A précis is a summary written in narrative form that accurately reflects the content of an original passage, article, report, or other written document. It is a condensed re-creation of the original text, rather than a collage of expressions and sentences copied from the original. In other words, a précis is written in your own words and usually contains few or no quotations. A précis is usually of a prescribed length, which is approximately 200 words.
How is a Précis Different From an Essay?
An essay requires you to bring together different ideas, theories and/or facts in order to construct a coherent argument. In a précis, you are not expected to present an argument or give your own opinion. A good précis should simply demonstrate an ability to summarize or distill the main points of another writer’s work.
Although a good précis requires clear and concise writing, as an academic exercise, it is primarily a test of your reading comprehension skills. A précis tests your ability to identify central arguments and key concepts and to reformulate theoretical concepts in your own words. For this reason, précis writing is useful in developing the reading skills required to effectively prepare for essays and exams.
Approach to Writing a Précis
The first step entails reading the text carefully. You must understand all details, allusions, and terms. If you do not understand something, look it up in a dictionary or other reference book.This exercise requires close reading of the text in question. While reading, ask, “What is the purpose of this text?" What is the central argument? How does the author support their central argument?”
Once you have understood and digested the original text, the next step is to analyse the text. An analysis of a précis does not mean working towards an interpretation, rather it involves studying the manner in which the ideas are presented and determining the underlying structure of the argument. If possible, create an outline of the text – this will help to identify how the author develops his/her argument.
Step three involves selecting and compressing important material. Based on your initial reading and outline, identify the author’s primary and secondary points. It may also be helpful to generate a list of five to ten keywords that you believe describe the article/text.
Once your have extracted and compressed the essential material in the original text, it is time to begin writing. Although your précis should be a condensed version of the original text, it does not necessarily need to present the author’s ideas in the order they originally appeared. For example, you may want to begin your précis by stating the author’s central thesis even if it does not appear at the beginning of the original article.
In a précis, it is acceptable to use certain keywords and terms that appear in the original; it would be impossible to find synonyms for all the important concepts or technical language used by the author. While incorporating keywords or terms is expected, copying passages verbatim is forbidden. A good précis will always be paraphrased.
Finally, revise your précis ensuring you have:
- a. captured the main argument presented in the original text
- b. highlighted the article's main points including key concepts or theories
- c. eliminated unnecessary detail
- d. rephrased the author's ideas in your own words
- e. corrected all grammatical and spelling errors
- f. followed the guidelines for length
Practice writing a precis by choosing a couple of short articles and reducing them to the main points. Remember to include the author's name and title of the work. Do not include any of your own opinions because a précis is only a condensed version of the original text. Write in the third person voice. You may be tempted to include too much at first, but with practice, it will become easier to isolate the most important information. This will be very helpful when you have to read many articles or papers, and when you are gathering research for your essays.
Marilyn Michaud - Marilyn Michaud teaches English Literature and writing in Toronto. Her research interests include American history and culture, Gothic ...
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