How to make précis?
To bring out the theme, main idea or meaning of an original text, writing or speech in a concise, clear and simple way, without hurting the natural language of the text, you need the tips of precis writing.
Why précis is important?
In this busy world every one wants to save his time. In this context precis helps a lot as you can sum up the detail in few words.
Importance of a précis in competitive exams.
Almost all the English composition papers of competitive exams have a précis making question in it. CSS, PMS, and other competitive exams carry this question and if you want to pass English papers, you need to show your expertise in précis. In this topic we will discuss some important tips and skills to make a précis worth reading.
Principles of précis writing.
Following are the principles to make a good précis.
- One third length.
- Short simple sentences
- Write in your own words
- First person will be replaced with third person
- Omit examples
- Same sequence of ideas as is given in paragraph.
- Coherence and continuity in writing
- Avoid repetition
- Suitable title. (Just one, no options)
Discussion of précis in possible few words.
Here are few possible points to be discussed in detail in order to provide you best guideline for précis writing.
- Count the words of given paragraph and divide them on 3. Your précis should be equalent to the result of that division.
- Give repeated readings in order to understand the paragraph completely.
- Mark the important lines or ideas to prepare a draft for précis writing and to avoid examples.
- Only give the views of the author of the paragraph and don’t reproduce any idea yourself.
- Only use indirect form of speech and third person.
- Consider the tense in which the paragraph is written.
- Be careful while writing an opening sentence of a précis as it is of great importance.
- You are supposed to write a rough précis at least twice before writing an original précis.
- Revise your draft before making an original précis.
- Make your précis simple, concise and coherent narrative.
- Do not forget to give a suitable title.
How to write a suitable title?
Do you recall how the titles of the books are given? Some are in bold form and others are in different shapes. The only reason to write a title in different forms is to tell the reader, in just a bird eye view, what the central theme of that book is. Similarly you have to choose the writing style of the title of precis. Following are the tips of writing a title of a precis.
- Write a title on the top of the précis.
- The title can be written in the center.
- The title should not be italicized.
- Title should not have full stop in the end.
- Try to avoid punctuation marks in the title.
- It should be simple and free of any useless marks
- Try to make your own title of précis and avoid quotations
- Only give one title of the précis.
- You can capitalize your title. There are two ways of capitalizing words. You may capitalize every significant word or you may capitalize only those words which intrinsically require capitals. However the first word must be capitalized in any case.
MANOO says
I LIKE THIS SITE WHICH IS V.MUCH INFORMATIVE. THANX.
Imran says
Kya hum urdu essay ma headings da saktay hn?
Admin says
@Imran
It depends upon the nature of Essay. You can write Essay with headings or without headings but professionally and preferably essay is better without headings.