Meaning of Precis,Essentials of a Good Precis,How to attempt a Precis,Chief points to be observed,What to avoid..?
What is a Precis ? A precis is a summary. It is the gist or main theme of a passage expressed in as few words as possible. Precis-Writing differs from paraphrasing. A paraphrase must reproduce not only the substance but also all the details of the passage. It will necessarily be longer than the original. But a precis must always be shorter than the original. It is the main theme shorn of all unimportant details. Essentials of a Good Precis : A good precis should give the main thoughts and the general impression of the passage to be summarised. It should not be a series of disjointed sentences but a continuous piece of prose. No sentence of the Original passage should be borrowed as it is. A precis should be clear. It must present the substance of the original passage in one's own language expressed as distinctly as possible. A precis should not be sketchy. It should be complete in every respect. Whereas it should be brief, it should also be exact. How to attempt a Pr...