TIPS FOR WRITING A PRECIS

by Constance DeVereaux

A well-written prcis should be a serviceable substitute for the original work. The goal is to preserve the core essence of the work in a manner that is both clear and concise. At a 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 a conclusion. This guide provides tips and includes links to two sample papers, one on fetal protection 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 important concepts, 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 the researchers.

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"

A precis is a short summary. It is not a paraphrase, which merely says in different and simpler words exactly what the passage being paraphrased has to say. A paraphrase may be a long as the passage itself. A precis rarely is more than one-third the length of the original selection and may be only one-fourth as long.

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

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

A precis is written from the point of view of the author whose work is being summarized. Do not begin with such expressions as "This author says" or "The paragraph means." Begin as though you were summarizing your own writing.

In writing a precis proceed as follows: Read carefully, sentence by sentence, the passage to be summarized. Try to grasp the writer's main point. Spotting the topic sentence will help. Look up in the dictionary any words whose meaning is not absolutely clear. As you read, take brief notes to be used in your writing. When you have finally decided what the author's main point is, write it out in your own words. Do not use the wording of the original except for certain key words which you may find indispensable. If you cannot translate the idea into language of your own, you do not understand them very well. Be especially careful not to rely too much on the topic sentence. Do not add any opinions or ideas of your own. Revise your writing until you are sure that you have given an accurate summary. Usually you will find your precis is too long, if it is more than one-third the length of the original. Continue your revision until you have reduced the precis to the proper length. In this careful revision lies the principal value of the precis as a composition exercise.

APPROACH TO PRECIS WRITING

A precis should reduce the length of the original passage by at least two - thirds.

Every important idea must be retained, preferably in the order in which it appears in the original. Unimportant points, including details, illustrations and anecdotes, should be discarded. A first draft of the precis should be written, then checked to see that it contains the main ideas of the passage. Although you should be as brief as possible. Guard against being so condensed that you obscure the point of passage. Try to capture the tone or feeling of the original, particularly if it is deliberately humorous, ironic or biased. Check the draft for expression errors, repetition or vague phrasing; then write a smoother final version.

ALL ABOUT PRCIS WRITING A prcis is a shortening, in your own words, of a text of written work. You are to describe as accurately and briefly as possible the substance or main ideas contained in a text. One of the first (if not the first) difficulties to overcome in writing a prcis is getting the facts straight. You should make no statements unsupported by the text. Make sure that all you say about the text is factually correct. Another difficulty is putting the material into your own words. To do so, read the work carefully at least three times, put the work aside, then begin writing. This will force you to use your own words without the temptation of borrowing directly from the original. Selecting the most effective details is also a difficulty. Work to pick out those details that are of greatest significance. Some details are more important than others, and you must chose details according to the scale of importance. Do not make any conclusions about the original, its audience, or anything relating to the text. Your job is to provide your reader an accurate, but brief, map of the original and what you think about the writing or the topic of the text is not relevant here. The prcis (pronounced pray-see) is a type of summarizing that insists on an exact reproduction of the logic, organization, and emphasis of the original texts. It is of particular use in situations in which you want to detail the relative order, proportions, and relationships of the original parts of a text. An effective prcis retains the logic, development, and argument of the original in much shorter form. Thus, a prcis is useful when you are dealing with lengthy passages that demand careful attention to the logic and organization of an argument. To write an effective prcis, read the passage several times for a full understanding. Note key points. It may, in fact, be helpful to underline these words. Restate each paragraph in one or two sentences. In cases where there are very short paragraphs, combine them in your restatement. Make sure that you retain the precise order of the original points, and combine the sentences into one or more smooth paragraphs. Finally, check your prcis against the original to be sure that it is exact and retains the order, proportions, and relationships of the original. What is the essence of a prcis? It is a short summary of the essential ideas of a longer composition; the basic thought of a passage is reproduced in miniature, retaining the mood and tone of the original. No interpretation or comment should be interjected. It must possess clear, emphatic diction and effective sentence construction. Its unity and coherence should be emphasized through smooth, unobtrusive transitions. Your summary must be intelligible to a reader who has not seen the original and should have solid compositional worth. 100 - 200 words is the desired length of a prcis, unless otherwise specified. How to write a prcis?
First, write an outline of the main ideas - those you see as most important. Think of it this way - you are summarizing the lecture for a friend who missed the class and the material will be on an upcoming test. Also, you may want to include a brief statement about the tone, audience, or purpose of the article. Second, put your outline into sentence/paragraph form. Third, count the number of words and make necessary changes.

Do's and Don'ts of Prcis Writing

Start your prcis by creating context (setting) and stating the main idea of the piece. Then you should begin presenting the method that the author used to defend this thesis. Always state the name of the article/document, the author and the source (is it from a magazine, book, encyclopedia, etc.)

