Precis Writing for CSS 2007
Here I m going to start a thread in order to practice precis writing. There are few things that should be kept in mind while making a precis,



.........First read the passage carefully and underline the words that are difficult to understand.

.........Read out the underlined words and try to grasp the meaning of those words.

.........Now make a topic point of the paragraph.

.........Try to find out the supporting arguments.

.........Finally make a precis.

.........Develop a title that should providing the theme of whole passage.


Make a precise of the following passage

I know no place where the great truth that no man is necessary is brought home to the mind so remorselessly, and yet so refreshingly, as the house of commons. Over even the greatest reputations it closes with barely a bubble. And yet the vanity of politicians is enormous. Lord Melbourne, when asked his opinion of men, replied, 'Good fellows, but vain very vain'.

There is a great deal of vanity, both expressed and concealed, in the house of commons. I often wonder why, for I cannot imagine a place where men so habitually disregard eache other's feelings, so openly trample on each other's egotisms. You rise to address the Hourse. The speaker calls on you by name. Hardly are you through the first sentence when your oldest friend, your college chum the man you have appointed guardian of your infant children, rises in his place, gives you a stony stare and seizing his hat in his hand, ostentatiously walks out of the House, as much as to say. 'I can stand many things, but not this'. Whilst speaking of the House I have never failed to notice one man, at all events, who was paying me the compliment of the closest attention, who never took his eyes off me, who hung upon my words, on whom everything I was saying seemed to be making the greatest impression. But this solitary auditor is not in the least interested either in me or in my speech, and the only reason why he listens so intently and eyes me so closely is that he has made up his mind to follow me, and is eager to leap to his feet, in the hope of cathcing the speaker's eye the very moment I sit down. Yet for all this vanity thrives in the House - though what it feeds on I cannot say. We are all anxious to exaggerate our own importance, and desperately anxious to make reputations for ourselves and to have our names associated with some subject - to pose as its patron and friend. (317 words)

Difficult words and their meanings.

Remorselessly - without repentence; barely - hardly; enormous - huge; vain - proud; concealed - hidden; disregard - paying no attention; trample - crush; stare - look fixedly; ostentatiously - in a showy manner; compliment - praise; auditor - listeners; thrives - prospers; exaggerate - over exphasise; pose - assume the role of.


Note: Now looking for members to add their precis passages and I will add it from my side after 5 days. If have some problems we can resolve it by discussing so first condition is to be serious and work for improving your skills. I m looking for competent members in precis writing to join us for improving the quality of our work.

Members sorry to say but no one paying heed to work hard. I have started a thread in order to practice Precis writing but there is no response from your side. I will see for 2 more days and if there is no reply I will stop it here after adding my work.

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"When Allah leads you to the edge of the cliff, Trust Him Fully, only 1 of 2 things will happen either He will catch you when you fall or He will teach you how to fly"

dont worry Miss nagvi i 'll insha Allah post my precise till tomorrow actually i noticed it now

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Woods are lovely dark and deep
But i have promises to keep
And miles to go before i sleep
And miles to go before i sleep
S.Nosheen

Mis Naqvi...its a good exercise.......
its a halfhearted attemt from me... "as i m in hurry"
Correct me okay...............
The pride and arrogance of commoners and other politicians is at high, I know no place then house where man brought so ruthlessly and also opinion of Lord Melbourane is very much like. Pride of house is hidden and also open quite expressable, and it wonders me why I cannot imagine place where there is great degree of arrogance and where your old friend also shows arrogance to whom you have done much in past and which shows no heed to you. But at the same time there is one man who always pays his concentration on the matter, but all this because he wants to follow and to do such things as to get someone’s attention. This is because we want to get some of aims and to make status more higher.

Title "Pride in house of commons"

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BAN

@ Hummayun, and Nosheen

Thanks to both of you... for attending the post. Actually I want to practice it with you members... I m not master in it like Alamgirian, Adil Memon, Qurat or Khuram but I will try my level best to write upto the mark. Inshahallah

Best Wishes

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"When Allah leads you to the edge of the cliff, Trust Him Fully, only 1 of 2 things will happen either He will catch you when you fall or He will teach you how to fly"

Politicians: vain for what!

