General principles of precis writing
There is no royal road to make a precis. Precis is mainly an intellectual process. Some minds are quick in thinking while others are comparatively slow. Thus as a matter of fact the rules can be a rough guide.
All the same, the principles mentioned below should be strictly followed by a beginner. An experienced precis writer follows them as a matter of course.
The first step towards making a precis is to understand the original correspondence clearly and to ascertain what is required to be summarized.
It is no use plunging recklessly into condensing a passage or a correspondence without comprehending first what it aims at. If you do it you will only make a mess of the whole thing. The precis will hardly be intelligiable.
Thorough understanding
In order to understand the subject thoroughly you have to read the given material more than one. You can have a general idea of the subject matter by glancing through the original. Then read again first quickly and then slowly an intelligent reader, to save tile will of course skip over the unimportant portions.
In the first reading underline the important portions underline the key sentences and in the second reading go through the portions marked off, make rough margins notes.
It is necessary to devote sufficient time to a thorough reading. If the matter required to be précised is to be clearly understood and the points at issue are to be seen in their true perspective.
It does not however, mean that most of the time should be spent over an exhaustive reading. The time factor must also be kept in mind.
Title
The matter should be summed uo in a short and comprehensive title. It is very important.
The first test of the ability to make a precis is the ability to understand what it is all about, and the most obvious test of it is the ability to suggest a suitable title. A correct heading is a sure sign of your having succeeded in comprehending the essence of the matter required to be précised.
The thought required to determine it helps a lot towards making the precis. Possibly, there may be more than one titles which can properly head a summary. Any one of them will serve the purpose equally well. In case of a series of coresspiondence it is not difficult to suggest a heading. It is always given in the beginning of letters. You have simply to take it out from there.
Notes
The important points may be abstracted in the form of bried notes write small and save time and after checking their accuracy, base your precis on these notes.
Precis
By this stage the mind should have completely understood the original and be able to restate it in a summarized form. It is now time to write the precis itself.
Precis has to be developed by points as given in the original matter and should be in the third person. Past tense should be used throughout, but in case of universal truth, present tense should be used. Your precis should be perfectly smooth and clear in style. It should be dry, curt and formal.
There should be no repetition for the sake of emphasis.
Let it read connectedly, each sentence being logically allied with the preceding one and each paragraph being the natural development of the leading idea.
Language
A precis should be written in a clear and simple language. Amiguity and vagueness of expression leads to a wrong impression of the whole subject. A ready wit and a rich vocabulary are necessary for precis writing. Metaphorical and poetic expressions never pay in precis-writing.
Long and complex sentences should be avoided as far as possible. They may tax the mind of a reader. Short and pointed sentences yield clearness of style.
As regard to be grammatical correctness, attention should be paid to the use of tenses, prepositions and articles. Punctuations may also not be ignored.
Some guide lines For CSS precis writing
1 Reading. First of all read the passage though carefully, but not too slowly, to get a general idea of its meaning. Generally one reading will not be sufficient for this purpose; read the passage carefully, at least two times ato obtain a thorough grasp of its exact meaning.
The more you read it the more familiar it will become to you and the clearer will be its subject that hat is said about that subject.
2 Heading. Usually one is asked to supply a heading for a precis. While reading the original passage think of some words phrase, or short sentence, that ill sum up the main subject of the passage.
Sometimes this is supplied by what we may call the key sentence. The key sentence is usually found either at the beginning or at the end of the passage.
3 Detailed study of the passage. Further reading is now necessary to ensure that you understand the details of the passage as well as the main purport. Read it now sentence by sentence by sentence and word by word.
Detailed study of this kind is necessary, because a phrase a sentence or even a single word, may be of prime importance and the misunderstanding of it may cause you to miss the main point of the passage.
4 Arrangement. Then you should decide which parts of the passage are essential and which unessential. The latter can be safely omitted. This process of selection is very important. Do not select in a haphazard or a mechanical way.
The best guide of course is the sentences and phrases in the original. Though this is generally not a bad plan, you will be able to do better if you have a clear and correct idea of the passage. Not down your conclusion in bired notes, write down the heading the subject and the essential point.
5 Writing. Make a brief statement on paper of the main ideas. This is a first draft of the precis, and at this stage the lines between the ideas need not be inserted. It is not likely that your first attempt will be a complete success. The draft will probably be too long. It is a good plan to write the first draft in your own words without using the words of the original passage.
By following all these guides while writing a precis you can win the spot.
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