Rules or Technique of Précis Making
Introduction:-
Précis is a synonym for “Summary” means gist or substance of a longer passage. Précis is originally a French word and in French, when précis is used as a noun it means “Summary” and when it is used as an adjective, it means “accurate”. Therefore a précis is a precise and accurate summary. A précis includes all the important or main points of the passage and express them as clearly and in a few words as possible. In reality, it aims at testing the reading comprehension and wining skill of a person.
Definition:-
“Giving the essentials in the fewest words, in fact it reminds
Us of mathematician’s definition of a straight line as the shortest
Distance between two points.” (Colon and pink)
The Object of précis-Writing:-
The object or purpose of making précis of a long passage is to save the time. A busy officer, who has no time to go through wordy statement, can have important ideas in the form of a summary. Thus while making a summary, the writer must keep in mind the reader whose only chance of reading and understanding the salient points of the passage will be through précis. The object of précis writing is ‘that a reader can understand the meaning of few lines and can express the essence in his own words.
Rules or Technique of Précis Making:-
The steps involved in making a précis.
1. Careful reading
2. Pre-writing
3. Under line the important points
4. First or discovery draft
5. Final draft
6. Length of perfect précis
7. Your own words
8. Avoid by giving opinion
9. Thirds person
10. Indirect form
11. No change in meaning
12. Order can be changed
13. A paragraph
14. Check and revised
15. Re-reading
Careful reading:-
Read the passage carefully again and again until you understand the meaning of the paragraph. If you’re read the paragraph carelessly, you cannot follow the main idea of the passage.
Pre-writing:-
Prepare the writer for writing. After giving the first reading to the original passage, the writer is to deicide, why the author has written this passage. This will give the reader a clear idea of what is required to be précised.
Under line the important points:-
After the second reading, central idea should be disbanded from the original passage and the important ideas or key-sentences should be underlined excluding all examples, explanations and data etc.
First or discovery draft:-
After the development of the final set of notes, the writer is fully equipped for writing the first draft. Here, all the important ideas will be extracted into brief notes. This first draft is actually a discovery draft.
Final draft:-
With the first draft before you, read the passage then. If you have omitted any essential points, include that point and make the final copy or your précis.
Length of perfect précis:-
The length of précis should be approximately only one third of the original passage.
Your own words:-
A précis should be written in your own words and avoid to borrow words from the original passage.
Avoid by giving opinion:-
While writing a summary you should avoid including you own opinion.
Thirds person:-
It should be noted that précis is a always written in third person.
Indirect form:-
A précis should be written only in the indirect form. If you will write in direct form, it will not be correct.
No change in meaning:-
While making précis you should not change the meaning of the passage. If there is a change in the meanings, it will make the précis incorrect.
Order can be changed:-
While making a précis you can change the order of thoughts, there is no prohibition for it.
A paragraph:-
A précis is written in the shape of a paragraph.
Check and revised:-
Mater writing the précis you should check and revise and curtail the length, if necessary.
Re-reading:-
After revision you should read the précis that it possesses all the essential qualities or not.