Politicians usually are in habbit of being vain though there is no place expect House of Common where man's feelings and egos are not given any important.No man is important here.Here one who rose to speak is either opposed for merely the sake of opposition or is commeded only to catch the speaker's attention by his followers.Man himself and his ideas are totally disregarded.But still politicians give so much airs to themselves and merely attach themselves to certian subjects for reputations.

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Woods are lovely dark and deep
But i have promises to keep
And miles to go before i sleep
And miles to go before i sleep
S.Nosheen

Well done Nosheen and Humyun Inshahallah tomorrow I will add the precis by me and will try to analyze your precis too.

Keep going with devotion

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"When Allah leads you to the edge of the cliff, Trust Him Fully, only 1 of 2 things will happen either He will catch you when you fall or He will teach you how to fly"

Writer contends that politicians are opportunists and they show no regard to each other’s opinion especially in house of commons. Even the most trusted friends leave you when there is some clash of interests and the person one believes to be a patient listener comes out to be critic. Such gimmicks are followed to gain popularity in politics.


title should always be very simple (i feel) so i ll sugest ;POLITICS.
pls tell me ma mistakes.
thans

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what is vice today may be virtue tommorrow.

First lets discuss the paragraphs and then will move to its précis.

First Paragraph:

There are 4 sentences in the paragraph: that can be condensed in the following way,

-------- House of Commons bring home the truth that no man is necessary.
-------- Reputation hardly matters.
-------- Yet politicians are vain.
-------- Lord Melbourne called men vain.

So we can easily separate topic points and supportive arguments from above analysis.

Topic Point: House of commons brings home the unimportance of man.

Supporting arguments: Reputation is disregarded; still politicians are vain though they think men are so.

Second Paragraph:

There are 5 sentences first two have the same meaning as the first paragraph but the last 3 sentences showing these two points:

------- Speaker calls the members by name.
------- Closest friends may not like views.

Now its easy to make an analysis

Topic Point: In House of Commons there is no regard for other’s feelings

Supporting arguments: There are 2 illustrations of disregard; speaker calls the members by name, closest friend may not like the views of others.

Third Paragraph:

There is an illustration from writer’s personal life, so we will generalize it. First and second sentences can be condensed; those who pay compliments and attention to the speaker have some motive like taking the floor after the speech. Third sentence tells that still politicians are vain. Last sentence tells about the egotism in general terms. So the analysis goes like this,

Topic point: Members of the House of Commons are vain though there is no reason to be so.

Supporting arguments: Others pay attention to the speaker only to see that they may get a chance.

After going through each and every point in detail we can say the title point of the passage is:

Members of the House of Commons are vain though there is no reason to be so.

So title can be extracted as: Baseless vanity of English M.P’s

And here goes the précis:

Members of the House of Commons are vain though the proceedings of the House never encourage it. No attention is paid to the reputation of the member; the speaker calls them by name. Their feelings are ignored and even crushed. The closest friends may walk out as others express their views. If any one pays attention or praises the speech of another member, it is with the motive to get a chance to speak. In fact members are given no importance. Thus there is nothing to feed their vanity, still they are vain. And House of Commons proves that no man is necessary.

(103 Words)

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"When Allah leads you to the edge of the cliff, Trust Him Fully, only 1 of 2 things will happen either He will catch you when you fall or He will teach you how to fly"

Humayun your effort is good, but you exceeded the word limit it shouldn’t be more then 106 words and there were some repetitions too. So you have to condense it further. Your title is good.

Here I have condensed your précis within the required limit. I hope you wont mind it.

Title "Pride in House of Commons”

Lord Melbourne shared the opinion that pride and arrogance of commoners and politicians is at high, nowhere but in the House of Commons. Pride of house either concealed or open wondered me why there is the great degree of arrogance that kills your deep friendship too, while no repute matters there. The members are being called by their names so no reason for arrogance. If a man has paid attention to all the matters, it’s only because he wanted to follow and to get someone’s attention. Thus there is no motive for pride because the House of Commons proves that no man is necessary.
(104 words)

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"When Allah leads you to the edge of the cliff, Trust Him Fully, only 1 of 2 things will happen either He will catch you when you fall or He will teach you how to fly"