CSS Forums - How To Approach Precis-Writing

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How To Approach Precis-Writing

The English Composition paper of CE-2012 has really dented the confidence of the aspirants to a huge extent. Most of the aspirants who scored quite heavily in other papers were merely able to score less than 20 and even 10 in the English Precis And Composition paper.
I was fortunate as well as tactical enough to accumulate 64 marks in the paper this paper. As per promised, I'm going to share my strategy for approaching each and every question one by one.
Precis writing has been the most difficult and decisive question regarding the E.P.C. paper. This very question sets the tone for the rest of the paper and serves as a very good means for portraying what metal an aspirant is made up of.
I have been lucky enough to have been taught by a school-teacher, Sir Kashif Rehman. Although he is a school teacher yet very tactical in his approach. I adopted his strategy while approaching the E.P.C. paper. Hence, I am going to share the way he taught me how to attempt the precis. I am going to give a comprehensive method of approaching this very question step-by-step.
STEP 1: READING THE PARAGRAPH ( 10 - 15 MINUTES )
Read very carefully, not once but twice.
After first reading, try to establish as much understanding of the text as possible.
Highlight or underline the main ideas, arguments, or themes presented by the author.
Second reading will help you understand the paragraphing of the given text and work out how much value or proportion has been given to each of the main arguments, themes or ideas.
STEP 2: POINTS FOR THE PRECIS
Write down the main arguments, themes, or ideas in the form of points in complete sentences using your own words.
The sequence of ideas or points should be the same as was given in the original passage
Try not to include any excessive detail, explanation, description or verbosity.
Examples had better be avoided if they are not critical to the composition of the passage
Don't be worried about the number of words at this stage
Write openly
Try not to exclude any vital argument, theme, or idea
STEP 3: ROUGH DRAFT
Write points in the form of continuous paragraph taking good care of coherence, fluency by using devices such as sentence-connectors or adverb-connectors.
Count the words in the given passage
And then count the words of the rough draft
Rough draft should be one-third of the given passage
It may be maximum 10 words more tha the required number
If your rough draft exceeds rquired words-count, edit it by using devices such as one-word substitution, by sharing subject or verb, by using clauses and phrases
Bring your rough draft to the required limit

STEP 4: NEAT DRAFT
Now write down the neat draft f the rough draft
Replacements and coherence should be taken good care of
HOW TO CONCLUDE....
1. Words in the given passage = 600
2. Required words = 200
3. Words in the precis = 206

P.S. All this work MUST be done on the neat portion of the answer-sheet so that the examiner realizes that you have followed the proper pattern

[B]Kindly clarify these points.[/B]

Precis should be written in thrid person and indirect form...would you please exemplify this. is it apply on every draft or otherwise??

lets say..
[B]For future tense[/B]
1. [B]Original:[/B]I [B]will[/B] be going to school for reading, writing, and getting knowledge.
[B]Precis:[/B] he [B]would[/B] be going to school for study.
The word [B]"will"[/B] with [B]"Would"[/B]( is it so??)

[B]For Present tense[/B]
I am going to school for reading, writing , and knowledge.
he [B]was[/B][COLOR="RoyalBlue"][B]( should we change IS with WAS)[/B][/COLOR] going to school for study.

[B]For past tense[/B]
I was going to school for reading, writing, and knowledge.

[B]He had gone to school for study[/B] [B](Is it right)[/B]

i would like to share some information regarding writing a precis, if someone is an average student like me, read precis one time, if do not understand then highlight adverbs, adjectives and difficult words from paragraph, then try to read again without these three then u can write it in ur own words in one third and suggest tittle. i bet guaranteed it work.:blush:

[QUOTE=seher bano;523285][B]Kindly clarify these points.[/B]

Precis should be written in thrid person and indirect form...would you please exemplify this. [B][U]is it apply[/U][/B](does it apply) on every draft or otherwise??

lets say..
[B]For future tense[/B]
1. [B]Original:[/B]I [B]will[/B] be going to school for reading, writing, and getting knowledge.
[B]Precis:[/B] he [B]would[/B] be going to school for study.
The word [B]"will"[/B] with [B]"Would"[/B]( is it so??)

[B]For Present tense[/B]
I am going to school for reading, writing , and knowledge.
he [B]was[/B][COLOR=RoyalBlue][B]( should we change IS with WAS)[/B][/COLOR] going to school for study.

[B]For past tense[/B]
I was going to school for reading, writing, and knowledge.

