Precis Writing
Precis Writing
Precis writing gives 1 question in the Part-III English paper and is the most rule-bound form in the whole chapter. It also carries real classroom value, since condensing a textbook chapter into what a class can copy onto a page is the same operation performed daily.
What a Precis Is
A precis is a condensed version of a passage, giving its essential content in your own words. Six rules define it and each is examinable.
- It is about one-third the length of the original.
- It is written in your own words, not in lifted phrases.
- It is always in the third person and normally the past tense.
- It is written as one continuous paragraph, never in points.
- It adds nothing — no opinion, no example, no comment.
- It carries a title reflecting the central idea.
The third person rule is the one candidates forget. If the passage says I believe that education must be free, the precis says the writer believed that education should be free. Retaining the first person is the commonest fault.
✗ Keeping the original's I and we in the precis | ✓ A precis is always in the third person: the writer believed...
The Method
- Read the passage twice — once for sense, once for structure.
- Underline the essential points and strike out examples, repetitions and illustrations.
- Count the words of the original and fix your target at one-third.
- Write a rough version from your underlinings, not from the passage itself.
- Count and trim, removing adjectives before removing ideas.
- Add a short title.
- Read it once to check it makes sense on its own.
Writing from the underlinings rather than the passage is what keeps the language your own. Working with the passage open produces a string of lifted phrases, which is exactly what the rules forbid.
What Gets Removed
| Remove | Keep |
|---|---|
| Examples and illustrations | The point they illustrate |
| Repetitions and restatements | The idea, stated once |
| Figures of speech and rhetoric | The plain meaning |
| Quotations | The substance, reported |
| Direct speech | Indirect speech |
| Wordy phrases | A single word: at this point in time becomes now |
That last row is where most of the compression comes from. English carries a great many phrases that can be reduced to one word — in spite of the fact that becomes although, a large number of becomes many. Trimming these usually gets the length close before a single idea has to be dropped.
Precis and Summary
A precis and a summary are close but not identical. A summary may be written in any form and often in points; a precis must be continuous prose, in the third person, at a fixed proportion, with a title. The precis is the stricter of the two, and a question may ask precisely that difference.
संक्षेपण हमेशा तृतीय पुरुष में होता है।
TRE pointer: Three rules carry every precis question: one-third length, third person, and nothing added. The third-person rule is the one most often violated and therefore the one most often set. The precis against summary distinction is the graduate-level item. With −1/3 negative marking, these are format rules with unambiguous answers, so none of them should be lost.
60-Second Recap
- A precis is about one-third the length, in your own words.
- Always third person and normally past tense.
- One continuous paragraph, never in points, and always with a title.
- Nothing is added — no opinion, example or comment.
- Remove examples, repetitions, figures of speech and wordy phrases first.
- A precis is stricter than a summary in form, person and proportion.
Frequently Asked Questions
How long should a precis be?
About one-third the length of the original passage. Count the words of the passage, fix your target, and trim adjectives and wordy phrases before you drop any idea. Exceeding the proportion is penalised even when every essential point is present.
Should a precis be written in the first or third person?
Always the third person, even when the original is written in the first. If the passage says I believe education must be free, the precis says the writer believed education should be free. Retaining the original I is the most frequent fault.
What is the difference between a precis and a summary?
A summary may take any form, including points, and has no fixed proportion. A precis must be continuous prose, in the third person, roughly one-third the length, and carry a title. The precis is the stricter form, and questions test that distinction.
How do I shorten a passage without losing content?
Cut wordy phrases first: at this point in time becomes now, in spite of the fact that becomes although. Then remove examples, repetitions and figures of speech while keeping the points they carried. Ideas are dropped only if length still exceeds the target.