how to write a precis for a research paper

How to Write a Precis - A Step-by-Step Guide

It is common for students to confuse a précis with rhetorical analysis, reflection essays, and critical analysis. We get to clarify the confusion in just a moment.

However, for what it is worth, college life prepares you for the unforgiving life that awaits after graduation. One way it does this is through regular assignments that are timed. You can never afford to submit an assignment late if you want to be classified for a college degree.

When undertaking a college education, précis writing is one of the most important yet challenging tasks. At least, from our internal survey, it emerged that 3 out of 5 students find it hard to write a précis. The students also do not understand what a précis is and how to write a précis step by step.

In this article, we have put together important facts on how to write a précis, explain its meaning, its rules, and give you links to précis examples.

What is a précis?

It would be prudent to begin by first reflecting on what a précis contains.

Well, it entails the thesis of the author, and the main message or idea of the author. So, when you are asked to write a précis, you need to write short summary of the essential ideas of a longer composition between several texts.

It's also known as a position paper, which means you create a claim based on what you see as the connections between the text. What do these texts have in common? Are there similar ideas that appear in the readings so far? What are they?

A rhetorical précis can be defined as a summary of an original piece of text that includes the main ideas, arguments, and insights of the thesis of the author in that text.

It is a clear, accurate, and concise summary of a longer text in a connected, readable, and elaborate manner. You can also refer to it as an academic summary as it involves summarizing the main argument of a piece of academic writing, such as a peer-reviewed article.

In simple terms, a précis is like a synopsis of a text, article, or literature. précis is a term borrowed from French, which means summary or

It should never be a narrative of what the author said in sequence. Rather, it is more of providing a skeleton of the arguments in the piece of work. A précis is also not rewriting or an essay.

Qualities and Features of a Rhetorical précis

When you are assigned to write a précis, here are some important elements that must feature in your paper:

• A précis summarizes the original article or academic text's content.
• Start your précis by creating a context (setting) and stating the main idea of the piece. Then you should begin presenting the author's method to defend this thesis.
• Formal writing reveals the meaning and value of an original text.
• précis gives people with no time to read an entire text the chance to understand its main points.
• Explains the core of the text in a structural format making it easy to spot the major points without skimming through pages.
• A précis can be written on a scholarly article, published work, or dissertation.
• Always state the name of the article/document, the author, and the source (is it from a magazine, book, encyclopedia, etc.)
• It is never a critical or interpretive piece of writing.
• It helps identify areas to concentrate on when reading.
• It is meant to improve the writing skills of the writers
• Titles of texts should be put in italics OR underlined
• When writing about history, use the past tense.

précis writing is important as it helps the writer discriminate between what is regarded as useful and what is never. It is a comprehension exercise that allows the writer to present the gist of a passage in their own words.

Rules (or Do's) of précis Writing

There are ten golden rules when writing a précis: you can call them the Dos of précis writing.

• Read the passage/text and determine its theme . While reading, focus on the theme or major argument expressed by the author.
• précis writing means the art of remodeling.  Your précis writing should reflect your prowess in using your own words to express the meaning of a text.
• Be concise, accurate, and clear. précis writing is never complete without brevity, yet it should not come at the expense of clarity or accuracy. Throw in some economy with words, and avoid ambiguity, obscurity, and vagueness.
• It should convince even those who have not read the text.  When writing a précis, ensure it is intelligible to anyone who has not read the original text. By reading your thesis, the reader should engage with the original text.
• A précis uses your own language.  Remember that a précis does not mean paraphrasing. Read and comprehend, then write.
• Forever stick to the third person.  Begin your  précis by identifying what the author says.
• Do not give a personal opinion.  Never give your personal comments or reflection on the piece of work. You will be deviating from précis writing. It should follow the order of the original text.
• A précis, by the rule of thumb, should be a third of the original text. Mostly, academic précis writing suggests it should be between 100 and 200 words. A précis of a 20-page book or article should be between 2-3 pages. Look at how to write a  précis for a research article .
• Balance your précis.  Make sure you are not just filling the space with words but with substance from the text.
• When there are statistics involved, use discretion. Unless the statistics are inevitable and utterly important, drop it when writing your précis.

The Don'ts when writing a précis

When writing a précis, avoid doing these:

• Never use complicated vocabulary that might make your précis complex. Simplicity always has its place in academic writing. Overcome the urge to use tough vocabulary that are otherwise fillers.
• Never use the first-person pronoun when writing a précis. You are not allowed to use I or we when writing a précis.
• Never mention additional information other than your author's thesis, methods the author uses to present the thesis, the results, and their conclusion.
• Do not use abbreviations or contractions.
• Avoid words like big, good, bad, little, and a lot. Also, do not use the phrase "throughout history." This is cliché.
• Never copy sentences as they are from the original unless you are quoting, where you must also provide the right in-text citation.
• Avoid addressing wrong figures and facts. Every fact that you reference in your précis must be from your original.
• Do not use the words "in this article." Use the style "Crane argues that the most significant contribution of the Czechs was ... "
• When looking at primary sources, you should note the document's origin, purpose, value, and limitations.)
• Count your "and."

Remember, a rhetorical précis demonstrates that you have mastered the art of writing. It equally demonstrates that you can express your thoughts cogently and intelligibly. Therefore, you must uphold high clarity, correctness, objectivity, conciseness, and coherence.

The Structure/Format of a précis

Even though a critical or rhetorical précis is  not an essay such as an argumentative or expository essay , it follows the same structure.

A précis has an  introduction, body paragraphs, and conclusion .

The introduction is usually a sentence with the author's name, the title of the original piece, the date of publishing, and the author's thesis statement. You can use verbs such as argues, explains, proves, expands the argument, demonstrates, etc.

Some writing experts and professors have suggested that you can start off your précis with a hook and then restate the thesis of the author of the original piece.

Each body paragraph of your précis should explain different parts of the original piece. Focus on the ideas, purpose, and evidence presented by the author.  

Do  not interpret, criticize, or analyze the arguments of the author . Where necessary, use quotes or phrases from the text but intelligibly. For instance: Paulo Coelho's quotation, It's part of the human condition to want to share things”thoughts, ideas, and opinions, could become Humans want to share ideas with others.

The conclusion of your précis should restate the main idea. It should have a summary of everything and avoid making any personal judgments on the original piece.

How to Write a précis Step by Step

So, you get a prompt like this one from your English 1102 class:

OBJECTIVE: Practice summarizing evidence and conclusions of academic articles in the rhetorical précis format to, ultimately, compose an annotated bibliography using sources that pertain to a topic of your interest.

PART I: précis

• Select 2 relevant sources for examination. Both should be scholarly/peer-reviewed.
• Read carefully, looking for the main conclusions and the evidence to support those conclusions.
• Write a short paragraph for each source following the rhetorical précis model found on pp. 212 of the Guide to First-Year Writing.

You first wonder what you should do, how you can start, and how you will complete the paper. Instead of panicking, follow these eight steps and write a rhetorical précis that appeals to your professor : one they will forever use as an example. So how do you get to do it step-by-step? Here is how to proceed with writing your précis:

First Step: Read the prompt

Like other assignments, you must begin by reading the rhetorical précis essay prompt. In most cases, the prompt specifies the number of words. For instance, your professor might require you to write an 800:1000-word essay in MLA format. The prompt will also specify the exact pages or chapters if it is a book.

Second Step: Read the original piece

Read the text that you are to write a précis on several times. If it is short, 2-5 times is recommended, else two times is the standard for long texts. Use the headings and subheadings as your guide to getting the gist of the text.

Ensure that you read the assigned readings and understand each article's essence.  In other words, what is the central argument related to the theme discussed in class?

Third Step: Re-read the original and take notes

Annotate or mark the text as you read. Here is where you highlight the major points that stick out. You can do this by underlining or highlight the most important points in the original text. If you are reading using PDF readers, you can use the power to highlight and add notes. It helps you knit together the thesis of the author.

Fourth Step: Put together the highlighted ideas

If the author or novel words use evidence, take a keen interest and look them up. Also, study the statistics used to corroborate facts in the text.

Collect these highlighted passages in point form. Write a list of two or three main ideas the essays, articles, or original pieces share.

Fifth Step: Develop the thesis

Restate the authors' thesis in your own words. When doing this, be clear, accurate, and concise. If it is a long piece, try to find the major arguments that the author is bringing forth. Write a brief outline of your argument. 

Sixth Step: Breakdown your précis (make an outline)

Provide one to two sentence summaries of each paragraph from the author's work. If it is a long text, divide it into sections or chapters and give a summary. For a précis on a novel, division by chapter would be prudent.

Seventh Step: Write the précis

write the précis. It should feature a short introductory paragraph, usually one sentence. Develop the body paragraph as outlined in the previous sections. Conclude the précis by summarizing the facts and restating the thesis.

Think of it this way: you summarize the lecture for a friend who missed the class, and the material will be on an upcoming test. Also, you may want to include a brief statement about the article's tone, audience, or purpose.

Ensure that you do great work when citing a précis. Consistently place the in-text citations per the recommended formatting style, such as MLA, APA, or Chicago formats.

Also, ensure that at the end of your paper, you have works cited, reference, or reference list page. Likewise, have an outstanding title page .

Eighth Step: Proofread, edit, and polish

Proofread, edit, and submit the précis paper on time. Consider revising the assignment prompt/instructions. Also, compare your précis with the original text and weed out any similarities. Focus on your grammar and spelling while ensuring you maintain coherence and clarity. You can read it aloud or use a third eye, such as online editing services .

Paragraphing: The Four Sentence Rhetorical précis

When writing your précis, you can adopt the four-sentence rhetorical précis paragraph format. It is a highly structured paragraph that records the essential elements of the discourse, whether spoken or written.

Notably, each of the four sentences bears specific information, as we shall see shortly. When writing with this format, the précis might have brief quotations that convey the author's sense of style, unique voice, and tone.

First Sentence

• Name of the author (if possible, a description of their credential)
• The genre (essay, lecture, research paper, book chapter, book review, editorial, etc.
• Date (in parentheses)
• A rhetorically accurate present tense verb (argues, asserts, suggests, implies, claims, questions, concurs, explains, etc.
• The THAT clause, comes before mentioning the assertion or thesis statement from the author's text.

Second Sentence

• An explanation of how the author develops or supports the thesis (narration, comparison and contrasting, illustration, listing, telling, or definition, etc.)
• Explanation in chronological order as the items of support are presented in the original text
• Uses present tense verbs

Third Sentence

• Statement of the author's purpose in the original text
• An IN ORDER TO clause that explains what the author wants the audience to feel or do after reading the piece

Fourth Sentence

• A description of the author's tone: formal, informal, condescending, sarcastic, humorous, contemptuous, etc.
• Description of the intended audience

The four-sentence précis Template

First Sentence: (Author's full name) _______________________________________,  in his/her (essay, novel, poem, article, painting, short story, etc.) _______________________ (year for APA attribution)__________, asserts that ________________________________________. Second sentence: (Author's last name) ____________________________________ supports this assertion by (showing, offering, using, citing, challenging, etc.) _______________________________examples of______________________________________________________ . 

Third sentence: His/her purpose is to __________________________________. 

Fourth sentence: He/She (establishes, creates, constructs, suggests, offers, presents, etc.)   ____________________ a/an ______________________________________________________with/for his/her audience of ______________________________________________________________________________ who _________________.

Sample four-sentence rhetorical précis

Here are some examples of well-written précis paragraphs.

Sandra M. Gilbert, professor of English at the University of California, Davis, in her essay Plain Jane's Progress (1977), suggests that Charlotte Brontë intended Jane Eyre to resemble John Bunyan's Pilgrim's Progress in that Jane's pilgrimage through a series of events based on the enclosure and escape motif eventually lead toward the equality that Brontë herself sought. Gilbert supports this conclusion by using the structure of the novel to highlight the places Jane has been confined, the changes she undergoes during the process of escape, and the individuals and experiences that lead to her maturation concluding that "this marriage of true minds at Ferndean : this is the way" (501). Her purpose is to help readers see the role of women in Victorian England in order to help them understand the uniqueness and daring of Brontë's work. She establishes a formal relationship with her audience of literary scholars interested in feminist criticism who are familiar with the work of Brontë, Bunyan, Lord Byron, and others and are intrigued by feminist theory as it relates to Victorian literature.

Adapted from Source

Sheridan Baker, in his essay "Attitudes" (1966), asserts that writers' attitudes toward their subjects, their audiences, and themselves determine to a large extent the quality of their prose. Baker supports this assertion by showing examples of how inappropriate attitudes can make writing unclear, pompous, or boring, concluding that a good writer "will be respectful toward his audience, considerate toward his readers, and somehow amiable toward human failings" (58). His purpose is to make his readers aware of the dangers of negative attitudes in order to help them become better writers. He establishes an informal relationship with his audience of college students who are interested in learning to write "with conviction.

Analysis of the précis paragraph

NOTE that the first sentence identifies the author (Baker), the genre (essay), the title and date, and uses an active verb (asserts) and the relative pronoun that to explain what exactly Baker asserts. The second sentence explains the first by offering chronological examples from Baker's essay, while the third sentence suggests the author's purpose and WHY (in order to) he has set out that purpose (or seems to have set out that purpose -- not all essays are explicit about this information and readers have to put the pieces together). The final sentence identifies the primary audience of the essay (college students) and suggests how this audience is brought into/connected to the essay's purpose.