Do not use the words "in this article." Use the style "Crane argues that the most significant contribution of the Czechs was . . " When writing about history, use the past tense. Do not use abbreviations or contractions. When looking at primary sources, you should make note of the origin, purpose, value, and limitations of the document. (See website on Evaluation of sources) Count your "ands." Avoid words like big, good, bad, little, and a lot. Also, do not use the phrase "throughout history." This is clich. Titles of texts should be put in italics OR underlined. RUN A SPELL CHECK!!! Before writing all these first count the total number of all the words in that paragraph and divide it by 3 example:150 words 150/3=50 so we have to finish the precis within 50 words

Read more: http://wiki.answers.com/Q/What_are_the_rules_of_precis_writing#ixzz1ULteuUca

The Art Of Precis Writing

Posted on : 23-04-2009 - Author : Dr I Satyasree

Oxford Dictionary defines prcis as a summary of a text or speech. Yet another definition says that prcis is a sketchy summary of the main points of an argument or theory. A concise explanation of a prcis is a brief summary of essential points, statements or facts. Therefore, prcis means a brief summary of the given passage .It also means an abstract. It is pronounced praysee. It should be short and precise retaining in a few words the ideas that are contained in the original .Generally, prcis should be one third of the length of the original passage. The original should be followed without changing the series of ideas presented therein. In the present day busy world, prcis-writing has enormous practical value. Business executives and Heads of Departments, who do not have enough time to go through long reports, depend on the prcis made by their secretaries .Similarly, all other senior officials, who have no spare time to wade through long reports , documents and notes, want their secretaries to make a prcis for them ,which enables them to take significant decisions. The accuracy of the decisions taken by senior executives depends on the exactness of the prcis prepared by their secretaries. Students need to make summaries of long essays that are prescribed in their text books. Instead of depending on readymade notes, they should develop the art of prcis-writing. This will help them in their future when they seek jobs. Hence, prcis-writing is an essential skill that has to be developed and practiced by everyone. How to Write a Prcis Firstly, read the given passage rapidly to find out the central theme. An all-important idea usually forms the theme of the passage. The central theme tells us what the passage is about. Then, try to analyze the tone of the passage serious, satirical, critical, humorous, etc. After that, see what type it belongs to descriptive or narrative or reflective. Selection of a Title The next step is to find a suitable title for the prcis. The title should be a brief statement which highlights the central theme. It should be short, striking and catchy. A key phrase should be picked up from the passage itself. Most probably, you will find it in the opening lines or in the middle of the passage. Do not choose indistinct or irrelevant titles which mar the effect. Except Articles, Prepositions and Conjunctions, every word in the title must begin with a capital letter. For example, Self-help Groups to the Rescue of Poor Farm Women Advantages of Sports and Games You may carefully observe in these two titles that the first letters of each word are in uppercase, except the Prepositions to and of , Article the, besides the Conjunction, and. However, if the title begins with an article, it should be written in the uppercase. For example, A Stinging Censure The Growth of Virtue and the Growth of a Plant Central Points After selecting an apt title, read the passage again, this time rather slowly and try to comprehend every sentence. Since it is for the second time that you are reading the passage, it is easy for you now to extract the main points. Choose the important matter and eliminate the unimportant. Your skill lies in picking up the material which revolves round the central theme and organizing it in an orderly fashion. You should be able to select the most pertinent points and eliminate the inessential.

The points that are superfluous and inappropriate should be straight away omitted. See to it that you leave out repetitions. Some authors have the habit of repeating the same ideas at the beginning of every paragraph for the sake of emphasis. Such repetitions may be eliminated because, economy of words is an essential feature of a prcis. Examples, illustrations, quotations, anecdotes, metaphors, similes and other figures of speech can be removed. Redundant words and extraneous stuff also may be dispensed with. Clichd expressions also should be deleted. Now, make a list of important points that you came across in the second reading. While picking up the essential points, do not underline in the original text. If you do this, you could be tempted to reproduce the authors original version .You are not supposed to copy verbatim. Blind copying must be avoided. Prcis is not a mechanical reproduction of the given text. It will not make a good prcis if you copy word to word from the original passage. As far as possible, attempt to summarize in your own words. But this does not mean that you should completely avoid the words used by the author .Many a time, a key word or a phrase has to be literally reproduced from the original text. Such key words and phrases are indispensable. Nevertheless, the language should be your own. Read the passage once again to locate any omissions that you have made. You should not leave out anything which is important. Remember that the prcis is only a summary and not an essay. Therefore, do not be tempted to add any ideas or thoughts of your own, however brilliant they might be. The prcis should not have any ideas which are not in the original. And also, do not add any critical comments of your own. There is no need to analyze the original piece. You need to present only the abstract and not an analysis. Language Aspects The prcis should contain an organic plan. It should be developed logically with a clear-cut, unbroken chain of ideas, which are linked accurately. Coherence has to be maintained throughout .The sequence should not be disturbed. Sometimes, for the sake of clarity, the sequence may have to be broken. In such a case, see to it that the prcis is cogent and runs smoothly. In any case, the central idea of the passage should not be marred. It is very important to note that the prcis should always be written in the Third Person. Even though the passage is in the First Person or in the form of a dialogue, it should be converted into the Third Person. Aim at variety. A well-regulated prcis must have variety. Variety can be achieved by using varied sentences of different lengths and clause structures. Long and short sentences should be used alternatively to make the presentation vivid and striking. Use simple, complex and compound sentences to lend richness to the texture. Two simple sentences can be synthesized to construct one compound sentence. Similarly, a complex sentence can be converted into a compound sentence and vice versa. This is how you can reduce the number of words. For example, (1) She is tall. She is beautiful. ( 6 words ) She is tall and beautiful. ( 5 words ) (2) He will win the election. That is certain. ( 8 words ) He will certainly win the election.(6 words) By using this technique, you may reduce some words, without changing the meaning. So, transforming sentences from one form to the other will be of great help to trim down the passage. You may also use one-word substitutes quite liberally, to cut the length. For example, (1) Carving figures in stone, wood, marble, etc., or casting them in metal = Sculpture (2) Person who is made to bear the blame due to others = Scapegoat This is how a long phrase or a clause can be replaced with a one-word substitute.

