING SAMPLES
Title – How Man Makes Himself
From his first animal-like existence man developed with the
help of a big brain and quick-moving hands and the invention of
language and speech. He achieved much by communicating
with others and passing on knowledge to posterity. (37 words)
 References
Robert M. Gay: "Writing Through Reading“
Russell, P. (1988). How to Write a Précis.
https://englishluv.com/precis-writing-samples-with-
answers/