Précis Writing / Precise Writing and Summary Writing (Unit four)

   Summarization Techniques

   Summary Writing

Writing a piece of writing in a small format without changing the meaning is called summary writing. In other words a summary is a gist or central idea of what a piece of writing says. However, summary is flexible enough and it gives a lot of liberty to the writer. There is no fixed length of a summary. Sometimes a summary may be bigger than its original piece especially in case of poems. The technique of precise writing is used to summarize a piece of writing.

   Precise Writing

Precise writing involves rewriting a sentence using minimum number of words without change in the meaning e.g.

Look at the following sentence:-

The cricket match ended in such a situation in which no side could win.

The above sentence may be rewritten in precise form (using minimum number of words without changing the meaning) as:-

The cricket match ended in a draw.

Or

The cricket match was a tie.

Or

The cricket match was drawn.

Some more examples are as follows:-

1. He went to school after he had written the letter

1. He went to school after writing the letter. (Precise form)

2. As soon as the thief saw the police, he ran away.

2. Seeing the police, the thief ran away.

For engineers, Précis writing is most relevant because it is most scientific and most calculated form of summarizing.

 Précis Writing

A précis is a brief summary. In other words, a précis involves compression of ideas into a smaller frame.



Generally, a piece of text is compressed into one third of its original length but sometimes, it may be more or less also depending upon the requirement.

Practically, if a piece of writing contains 300 words, it should be summarized into 100 +/- 5 words. What is most important is that the meaning of the piece should be faithfully conveyed in the précis without any alteration or mixing with other ideas.

Writing précis is a valuable training in composition. One can attain this valuable skill of writing a good précis by practice.

Before you attempt a précis, there are certain pre-requisites for this skill. They are:-

  1. You must fully understand the meaning of the passage whose précis you want to attempt.
  2. You must not alter the meaning of the passage in your précis or mix the ideas other than those of the author in it. The meaning of the passage has to be faithfully represented.
  3. You should have a sufficient stock of words for your independent use so that you are able to express the ideas of the author in your own words effectively and make appropriate choice of words at various situations.
  4. You should have the knowledge of the grammar of the language in which you intend to write the précis otherwise you may commit grammatical mistakes.

Practically, you may pursue the following guidelines if you are going to attempt a précis for a passage.-

  1. Read the passage once, twice or thrice to your complete satisfaction. The meaning will be much clearer after every reading.
  2. Count the number of words and decide the length of your précis.
  3. Write down important points, which have been discussed in the paragraph on a rough page.
  4.  Write down all the important sentences of the paragraph under the points.
  5. Make a précis sheet under the title that you have assigned to the passage. Any page can be converted into a précis sheet by drawing four columns on the parallel rulings of your notebook.

    

  1. Give a suitable title to the passage and write it on the top of your précis sheet. If you are able to give a suitable title / heading to the passage, it means that you have already won half of the battle. It also means that you have understood the passage well. Giving title also leads to extreme compression focusing at one point. Giving a suitable title also denotes that you have successfully compressed the whole meaning of the paragraph at one point.

 


  1. Now start writing with a pencil your ideas on the précis sheet @ one word each cell. You have to write the summary of the passage independently using your own words. You have to cover all the points that are discussed in the paragraph and which you have already written separately. You can take the help of important sentences, which you have noted separately. But avoid direct contribution from the passage as far as possible. Use your own words. However, some contributions can not be avoided. Use your common sense in this regard.
  2. Writing on the précis sheet will help you adjust the length of your précis according to your requirement. You can revise it because you are using pencil and eraser.
  3. When you have completed all the revisions and the final draft is ready, you can write it as your answer with a pen. Write the title first and then the summary.

Additional Precautions

  1. Your précis must be impartial. You must faithfully represent the ideas of the author in a reduced format. Do not alter or mix your ideas.
  2. Do not write your précis in the direct narration. Always use indirect narration.
  3. If the passage is in subjective style, convert it into objective style.
  4. If the passage is in the didactic tone, change it in the generalized tone.
  5. Quotes appeared in the passage should be generalized. A few quotes, which are utmost necessary, may be described using their point of view and mentioning their names otherwise, a general description will be sufficient.

You can start making précis of any paragraph. But in the beginning, you should try your hand a small story given below:-

Examples

1. Story Example

Question:-Make a précis of the following paragraph giving a suitable title:-

Once upon a time, a fox was wanderingin the jungle in search of water. By chance, he reached a deep well, which had little water at the bottom. It was dangerous to jump into the well because it was deep and it was impossible to come out from it. Nevertheless, the fox was so thirsty that he could not help himself jumping into it. When he had quenched his thirst, he found that it was impossible to come out from it. He tried his best and jumped hundreds of times but he could not come out of it. At last, he got tired and stopped making attempts to come out but he waited for some one to come to the well. Fortunately, a goat loitered towards the well. When she peeped into the well, she was surprised to see a fox there. She said to the fox, “Good morning! Mr. Fox! What are you doing here?” Fox said, “Good morning! Miss Goat! Nothing, I am doing nothing here, simply enjoying sweet water of the well. Nevertheless, it is very nice to see you here. You are really a pretty and most charming goat of this jungle. Why don’t you come down? Let’s both enjoy the sweet water here.” The goat said, “Is the water really sweet there?” “Yes, of course! You will never find such sweet water anywhere in the jungle. Don’t miss this chance. Come on. Hurry up. Only a little water is left here,” said the fox. The foolish goat did not think of the consequence and jumped into the well. The fox took full advantage of the presence of the goat and jumped upon her back and from there he sprang high and came out of the well. The foolish goat died in the well because she could not come out from there.(307 words)

