Precis is a French word, and precis meaning in English is a summary or abstract of a speech or a written article. The importance of precis writing lies in the fact that it is like a miniature portrait of the main passage which retains the mood and tone of the original passage. The Precis meaning is to retain the essential parts of the message in its original form, without adding your subjective interpretation of the article. Precis must stick to the original author’s voice and opinions.
The importance of precis writing can also be seen as it helps in showing how good you are at critical thinking, analyzing, and highlighting the crucial points of an essay. By writing precis, you can also learn a lot of new skills in summarizing and the appropriate usage of English phrases and vocabulary.
The importance of precis writing holds for students as well. If you follow the principles of precis writing, you will be able to demonstrate your ability to express your thoughts intelligently to your professors by highlighting crucial points.
Characteristics of a Precis
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The sentences in precis must use linking devices like: therefore, so, because, and, etc.
Difference Between Summary and Precis
The main difference between precis and summary or a paraphrase is that precis is brief and concise. A summary is a different treatment of the original text, and it is longer and more detailed. To write a precis, one has to read the text and extract the main idea from it and then rewrite it in one’s own words. In general, a word count is given for precis where you need to fit in the essential parts of the written abstract. In summary, word limits may or may not be given. A summary’s function is not so much to interpret the meaning or idea of the original text but to relay information.
What Precis is Not?
The true meaning of precis is understood if we also learn and keep in mind what does not come under precis writing or what a good academic precis is not supposed to be. They are given as follows.
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Precis should not convey your own opinions, remarks, or criticism. It is not your own interpretation of the main idea.
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Types of Precis
Precis can be of 4 types:
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Precis of Speech.
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Precis of Continuous Matter – Precis of continuous matter includes every type of matter except for correspondence. It includes questions and answers format like reports of evidence, parliamentary reports, etc. It must contain the date and time of the passage.
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Precis of Correspondence – It can be of two types: Index precis and narrative precise. Index precis is also known as docket precis, abstract, or schedule. It is presented in the form of a table.
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Telegraphese – The language of this type of precis resembles a telegraph i.e. it is terse.
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