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In this article, we will learn about how to write Precis writing with steps and example.

PRECIS-WRITING
A précis is a summary of the essentials of a text and precis-writing means summarising.

It is the gist or main theme of a passage expressed in as few words as possible preferably 1/3rd of the original text.

How to write a Precis

It should have three C’s

1. Clear meaning easy to perceive, understand or interpret
2. Concise meaning expressing or covering much in few words
3. Complete means to have all the necessary or appropriate parts.

Why it is required?

1. Precis-writing is an excellent exercise in reading It forces you to pay attention to what you read. No one can write a summary of any passage if he has not clearly understood its meaning. So our attention gets improved a lot.
2. Precis-writing is also a very good exercise in writing a composition.
   Have you noticed how an uneducated person tells a story?
   He repeats himself a lot, brings in a lot of irrelevant matter, omits what is essential, adds it as an after-thought, and takes hours to say what a trained thinker would express in minutes.
   So, it teaches one how to express one’s thoughts clearly, concisely, and effectively.

To conclude, the ability to grasp quickly and accurately what is read, or heard, and to reproduce it clearly and concisely, is of the utmost value at any stage of life.

Method :

1. Reading

a.) First carefully read the passage, if necessary, several times, understand its main theme or general meaning. Also, count the number of words in the passage.
b.) Secondly, Underline or highlight all the important keywords or key sentences.
c.) Finally, Select a suitable title that expresses the main theme.

2. Writing :

a.) Start creating your first draft.

b.) Important points to remember :

1.) Precis must be of your own words.
2.) The precis must be a connected whole.
3.) The precis must be complete and self-contained;
4.) It is only the gist, main purport, or general meaning of the passage which you have to express. There is no room in a precis for colloquial expressions, repetition, periphrasis, or rhetorical flourishes.
All redundancies of expression must be rigorously pruned.
If faithful reproduction of the main theme is the first essential of a summary, conciseness is the second.
5.) The precis must be in simple, direct grammatical, and idiomatic English.

(c) The Art of Compression :

In condensing, aim rather at remodeling, than at mere omission.
So, We may omit mere repetitions, illustrations, and examples;
but we change figures of speech into literal expressions,
compress wordy sentences, and alter phrases to words.

3. Revise:-
   When you have made your final draft, carefully revise it before you write out the fair copy.
   Be sure that its length is within the limits prescribed and compare it with the original to see that you have not omitted any important point. See whether it reads well as a connected whole, and correct any mistakes in spelling and punctuation, grammar, and idiom.

Steps for Precise Writing :

• Read
• Analyze
• Title
• Draft
• Note the length of the number of words
• Remodel
• Revise

Related Writing Articles :

1. Paragraph Writing
2. Article Writing
3. Essay Writing
4. Formal Letter
5. Informal Letter
6. Notice Writing
7. Paragraph Writing
8. Dialogue Writing
9. Report Writing
10. Story Writing
11. Diary Writing

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