Toni Morrison, in her essay "Disturbing Nurses and the Kindness of Sharks," implies that racism in the United States has affected the craft and process of American novelists. Morrison supports her implication by describing how Ernest Hemingway writes about black characters in his novels and short stories. Her purpose is to make her readers aware of the cruel reality of racism underlying some of the greatest works of American literature in order to help them examine the far-reaching effects racism has not only on those discriminated against but also on those who discriminate. She establishes a formal and highly analytical tone with her audience of racially mixed (but probably mainly white), theoretically sophisticated readers, and critical interpreters of American literature.

In her article Who Cares if Johnny Can't Read? (1997), Larissa MacFarquhar asserts that Americans are reading more than ever despite claims to the contrary and that it is time to reconsider why we value reading so much, especially certain kinds of high culture reading. MacFarquhar supports her claims about American reading habits with facts and statistics that compare past and present reading practices, and she challenges common assumptions by raising questions about reading's intrinsic value. Her purpose is to dispel certain myths about reading to raise new and more important questions about the value of reading and other media in our culture. She seems to have a young, hip, somewhat irreverent audience in mind because her tome is sarcastic, and she suggests that the ideas she opposes are old-fashioned positions.

Adopted from this  source .

Statesman and philosopher, Thomas Jefferson, in The Declaration of Independence (1776), argues that God-given rights of life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness entitle the colonists to freedom from the oppressive British government and guarantee them the right to declare independence. He supports his claim by first invoking the fact of our inalienable rights, then he establishes the circumstances under which a people can throw off an oppressive government; he next proceeds to show that these circumstances have been created by King George II whose oppressive rule now forces the colonists to the separation. The purpose of this document is to convince all readers of the necessity to officially declare independence from Great Britain in order to establish a separate independent nation, the United States of America. Jefferson establishes a passionate and challenging tone for a worldwide audience, but particularly the British and King George III.

Sample précis Questions

Here are two examples of précis homework assignment questions:

1. Write the précis of" liberation, division, and war." 

Write a précis, which contains the following elements:

• What is the author's thesis
• How the author develops the thesis?
• Why you chose this reading? (If this helped you? how?)

2. Writing a précis

Lippi-Green, Teaching Children to Discriminate

Checklist of a Good précis

We cannot conclude our précis writing guide without exploring some great features of a précis. Here is a checklist to ensure your précis stands out.

• It should be clear, correct, objective, coherent, and concise.
• Has a mix of short and long sentences.
• The précis should have a unique title.
• Do not have irrelevant facts on the author or piece of work.
• Should only involve arguments of the author in the particular work.
• A précis that is not a critical analysis or reflection of the text.
• It is not a merely paraphrased version of the original text.
• Devoid of grammar or spelling mistakes.
• Formatted, styles, and organized in MLA, APA, Chicago, or Harvard.

Our Final Thoughts on précis Writing

Our insights in this comprehensive guide can help you understand how to start and complete writing a précis. To be clear, no professor likes reading mediocre précis. So, make sure yours stands out.

Now that you know how to write a précis, we wish you well.

Related Read: Titling an article in an essay.

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Our  paper writing service  can come in handy and help you cover more work. We have professionals who are polished in writing précis essays.

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How to Write a Precis in 6 Steps

Most students don’t know a lot about this type of assignment until they are forced to complete it. Don’t be surprised if you just recently heard about this type of assignment for the first time; most students are confused about it and end up with so many questions: “What is a precis itself?”, “Where can I start”, and “How do I write a precis?”. Luckily, our paper writing service is here to give you the answers. In this article, we will discover what this type of work is and provide you with a step-by-step guide on how to write it.

Definition of Precis and Its Purpose

According to the precis definition, the word “Précis” comes from the French language and means “precise” or “to cut brief”. A precis is a brief synopsis of another work—for example, a dissertation or a scholarly article. The main purpose of a precis is to sum up any ideas that were stated in the piece, explain the main message, and give readers an idea of how the original piece was structured.

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What Kind of Papers Can Contain a Precis?

In a nutshell, a precis is a separate written piece that is not attached to other academic works. Typically, a precis is written in an article – either scholarly or non-scholarly – or any other academic work. Its length can vary, depending on the length of the original piece.

Often, students confuse a precis with another form of writing – a critical analysis. However, they are quite different. Unlike a critical analysis, a precis should not contain your personal opinion in regards to the original piece.

A good precis has to be short and straight to the point. Yet, what are the other characteristics of this type of writing? Here are the key things to keep in mind:

• A precis is a short summary, yet not a paraphrased copy of the original piece.
• The text should be precise and clear.
• A precis should be written in your own words, but it is allowed to use some quotes from the original piece (though not too many, only the ones that bring real value).
• It should not reflect your personal opinion.
• It should convey only the most important information and omit secondary ideas.
• The key points should be covered as comprehensively as possible.
• The information in a precis should be conveyed in a logical sequence, with clear connections between all parts of the text.
• It should not contain any details from other sources.
• A precis should not include any irrelevant or secondary details.
• A precis is always written in the third person, so the use of first person pronouns is not appropriate here.

Apart from a regular precis, there is also another form of this assignment called a rhetorical precis. The essence of this task is the same. However, it is usually much shorter and, thus, harder to write. A rhetorical precis also requires you to sum up core ideas from the original piece, but it has an additional focus on the delivery of the information in the piece. Thus, a rhetorical precis blends a summary and a brief analysis of how the author has conveyed his/her ideas.

The biggest pitfall in writing rhetorical precis is that you should fit everything normally into four sentences. Here is a sample of what needs to be included in a rhetorical precis:

• The bibliographical information of the original piece, such as the title, author’s name, date, and other relevant data.
• An explanation of how the writer of the piece has developed and supported his/her core ideas.
• A statement of the author’s purpose.
• The delivery: How the author captures the reader’s attention. Who his/her target audience is. How he/she caters those ideas to readers.

This is the core information that should be present in a rhetorical precis. Additionally, you are expected to use short quotes from the original piece to give your readers a sense of the author’s tone and style. Here is a good rhetorical precis example that you can examine:

Rhetorical precis example: Barry, Dave. “The Ugly Truth about Beauty.” Mirror on America: Short Essays and Images from Popular Culture. 2nd ed. Eds. Joan T. Mims and Elizabeth M. Nollen. NY: Bedford, 2003. 109-12. Dave Barry, in his work “The Ugly Truth about Beauty” (1998), claims that “…women generally do not think of their looks in the same way that men do” (4). Barry illuminates this discrepancy by juxtaposing men’s perceptions of their looks (“average-looking”) with women’s (“not good enough”) by contrasting female role-models (Barbie, Cindy Crawford) with male role-models (He-Man, BuzzOff) and by comparing men’s interests (the Super Bowl, lawn care) with women’s (manicures). He exaggerates and stereotypes these differences in order to prevent women from so eagerly accepting society’s expectations of them; in fact, Barry claims that men who want women to “look like Cindy Crawford” are “idiots” (10). Barry ostensibly addresses men in this essay because he opens and closes the essay by directly addressing men (as in “If you’re a man…”) and offering to give them advice in a mockingly conspiratorial fashion; however, by using humor to poke fun at both men and women’s perceptions of themselves, Barry makes this essay palatable to both genders and hopes to convince women to stop obsessively “thinking they need to look like Barbie” (8).

Why Are Students Assigned to Write Precis?

This form of academic assignment generally has several purposes. First of all, it helps professors see how well you can summarize, think critically, as well as detect and highlight essential information. Such a task also demonstrates students’ writing skills, their ability to express their thoughts clearly, their intelligibly, and their ability to write with precision. Finally, writing a precis is an effective way to learn new material.

If a precis is a brief summary of an original text, then how is it different from paraphrasing you may wonder? Unlike a paraphrased piece, a precis is not just a restatement of the original text in your own words. It does not require you to mention all of the details provided in the original piece, but rather sum up the main ideas from it. Another distinctive feature that differentiates the two is that paraphrasing is mostly used to refer to certain ideas or statements given in another work, while precis have the purpose of guiding readers through a piece they haven’t read.

Conquering the Art of Conciseness?

Turn complex ideas into crisp, clear précis with our expert help. Embrace brevity without losing essence!

Precis Format

When writing a precis, whether a rhetorical or regular one, make sure that your paper has these 5 key qualities:

1. Conciseness. Unless your professor provides another word count, a precis should be about ¼th the size of the original piece. It has to be concise and straight to the point; thus, you should avoid repetition, wordy expressions, wateriness, and unnecessary details. 2. Objectivity. A precis implies providing an objective construal of the essential information given in the original piece, without including your personal opinions. 3. Coherency. You must provide information in a logical sequence. 4. Clarity. A precis should be easy to read and understand. The main goal of this work is to make the reader understand the original piece and the ideas the author conveyed in it, without the reader even having to read it. Thus, use simple structure and language. 5. Correctness. A precis should deliver accurate details, figures, facts, dates, and should have proper grammar, punctuation, and spelling.

• Precis Title: Précis of [Author's Name]'s "[Name of Work/Article]"
• Font Size: 12 point
• Spacing: Double
• Margins: At least 1 inch from all sides
• Name and Pledge: Place them at the end of your precis
• Tone of Voice: Stick to the the author’s voice in the original piece
• Direct Quotations: Put quotes in quotation marks, include a page number in parentheses after the quote
• Order and Organization: Stick to the order of the original article

So, how do you write it step-by-step? Here is a comprehensive guide to help you succeed with writing a precis:

Step 1: Pick the article, work, or story you will write a precis on Unless you were assigned to write your precis on some specific material, you will have to choose the original piece yourself. In this case, be sure to choose an article or work that is publicly available in its full length, so that you can read the whole thing.

Step 2: Read the original piece Take your time to read the entire piece carefully and without rushing, to make sure you understand it fully.

Step 3: Re-read it and take notes Go back to the original piece after you’ve already read it and grasped the general idea. Now, your goal is to interpret the author’s core ideas—take notes.

Step 4: Make an outline Based on your notes, list all of the key details and arguments you found. This will help you see if you have everything important covered. Then, make a clear and well-structured outline for your precis. To make an outline, feel free to use a precis template given under the steps section of this article.

Step 5: Write a precis When writing a precis, be sure to follow your professor’s guidelines and the outline you have. Use simple language and structure, and keep an eye on the size of your precis.

Step 6: Proofreading and editing Make sure you include all of the important details in your text. Also, check to make sure it does not contain any unnecessary details. Finally, check your draft for any mistakes—including punctuation, grammar, style, and any other errors. Carefully polish it until it looks good.

You might also be interested in discovering HOW TO WRITE A RHETORICAL ANALYSIS ESSAY

Following the steps mentioned above, you should be able to handle writing a precis with ease. To give you an even better understanding of how the finished piece should look, here is a precis sample template:

• Name of the author of the original piece, [a few words describing the author (optional)], the title of article and genre, date of publication in parentheses (if you need to include additional publishing information, put it in parentheses); a rhetorically accurate verb like “claims,” “suggests,” “argues,” “asserts,” or other; THAT – followed by the author’s thesis statement.

Example: Antoine Gara, Forbes expert in the fields of Banking and Insurance, in the article The Forbes Investigation: Inside The Secret Bank Behind The Fintech Boom (Dec 17, 2019), suggests that a tiny FDIC-insured bank – Cross River – can give a much more accurate glimpse into the future of banking than Manhattan’s and Silicon Valley’s financial districts.

• A brief and clear explanation of how the author develops and supports his ideas throughout the piece, usually in chronological order.
• A statement of the author’s purpose, usually followed by “in order to” and a brief explanation of what he/she wanted to achieve/what message was conveyed with his/her work.
• A short explanation of the author’s tone of voice, style, target audience, etc.

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Citing a Precis

In-text citations.

When writing a precis, you need to provide the author’s name, the original work’s title, and the publication date in the first sentence of your text.

Example: Dave Barry in his work “The Ugly Truth about Beauty” (1998), claims that…

Since the author’s name is already stated, you do not need to repeat it in parentheses after any in-text citations. Instead, if you quote anything from the original piece, include the page number where it can be found in the parenthesis after the quote.

Example : He exaggerates and stereotypes these differences in order to prevent women from so eagerly accepting society’s expectation of them; in fact, Barry claims that men who want women to “look like Cindy Crawford” are “idiots” (10).

Works Cited

In the works cited page you will only have to cite the original source according to the chosen format and the type of the source. If it is an article, like in our example, the citation will look like this:

Example: Barry, Dave. “The Ugly Truth about Beauty.” Mirror on America: Short Essays and Images from Popular Culture. 2nd ed. Eds. Joan T. Mims and Elizabeth M. Nollen. NY: Bedford, 2003. 109-12.

Things to Remember

Writing a precis can be challenging. They require attention and precision, as well as solid writing skills and the ability to grasp the core ideas of the original piece. However, with the help of our detailed guide, we hope that you will be able to handle such a task with ease.

To wrap-up everything that was mentioned before, let’s once again recap key things to keep in mind when writing a precis:

• A precis is a short summary of an article or other work, but not a paraphrased copy or a critical analysis.
• It should be concise (about ¼th of the original source’s volume).
• It should only focus on main ideas, arguments, facts, and details.
• A precis should include basic information about the original source, such as its title, author, and date.
• A precis does not contain a students’ personal opinions.
• It has to be easy to read, clear, and well-structured.
• There should be no details or other information from other sources.
• A precis is written in the third person.

