Precis writing (pronounced pray-see) is the art of condensing a longer piece of writing into a shorter, concise summary that retains all the essential information and meaning of the original. It tests your ability to comprehend thoroughly and express succinctly. A good précis is a miniature of the original, not just a collection of random sentences.

● Tests Comprehension: It demonstrates your ability to understand the main ideas and supporting details of a passage.
● Develops Conciseness: It trains you to express thoughts clearly and economically, using the fewest possible words without sacrificing meaning.
● Enhances Clarity: By focusing on the core message, précis writing helps you articulate ideas with greater precision.
● Promotes Critical Thinking: It requires you to distinguish between essential and non-essential information.

● Read the Original Passage Carefully (Multiple Times): As with comprehension, understand the passage thoroughly. Identify the central theme and the main points of each paragraph. Make brief notes of these points.
● Identify the Main Idea and Supporting Points: What is the author's primary argument or message? What are the key points used to develop this message?
● Eliminate Superfluous Information: Remove:
○ Examples, Illustrations, and Anecdotes: These are used to elaborate, but not essential to the core message in a précis.
○ Repetitions: Authors often rephrase ideas for emphasis; remove redundancies.
○ Figurative Language: Metaphors, similes, rhetorical questions, and other literary devices should generally be converted into literal statements.
○ Long Descriptions: Condense elaborate descriptions into concise phrases.
○ Quotes: If a quote contains an essential point, rephrase it in your own words.
○ Adjectives and Adverbs: Use only those that are absolutely necessary to convey meaning.

● Use Your Own Words: Do not copy sentences or phrases directly from the original passage. Paraphrase everything. This demonstrates true understanding.
● Maintain Logical Flow and Cohesion: The précis should read as a coherent, unified piece of writing, not just a list of extracted points. Use transition words and phrases to connect ideas smoothly.

● Retain the Original Meaning and Tone: Your précis should accurately reflect the original author's message and, to some extent, their objective or subjective stance. Do not add your own opinions, interpretations, or extraneous information.
● Adhere to Word Limit (Crucial): A précis is typically one-third the length of the original passage. For example, if the original is 300 words, your précis should be approximately 100 words. Stick to this limit strictly. Count your words carefully.
● Write in the Third Person: Generally, a précis is written in the third person, even if the original uses first or second person.
● Write in a Single Paragraph: A précis is usually written as one continuous paragraph, even if the original passage had multiple paragraphs.
● Give a Suitable Title: The title should be concise and accurately reflect the main subject of the précis.

1. First Reading: Read the passage to grasp the general idea.
2. Second Reading & Annotation: Read carefully, underlining main points and noting keywords.
3. Outline/Notes: Make rough notes of the essential ideas of each paragraph.
4. Drafting: Write a first draft using your notes and own words, without worrying too much about the word count initially.
5. Refining and Editing:
   ○ Check for clarity, conciseness, and accuracy.
   ○ Eliminate any redundant words, phrases, or sentences.
   ○ Ensure all essential points are included and logically connected.
   ○ Check for grammatical errors, spelling mistakes, and punctuation.
   ○ Verify that the meaning of the original is fully preserved.
6. Word Count Check: Count the words. If over the limit, ruthlessly cut down unnecessary words. If under, ensure no crucial information has been omitted.
7. Final Polish: Read the précis one last time to ensure it flows well and makes sense as a standalone piece. Add a concise title.