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Precis and Comprehension

The document provides rules for writing an effective precis in 3 sentences or less that summarizes the key information from the original text. The rules include carefully reading the original text multiple times to understand the main theme, underlining important ideas and points, creating an outline, omitting unnecessary examples and details while preserving important concepts, writing the precis as one-third the length of the original in indirect speech and one's own words, taking an objective approach without personal opinions, and preparing a rough and final draft for correction.

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Shaheryar Ahmad
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1K views

Precis and Comprehension

The document provides rules for writing an effective precis in 3 sentences or less that summarizes the key information from the original text. The rules include carefully reading the original text multiple times to understand the main theme, underlining important ideas and points, creating an outline, omitting unnecessary examples and details while preserving important concepts, writing the precis as one-third the length of the original in indirect speech and one's own words, taking an objective approach without personal opinions, and preparing a rough and final draft for correction.

Uploaded by

Shaheryar Ahmad
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as PPTX, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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RULES FOR WRITING A

GOOD PRECIS
Department of English
Ms. Munazza Akhter
University of Gujrat (Sialkot Campus)
READING COMPREHENSION
 It means to comprehend and understand the contents
of writing.
 Techniques to read comprehension:

 Skimming

 It means to read to get overall idea of the passage.


The central idea is get through it.
 How to skim:

1. Read the title

2. Read introduction of the first paragraph

3. Read the first sentence of every paragraph

4. Read any headings and sub-headings

5. Notice any picture, charts, graphs

6. Notice italicized and bold words

7. Read the summary of the last paragraph


READING COMPREHENSION
 Scanning
 It means to get the exact details, facts and
figures of the passage. To find specific
information, this technique is used. While
scanning you have question in your mind and you
read the passage only to find out the answer. You
ignore irrelevant information.
 How to scan:

1. Find the specific information you are looking for

2. Try to locate the answer through clues

3. Use headings to identify the sections you are


looking for
INTRODUCTION TO PRECIS
 A well written précis should be a serviceable
substitute for the original work.
 The goal of a précis is to preserve the core
essence of the work in a manner that is both
clear and concise.
 The précis is valuable because it forces the
student to express a passage in his or her own
words. This is the level of comprehension.
 A précis is, therefore, used to determine whether
a student understands what has been read.
A COMPREHENSION PRACTICE
 The précis also provides the student with a
concise review of the material read.
 There is often not enough time to study the
original story or paper; a précis gives the student
material to study to refresh his or her memory
about the original text read.
 Writing a précis is an excellent study skill. It
forces the reader to wrestle with the story or the
arguments for comprehension.
 While writing a précis, the below given rules
should be followed for an effective piece of work.
1. CAREFUL READING
 First, the passage is read twice or thrice carefully
to summarize it. Reading enables us to
understand the main theme of the passage.
 A lengthy passage is compressed and clarified
while retaining important concepts, key words,
and important data.
 Superfluous material is removed.

 The purpose of the piece of writing is stated


mapping out the author’s argument.
2. UNDERLINING

 The important ideas and essential points


from the original text are underlined.
 A sketch or outline summary containing all
the points which are marked in the passage
should be prepared.
 The outline with the original passage is
compared. If some points are left, these
should be added.
 If the outline contains some unnecessary
details, these should be stroked out.
3. OUTLINE
 With the help of underlined ideas, the outline of the précis is
drawn.
 A view of outline helps us choose the best and suitable title
for the précis.
 
4. OMISSION
 Any examples from the original passage are not added into
the précis.
 If the passage is in poetry, express its ideas in prose.

 The précis is written in simple language and lengthy


sentences containing many clauses are avoided.
 The phrases such as ‘ the writer says’, ‘ I think’ or ‘in my
opinion’ are not used.
 All the unnecessary information and long phrases which can
be replaced by one word are omitted.
 All the adjectives and adverbs can also be omitted in order to
make a good précis.
5. DON’T OMIT
 While making a précis, the writer should never omit
the important points and ideas which are essential to
be discussed.
 Necessary and relevant events should not be
omitted so that the précis could give a complete
sense.
 
6. SIZE
 The length of the précis should be the one third part
of the original passage.
 The total word of the original passage and précis are
counted and mentioned on the paper.
 For example:- Passage words = 150 (150/3)

 Precis words = 50
7. INDIRECT SPEECH
 A précis is written in indirect speech.

 If there is direct speech in the passage, it is


changed into indirect speech.
 
8. TENSE AND PERSON
 The précis is written in the third person and past
tense.
 In the case of universal truth, the present tense
can be used.
9. OWN WORDS
 The text is not quoted unless absolutely
necessary.
 Any opinion or new examples are not added.

 The expressions like “This passage says…,” or


“According to the author…”. You don't want to
“stand apart” from the document are not used.
 The tone, style and mood is reproduced in your
own words.
 The borrowing words from the original passage
should not be used.
10. OBJECTIVE APPROACH
 Interjecting personal opinions is avoided.

 The purpose of a précis is to summarize author’s


argument, not to tell about our own “favorite
part”.
 The précis is meant to a summary; therefore it is
kept in simple short and logical order.
11. ONE PARAGRAPH
 In a passage, there can be two or more
paragraphs.
 While writing a précis, all the relevant ideas and
events are written in one paragraph.
 
12. ROUGH DRAFT
 After omitting all the unnecessary ideas and
detail, a rough draft is prepared to finalize it.
 
13. FINAL DRAFT
 The summary is prepared with the help of notes
without referring to the original. Finally, after
writing, all spellings and grammatical errors are
corrected.
 Having read the rough draft and pointed out some
mistakes, a final draft is prepared successfully.
Thank-you

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