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How to Write a Precis: Definition, Guide, & Examples

A précis is a brief synopsis of a written piece. It is used to summarize and analyze a text’s main points. If you need to write a précis for a research paper or the AP Lang exam, you’ve come to the right place.

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In this comprehensive guide by Custom-Writing.org , you’ll find:

• explanations of different précis formats,
• a step-by-step writing guide,
• 4 précis samples,
• answers to frequent questions.
• 📚 Précis Definition
• 📝 Format Types
• ✅ Step-by-Step Guide
• 📋 Précis Examples

🔍 References

📚 what is a precis.

Précis is a type of writing that represents crucial ideas of the text and has a fixed structure. It’s close to an essay in format, but it consists of only 4 sentences with specific content:

• Author’s name, genre, and title of work. It also contains the thesis statement (what the author claims or suggests.)
• How the author reveals the thesis. It’s usually discussed in the same order as in the original text.
• Explanation of the text’s purpose. This part answers the questions “why?” and “what for?”
• Description of author’s tone and the audience. This sentence discusses who the author appeals to.

Writing a précis can be helpful in many cases, such as:

• preparation for complex text analysis,
• creation of an annotated bibliography,
• writing of a research paper summary,
• improvement of critical thinking and analytical skills.

Difference between Summary and Precis

Even though “ summary ” is a synonym of “précis,” there are some crucial differences between these two things. The main distinction lies in structure: a précis always consists of 4 sentences, while a summary’s structure can vary. Have a look at the comparison below.

📝 Precis Format Types

Now you know what a précis is, but that’s not all of it. There are also different formats of précis writing: critical, rhetorical, research, and literary . In this section, we will examine their features and structure.

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Critical Precis Definition & Structure

A critical précis focuses on an argument and reveals the text’s reasoning. It’s also the most common précis format. While working on a critical précis, follow these writing rules for each sentence:

• Formulate an argument expressed in the original piece of writing.
• Point out the author’s reasoning and its essential steps.
• Analyze the evidence on how this reasoning supports the author’s argumentation.
• Discuss what kind of audience the author appeals to.

Rhetorical Precis Definition & Structure

A rhetorical précis is an analytical review of the original text’s content and persuasion methods. It reveals the most crucial points of the paper and shows how it works rhetorically. This format is one of the AP Lang assignments.

Each of the 4 elements of a rhetorical précis structure expresses specific information:

• Background information and thesis statement .
• The author’s argument used to support the thesis.
• Explanation of the text’s purpose .
• Analysis of the rhetorical devices the author uses to persuade the audience.

Research Precis Definition & Structure

Research précis is similar to the critical one, but it’s aimed to give a brief structured synopsis of a research paper. The 4 elements of this précis type are as follows:

• Description of the research’s purpose and issues raised by the author.
• Summary of all the methods used by the researcher.
• Summary of the research results and findings .
• Explanation of the research’s significance .

Literary Precis Definition & Structure

Literary précis is an argumentative summary of a text with attention to its literary devices. The purpose and contents of this type differ from other précis types. Have a look at this format’s structure:

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• The text’s title, genre, and central theme .
• Plot summary : the principal characters, place and time of the narration, and the main conflict.
• The text’s overall purpose : what thoughts and feelings the author wants to evoke in the minds of their audience.
• The analysis of literary devices the author uses to achieve the desired effect.

✅ How to Write a Precis Step by Step

Now, let’s see what exactly you need for writing an excellent précis.

We’ll start with the pre-writing stage . As soon as this stage is done, the writing will be far more manageable. The following tips can help you with it:

• Start with reading the original text thoroughly and note down the essential information.
• Summarize each paragraph in a single sentence.
• Don’t forget to mention the text’s central thesis, methods, and purpose in your notes.

It can be beneficial if you use the mind mapping method for organizing the main ideas from the reading. Putting all the main points to the chart or diagram helps you organize your thoughts and create a good plan for your essay. When you do this, you only need to connect the points you’ve already outlined. Check out this article by the University of Kansas to learn more about mind mapping and other pre-writing techniques .

Precis Outline

Below you’ll find a detailed outline that explains how to write a précis. Check it out to make your writing process easier:

Step #1. Give some background information about the text.

• State the text’s title and the author’s name. You can also add some publishing information, such as the number of the edition.
• Mention the text’s central idea or theme.

Step #2. Show how the author develops their arguments and supports the thesis.

• Focus on the evidence used by the author rather than the specific details of their reasoning.
• When writing the literary précis, focus on literary devices the author uses to develop the theme.

Step #3. Clarify the purpose of the work.

• If you’re writing a rhetorical or critical précis, build your sentences using the phrase “in order to.”
• Avoid repeating the thesis. Instead, analyze the author’s motive and goals.

Step #4. Demonstrate what type of audience the author appeals to.

• To detect the intended audience, analyze the text’s theme, thesis, and tone.
• The type of audience usually depends on the author. For example, scholars typically appeal to their colleagues interested in the topic. Writers of fiction can appeal to any social group or society as a whole.

Rhetorical Precis Template

To help you structure your précis, we’ve created a sample template that you can download in PDF format below. All you need to do is to print it out and fill in the blanks.

Get an originally-written paper according to your instructions!

• [Name of the author] in his/her [type of the text] titled [the text’s title] argues that [the text’s main argument].
• The author supports his/her arguments by [evidence presented by the author].
• The author’s purpose is to [what the author wants to achieve] in order to [the text’s intended effect on readers].
• The author writes in a [description of the text’s tone] tone for [the type of audience].

Rhetorical Precis: Verbs & Sentence Starters

Want to make your précis stand out? You can do it by using certain clichés and rhetorically accurate verbs. They will help you describe the writer’s reasoning precisely.

Check out this list of common précis words and sentence starters that you can use:

Precis Format Tips

When you finish the writing, it’s time to start proofreading your text. Proofreading means looking for grammar and spelling errors in your text, and it helps you improve your text and correct all the mistakes. Here are some tips for proofreading your text successfully:

• If you have doubts about the sentence structure, it’s better to use simple sentences.
• Check the spelling errors. If you can’t use a dictionary, it’s better not to use words that you barely know.
• Give your text to someone else to check if everything is correct.
• You may also use grammar and spell checkers.

It’s also crucial to format your text correctly. Be sure that you’re following style requirements:

• Use 12 font size and double space intervals and at least 1-inch margins on all sides.
• Write your name at the end.
• Write in the author’s voice instead of reporting their words indirectly.
• Keep the same order of ideas as in the original text.

Precis Writing Checklist

Now you’re all set to start working on your précis. To make things even easier for you, we’ve prepared a checklist you can use while writing:

📋 Precis Examples: Different Types

We’ve prepared for your high school and college examples of different précis to help you write one of your own. Feel free to use them as inspiration.

Critical Precis Example

Rhetorical precis example, research precis example, literary precis example, precis essay topics.

• Précis of Everyday Use by Alice Walker  
• Write a summary of COVID-19 related articles 
• Synopsis of On the American Working Class  
• Create a précis of Wearables by Linnie Greene  
• Present a brief summary of Overview of the Immune Response  
• Write a synopsis of 3 lung cancer articles  
• Précis of an article by Douglas C. Engelbart  
• Summary of the article Maternal Stress and Sensitivity: Moderating Effect of Positive Affect  
• Write a concise synopsis of Consider the Lobster  
• Present a précis of a journal article  
• Summary of the article Coming to the Aid of Women in U.S. Prison by D.S. McClellan  
• Come up with a synopsis of an article in Journal of Nutritional Biochemistry  
• Summary of the article The HR Challenges Shaping the Healthcare Industry  
• Write a synopsis of a research paper on evidence-based interventions for anxiety  
• Make a précis of the study Practice Nurse Use of Evidence in Clinical Practice  
• Present a short summary of the article Robotic Kidney Transplantation: One Year After the Beginning  
• Create a synopsis of an article critique  
• Short summary of the film The Great Debaters  
• Summary of the article Breast Cancer and Exercise  
• Write a synopsis of the article Assessment and Management of Sexual Dysfunction in the Context of Depression  
• Précis of the article Maternal Stress and Sensitivity: Moderating Effect of Positive Affect  
• Make a reading summary of two social articles  
• Summary of Examining Evidence-Based Interventions to Prevent Inpatient Falls  
• Short synopsis of the article You Know Nothing, John Doe!  
• Précis and analysis of the article My Turn: $15 an Hour Minimum Wage Would Slow Economy  
• Summary of McCallum’s Followership  
• Present a comparative synopsis of Woolf’s and Brady’s feminist articles  
• Précis of Business Careers with High Pay  
• Summary of Women Should Have to Register for the Draft  
• Write a synopsis of The Spirit in Creation by D. Williams 
• Précis of sports and organizational conflict articles  
• Write a summary and analysis of the article New Bases of Competitive Advantage  
• Synopsis of Asleep on the Job  
• Précis of Sleep, Health, and Wellness at Work  
• Summary of Leadership Characteristics and Digital TransFormation  
• Present a synopsis of Tweeting Social Change by Guo & Saxton  
• Précis of the article The Nature of Things: Biomimicry  
• Summary of How to Develop a Strategic Mindset  
• Synopsis of Coalition Brings Pressure to End Forced Uighur Labor  
• Write a précis of 2 gender inequality articles  
• Present a summary of Chopin’s The Story of an Hour  
• Synopsis of The Necklace  
• Make a précis of The Garden Party by Catherine Mansfield  
• Summary of Zika Virus Disease: A Public Health Emergency of International Concern  
• Write a synopsis of Ibsen’s A Doll’s House  
• Create a short précis of Letter from Birmingham Jail  
• Make a summary of Seven Jewish Children by Caryl Churchill  
• Synopsis of A Rose For Emily by Faulkner 
• Present a précis of Googling Your Date by Martha Irvine  
• Write a summary of Get Your Bonds Ready for a Fed Rate Boost  

Now you’re ready to write your précis! Use this guide every time you need to write a task for college or if you need to prepare for AP Lang exams. We wish you best of luck with your writing assignments!

Further reading:

• How to Write an Abstract Step-by-Step: a Guide + Examples
• How to Write a Reflection Paper: Example & Tips
• How to Write a Critical Thinking Essay: Examples & Outline
• How to Write a Personal Essay: Topics, Structure, & Examples

❓ Precis Writing FAQs

1. Write the author’s name and title of the text. Briefly recap the thesis 2. Write a summary of the text. 3. Explain the text’s purpose. 4. Describe what rhetorical devices the author used to persuade the readers.

In British and American English, the word “précis” is pronounced as pray-see (with the stress on the 2nd syllable.) It comes from the French language. Originally this word meant “summary,” and it’s related to the word “precise.”

Précis size can vary depending on the format and original text. According to précis writing rules, the rhetorical format should consist of 4 sentences, each being a separate paragraph. A précis is supposed to be about 100-200 words long. Sometimes it can be 1/5 of the original text’s length.

Rhetorical précis is a type of writing used to summarize and analyze a text. Rhetorical précis represents both the content and method of the analyzed text. This type of précis differs from the summary as it shows how the text works rhetorically.

The word “précis” has plural meanings. It can be a synonym for “summary” or a separate type of academic writing. A précis represents crucial ideas of the text and has a specific structure. This word is derived from French and originally means “precise.”

• A Review of Critical Reading Skills: Palomar College
• Writing a Summary or Rhetorical Précis to Analyze Nonfiction Texts: University of Wisconsin-Madison
• Rhetorical Précis: Lumen Learning
• Writing a Useful Précis for a Research Article: University of Washington
• Précis: Texas A&M University
• How to Write a Précis: Monmouth University
• Writing a Précis: Wilfried Laurier University
• Mapping: Gallaudet University
• The Rhetorical Précis: Folsom Cordova Unified School District
• All about Précis Writing: Purdue University
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How to Write a Precis

Last Updated: March 20, 2024 Fact Checked

This article was co-authored by Christopher Taylor, PhD and by wikiHow staff writer, Danielle Blinka, MA, MPA . Christopher Taylor is an Adjunct Assistant Professor of English at Austin Community College in Texas. He received his PhD in English Literature and Medieval Studies from the University of Texas at Austin in 2014. This article has been fact-checked, ensuring the accuracy of any cited facts and confirming the authority of its sources. This article has been viewed 169,415 times.

A précis is a summary of a written work, such as an article, book, or other text. You’ll objectively explain the original text’s main argument, support, and structure, without doing a critical analysis. Although it might seem challenging at first, don't get discouraged! It's simple once you understand the structure. Before you can write your précis, you’ll need to study the text. When writing your précis, use the correct structure and style guidelines.

Studying the Text

• You’ll likely need to read the text several times. You might read a novel twice, but you could read a shorter work 3-5 times.
• Skim over the text before you read it, mentally dividing it into sections. If the text has headings and/or subheadings, use these as a guide. Otherwise, you can divide it by paragraph.
• If you notice any unfamiliar words, look them up.

• If you learn well visually, use different colored highlighters to highlight the thesis, supporting arguments, and important details.
• Write notes in the margins to explain important arguments in your own words.

• In a longer text, you may need to do a close reading to find the thesis. You should consider the author's arguments and main ideas. Remember, the thesis is the author's controlling idea. For instance, a novel likely won't have a clear thesis, but you could identify what the author is trying to prove or show.
• For examples of how to do this, look at book reviews in literary journals or in major newspapers. Remember not to simply copy the thesis, which is considered plagiarism.

