Unit 5 - Writing Skills
[Topic 5.2: The Art of Condensation]
Precis is a French word which is derived from the French word 'precis'. It means
summarizing while the process of writing it or summarizing it is called precis
writing. Thus, any lengthy passage can be described in a few words without
changing it's main theme or idea while writing a precis.
A précis summarizes a reading that you have completed. The length of a précis
can vary greatly; it can be 100-200 words or approximately one-fifth to one-sixth
of the length of the original reading.
● HOW TO WRITE A PRÉCIS
There are various steps that can be followed in order to write an effective précis.
They are as follows:
⇒ Read the article or book multiple times.
⇒ Take notes on the key points of the reading and underline key sentences.
⇒ Compose an outline of the reading.
⇒ Using the outline and your notes, summarize each paragraph in the reading
into one to two
sentences.
⇒ Combine the sentences into a logical format and create your own paragraphs
that mirror
the work.
⇒ Review the précis and ensure that it has the same tone, proportions and
meaning of the
original text.
● Seven-step Ladder to writing an effective précis
, 1. Read and comprehend : Read the original piece of writing as many times
as you require, ensuring that you have understood what the author has
expressed in his/her words.
2. Prepare a skeleton of the main ideas : Having read and understood a
passage, identify all main and subordinate ideas and jot them down one
by one. This gives you a clear view of all the ideas that are to be
incorporated while writing the précis.
3. Assimilate the essentials - to achieve this, you need to focus on each of
the points noted down by you and rephrase them in your words. This will
help you share the overall idea of the original passage in your words
without losing its meaning.
4. Think of a title : Once you have understood the passage, focus on the
central idea and think of a suitable title based on it.
5. Prepare the first draft : while preparing the 1st to remember to neither
delete any important idea, nor add anything of your own, focus on the
ideas observed and try to capture the spirit of the original in as few words
as possible. (THIS STEP IS FOR SELF READING AND ASSESSMENT,
NO NEED TO WRITE FIRST DRAFT IN YOUR ANSWER SHEET)
6. Review and compare : At this stage, you can also count the number of
words used in your précis. Compare the length of your passage to that of
the original.
7. Edit and Revise : At this final step of writing, incorporate all the
alterations, modifications and changes you thought of reviewing your first
draft. It helps you to shape your final version of your writing.
FOR EXAMPLE - 1
[Topic 5.2: The Art of Condensation]
Precis is a French word which is derived from the French word 'precis'. It means
summarizing while the process of writing it or summarizing it is called precis
writing. Thus, any lengthy passage can be described in a few words without
changing it's main theme or idea while writing a precis.
A précis summarizes a reading that you have completed. The length of a précis
can vary greatly; it can be 100-200 words or approximately one-fifth to one-sixth
of the length of the original reading.
● HOW TO WRITE A PRÉCIS
There are various steps that can be followed in order to write an effective précis.
They are as follows:
⇒ Read the article or book multiple times.
⇒ Take notes on the key points of the reading and underline key sentences.
⇒ Compose an outline of the reading.
⇒ Using the outline and your notes, summarize each paragraph in the reading
into one to two
sentences.
⇒ Combine the sentences into a logical format and create your own paragraphs
that mirror
the work.
⇒ Review the précis and ensure that it has the same tone, proportions and
meaning of the
original text.
● Seven-step Ladder to writing an effective précis
, 1. Read and comprehend : Read the original piece of writing as many times
as you require, ensuring that you have understood what the author has
expressed in his/her words.
2. Prepare a skeleton of the main ideas : Having read and understood a
passage, identify all main and subordinate ideas and jot them down one
by one. This gives you a clear view of all the ideas that are to be
incorporated while writing the précis.
3. Assimilate the essentials - to achieve this, you need to focus on each of
the points noted down by you and rephrase them in your words. This will
help you share the overall idea of the original passage in your words
without losing its meaning.
4. Think of a title : Once you have understood the passage, focus on the
central idea and think of a suitable title based on it.
5. Prepare the first draft : while preparing the 1st to remember to neither
delete any important idea, nor add anything of your own, focus on the
ideas observed and try to capture the spirit of the original in as few words
as possible. (THIS STEP IS FOR SELF READING AND ASSESSMENT,
NO NEED TO WRITE FIRST DRAFT IN YOUR ANSWER SHEET)
6. Review and compare : At this stage, you can also count the number of
words used in your précis. Compare the length of your passage to that of
the original.
7. Edit and Revise : At this final step of writing, incorporate all the
alterations, modifications and changes you thought of reviewing your first
draft. It helps you to shape your final version of your writing.
FOR EXAMPLE - 1