 Rough Draft of Précis on a Précis Sheet



Answer

Title: - A Clever Fox and A Foolish Goat

Précis

Once, a thirsty fox, in search of water, jumped into a deep well in the jungle. It had only a little water at the bottom.  After drinking, he found the coming out of the well impossible. All his attempts failed. Having tired, he waited patiently. Meanwhile, a goat loitered there and saw a fox in the well to her surprise. The fox flattered the goat and lured her to come to him for sweet water. The foolish goat jumped into the well. The clever fox came out of the well by jumping upon her back. However, the goat died in the well. (101 words)

Example 2

Question:-Make a précis of the following paragraph giving a suitable title:-

Communication has been variously defined by a number of writers. According to Newman and Summer, it is an exchange of facts, ideas, opinions or emotions by two or more persons. Allen Lois defines it as the sum of all the things one person does when he wants to create understanding in the minds of another. Simply stated, communication means the process of passing information and understanding from one person to another. A proper understanding of information is one very important aspect of communication. If the information is not understood in by the receiver in the same meaning in which its sender wants him to understand it, the purpose of communication is defeated. This may result in confusion, chaos, and organizational inefficiency leading to non-fulfillment of business goals. Communication is not merely transmission of information from one person to another but also correct interpretation and understanding of information. It is not to get something off the mind of the person transmitting it but to get into the mind and actions of the person receiving it. (178 words)

Answer

Title: - Communication

Précis

Communication has been variously defined as an exchange of facts, ideas, opinions, or emotions between two parties or all that is done to create understanding in others’ minds or as a process of passing information and understanding between people. Nevertheless, a proper interpretation of the information is equally important activity. Otherwise, it will lead to chaos, confusion and non-fulfillment of business goals.(62 words)

Example 3

Question:-Make a précis of the following paragraph giving a suitable title:-

Man does not communicate through words alone, or only through writing, speaking and listening. There is another aspect of communication – the nonverbal aspect. Depending on the situation, we have to make a conscious effort in the use of words. The nonverbal aspect part of communication is less deliberate. As compared to verbal communication, it is much subtle and instructive. However, it forms the larger part of the communication activity. By nodding our heads, blinking our eyes, waving our hands, shrugging our shoulders, we send out signals. Just as language uses sets of symbols to convey meaning, our body consciously as well as unconsciously carries messages, attitudes, status, relationships, moods, warmth, and indifference and so on. We have, however, to infer these meanings from body symbols. We look for these symbols in the face and eyes, gestures, posture, and physical appearance each of which has its own functions.(147 words)

Answer

Title: -Nonverbal Communication

Précis

Man does not communicate verbally but nonverbally as well. The nonverbal aspect, larger part of communication activity, is less deliberate, subtle, and instructive and exhibited in our body signals, gesture and posture. They consciously or unconsciously display our message, attitude, status, mood, warmth and indifference through our body language.(49 words)

Example 4

Question:-Make a précis of the following paragraph giving a suitable title:-

Citizenship goes far beyond voting, paying taxes, sitting on a jury and other activities expected by a nation from its members. Properly conceived, it involves all a man’s actions which touch a fellow citizen and effect the health and wellbeing of the State; it is almost co-extensive with his duty to his neighbor. It includes everything which the law requires but also many duties about which it is silent and which are left to the individual conscience. It is not passive; not mere abstention from uncivic conduct. It is active. We regard the man who holds aloof from public duties not as ‘quiet’ but ‘useless’. Public life is a situation of power and energy, he trespasses against his duty who sleeps upon his watch as well as he that goes over to the enemy.

The ideal state is one where every citizen is determined to be a part of the community, to share its burdens, to put its interest before his own, to sacrifice, if need be, his own wishes, convenience, time, and money to it. It is a machine of which no part is idle or inefficient, in which each pulley and cog takes up full share of the load, and plays its part in swift and smooth running of the whole. A man who evades his taxes is a bad citizen; but so is one who is giving a vote for the Parliament, thinks only of his private interest,  so is the bad employer whose treatment of his employees is not only a breach of the moral law, but aids to the social problem of the country; so are workmen who strike for some private interest when the existence of their country is at stake; so is the man who would be useful in the local government but evades the burden, not because he cannot, but because he will not spare the time.

***

Technical Definition

Technical Description (Methodology)

Technical Description of an Electric fan

Technical Description of An Aircooler

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Report Definition and Importance


RGPV B Tech First Year English  Unit 4 Précis Writing


Location: Satna, Madhya Pradesh, India

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