• Consider the length and difficulty of the text when dividing your sections. There’s no wrong way to section an article.
• For example, when writing a précis for a novel, you could summarize each chapter. If it's a journal article that's already divided into sections, you could summarize these sections. For an essay or article without sections, you could summarize each paragraph.
• Be sure to only include the key point and evidence in your summary.
• Include enough information in your summaries so that you don’t need to refer to the main text to understand them.

• The author likely won’t state their purpose, so you’ll need to determine it yourself. Consider your reaction to the text. For example, did it make you think? Do you feel differently about the subject? This can help you figure out the purpose.
• If you're writing a précis about a short story or novel, the author may be entertaining the reader, but they will also have a message behind the story. This message can help you find the purpose.
• If you're writing a précis about an article or essay, the purpose may be related to the thesis. What is the writer trying to prove? How does that connect to their purpose? For instance, the author's purpose might be to change the way you think about recycling paper. Their thesis could read, "Reusing paper before recycling it is better for the environment because it reduces new purchases of paper, produces less waste, and lowers energy expenditures by recycling programs."
• You can also look at a few published reviews of the book, which can give you good contextual information and different perspectives to orient your understanding of the purpose.

• An outline lets you see how the argument is assembled.
• This outline is just for you, so don’t worry if it’s messy.

• Remember to use your own words. However, you need to accurately portray the meaning of the original text.

Structuring Your Précis

• In rare cases, you may need to provide more information about the author, but this is only necessary if that information is necessary to understand the précis. For example, let's say an astronaut wrote a scholarly article about how being on the space station affected their research. It would be helpful to include that the author had been to space, as it adds to their credibility.
• Put the date in parentheses after the title.
• The genre refers to the type of text, such as article, short story, novel, play, etc.
• Use a rhetorical verb, such as asserts, explains, argues, refutes, proves, or disproves, to introduce the author’s argument.
• Here’s an example: Luz Ruiz’s article “The Moral Politician” (2018) asserts that policies based on morality can undermine the basis of governance.

• Comparing and contrasting of 2 or more things.
• Providing several small arguments.
• Offering 1 long chain of argument.
• Illustrating a point.
• Creating a narrative.
• Citing research.
• Defining and elaborating on the terms of the thesis.

• The purpose is the author’s motive, not the thesis.
• For instance, “Ruiz’s purpose is to present case studies in order to create an awareness in the reader of counterproductive policy making.”

• Since the author won’t directly tell you their intended audience, you’ll need to use cues from the article to determine it. Cues to watch for include the type of language used, the types of references, and the author’s background. You might compare and contrast the article to other similar articles to determine if it's more formal or informal. For example, academic or professional articles might use a lot of jargon, and they may expect the reader to understand references to other ideas in the field. However, articles written for the casual reader might use down-to-earth language and may thoroughly explain references to other ideas.
• For instance, “Based on her use of jargon and the nature of the topic, Ruiz primarily writes for an audience who understands policy debate, such as policy students, academics, and politicians.”

• This type of précis is less common than the 4-sentence structure presented above.
• You should only write a long précis if your instructor asks for it. Always check your assignment details.

• Remember, you don't need to incorporate any outside ideas or conclusions you have made, as a précis is only about the work itself.
• Keep your conclusion concise.

Revising Your Précis

• It’s a good idea to look for typos, grammar errors, or spelling issues now, but you’ll still need to proofread your final draft.

• For example, re-read the original text, then re-read your précis.
• If you can, have someone read both the original text and your précis and tell you what they think.

• For example, you might eliminate redundant text or extra words that aren't necessary.
• If you make substantial changes, it’s best to compare it to the original text once again.

• If you can, ask someone to proofread your work for you, as you might overlook some of your own errors.

Following Best Practices

• Although a précis is always concise, its length can vary depending of the length of the original work and your instructor’s preferred length. [17] X Research source For an article, your précis will likely be 100-200 words long, but a longer work may require a few pages of text. Expect your précis to be about 1/5 to 1/6 the length of the original text. [18] X Research source
• Read over your assignment sheet carefully.

• For instance, you should write “Ruiz proves” not “Ruiz proved.”
• Make sure your verbs apply to the author, not the text. For example, “Ruiz argues” not “the article argues.”

• Stay objective throughout the writing process.

• It’s okay to quote a special term coined by the author if it’s important to the précis. For example, "freakonomics" is a special term created by economist Steven Levitt and journalist Stephen J. Dubner. It's not a normal word, so you would put quotes around it when including it in a précis.

Community Q&A

• Writing a précis is a great way to study an important text. For example, you might write one before you write an annotated biography or before including a text in your thesis or dissertation. [20] X Research source Thanks Helpful 0 Not Helpful 0
• You need to fully understand a text before you can write a précis. Thanks Helpful 0 Not Helpful 0

You Might Also Like

• ↑ https://writing.wisc.edu/handbook/assignments/nonfictionanalysis/
• ↑ https://downloads.wlu.ca/downloads/academics/support-and-advising/documents/writing-a-precis.pdf
• ↑ https://www.monmouth.edu/resources-for-writers/documents/how-to-write-a-precis.pdf/
• ↑ https://writing.wisc.edu/Handbook/nonfictionanalysis.html
• ↑ http://writingcenter.tamu.edu/Students/Writing-Speaking-Guides/Alphabetical-List-of-Guides/Academic-Writing/Precis

About This Article

Before writing a précis, make sure that you’ve read through the text and made notes in the margins to help you identify the most important points. Afterwards, begin your precis by restating the thesis, or the author’s main argument, in your own words. Then, summarize each paragraph, section, or chapter in 1 to 2 sentences. Make sure to only include information that supports the main argument in your summary. Additionally, include enough information so that you don’t need to refer to the main text in order to understand the summary. For more advice, including how to structure or revise your précis, keep reading. Did this summary help you? Yes No

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Rhetorical Precis

How To Write A Precis

Precision Writing 101: How to Write a Precis

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How to Write Rhetorical Precis? - A Step-by-Step Guide

Ever had trouble making a short and clear summary? You're not alone. Lots of people find it hard to shrink big ideas into a brief precis.

Making a good precis is more than just shortening words. It's about getting the main point of a text in fewer words while keeping its important meaning.

But don’t worry! 

In this blog, you'll find a detailed, step-by-step guide on crafting a precis that works. Whether you're a seasoned writer or a beginner, we'll teach you how to express ideas with clarity and brevity.

Ready to make your writing better? Let's learn how to be clear and short!

• 1. What Exactly is a Precis?
• 2. How to Write a Precis - Step by Step Process
• 3. Citing in a Precis
• 4. Precis Examples
• 5. Tips for Writing an Effective Precis

What Exactly is a Precis?

A precis is a concise and condensed summary of a longer piece of writing, capturing the essential ideas and main points while maintaining clarity. 

Think of it as a snapshot that filters the key elements of a passage, scholarly article, or document. 

The goal of writing a precis is to convey the original author's message accurately and efficiently, omitting unnecessary details and retaining only what is crucial.

Key Elements of a Precis

Writing a précis involves focusing on important information to ensure a clear and accurate summary of the original text. Here are the key elements you should consider:

• Main Idea and Thesis

The precis should begin by stating the main idea or thesis of the original work. This is the central message that the author wants to convey.

• Supporting Points

Identify and include the essential supporting points that contribute to the development of the main idea. These should be the most significant arguments or concepts presented in the source material.

• Conciseness

One of the critical aspects of a precis is brevity. Aim to express the main points in a concise manner, avoiding unnecessary details or examples. Focus on clarity and precision in your language.

• Clarity of Expression

Clearly convey the meaning of the original text. Use simple and straightforward language while maintaining the integrity of the author's ideas. Ensure that the reader can easily understand the summarized content.

Arrange the points in a logical order, maintaining a coherent flow throughout the precis. This helps the reader follow the structure of the original work and understand the connections between different ideas.

Ensure that your precis accurately reflects the main points of the original text. Misinterpretation can lead to a loss of meaning, so strive for precision in conveying the author's intended message.

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How to Write a Precis - Step by Step Process

Mastering the art of precis writing involves a systematic and step-by-step process. Follow these guidelines to create a concise and effective precis:

Step 1: Understanding the Source Material

To begin the process of writing a precis, it's essential to thoroughly understand the source material. 

Read the original work carefully, paying close attention to the author's main idea, key arguments, and supporting points. 

Take notes on significant details and examples that contribute to the overall message. A solid grasp of the content is the foundation for creating an accurate and concise summary.

Step 2: Identify the Author's Purpose

Dive deeper into the author's purpose behind the writing. Ask yourself why the piece was written and what message the author aims to convey. 

Understanding the author's intent will guide you in selecting the most critical elements to include in your precis. 

Whether it's to inform, persuade, or entertain, recognizing the purpose enhances your ability to capture the essence of the work.

Step 3: Summarize the Main Idea and Thesis

Craft a clear and concise statement that encapsulates the main idea or thesis of the original work. 

This serves as the focal point of your precis and provides readers with a quick understanding of the author's central message. 

Ensure that your summary maintains the nuance and complexity of the original idea while presenting it in a more condensed form.

Step 4: Identify Key Supporting Points

List the primary supporting points or arguments that the author uses to reinforce the main idea. These are the building blocks of your precis. 

Identify evidence, examples, or data that the author presents to substantiate each supporting point. 

Step 5: Create a Precis Outline

A well-organized outline serves as the roadmap for condensing a longer piece of writing into a clear and concise summary. 

Here's how to write a precis outline:

Step 6: Writing Clear and Concise Sentences

In the actual writing phase, focus on expressing each point in clear and concise sentences. Strive for brevity without sacrificing accuracy. 

Eliminate redundant information and choose words that convey the intended meaning with precision. Aim for a balance between clarity and conciseness to create a summary that is both informative and to the point.

Step 7: Review and Revise for Precision

Once your precis is drafted, review it critically. Ensure that each sentence contributes meaningfully to the overall summary. Check for coherence, clarity, and adherence to the original meaning.

Revise sentences that may be unclear or verbose, aiming for precision in language and content. This step is crucial for refining your precis into a polished and accurate representation of the source material.

You can also explore our blog for comprehensive information on rhetorical precis .

Citing in a Precis

While precis writing involves condensing the ideas of an original text, proper citation is still essential to give credit to the original author and source. 

Here's how you can cite the sources in a precis:

• Author and Title

In the introductory section of your precis, clearly mention the author's name and the title of the original work. This provides context for your readers and acknowledges the source.

• Academic Integrity

Even though a precis is a condensed version, it's crucial to maintain academic integrity. If you use specific phrases or terminology from the original text, put them in quotation marks and cite the page number.

• In-Text Citations

Depending on the citation style ( APA , MLA , Chicago , etc.), include in-text citations where appropriate. This is particularly important if you refer to specific ideas, examples, or quotes from the original text.

• Reference Page or Works Cited

At the end of your precis, include a reference page or works cited page. Follow the specific guidelines of the citation style you are using to provide a complete and accurate citation for the original work.

• Publication Information

Include the publication information of the original work, such as the publisher, publication year, and page numbers. This ensures that your readers can locate the source material if needed.

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Precis Examples

To better understand the concept of precis writing, let's explore a few examples that showcase the transformation of an original text into concise and focused summaries.

Precis of a Paragraph - Example

Precis ap lang - example , precis of a summary - example, tips for writing an effective precis.

Crafting an effective precis requires a combination of analytical skills, clarity of expression, and attention to detail. Here are key tips to enhance your precis-writing skills:

• Thoroughly Understand the Source Material

Before attempting to write a precis, ensure a comprehensive understanding of the original text. Identify the main idea, key arguments, and supporting details.

• Focus on the Main Idea

The primary goal of a precis is to capture the main idea of the original text. Concentrate on distilling the central theme and core arguments without getting lost in minor details.

A well-crafted precis conveys essential information without unnecessary elaboration. Aim to condense the material while preserving its meaning.

• Express Ideas in Your Own Words

Use your own language to articulate the ideas presented in the original text. This demonstrates a true understanding of the material and helps avoid plagiarism.

• Maintain Clarity and Coherence

Ensure that your precis maintains a clear and logical flow. Use transition words to connect ideas and create coherence, making it easy for the reader to follow your summary.

• Follow the Structure of the Original Text

Organize your precis to mirror the structure of the original work. Maintain the order of main ideas and supporting points, preserving the intended flow of the author.

• Omit Repetition and Irrelevant Details

Eliminate redundant information and irrelevant details. Your precis should focus on the crucial elements of the text, contributing to a more impactful and focused summary.

• Maintain Objectivity

Write in an objective and neutral tone. A precis is not the place for personal opinions or interpretations. Stick to representing the author's ideas faithfully.

• Adhere to Word Limit Guidelines

While the word count for a precis can vary depending on the length of the original text, it's essential to adhere to any specified word limit.

In conclusion, mastering the art of precis writing is a valuable skill for anyone looking to communicate with clarity and precision. 

By understanding the main ideas, focusing on brevity, and expressing thoughts in your own words, you can create effective summaries. Remember to maintain objectivity, omit unnecessary details, and adhere to word limits. 

If you find yourself needing assistance or seeking professional help with your writing tasks, visit MyPerfectWords.com. 

Our expert writers are ready to provide guidance and support, ensuring your writing is clear, concise, and meets your goals. 

So, why wait? Hire our essay writing service today!

Frequently Asked Question

How long is a precis.

