Précis Writing



The goal of a précis is to summarize the findings in an article by identifying the main points and conclusions of the research along with reviewing the broader implications of the results obtained in the passage.



In order to accomplish this goal, it helps to follow a six step process:



Step 1: Read the passage. Read it again. Go on reading it until you understand it. Put down on paper the main idea or ideas; make notes in the margins.



Step 2: Read the passage again to make sure you haven’t missed any important ideas.



Step 3: Referring to your notes if you need to, but not to the original, write a rough summary of the passage. By not looking at the original, you will avoid copying; you will be forced to put the ideas into your own words.



Step 4: Read your précis. Ask yourself the following questions—

* Does it say what the original says?
* Does it sound like normal English?
* Have you kept the connections of thought original?
* Is the précis perfectly clear?
* Can you improve or condense any words or phrases?



Step 5: Count the words. If there are too many, write more concisely to shorten the précis. If there are too few, check to see whether you omitted some important ideas.



Step 6: Read the précis again. If nothing important has been omitted and nothing at all added, write your final, correct copy. Proofread it.