How to Write a Précis – A Guide For Students

Precise writing is one of the most important skills for students that helps them convert lengthy and complex text into a short summary while preserving the original meaning of the content. This is actually a restatement of the main ideas using minimum word count.

So whether you are a working professional or a student, knowing how to write a perfect precis will always make you stand out from the rest. In this article, I will guide you on how to write a precis in step-by-step guidelines while maintaining the proper format.

Example

Original Passage (about 200 words):
The Internet has dramatically transformed communication over the past few decades. Before its rise, people depended on letters, newspapers, and face-to-face conversations to share information. These methods were slow and often limited by distance. With the Internet, however, communication became almost instant. Emails replaced letters, news websites replaced printed newspapers, and social media connected people across the globe. Businesses now rely heavily on online platforms for marketing and customer service. Students use digital libraries and e-learning tools for research and education. Despite these benefits, the Internet also brought challenges. Issues such as privacy concerns, cyberbullying, and misinformation have become serious problems. People must now learn to use technology wisely, balancing its advantages with its risks. Overall, the Internet has changed human interaction forever, creating opportunities while also demanding responsibility.

Précis (about 70 words):
The Internet revolutionized communication by making it faster and more global. It replaced letters, newspapers, and face-to-face exchanges with emails, online news, and social media. Businesses and students now depend on digital tools for work and study. However, problems like privacy risks, cyberbullying, and misinformation also arose. While the Internet provides many opportunities, it requires careful and responsible use.

Definition and Core Purpose

Precise writing is actually a summarisation of essential points without abbreviating the original meaning of the text. The length of the precis is generally about 1/3 to one-quarter of the original passage. 

Here, the goal is to provide a clear and objective summary without adding any sort of personal opinions or details. The focus of a precise writer or student is mainly on clarity of content while maintaining the original structure and tone. 

Key Characteristics of Effective Précis

A professional, precise writing consists of the following 5 essential qualities. These qualities are 

1. Clarity
2. Correctness,  
3. Objectivity
4.  Conciseness, 
5. Coherence

Each of these qualities improves the content in its own way. For example, conciseness removes unnecessary details or redundant phrases. Objectivity adds a neutral perspective to the content and eliminates personal opinion and interpretations. 

Coherence gives logical flow between ideas. On the other hand, clarity makes everything seem so simple and understandable.

Standard Précis Format Guidelines

The following are the formatting guidelines for precise writing.

• Use a double-spaced 12-point font.
• The margin should be at least one inch on all sides.
• Use the present tense and third-person perspective.
• Avoid adding extensive quotations; use them sparingly and cite page numbers.  
• Do not change the original text organisation order.
• End the precis with your name or any required pledge.

Essential Structural Elements

A well-structured precis starts with an introductory statement that includes identifying the author, title, and main thesis. Then comes the body paragraph that summaries key ideas and arguments in a logical sequence. 

The end conclusion paragraph restates the message or any recommendation from the original author.

How to Write a Precis of a Paragraph – Step-by-Step Process

Precise writing should be done in a systematic approach so that you don’t miss out any information. The following is a step-by-step guide on how to write a précis that captures the original text succinctly.

Step-1 Initial Reading and Analysis Phase

First and foremost, it is very important for the students to read the content carefully to grasp the main theme and supporting details of the content. 

Therefore, instead of rushing through it, read it carefully 2 to 3 times to understand the author’s core message. 

Step-2 Take Notes and Highlight Key Points

Only reading is not enough to remember things; you must make notes. Keep a diary aside and while reading, underline or simply write down significant points and arguments. 

Writing these points in your own words will make you understand the whole main theme more carefully.

Step-3 Create an Outline

Organise points and arguments in proper logical sequence by creating an outline.  This outline will act as the backbone of your precis and will make sure you cover all important elements.

Step-4 Write the Precise Draft

Now it’s time to write down a précis based on the outline. A tip of the day for this is using simple sentences and the third-person perspective to keep the objective of the summary clear. 

Step-5 Revise and Edit

Finally, check the content for coherence, clarity, and brevity. Remove any redundant phrases or words and make sure to cross-check the précis for including any sort of personal opinions. 

Step-6 Finalise Your Precis

Last but not least, proofread it to remove grammar, spelling, or punctuation errors. Make sure the length of the precis is according to the word count guidelines, which should be about 1/3 of the original text. 

Common Challenges and Solutions in Précis Writing

Many students or even working professionals face challenges while writing a précis. The following are the common issues they face while summarising the content, along with practical solutions. 

Overcoming Length Control Issues

Most of the students cannot maintain the proper word count while adding the essential information. The solution for this problem is the first to identify and differentiate core arguments from supporting details. This will act as a method of elimination to remove all supporting details while focusing on the main theme. 

For example, you should focus on the author’s main thesis and evidence related to it; however, you can eliminate all the examples and elaboration.  Moreover, practice writing short sentences as they contain fewer words.

Both regular writing and feedback will eventually develop a skill in you to differentiate between essential and supplementary information.

Maintaining Objectivity and Accuracy

Some students unintentionally add their personal opinions or misrepresent the author’s arguments. To deal with this situation, strictly follow the outline of the source material and use neutral language throughout. Also, the most effective trick is to regularly compare your draft and original text to identify potential biases or inaccuracies. 

Peer review is also an effective way to provide a different perspective on objectivity and accuracy of content. 

Advanced Précis Writing Techniques

Handling Complex Arguments and Multiple Viewpoints

If precise writing includes content with conflicting points of view or multiple arguments, organise the information sequence and importance-wise. 

Another way is to use transitional phrases to connect the ideas and maintain coherence while writing complex arguments. This technique ensures that content is comprehensively covered and over-simplified. 

Integrating Statistical and Technical Information

To build the authority of your content or precis, you must include relevant statistical data and technical information to support the main idea while removing all related numerical information. The key to success here is to present this data in simplified form while maintaining the accuracy and improving readability.

Students should prefer to include trends or patterns rather than exhaustive numerical details. This approach will preserve the quantitative evidence and also maintain precise length requirements.

Frequently Asked Questions