The length of the precis should vary. However, it can be 100-200 words long.

Is precis writing in the third person?

You can easily write a precis in the third person and past tense. However, a precis should always write in your own words and without borrowing from the original passage.

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Dr. Barbara is a highly experienced writer and author who holds a Ph.D. degree in public health from an Ivy League school. She has worked in the medical field for many years, conducting extensive research on various health topics. Her writing has been featured in several top-tier publications.

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Rhetorical Precis Guide

How To Write A Precis

Last updated on: Jun 9, 2023

How to Write A Precis: Step-by-Step Guide

By: Nova A.

Reviewed By: Chris H.

Published on: Aug 17, 2021

You’re sitting in class daydreaming, and suddenly you hear the Professor assigning homework.

He’s talking about writing a precis.“What is a precis?”If you’re on the internet trying to figure out how to get your assignment done, then congratulations, you are at the right place.

"A precis is a summary of an article or book. It should summarize the main points and include any major themes, ideas, or conclusions."

Do you want to know how to write a precis? If so, keep reading! This post will provide you with step-by-step instructions on how to do it.

On this Page

Definition of Precis

What is a precis? It is derived from the French word précis, which means “a concise summary.” Thus, the literal meaning of the term is precise or cut short.

Unlike a summary that condenses and presents the main ideas only, a precis presents every detail and should be one-third of the original text. It is a clear and to-the-point summary of the key ideas of a passage, but it is more detailed than a summary.

It isn’t merely a paraphrased text. When asked to write a precis summary, ensure that the key points are reflected along with its tone and mood, etc.

The key to writing a précis is simplicity. You may be given an scholarly article or dissertation summary, but your job isn't just about summarizing.

Instead, you need to analyze and present the main points concisely in your words so that readers can make up their own minds with what they read!

Let’s move on to the next section to see how to write a precis?

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Characteristics of a Precis

Following are the characteristics of a precis:

• It is a critical summary of a published piece of writing.
• Not a re-written version of the original piece.
• Written in your own words and not in words from the original piece unless you are quoting it.
• Its length is 1/3rd of the length of the original piece unless you are told otherwise by the professor.
• A precis format includes the thesis that the original author supports, methods he used, results and conclusion.

Qualities of a Precis

A precis is a critical piece of writing. Make sure that yours has the following qualities.

• It should be well-written so the reader can easily understand what you are trying to convey. Use clear and simple language.
• It must be correct and error-free, add correct facts and figures, and check for grammatical and punctuation mistakes.
• Stay objective; only provide useful information and not your personal opinion.
• It should be coherent with the original text.
• Keep it concise; avoid adding unnecessary information.

Elements of Precis

Following are the essential elements of a precis:

A reader should understand what the writer wants to say. A precis is a short summary of the story. It should be easy for people to understand.

• Correctness

When you write a precis, you should look for punctuation, grammar, and sentence structure mistakes. You should also double-check all of the dates, addresses, facts, and figures that were used.

• Objectivity

Being objective means telling the truth about your information. It means that you should only talk about facts and not give your opinion.

• Conciseness

When you are writing a summary, you want it to be concise. Therefore, you should avoid repeating things and using unnecessary words.

Coherence is making sense. Say what you want to say, but make it clear. Your audience does not want to get lost or confused when they read. Use strong words that help them understand better.

Precis Format

Precis outline is similar to an essay; it consists of an introduction, body paragraphs, and conclusion.

• Introduction

The introduction consists of information about:

• Publishing date within parenthesis
• A verb to represent the thesis
• The thesis statement

The body of the precis has separate paragraphs dedicated to each section of the original piece of work where you present the author’s thoughts, ideas, and purpose.

Don’t forget that you can’t give your own opinion or interpretation. Instead, your focus should be to analyze the author’s take on the main idea or issue.

With your conclusion, simply restate the main idea without any personal statements.

PRECIS TEMPLATE (PDF)

How to Write a Rhetorical Precis?

Before starting the writing process, keep in mind that your precis should be able to make the reader understand the original work without having read it.

As with any other academic writing, start by conducting thorough reading and research. Just because it is a small piece of writing doesn’t necessarily mean that it will be easy or quick.

The essay writing process can be divided into examining the original work, creating a structure, and the writeup itself.

To find out how to write a precis, let us discuss the steps in detail:

1. Read the Content

To write a good rhetorical precis, you need to read the original text. You can do this in two ways. First, skim over the text but try to remember it all. Second, look at where it was published and what section is most important.

Take notes about what is said in the title and figure out what the document’s content might be about. Then, when you are done skimming, take notes with key ideas and respond to those ideas with strategies that the author used to persuade people.

2. Draft an Outline

An outline makes it easier to write. It also helps readers understand what you are writing about. Once you get all the information, put it in four sentences that have an introduction, body, and conclusion.

3. Write your Precis

After creating an outline, start writing the precis. Make sure to follow the format discussed above. Start with the introduction paragraph, then provide supporting body paragraphs, and at last provide a conclusion.

Make sure to follow your outline while writing so that you do not miss any important detail.

4. Proofread

Take a break from writing your precis to make sure it is free of mistakes. Once you are done, read it again and fix any errors before submitting the document to your instructor. Your credibility will be reflected in how accurate your work is.

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How to Write a Precis - Example

It is important to go through examples before you start writing it yourself, as it will give you an idea of how to start writing your own precis.

PRECIS EXAMPLE (PDF)

RHETORICAL PRECIS WORKSHEET

RHETORICAL PRECIS SAMPLE

Precis Writing Tips

To write a winning rhetorical precis, follow the tips mentioned below:

• Read the text under critical analysis carefully and note down the essential points and arguments. Then, try different reading practices to better understand the work.
• Focus on what the author is trying to communicate through his work.
• Point out the evidence and appeals used by the author.
• Restate the thesis stated by the author in your words according to your interpretation. Remember to keep it short and to the point.
• The key is to describe the original piece in your own words.
• Go through the summary again to ensure you haven’t missed any important points and used a logical structure.
• Before handing in your document, make sure that it is clear and concise without any grammatical errors.
• When it comes to writing a precis, you need to cite the attributes taken directly from the piece under analysis.
• Also, keep in mind that teachers only assign a precis to check how well students can communicate their thoughts and want them to develop critical thinking and writing skills.

So now that you have read this blog, we hope that you found the answer to your question "How to write a precis?" If not, then there are other ways of getting help. You can get professional essay writing service from 5StarEssays.com .

Our  expert writers  will help you come up with an exceptional precis worthy of impressing your professor of English and literature at the most affordable rates.

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Frequently Asked Questions

What is the best way to write a precis.

Precis is a summary of something complex. A good precis can be written as follows:

• Read the information and note down the important points
• Summarize those points in simple words
• Polish it to make a final draft

How long is a precis?

A precis is about 100-200 words. It is a shortened version of the original text. Sometimes, your teacher will tell you the word count for a precis or give other instructions on writing it.

In which person, a precis is written?

Precis writing is a third-person account of the subject matter. It starts with the author says and includes paraphrases instead of direct quotes. As a result, it’s easier to read for someone who may not know how to quote directly in an argument or essay.

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As a Digital Content Strategist, Nova Allison has eight years of experience in writing both technical and scientific content. With a focus on developing online content plans that engage audiences, Nova strives to write pieces that are not only informative but captivating as well.

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How to Write a Precis Step by Step?

19 June, 2020

14 minutes read

Author:  Elizabeth Brown

Have difficulties writing a precis while submission deadline is approaching? Chill out and exhale - we know how to make your essay an eye-candy. William Shakespeare once wrote: “Brevity is the Soul of Wit”. While we all know this phrase, not everyone knows how to use the skill of conciseness in their writing. If you’re one of those who got into this trouble, there’s a way out. In this article, we’ll speak about the nature of precis essay, discuss its peculiarities, and learn how to compose a readable piece which everyone will adore.

What is a precis?

Precis comes from a French word “précis”, and is literally translated “as precise, clear, up to the point”. The precis meaning pertains to a summary of any writing piece, be it a book, an article, or a novel. What is typical for this unusual type of assignment is the outline of the main points and arguments presented in the given text. Any deep or critical analysis should not be provided in precis, but it should nevertheless objectively explain the situation narrated in this or that literary piece.

Mark Twain once said: “I didn’t have time to write a short letter, so I wrote a long one instead”. His claim hit the very essence of precis writing. For while it might seem easy to compose a short paper dedicated to the crystallization of story events, this is not the case with precis. It should be short, but at the same time, it might not be so easy and quick to write. Considering that precis is a type of summary, it should naturally be devoid of re-writing of the original text. Therefore, precis writing always involves critical reading and research.

Summary vs. Precis

We’ve already mentioned before that precis is basically a text summary. But in fact, there’s a fine line between the two terms. A summary is a brief statement that succinctly covers the main points of a given text. Whereas precis should have a title and be 1/3 of the total words in the original passage. Also, summary broadly discusses the main events in general, while precis focuses on every detail and deeply analyzes a particular situation. Let’s take an example to dispel your confusion on this matter. Imagine you’ve recently got a task to analyze the 2nd scene of the 1st act of Shakespeare’s play ‘Macbeth’. Which category would you classify this assignment to – summary or precis? You got it right if you chose the latter variant. This way, a precis can be defined as a brief form of an essay or a chapter in a book or an act in a play.

Precis Outline

The outline is one of the essential parts of precis writing. It allows to properly structure and organize the flow of ideas and helps to sequentially point out the main arguments of your precis. Before you start writing the outline, it’s important to boil down the list of possible topics to the main one. Then, you’ll need to decide on the purpose of your outline, which depends on the topic you chose to write about. For example, the outline can be written to entertain, reflect, or inform readers on this or that theme.

Another crucial step on the way to writing a perfect outline pertains to research. Read the material thoroughly, gather necessary information like quotes or facts. Then take notes, and assemble all the pieces together to start crafting an outline, taking some information here and there.

Once you’re done with this task, move down to brainstorming. This powerful practice of generating ideas might help you fix that genius thought that’s just spring to your mind. You can note down your brainstorm results in the form of random scribbles or create a mind map to build associations with the ideas. And in case some points don’t fit into your precis outline, you can always erase or cross them out. The next block of an outline is dedicated to thought arrangement. If you wonder how to structure an essay , remember to always formulate the information that’ll be included in the introduction, as well as in body paragraphs, and conclusion.

At the stage of finalizing, don’t forget to read your precis outline again and fill in the missing points if necessary. Also, proofread the outline before writing ideas on the assignment itself. That is, check it for typos, grammatical and spelling mistakes, and formatting errors.

How to start a precis?

For some, the phase of preparation for a precis is much harder than the process of writing it. Many questions are coming to mind at this point, like “Where do I start from?”, “What shall I do in the first place?”, “How much time do I need to prepare my precis?”. The formula to effective set-up is a proper study of the given text. At first, you’ll need to read the material. And not only do a skim-through but also make sure that you fully grasp the idea which the author conveys in the reading. For this, you’ll probably need to read the text several times. If this is a novel, you can read it twice, if it’s a short story – 3-5 times will be enough. Also, you can write down the meaning of unknown words if there are any.

While you’re reading, don’t forget to annotate your text. This process stands for underlining and highlighting focal information while making notes for yourself. Annotation comes at handy during the creation of précis, since it helps to latch onto the important text points and get familiarized with the material much faster.

How to write a precis paragraph?

Precis normally encompasses such information as author, article/book title, date of publishing, and topic in the very first sentence. Such a lead-in will briefly state what the book or novel’s idea is about. The second sentence should concentrate on the evidence that articulates the author’s method of telling their narrative. Here, you might want to dwell on several arguments, comparing and contrasting them, to illustrate the author’s point. In the third sentence, you’ll need to explain the purpose of the text. No need to invent another aim than the one you deem important: define the text’s meaning just the way you think, feel, or believe.  

The main body usually expands the supporting arguments to explain the author’s evidence, purpose, and ideas. It often takes a short paragraph to write the main body. The conclusion part encapsulates the main author’s idea of a book in 2-3 sentences. There, you’ll need to restate the thesis statement and write a concise summary explaining the author’s type of evidence.

Precis Format    

To wrap up the information mentioned above, let’s schematically define the typical format of a nicely-written precis.  

In the introductory sentence:

• Indicate the author’s name, article/book title, date of publishing in parenthesis, and topic you want to discuss.
• A rhetorical verb outlining the author’s primary purpose (e.g., “assert,” “argue,” “deny,” “refute,” “prove,” disprove,” “explain”)
• A that clause which includes the thesis statement of the book or novel

In the main body:

• Write a sentence that provides clarification of how the author formulates and further explains the main point of the reading
• Write a sentence wherein include a statement that reflects the author’s purpose. Use the “in order” phrase to develop this sentence.
• Write a sentence with a description of the presumed audience and the depiction of connection which the author establishes with readers.

In the conclusion:

• Present a finishing remark of 2-3 sentences to shed light on the author’s intended idea for the book or article
• Give a 1-sentence restatement of the major claim which the author used to develop their evidence in the reading.

What are the four steps of precis?

Writing precis is an art in itself, which, as you can see, takes a healthy dose of time and effort.

Apart from that, there is a couple of steps and requirements you should comply with to create an A+ precis. So to make it easier for you not to get lost in a bunch of lengthy processes, let’s break them down for convenient and effortless navigation.

