PRÉCIS WRITING

PRÉCIS WRITING
Step 1
Read the passage carefully. The first requirement of the writer is to understand
the text well enough to extract its central / main idea.

Step 2
Decide what facts or ideas in the text are essential and what are of secondary
or of no importance. It is a good idea to underline the important terms and
ideas.

Step 3
Select a suitable title for the proposed précis.

Step 4
Collect all the key points and prepare a first draft of the précis, keeping in mind
the need to reduce the original text to one-third its length.
The main thoughts expressed in the passage, the ideas it contains, the opinions
presented and the conclusion arrived at should be a part of the rough draft.

Step 5
Read the draft and review. Shorten it further, if necessary, by omitting
anything that is not necessary to the central idea or by remodeling the
sentences.

Step 6
When you have made your second or final draft, carefully revise your précis to
ensure that you have the bare minimum of words necessary to express the
idea of the passage. Check to make sure that the précis has been written in
words that are your own and not those of the author.