[B]He had gone to school for study[/B] [B](Is it right)[/B][/QUOTE]
sister i remember that i had suggested you to take a refresher of your basic grammar and subject verb agreement, no don't misunderstand me, your English is upto the mark but still it is always good to go back to things you had done a long time ago, it gets rusty as the time goes on...i have made just one correction, you see if there is something else wrong as well...

[QUOTE=msalmanapr;523311]i would like to share some information regarding writing a precis, if someone is an average student like me, read precis one time, if do not understand then highlight adverbs, adjectives and difficult words from paragraph, then try to read again without these three then u can write it in ur own words in one third and suggest tittle. i bet guaranteed it work.:blush:[/QUOTE]

Salman i think it is really a naive approach, adverbs, adjectives are the words that describe the real story, what else would you write about then? About nouns, pronouns and prepositions? These parts of speech can never manifest the essence of something, the adjectives do.so brother i suggest you to practice the precis writing rather than relying on such shortcuts which i am afraid can make the things go awry...

[QUOTE=Bilal Hassan;523341]sister i remember that i had suggested you to take a refresher of your basic grammar and subject verb agreement, no don't misunderstand me, your English is upto the mark but still it is always good to go back to things you had done a long time ago, it gets rusty as the time goes on...i have made just one correction, you see if there is something else wrong as well...[/QUOTE]

Ok...Thank you for correction, but can you answer my question that should we have to change the tenses in precis just as we do in direct and indirect speech? And, if so, does this rule apply on every Past, present, and future drafts of original precis... .???

[QUOTE=seher bano;523355]Ok...Thank you for correction, but can you answer my question that should we have to change the tenses in precis just as we do in direct and indirect speech? And, if so, does this rule apply on every Past, present, and future drafts of original precis... .???[/QUOTE]

Precis is always in indirect speech.

[QUOTE=Ainuddin Kibzai;504764]The English Composition paper of CE-2012 has really dented the confidence of the aspirants to a huge extent. Most of the aspirants who scored quite heavily in other papers were merely able to score less than 20 and even 10 in the English Precis And Composition paper.
I was fortunate as well as tactical enough to accumulate 64 marks in the paper this paper. As per promised, I'm going to share my strategy for approaching each and every question one by one.
Precis writing has been the most difficult and decisive question regarding the E.P.C. paper. This very question sets the tone for the rest of the paper and serves as a very good means for portraying what metal an aspirant is made up of.
I have been lucky enough to have been taught by a school-teacher, Sir Kashif Rehman. Although he is a school teacher yet very tactical in his approach. I adopted his strategy while approaching the E.P.C. paper. Hence, I am going to share the way he taught me how to attempt the precis. I am going to give a comprehensive method of approaching this very question step-by-step.
STEP 1: READING THE PARAGRAPH ( 10 - 15 MINUTES )
Read very carefully, not once but twice.
After first reading, try to establish as much understanding of the text as possible.
Highlight or underline the main ideas, arguments, or themes presented by the author.
Second reading will help you understand the paragraphing of the given text and work out how much value or proportion has been given to each of the main arguments, themes or ideas.
STEP 2: POINTS FOR THE PRECIS
Write down the main arguments, themes, or ideas in the form of points in complete sentences using your own words.
The sequence of ideas or points should be the same as was given in the original passage
Try not to include any excessive detail, explanation, description or verbosity.
Examples had better be avoided if they are not critical to the composition of the passage
Don't be worried about the number of words at this stage
Write openly
Try not to exclude any vital argument, theme, or idea
STEP 3: ROUGH DRAFT
Write points in the form of continuous paragraph taking good care of coherence, fluency by using devices such as sentence-connectors or adverb-connectors.
Count the words in the given passage
And then count the words of the rough draft
Rough draft should be one-third of the given passage
It may be maximum 10 words more tha the required number
If your rough draft exceeds rquired words-count, edit it by using devices such as one-word substitution, by sharing subject or verb, by using clauses and phrases
Bring your rough draft to the required limit

STEP 4: NEAT DRAFT
Now write down the neat draft f the rough draft
Replacements and coherence should be taken good care of
HOW TO CONCLUDE....
1. Words in the given passage = 600
2. Required words = 200
3. Words in the precis = 206

P.S. All this work MUST be done on the neat portion of the answer-sheet so that the examiner realizes that you have followed the proper pattern[/QUOTE]

Your approach does not justify your method of precising. It may be due to a chance error or your high score in your objective part that you scored 64. Otherwise its not the way to make a precis. I saw a number of your posts in which you were misguiding the juniors by suggesting short cuts. I ill request seniours to evaluate my statement about Mr Ainuddin.