The first step of precis lies in studying the text. The second one – in structuring your précis. The third phase is dedicated to revision and proofreading. As for the fourth step, we’d like to share the best practices for writing a worthy precis to guide you in the right direction. First, always strive to consult with your instructor regarding the formatting requirements. These might be specific for a specific precis. Therefore, the format can depend greatly on the text lengths. For example, a precis for a short article will, as a rule, be 100-200 words long. Whereas long books require a precis that can expand to several pages.

Another proven practice of proper precis writing has to do with the style of composing it. The most typical mistake the majority makes is the incorrect tense usage. Specifically, past tense is not a rare occasion when it comes to writing a precis. However, it’s important to stick to the present tense so that the instructor could follow your text smoothly. Also, remember to ascribe your evidence to the author rather than to the book or article. For instance, write “Brown argues,” instead of “the book argues.”

Besides, you should avoid personal opinions of any kind, since they might distort your precis with excessive subjectivity. The very purpose of precis is to stay objective, so avoid making claims from your own perspective if you want to get positive comments from the instructor. Because ultimately, the approach of expressing personal thoughts might result in a lower grade for your precis.

How long should a precis be?

There’s no universal rule for a precis length, because it can vary significantly depending on the assignment. For example, your precis can range from 100-200 words when the given reading is an article to 2-3 pages if the assigned material is a big book. Whatever the length for your precis, it’s essential to take into account that it should be one-fifth to one-sixth of the original reading’s length. At any rate, you should ask your professor to give you length specifications, and only then start writing a precis.

How to Make Precis Writing Perfect?

A precis is a great way to show your writing skills to instructors and demonstrate the ability to think critically and logically. Besides, working on such task will allow you to develop a new skill of writing short summaries with accurate data and text details. Hence, the secret weapon of any successful precis is about following the qualities needed to make your precis unforgettable. Wonder which these are? They include clarity, correctness, objectivity, coherence, and conciseness. While all these attributes of a perfect precis exist in isolation, they are closely interconnected and aimed at helping you solve possible difficulties with regard to precis writing.

If your precis is clear, it means that your reader can fully comprehend the idea, meaning, and purpose of the author’s work. If your precis is correct, it means that it is devoid of spelling, grammar, and punctuation mistakes and is easy to digest. Also, it means that you’ve used all the facts, figures, and dates in a way proper to precis writing.

Objectivity here stands for the neutral voice of book or article summary, in which any opinion from the first person is omitted. Coherent precis pertains to the consequent interrelation of the main text’s ideas. This point is important because your readers will want to see the logical flow of concepts and notions without losing their interest while reading your precis. Finally, conciseness denotes the ability to state the ideas clearly while avoiding useless details in your precis. Of course, you should never abstain from facts, but keep yourself away from lengthy and vague expressions, repetitions, and generally-known expressions.

Long story short, writing a precis is quite a challenging task that involves different stages and requirements. It might seem easy in theory, but as you write, you’ll notice how complicated and time-consuming this process actually is. However, with the right level of preparation and enough knowledge of how to accurately organize the text, your precis will become a writing piece that your professor will definitely remember. So the next time you’ll experience hardships writing your own precis, follow our guide and learn how to compose a high-rated work which both your instructor and parents will compliment you for.

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Learn About Précis Through Definition and Examples

Glossary of Grammatical and Rhetorical Terms

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• An Introduction to Punctuation
• Ph.D., Rhetoric and English, University of Georgia
• M.A., Modern English and American Literature, University of Leicester
• B.A., English, State University of New York

A précis is a brief summary of a book, article , speech , or other text .

The basic characteristics of an effective précis are conciseness , clarity , completeness, unity , and coherence . According to Barun K. Mitra, Ph.D., in "Effective Technical Communication: A Guide for Scientists and Engineers," "The most important task is to ensure that the original sequence of events and the flow of ideas remain unchanged."

Pronunciation : PRAY-see

Also known as : abstract, summary, executive summary, synopsis

Plural : précis

Alternate spelling : precis

Etymology : From the Old French, "condensed"

Examples and Observations

• "I would say that the ability to write a précis is the central language skill. For a start, it is a craft essential in all professions and businesses; indeed, anyone whose work includes dealing with documents at some time (and that accounts for most people) will need précis skills as a matter of course... Such vocational considerations, though important, are not in my view the most telling, however. The fundamental value of précis is that it tests and exercises every aspect of linguistic competence," says Richard Palmer in "Write in Style: A Guide to Good English."
• "[O]rganization of ideas, logical sequencing of points, clear and meaningful expression, [and the] use of language suitable to the situation are essential for writing précis effectively. The writer of précis must be able to identify the essential ideas in a given passage and separate them from nonessential ideas. But at the same time a précis is not a [type of] creative writing, inasmuch as it is merely a condensed restatement of the original writer's ideas, points, etc.," says Aruna Koneru in "Professional Communication."

Sample Précis

• Original passage from Aristotle's "Rhetoric" (199 words): "It is evident that those in the prime of life will be between the young and the old in character, subtracting the excess of either, and neither exceedingly confident (rashness is such) nor too fearful but having the right amount of both, neither trusting nor distrusting everybody but rather making realistic judgments and not directing their lives only to what is fine or what is advantageous but to both and neither to frugality nor to extravagance but to what is fitting. Similarly in regard to impulse and desire. And they combine prudence with courage and courage with prudence, while among the young and the old these things are separated; for the young are brave and lack self-restraint, the older prudent and cowardly. To speak in general terms, whatever advantages youth and old age have separately, [those in their prime] combine, and whatever the former have to excess or in deficiency, the latter have in due measure and in a fitting way. The body is in its prime from the age of thirty to thirty-five, the mind about age forty-nine. Let this much be said about the kinds of character of youth and old age and the prime of life."
• Précis from "A Synoptic History of Classical Rhetoric" (68 words): "The character of those in the prime of life lies midway between that of youth and of age. Neither rash nor timid, neither skeptical nor overtrusting, they usually make choices on a true basis. They are not given to excess in desire, nor to lack of feeling or parsimony. They live respecting both honor and expediency. In short, the most useful traits of youth and age are theirs."

Methods and Purpose

• "A précis is not an outline , but a summary or digest. It is useful as an exercise in grasping the essential ideas of an already completed composition and in stating these ideas in concentrated form. The précis shears away all elaborations of the thought and gives only what is left, in such a way as to make the summary a complete composition. It does not, therefore, skeletonize the original composition so much as it reduces its scale. Many of the articles in The Reader's Digest are only précis, so skillfully done that the average reader does not know that he is reading a summary. Since the précis says a great deal within a brief space, it is of great service in taking notes on library assignments and general reading," says Donald Davidson in "American Composition and Rhetoric."

Aristotle. Rhetoric , book 2, chapter 14. Aristotle, On Rhetoric: A Theory of Civic Discourse. Translated by George A. Kennedy, Oxford University Press, 1991.

Davidson, Donald. American Composition and Rhetoric . Scribner's, 1968.

Koneru, Aruna. Professional Communication . Tata McGraw-Hill, 2008.

Mitra, Barun K., PhD. Effective Technical Communication: A Guide for Scientists and Engineers. Oxford Publishing, 2006.

Murphy, James J. and Richard A. Katula. A Synoptic History of Classical Rhetoric. 3rd ed, Hermagoras Press, 2003.

Palmer, Richard. Write in Style: A Guide to Good English. 2nd ed, Routledge, 2002.

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Précis: Definition and Examples | Learn How to Write a Precise Summary

Communication is a major part of our daily lives, and while we are often assigned to read or analyze various texts, it is important to take our own notes and summarize the key points. Whether you are a student, a professional, or working in the government, the ability to write a precise summary is an essential skill that can greatly improve your written work.

A precis is a brief summary of a text that identifies the main ideas and arguments in a clear and concise manner. It should capture the essence of the original text while presenting the information in your own words. A well-written precis demonstrates your understanding of the text and your ability to effectively communicate its key points.

When writing a precis, there are a few do’s and don’ts to keep in mind. Do use your own words and avoid copying directly from the original text. Do include all the major points and arguments, but make sure to leave out any unnecessary details. Do check for spelling and grammatical errors, and make sure to polish your precis for clarity and conciseness. Don’t forget to properly cite your sources using a bibliography or a list of references.

In order to write a good precis, it is important to understand the characteristics of the text you are summarizing. Is it an argumentative essay? A research paper? A news article? By identifying the genre and style of the original text, you can tailor your precis to meet the specific requirements and expectations of that genre.

Precis: Definition and Examples

What is a precis.

When writing a precis, the first step is to read and research the text carefully to determine its main points and structure. Afterward, the writer outlines the body of the precis, focusing on the most relevant information and discarding any unnecessary details. It is important to throw away the desire to include personal opinion or interpretation, as a precis should remain objective and faithful to the original text.

How to Write a Precis: A Step-by-Step Explanation

Writing a precis may seem challenging at first, but with the right approach and some practice, it can become an easy task. Here is a step-by-step guide to help you through the process:

• Read and understand the original text thoroughly.
• Create an outline for your precis, organizing the information logically.
• Write an introductory paragraph that presents the author, title, and the text’s general context.
• Develop the body of the precis, focusing on the major points in a clear and concise manner.
• Use quotes or paraphrases from the original text to support your summary.
• Proofread and edit your precis, ensuring proper grammar, punctuation, and coherence.

Examples of Precis

To give you a better sense of how a precis should look, here are two examples:

As you can see, a precis captures the essence of the original text while maintaining clarity and conciseness. It provides the reader with a comprehensive overview of the text’s main ideas and arguments.

Tips for Writing a Precis

Here are some tips and qualities that every effective precis should have:

• Focus on the main ideas and arguments presented in the original text.
• Avoid including personal opinions or interpretations.
• Be objective and faithful to the author’s intentions.
• Use quotes or paraphrases to support your summary.
• Write in a concise and clear manner.
• Ensure coherence and logical flow throughout the precis.

By following these tips and practicing the art of precis writing, you can become a more skilled and professional communicator. Whether you are assigned to write a precis for an academic or professional purpose, mastering this skill will undoubtedly benefit your writing abilities.

What is a precis and how to write one

A good precis should provide a concise yet compelling summary that captures the essence of the original piece. It should not merely throw together a few sentences and call it a precis. Instead, it should demonstrate a deep understanding of the text and its main ideas. A precis should be able to stand alone as a coherent and well-written piece of communication.

Here are some tips to help you write an effective precis:

1. Read the original text carefully:

Before starting your precis, make sure you have a thorough understanding of the original text. Take notes and highlight key points to refer back to while writing.

2. Identify the main ideas:

Focus on the main ideas and arguments presented in the original text. Identify the central theme or thesis statement and the supporting details.

3. Write concisely:

Avoid unnecessary words or phrases and aim for concise and clear sentences. Use active voice and strong verbs to create a more engaging precis.

4. Edit for clarity and coherence:

After writing your precis, read it again to ensure that it flows smoothly and makes sense. Check for any grammatical errors or inconsistencies.

5. Polish your precis:

Make sure your precis captures the quality of the original work and maintains its integrity. It shouldn’t be a watered-down version but rather a well-crafted summary.

Here is a sample of a precis:

By following these guidelines and practicing the art of precis writing, you can effectively summarize and communicate the key ideas of a work in a concise and engaging manner.

Learn How to Write a Precise Summary

Understanding the purpose of a summary.

A summary is a condensed version of a longer text that aims to highlight the essential information. It should provide a concise overview without going into unnecessary details. The main goal of a summary is to capture the main ideas and arguments presented by the author.

Methods for Writing a Precise Summary

When writing a summary, it is important to use your own words rather than copying directly from the original text. This allows you to demonstrate your understanding of the material and avoid plagiarism.

Steps to Write a Precise Summary

To write a precise summary, follow these steps:

• Read the text carefully and take notes.
• Identify the main ideas and arguments presented by the author.
• Organize your thoughts and create an outline for your summary.
• Write the summary using clear and concise language.

Tips for Writing an Effective Summary

Here are some tips to help you write an effective summary:

• Focus on the main points and avoid including unnecessary details.
• Use headings or subheadings to organize the summary.
• Include the main ideas in your own words.
• Be objective and avoid adding your own opinions or interpretations.
• Re-read and revise your summary to ensure clarity and accuracy.

By following these guidelines, you can develop the skills needed to write precise summaries of various types of literature, from British classics to modern American novels. Whether you are working on an analytical synopsis or a research abstract, knowing how to write a precise summary will be valuable in your academic and professional endeavors.

Step-by-step guide on writing a precise summary

• Read the text carefully: Start by reading the text or book you are summarizing attentively. Take notes and mark important ideas, examples, and quotes that you might want to include in your summary.
• Understand the main concepts: Identify the main ideas, argumentative points, and major motifs in the text. Be aware of the author’s purpose and the rhetorical styles they might be using.
• Break down the text: Divide the text into sections or paragraphs and note down the main idea of each section. This will help you structure your summary and make sure you cover all the essential points.
• Write an abstract: Start your summary with a brief definition of the text’s topic and its main arguments or themes. Specify whose ideas you are summarizing and use correct grammar and concise language.
• Compose a comprehensive summary: In the second and third paragraphs of your summary, present a breakdown of the text’s content. Analyze each section, support your points with examples or quotes, and give a summary of the author’s argumentation.
• Focus on the final paragraph: In the final paragraph, give your own critical perspective on the text’s content. You can include your agreement or disagreement with the author’s ideas, suggestions for further research, or connections to other texts or ideas.
• Polish your summary: Revise and edit your summary, making sure it is concise, well-structured, and grammatically correct. Use proper punctuation and formatting according to the professors’ desired formats.
• Check for coherence and readability: Read your summary as a whole and make sure it flows smoothly, with logical transitions between paragraphs. Ensure that your summary is easily understandable and engaging for your audience.
• Use reliable sources and citation: Support your summary with evidence from the original text, using accurate quotes and referencing your sources correctly. Include a bibliography at the end of your summary.
• Get feedback and make revisions: Share your summary with peers or professors and ask for feedback. Revise your summary based on the comments received, making sure it is polished and well-supported.

