How to write a Precis

The art of precis writing involves creating concise summaries. It's often used in educational settings, but it can be helpful for anyone who wants to learn how to boil down a piece of information to its most essential points. In this blog post, we will discuss the basics of precis writing format and provide tips on writing a Precis summary that captures the essence of a piece of writing.

This article will cover the basics of precis writing, including what precis is, the different types of precis, and how to write precis.By the end of this article, you'll have all the information you need to start writing Precis like a pro!

What is Precis writing?

Precis writing is a compression exercise. A summary is a summary of a paragraph written in as few words as possible. The summary should include all the main facts of the original paragraph so that anyone reading it can understand the main idea of the original paragraph. When writing a summary, you should be objective and stick to the paragraph's thesis without missing essential details. Read a passage carefully to deduce what is important in an article or story. The first time you read, it may take a while, but as you keep reading, it should become a simple skim through the pages. Precis writing to convey a single meaning in such a short space requires a deep understanding of the story/text.

Types of Precis writing

There are four categories of Precis writing:

Precis of Speech: This type of summarizing in which you state the main idea but summarize the passage in your voice.

Precis of Continuous Matter: Every matter except communication comes under Perpetual Matter. Examples include evidence reports, question-and-answer forms, and parliamentary reports. This summary does not include the date of passage.

Precis of Correspondence: There are two types of summarization: index and descriptive. The index summary is provided in a tabular form, while the narrative summary is descriptive.

Telegraphies: This is a telegram-style summary that uses fewer words and, while doing so, retains the original meaning and message of the paragraph.

Use of Precis writing

People often want to read excerpts from books, movies, meetings, articles, reports, news, etc. This is when Precis writing conveys the main points to the audience without any proportion, tone, or theme modification. of material. There are several areas in which precis writing is essential:

• Precis writing can be used to describe a chapter so that students can get the gist of the basics.
• Companies also use it to describe jobs, highlight meetings, etc.
• Films also see the use of shorthand writing to describe the main events or plot of the film.
• Precis writing is also used in scientific reports and research to summarize its content.

Essential characteristics of a good Precis 

Various components make up a good summary. It is essential for the candidates who have just started their preparation for the upcoming government exams to know the characteristics of a good precis.

Some of the characteristics are discussed below, which will help you in writing a good summary:

Summary length: Don't write a long summary. In most cases, the word count should be about one-third of the passage's or understanding's word count.

It should be easy to read: Make sure your summary isn't too wordy or complicated to understand.

Cover all the essential points: While reading the passage, note the important points and ensure no point is missed.

Should be relevant: Important words regarding the paragraph should also be included in the summary.

Use an appropriate title: Having a Precise title is essential. Hence, candidates must ensure that the title aligns with their understanding.

The brief should match the details given in the paragraph: No information other than the information given in the paragraph should be included in the summary, and all the essential information mentioned in the paragraph must be included.

How to write Precis writing?

Writing precisely is a skill that may be developed through practice. In summarizing, you summarize the text's main points in a Precis form while retaining the original meaning.

1. Read the passage

The first step is to read the passage attentively. This will help you understand the main ideas and identify the key points you need to include in your summary. As you read, be sure to highlight or underline the main ideas.

2. Identify Main Ideas

Once you've finished reading, it's time to identify the main ideas and argument of the paragraph. Here are some questions to ask yourself:

• What is the author's purpose?
• What are the main points of the passage?
• How are the main points supported by supporting details?

This will help you focus your summary and include all relevant information.

3. Identify key points

List the key points you want to include in your summary. This will help you stay focused and not forget important information.

4. Write Your Summary

After identifying the main ideas, it's time to write your summary. This is where you must be brief and ensure that you include all relevant information. When writing your resume, be sure to include the following information:

• Author's name and title of the passage
• The main idea of each paragraph
• author's purpose
• target audience

5. Proofread your exact details

Once you've written your summary, it's essential to proofread it carefully. This will help ensure that your summary is clear and concise and accurately reflects the main points of the original text.

When writing your short description, it is essential to use your own words. Do not copy or paraphrase the original paragraph. This will help you practice summarizing long paragraphs quickly. Accurate writing is a skill that takes practice, so don't be discouraged if your first attempt isn't perfect. Just keep practising, and you will improve!

Conclusion

Writing a summary can be challenging. They require focus, precision, solid writing skills, and the ability to grasp the core ideas of the original piece. However, with our detailed guide's help, we hope you can handle such a task easily.