Avoid all kinds of ambiguity, i.e. in the form, meaning and language. The abstract that you have made should be lucid. Your prcis should not look clumsy and awkward. Language should be simple and candid. Functional language should be used while making a prcis. Use short sentences and simple expressions. Wordiness and padding should be strictly avoided. Avoid grammar mistakes. The sentence construction should be 100% grammatically correct. There is no compromise in this aspect. Spellings should be checked carefully. Do not make spelling mistakes. Look up in a dictionary for the spellings of difficult words. Vague constructions spoil the effect. The prcis should not read like a mere summary or compilation of loosely connected ideas. Try to make the prcis look like an original piece of composition. Finally, revise the style, spelling, punctuation and grammar .See if the prcis has a smooth flow. Maintain order , coherence and unity of thought throughout. Traffic Signals Another important aspect in prcis-writing is the punctuation. Punctuation marks can often change the meaning of a sentence. For example, A sign on a street reads like this: GO SLOW WORK IN PROGRESS. It should actually be GO SLOW. WORK IN PROGRESS . You may notice in the first sentence, which is obviously incorrect, the Full Stop is wrongly placed after GO. This gives a totally different picture to the reader. He /she will be misled by this sign board and it also leads to confusion and chaos. Many people ignore punctuation marks thinking that they are not very important. You should note that punctuation marks are like traffic signals. If we ignore punctuation, it will hamper the meaning. Such silly mistakes will often result in serious errors. So, use the correct punctuation marks. Using these guidelines, make a rough draft. See if you have arrived at the required length. If there are 150 words in the original, your prcis should be one third of its length, i.e. 50 words. However, it is not possible to write the prcis precisely in 50 words. Ten words more or less than the required number of words will not be treated as a lapse. Check the length of your prcis. If it is longer than the prescribed word limit, revise it again. Condense it further so as to make it look convincing, neat and appropriate. When you reach the required length and feel satisfied with your work, make a fair draft which is ready for submission. It is always desirable to take a thorough practice till you achieve perfection. The above mentioned guidelines will surely help you to make a good prcis. Here is a sample. Observe it carefully. Read it two to three times. Comprehend the main idea. See how the main points are drawn. From the main points, the final draft of the prcis is made quite meticulously. This is how you have to work on prcis-writing. Sample: It is easy to say, Enlarge your vocabulary; first, that you may enter upon the privileges of a cultivated woman; and secondly, that you may be able to tell the truth easily and accurately. But it is another and more difficult matter to prescribe the means by which this is to be done. Every girl must, to a large degree, work out her own method. The reading of the best books and conversation with cultivated folk are both helps to the free use of words. The dictionary is the best friend for your task. Never allow a strange word to pass unchallenged. Usually, it is wise to look it up at the moment. If that is impossible, it must be written firmly on the memory and traced at the first opportunity. It is good to encourage in yourself the habit of dawdling a little over the dictionary. It is the only place where dawdling reaps a harvest. To learn two new words a daythoroughly to learn them so that their use will not have a foreign accentis to insure a large vocabulary before you reach middle age. (189 words) Title: Enriching Your Vocabulary

Main Points 1. It is a mark of culture and also a means of self-expression to possess a large vocabulary. 2. Every girl should find her own methodology of enriching her vocabulary. 3. The two most helpful ways are reading and conversation. However, a dictionary is the best aid. 4. A new word should be looked up immediately or as soon as possible. 5. By middle age, one can build a large vocabulary if two new words are learned every day. Prcis Every girl should endeavor to enlarge her vocabulary for successful self-expression. It is also a mark of culture. Reading and conversation are a great help in this regard. However, the best aid is the dictionary. Every new word should be looked up immediately or soon after. A rich vocabulary can be acquired by the time a person reaches middle age if two new words are learned every day.