Following this step-by-step guide will help you write a precise summary that captures the essence of the text and presents it in an organized and analytical manner. Remember to be aware of the targeted audiences and their desire to obtain a comprehensive synopsis of the text you are summarizing.

Difference between Summary and Precis

A summary is a brief overview of a text, providing readers with a concise understanding of the main ideas and important details. When you summarize, you aim to capture the essence of a text in your own words, without adding your own analysis or interpretation. Summaries are usually shorter than the original text and are used to give readers a quick overview.

A precis, on the other hand, is a highly structured and concise summary that emphasizes the rhetorical structure and main points of a text. It is a formal piece of writing that follows a specific format and template. A precis must adhere to strict guidelines and include an analytical breakdown of the text’s main arguments and supporting evidence.

Precis writing is often assigned in academic settings, requiring students to carefully read and analyze a text before attempting to write a precise summary. This process helps develop critical thinking and analytical skills, as well as the ability to summarize complex ideas in a clear and concise manner.

To determine the quality of a precis, ask yourself the following questions :

• Does the precis accurately capture the main arguments of the text?
• Does it provide an analytical breakdown of the supporting evidence?
• Is the precis written in a well-structured and coherent manner?
• Does it use correct grammar and punctuation?

By answering these questions, you can improve the quality of your precis and ensure that it effectively summarizes the main points of the original text.

Understanding the distinction between a summary and a precis

The summary.

A summary is a condensed version of a text that captures the main points and important details. It aims to provide a brief explanation of the key ideas and arguments presented in the original content. Summaries are typically shorter than the original text and can be used as study guides or a quick reference for future research.

When writing a summary, it is essential to focus on the most important aspects of the text and avoid unnecessary details. It should be organized and well-written, capturing the essence of the original piece. Summaries can be in the form of paragraphs or bullet points and are commonly used in news articles, media reports, and research papers.

A precis, on the other hand, is a more detailed and specific version of a summary. It is typically used in academic contexts and aims to demonstrate a clear understanding of the original text. A precis takes into account the rhetorical methods used by the author and includes a breakdown of the text’s organization, main themes, and supporting evidence.

Unlike a summary, a precis is written in complete sentences and includes analysis and interpretation. It goes beyond merely summarizing the content and delves into the author’s intentions and the effectiveness of their arguments. A precis is often used as a tool for professors and researchers to assess the quality of a student’s comprehension and analytical skills.

In British English, a precis is often referred to as a “synopsis” or “narration,” but the core purpose remains the same: to provide a concise and informative overview of a larger text. While a summary is more general and can be written by anyone, a precis requires a deeper level of analysis and understanding.

The Key Differences

To determine whether to write a summary or a precis, it is crucial to consider the purpose and target audience. Summaries are helpful when you want to quickly grasp the main points of a text or when you need to present an overview to a general audience. Precis, on the other hand, are suitable for academic settings and are necessary when a more detailed and critical analysis is desired.

Both summaries and precis have their own qualities and functions. Summaries offer a more general overview, while precis provide a more in-depth analysis. Summaries are shorter and simpler, while precis are longer and more complex. Knowing the difference between the two can help ensure that you use the correct method when working with texts, media, or government documents.

Tips to Write a Precis

If you are tasked with writing a precis, here are some tips to help you develop a well-crafted final piece:

• Read the original text thoroughly and take notes.
• Identify the main headings and subheadings to understand the organization.
• Analyze the rhetorical methods used by the author, such as the use of language, tone, and structure.
• Focus on the main themes and supporting evidence within the text.
• Write in complete sentences, maintaining the overall structure and style of the original content.
• Avoid personal opinions or additional information not present in the original text.
• Edit and revise your precis for clarity, conciseness, and accuracy.
• Proofread carefully for any errors in grammar, punctuation, or spelling.

By following these tips, you’ll be able to write an informative and well-organized precis that demonstrates your understanding of the original text.

What is a précis?

A précis is a concise summary or abstract of a text, speech, or other piece of communication. It condenses the core ideas and main points of the original work in a clear and organized manner.

Why is it important to write a précis?

Writing a précis is important because it helps to develop and improve essential reading and writing skills. It allows the reader to extract and understand the main ideas from a text, and it helps the writer to practice summarizing and condensing information effectively.

What are some common verbs used in a rhetorical précis?

Some common verbs used in a rhetorical précis include: argues, explains, suggests, claims, emphasizes, examines, illustrates, compares, contrasts, challenges, and analyzes.

What are some sentence starters that can be used in a rhetorical précis?

Some sentence starters that can be used in a rhetorical précis include: “In [author’s name/work], [author] argues/suggests/explains…”; “According to [author],…”; “The main point made by [author] is…”; “In this text, [author] examines/illustrates/compares…”; ” [Author] challenges/analyzes the idea that…”.

How can I improve my précis writing skills?

To improve your précis writing skills, you can practice by reading a variety of texts and summarizing them in a clear and concise manner. Pay attention to the main ideas and supporting details, and practice condensing the information without losing the overall meaning. You can also seek feedback from others and study examples of well-written précis to learn from them.

What is a precis and why is it important to know how to write one?

A precis is a concise summary of a longer text, focusing on the main ideas and central points. It is important to know how to write a precis because it helps improve reading comprehension and critical thinking skills. It also allows readers to quickly understand the main ideas of a text without having to read the entire document.

By Alex Koliada, PhD

Alex Koliada, PhD, is a well-known doctor. He is famous for studying aging, genetics, and other medical conditions. He works at the Institute of Food Biotechnology and Genomics. His scientific research has been published in the most reputable international magazines. Alex holds a BA in English and Comparative Literature from the University of Southern California , and a TEFL certification from The Boston Language Institute.

A Précis of a Research Article in Journalism

Professor robert hawkins journalism 265: effects of mass communication.

The goal of this assignment is to summarize an article presenting research on any aspect of mass communication content, use, or effects. You should concentrate on identifying the main points and conclusions of the research article and surmising the implications of the results obtained.

Picking an Article

• We encourage you to exercise your library information search skills (you’ll need them more again soon for the term paper, among other things) to locate articles you think you would be most interested in. But come up with more than one title to look for: articles are often less (or more) interesting and useful than their titles sound like. But you can also go straight to mass communication journals and leaf through. This isn’t as efficient, but what you learn about articles is a lot richer.
• Your article must come from a research journal and deal with either the content, uses (why, how people/societies use), or the effects of mass communication. Your TA will talk more about this, but you can find examples in Journalism Quarterly , Communication Research , Journal of Communication , Journal of Broadcasting and Electronic Media , and Journal of Consumer Research . Newspapers, general-audience magazines, and the world-wide web are not appropriate sources.
• Skim through the article (actually, you should skim at least several to decide). What are they really doing, and is it something you’d like to learn more about? Two qualifications:
• This must be a data-based article (experiment, survey, content analysis, interviews, focus group, case study, etc.). You should not use an essay, literature review, critique, response, meta-analysis, or a piece that only presents theory.
• Just as important: can you understand what they did? If the results have tables with means and percentages, or even correlations, you should be able to figure it out. But if you find equations or tables you can’t understand (and some articles will use pretty sophisticated statistics), then move to another one.

Guidelines for Writing

Your final draft should be four paragraphs within the limits of two double-spaced typed pages. (A few articles may be better served by something different than the four-paragraph plan outline below. If yours doesn’t fit, think about why it doesn’t, what would be better, and then talk with your TA.)

• Heading—your name, ID #, and discussion section #
• Full and correct citation of article. You may use the citation style you find in the references.
• Paragraph one should describe why the study was done, and may require you to summarize or prioritize from a number of different issues the author(s) raises. Is it addressing a practical question, describing a phenomenon, clearing up uncertainties from previous research, or testing a theory? Do not repeat every hypothesis verbatim; rather, try to provide a coherent summary of the main ideas.
• Paragraph two should summarize what methods were used to test the hypotheses or investigate the research question (What did they do?). Again, verbatim detail is neither expected nor desired. Instead, identify what procedures in general were employed and what characteristics of the sample are relevant.
• Paragraph three should summarize the results of the research (What did they find out?). Again, don’t worry about specific details, and certainly don’t worry about statistical tests. Instead, try to describe clearly the conclusion of the study.
• Paragraph four should identify the significance or the major implications of the research findings. Beyond restating results, what does this mean? How does it change things?

Please Note

Direct quotes from the article are not appropriate in this assignment; your goal is to summarize rather than to extract specific phrases. Attach a photocopy of the article to your précis. Papers should be expository or argumentative in nature and should be regarded as exercises in scholarly writing for an audience at your own level of research sophistication. Do not write in a breezy conversational style that would characterize a personal narrative.

Please do not leave the writing of your papers to the last minute. Have consideration for your readers so that your ideas may be expressed in clear, succinct, and stylistically appropriate prose.

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What Should You Know about Writing a Critical Précis (With a Sample Essay)

A critical précis is commonly assigned in academic programs in the humanities and liberal arts and is a type of expository essay that summarizes another text. Its purpose is to inform your reader—who is assumed to have not read the text in question—what the text is about, details regarding its author and publication, and any major elements or plot points that summarize it.

It might contain quotes from the other text being summarized but these should be limited to short passages and it should be carefully noted that it is a quote to avoid plagiarism. In short, a critical précis should include the following:

• The main ideas presented in the text
• Any arguments that are present in the text, mentioned by the author, and the outcome of those arguments
• A precise summary of what occurs in the text (this is often limited to one paragraph and should be a part of the introduction of your critical précis)

How long should my critical précis essay be?

Since the purpose of the critical précis is to briefly summarize and provide information about another text, its length should be between 400 and 1200 words. The length of the text used will also determine how long your critical précis might be. For example, a short story critical précis might be right at 400 words, while a book might require a critical précis closer to the 1200-word range. There are no hard and fast rules related to the word count of a critical précis essay; however, your professor might require a minimum and/or maximum word count for the assignment based on his or her preferences.

Do I include personal opinions in my critical précis essay?

Since this is not an analytical or reflection essay, the writer shouldn't include any personal opinions. The author's tone and mood should be preserved, allowing the reader to get a good overall glimpse of the text. Also keep in mind that the critical précis is different than a book review and should not be your review of the text. The writer should not use first-person pronouns and should limit the point of view to an objective, third-person point of view.

How do I structure my critical précis essay?

Since a critical précis is an expository essay, you will need to have an introduction, body and conclusion, just like with other types of essays. Also, as with other essays, it's important to create an outline before you begin writing and return to that outline often to ensure you're staying on the right track and that your writing is logical. Without first creating an outline, you run the risk of writing a critical précis that jumps around, is structured incorrectly, and generally confusing for your reader.

Introduction

In the opening paragraph, you need to provide information about the work you are analyzing, including the author, title of the work, genre, intended audience and date of publication. If there is something unique about this work, either in the author's career or in popular reception, the introduction would be a good place to do that, as well. Just keep in mind that whatever information you include should be objective rather than simply your opinion. If you think a certain book was the best the author has ever written, that should not be included in the critical précis. However, if the book was the highest grossing book the author has ever written, that is certainly information that could (and should) be included.

The body of the critical précis should offer information about important points concerning the analyzed text. Each paragraph of the body should focus on something specific, such as plot points, setting, characters, or an argument the author is attempting to make (if relevant). The easiest way to make sure you are following this rule is to create a topic sentence for each body paragraph and then ensure that the entire paragraph has something to do with that topic sentence. This, of course, can be done as you are outlining the draft of your critical précis paper.

The conclusion is the paragraph where you restate your thesis statement or the main idea of the author of the analyzed text.

Sample critical précis essay

"The Masque of the Red Death" is a short story written by Edgar Allan Poe, an American writer, editor, and literary critic. It was published in 1842 in Graham's Magazine under the original title of "The Mask of the Red Death: A Fantasy" and is part of the Gothic fiction genre. While it has been often analyzed as a metaphor for the inevitability of death, it also contains many standard elements of Gothic fiction and was directly influenced by the first Gothic novel written by Horace Walpole entitled The Castle of Otranto . Although Poe was one of the first American writers to be able to live on writing alone, he struggled to do so, despite the mass appeal and popularity of short stories like "The Masque of the Red Death." It still remains to be one of his best-known and most beloved works, and was published within a decade of his death.

The setting of Poe's story is a castle owned by the wealthy Prince Prospero, who is described by Poe as "happy and dauntless and sagacious." He, along with 1,000 other nobles, attempt to escape a plague that is sweeping the land by walling themselves in the castle and holding a masquerade ball. There, Prospero leads his guests through seven colored rooms, the first six of which are blue, purple, green, orange, white and violet. The last room is black with light illuminating the room through stained glass that is "a deep blood color". The last room also holds an ebony clock that chimes every hour, causing the people to stop dancing and the orchestra to stop playing.

