Precis Writing
A precis is a clear, concise summary of a passage that keeps the main ideas and the original order, written in your own words, and is usually about one-third the length of the original. It contains no new information, no examples or details, and no personal opinion.
Rules: read the passage until you grasp its central idea; keep only the main points (drop examples, repetition, and illustrations); use your own words; keep the author's logical order; aim for roughly a third of the original length; give it a suitable title.
Example: a 228-word passage "What do we dream about?" — covering emotions in dreams, recurring dreams and nightmares, theories of why we dream, and dream journals — is reduced to a 75-word precis titled "Nature of Dreams" that keeps only those main points and drops the examples and the Carl Jung detail's elaboration.
Tip: A precis is about one-third the length of the original and uses your own words. Keep the main ideas in their original order; cut examples, repetition, and detail.
Common mistake: Copying sentences from the original or adding your own opinion. A precis must be in your own words and contain only the author's main ideas — nothing new.
✏️ Test Yourself
1. A precis is usually about ___ the length of the original.
2. A precis must be written in your own ___ .
3. You should keep the author's original ___ of ideas.
4. A precis adds ___ new information or opinion.
📒 Words to learn
Meaning — a concise summary of a passage in your own words
“A precis keeps only the main ideas.”
Meaning — giving much information in few words
“A precis must be concise and to the point.”
Meaning — to make shorter while keeping the essentials
“Precis writing condenses a passage to a third.”
Meaning — happening repeatedly
“Many people have recurring dreams.”
Meaning — ordinary and dull
“Dreams range from the mundane to the fantastic.”