[QUOTE=Bilal Hassan;523585]Dear let me make you understand through logic...
What is the objective of Precis Question?
They want to evaluate the ability of the candidate to understand and summarize the complex texts of English language, they do not want to judge his/her ability to change the narration of speech, this is done in the Direct and Indirect speech question and there are separate marks for that.....have a look at my following sentence:
High temprature of ozone is causing the destruction of Animal habitats, floods, melting of glaciers and extinction of many species of plants.
we can summarize it as following: [B][U]Global warming is destroying our echo system[/U][/B]That's it... you see that i didn't change the narration and summarized the whole thing..so you better focus at what they want to evaluate from a particular question rather than doing something else that was not at all required...[/QUOTE]

Ok bhai understood...but one more thing, if you do write the same thing in Past and future tenses, then how do you precise it? lets say "High temperature of ozone [B]was[/B] causing the destruction of Animal habitats, floods, melting of glaciers and extinction of many species of plants.

And, if this sentence is in future??
High temprature of ozone [B]will cause[/B] the destruction of Animal habitats, floods, melting of glaciers and extinction of many species of plants.

and if we do not change tenses then why this is rule of precis that we should write precis in indirect speech???

[QUOTE=seher bano;523775]Ok bhai understood...but one more thing, if you do write the same thing in Past and future tenses, then how do you precise it? lets say "High temperature of ozone [B]was[/B] causing the destruction of Animal habitats, floods, melting of glaciers and extinction of many species of plants.

And, if this sentence is in future??
High temperature of ozone [B]will cause[/B] the destruction of Animal habitats, floods, melting of glaciers and extinction of many species of plants.

and if we do not change tenses then why this is rule of precis that we should write precis in indirect speech???[/QUOTE]

well first of all thanks for calling me bhai...it is so nice of you sis...
let me manifest your answer in following example...
[B][U]Global warming caused the destruction of our echo system.[/U][/B]
[B][U]Global warming would cause the destruction of our echo system.[/U][/B]
and api in precis we are not supposed to shorten the sentences in the same tense rather the objective is to comprehend the text and give the currux of whatever is being said...you summarize the text in your own words so that's why it is always in indirect speech.

[COLOR="Purple"][B]Please evaluate critically.[/B][/COLOR]
[B][COLOR="Purple"][SIZE="3"]Precis original (1998)[/SIZE][/COLOR][/B]
Lying is indeed an accursed vice. We are men, and we have relations with one another only by speech. If we recognized the horror and gravity of an untruth, we should more justifiably punish tit with fire than any other crime. I commonly find people taking the most ill advised pains to correct their children for their children for their harmless faults and worrying them about heedless acts which leaves no trace and have no consequences. Lying and in a lesser degree obstinacy are, in my opinion, the only faults whose brth and progress we should consistently oppose. They grow with a child,s growth, and once the tongue has got the knack of lying, it is difficult to imagine how impossible it is to correct it. Whence it happens that we find some otherwise excellent men subject of this fault and enslaved by it.

If , like the truth falsehood had only one face, we should know better where we are, for we should then take the opposite of what a liar said to be the truth. But the opposite of a truth has a hundred thousand shapes and a limitless field.

The Pythagorean regard good as certain and finite, and evil as boundless and uncertain. There are a thousand ways of missing the bull's eye, only one of hitting it. I am by no means sure that I could induce myself to tell a brazen and deliberate lie even to protect myself from the most obvious and extreme danger. An ancient father says that we are better off in the company of dog we know than in that of a man whose language we don not another as men, and how much less friendly is false speech than silence!(Montaigne)[B]
(Word count: 298)[/B]

[B][COLOR="Purple"][SIZE="2"]Precis: Falsity, a curse[/SIZE][/COLOR][/B]

Falsity is an evil. Had we identified the intensity of its destruction we would have burned it in the fire. Falsity, if not contained, grows with the growth of men, and then, it usually becomes hard to contain. [B]In fact[/B], it is our responsibility we should inhabit the advancement of this evil. But, [B]on the other hand,[/B] prevention of untruth is also a hard nut to crack, because it is multifaceted. Pythagorean consider truth as limited in certain domain [B]whereas[/B] untruth is unlimited. Therefore, distinct society do not consider each other as men, and falsity is indeed very unfriendly than quiet.
[COLOR="Blue"][B](Word count: 298/3=99,[/B][/COLOR] [B][COLOR="Purple"]Ended with 101)[/COLOR][/B]

One more thing, Can we use transitional words and expression[B](as mentioned above bold words)[/B] in our precis if they are not present in the original. please guide.