At midnight, another reveler appears wearing a dark, blood splattered cloak. At first, the guests are shocked that he would dare to wear such a costume, especially one resembling a funeral shroud. He passes through the six rooms until the Prince chases him with a dagger, angered that he would interrupt his masquerade party and make his guests uncomfortable. After the chase, they both arrive at the final and seventh room. When the mysterious figure faces him, the Prince falls dead. The other revelers are enraged and remove the figure's costume by force, only to find that there is nothing underneath and to fall dead themselves.

While the descriptive and horrific nature of the story lends itself to an allegorical analysis, it can be taken at face value and read as a simple Gothic horror tale. The enclosed halls of the castle, the mysterious and macabre, the rich and luxurious décor, and the obsession with death are all common elements in the Gothic fiction genre and appeal to audiences who are looking for a chilling story to read with or without the didacticism involved in finding a greater moral to the story.

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How to write a Precis like a Pro

Struggling with precis writing? Fear not! This blog post is your secret weapon as it will allow you to know the essential components for mastering the art of writing a precis. 

When you’re working on a precis, ensure you capture the main ideas shortly and sweetly, while keeping the same vibe as the original text. You also need to pay attention to the important stuff in the text and leave out anything that’s not necessary.

Speaking of which, these tips pave the way to mastering precis writing, equipping you with skills comparable to hiring the best paper writing service . So, what are you waiting for? Let’s explore them all!

Table of Contents

Do you know What a precis is?  

A precis is a concise summary or shortened version of a larger text, typically an article, essay, or passage. It condenses the main ideas, arguments, and key points of the original piece into a more compact form while retaining its essence and meaning. The goal of a precis is to provide a clear and concise overview that captures the essence of the original text without adding personal opinions, interpretations, or analysis.

When crafting a precis, it’s crucial to maintain the original author’s tone, style, and intention while significantly reducing the length of the text. This involves carefully selecting the most crucial elements, summarizing them accurately, and organizing the information coherently and logically.

A well-written precis should be clear, coherent, and comprehensive, presenting the main ideas in a structured format. It acts as a helpful tool for readers to quickly grasp the essence of a longer piece of writing without having to go through the entire text.

To create an effective precis, our writers suggest that you need to read the original text thoroughly, identify the main arguments and ideas, and then carefully condense and rephrase them without altering the original meaning. Precision in language and the ability to synthesize information accurately are key skills necessary for writing a high-quality precis. 

Learn Writing a Precis in 10 easy steps

Understand the text  .

Start by reading the original text thoroughly to comprehend its main ideas and arguments. For instance, if the text is about climate change’s impact on agriculture, grasp the author’s stance, evidence, and key points about this relationship.

Identify the Thesis  

Determine the author’s primary argument or thesis statement. In an article about climate change and agriculture, the thesis might emphasize how global warming is adversely affecting crop yields.

Highlight Key Points  

Look for supporting arguments, evidence, and examples used by the author. For example, the author might discuss temperature changes, extreme weather events, and their impact on crop production.

Condense the Text  

Write a rough draft summarizing each paragraph or section of the text in your own words. For instance, paraphrase a paragraph discussing the increasing unpredictability of rainfall affecting farming practices.

Focus on Clarity  

Ensure your precis is clear and coherent. A clear summary might highlight how irregular rainfall patterns disrupt planting schedules and lead to crop failures.

Maintain Structure  

Retain the structure of the original text. If the original article divides the discussion into causes and effects, mirror this structure in your precis.

Avoid Personal Opinions  

Refrain from inserting personal opinions or interpretations. Stick to summarizing the author’s viewpoint without adding your thoughts.

Check for Accuracy  

Ensure accuracy in presenting the main ideas without distorting the author’s original intent. Verify that your summary aligns with the author’s arguments and evidence.

Revise and Edit  

Review your precis, refining sentences for clarity and accuracy. For instance, ensure your summary maintains the original meaning of specific points.

Final Review  

Compare your precis to the original text to confirm that you’ve captured the essence without omitting vital information. Ensure your summary adequately represents the author’s ideas without bias or misinterpretation.

Some Common Challenges for Students When Writing a Precis  

Writing a precis can be challenging for students due to several reasons:

Understanding the Text 

Comprehending the original text’s main ideas, arguments, and nuances can be difficult, especially if it’s complex or lengthy.

Summarizing Concisely  

Condensing the essence of a text into a much shorter version while retaining its meaning and key points is a skill that requires practice.

Maintaining Clarity  

Ensuring that the precis is clear and coherent can be tough. Students might struggle with paraphrasing without losing the essence of the original text.

Avoiding Personal Interpretation  

A precis should reflect the author’s ideas without personal opinions or interpretations. Students might find it challenging to avoid injecting their views.

Managing Word Count  

Precis often comes with a specific word limit. Staying within that limit while retaining essential information can be tricky.

Structuring the Precis  

Organizing the summary in a coherent structure, following the original text’s flow, can be challenging for students unfamiliar with summarization techniques.

Selecting Key Information  

Identifying the most crucial points from the original text without omitting essential information is a balancing act that can be difficult for students.

Retaining Tone and Style  

Maintaining the tone and style of the original text while summarizing can be challenging. Students might struggle to emulate the author’s voice.

Time Management  

Writing an effective precis within a limited timeframe, especially during exams or assignments, can add pressure and hinder the quality of the summary.

How Can You Get Better at Writing Precis?  

Improving precis writing skills involves practice and a few strategies:

Understand the Source Material

Read the original text multiple times to grasp its main ideas, arguments, and structure. Highlight key points and take notes to aid in summarization.

Example:  To craft a precise summary of the scientific paper, revisit the research article several times. Extract the core hypothesis, key findings, and supporting evidence. Highlight crucial data points and take notes on methodologies employed. 

Identify the Core Elements  

Determine the primary thesis, main arguments, supporting evidence, and any crucial examples or illustrations used in the text. Remember, there’s no must-follow precis format, as all you need is to take care of some essential components. 

Example:  Suppose you are crafting a precis of  the essay on Climate Change: Impact and Solutions.’ Firstly, identify the central thesis that human activities drive global warming. Highlight arguments on greenhouse gas emissions causing ecological and meteorological disruptions. Note crucial examples of proposed solutions, such as renewable energy promotion and policy changes. 

Practice Summarizing  

Start with shorter texts and practice summarizing them into concise versions. Focus on capturing the essence of the text without losing essential information. 

Example: To enhance precis writing skills, begin by summarizing shorter texts, like ‘The Lottery.’ Craft a concise version capturing the story’s core elements: the ominous annual ritual in a small town and its grim consequences. Focus on distilling the tension-building elements and the story’s commentary on societal norms.

Focus on Clarity and Conciseness  

Work on expressing ideas clearly and concisely. Avoid unnecessary details and stick to the main points while maintaining the coherence of the summary.

Example: Suppose you are summarizing ‘The Impact of Technological Advancements on Employment.’ For that, ensure clarity by emphasizing the analysis’s focus: technological advancements and their impact on jobs. Avoid extraneous details, zeroing in on automation’s influence on diverse industries and its consequences for employment. Maintain conciseness by highlighting the author’s proposed solutions for addressing job displacement due to technological advancements.

Use Structured Outlines  

Create an outline before writing the precis. Organize the main ideas and their sequence to ensure a logical flow in the summary. This component is one of the fundamentals of writing a term paper . Be it essay writing or others. 

Example: If you are working on composing a precis of essay titled ‘The Power of Habit,’ create a structured outline. Organize the main ideas, such as the neurological and psychological aspects of habits, and their modification. Sequence the author’s exploration of habit formation and methods for behavioral change. 

Paraphrasing Skills 

Practice paraphrasing sentences and paragraphs from the original text. This helps in conveying the ideas in your own words while preserving the meaning.

Example: Develop paraphrasing skills by rewriting sections from ‘The Importance of Biodiversity in Ecosystems.’ Express the central idea that biodiversity is crucial for ecological stability. Explore the significance of diverse species in ecosystem resilience and productivity. Focus on the consequences of diminishing biodiversity for global environments while presenting these ideas in your own words to retain the original meaning.

Review and Edit  

After writing the precis, revise it to ensure it accurately represents the original text. Check for any missing key points or excessive details that can be omitted.

Example: Upon completing the precis of ‘1984,’ thoroughly review and edit it. Ensure the summary accurately captures the essence of Orwell’s dystopian narrative. Check for the inclusion of themes like government surveillance, truth manipulation, and the loss of individual freedom in a controlled society. Omit any unnecessary details or deviations that could dilute the precis’s focus on the novel’s core themes and the totalitarian regime’s impact on society.

Seek Feedback  

Share your precis with peers or teachers and ask for feedback. Understanding areas for improvement can help refine your skills.

Timely Completion  

Practice writing precis within time constraints to simulate exam or assignment conditions. This helps in improving speed without compromising quality. 

Read Examples  

Study well-written ‘precis’ examples to understand different styles, structures, and approaches. A good precis example would help you analyze how others effectively summarize key ideas in the text.

What We Have Learned?  

In this blog post, our approach to guiding students through precis writing emphasizes a comprehensive understanding of the original text. We emphasize the importance of grasping the main ideas, identifying key elements, and practicing the art of condensing information without losing its essence. By focusing on clarity, conciseness, and structured summarization techniques, we aim to empower students with a step-by-step process to master this skill.

The steps outlined in this guide serve as a roadmap for students seeking guidance on precis writing. From thoroughly comprehending the source material to practicing summarization, employing structured outlines, refining paraphrasing skills, and seeking feedback. Each step is designed to help students understand what is a thesis and give them a pathway of how to deal with such a task at hand. For those seeking additional support, our college paper writing service offers a valuable resource for crafting impeccable precis. Our experienced writers understand the nuances of precis writing, ensuring not only accuracy and conciseness but also adherence to formatting guidelines and meeting deadlines.

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How to Write a Rhetorical Précis Your Professor Will Never Forget

Last updated: November 2019

So, it happened again. Your teacher assigned yet another paper to you. It sounds something like “write a précis, in 800-1000 words (approximately four double-spaced pages), of the first two-thirds of ‘Reading: An Intertextual Activity,’ by Robert Scholes. Your precis should cover Scholes’s essay through the top of page 28.”

And we can almost hear you thinking:

What the heck is going on here?

Stand down the panic! This article reveals all the details you need to know for A-worthy precis writing: precis definition, precis format, and precis example for you to understand once and for all what is a precis.

What is a Precis?

Derived from French, the word  “précis”  means a summary. So, if your professors give you such writing assignments, they want you to summarize some text and convey the summary in minimum words.

Here goes a precis definition:

• A  rhetorical précis  is a clear, concise, and logical summary of a passage preserving its essential ideas only.

Before writing a précis, make sure you clearly understand its peculiarities and specification.

The first and foremost:

A précis is NOT an essay or re-writing. It shouldn’t tell but summarize an essence of the original document and provide readers with the information about its significance and worth.

In other words:

Even if your audience didn’t read the original abstract, they should have a clear idea about its content and meaning after checking your précis. A précis explains the main point and structure of the original work but doesn’t offer any evaluations or your reactions.

Rhetorical Précis Characteristics and Qualities

When assigned to write a précis, make sure you understand its characteristics:

• A précis is a critical summary of writing abstracts.
• A précis is NOT re-writing or interpretation of the original.
• It is NOT written with words from the original, though you are welcome to use some quotes if appropriate.
• It summarizes the content of the original.
• A précis reveals the meaning of the original and explains its value.
• As a rule, a précis is 1/4 of the original in length, except as noted.
• It follows the standard format: an author’s thesis and methods he uses to represent it, results, and conclusion.

Why do professors assign a précis writing to students?

First, it helps them understand how good you are with critical thinking, summarizing, and highlighting the crucial information. And second, writing a précis is a great way of learning new material.

A rhetorical précis will demonstrate your writing skills to professors, as well as your ability to express your thoughts intelligibly. Make sure your paper highlights the following qualities:

• Clarity , which means a reader should understand what an author intended to convey. Achieve it by using simple language and structure.
• Correctness , which means you should watch spelling, grammar, and punctuation you use, as well as facts, figures, and dates you address.
• Objectivity , which means candid construal of the information. Don’t give your opinion in a précis.
• Coherence , which means the logical interconnection of the ideas from the original. Your audience shouldn’t lose their interest while reading.
• Conciseness,  which means avoiding unnecessary details in your précis. Don’t omit essential facts but avoid wordy expressions, repetitions, wateriness, etc.

Parts of a Rhetorical Précis

The process of precis writing is one of the most important, as it is the part that introduces readers to the atmosphere of your research paper . Thanks to the beginning, you can summarize your future arguments and show your attitude towards this or that paper. A rhetorical preface is not so common in student queries but remains an important part of your future material.

Often a preface can be found in a book because it describes the answer to why the book exists at all. Who it is dedicated to, what you want to accomplish, and what the subject and purpose of the writing are. In scholarly articles, the preface element is equally popular because it allows explanatory context to future lines. Here are the essential elements:

• of a particular writing style and a uniform structure is challenging to identify in a preface because each author can write them differently;
• often the element contains additional information about the author or the purpose of writing a research paper or book;
• sometimes it may contain remarks or comments on further text.

The structure itself most often doesn’t involve you saying hello to the reader. It’s more like a description from the author about the book, like a short review without spoilers that properly immerses readers in the context.

Sometimes there can be several prefaces at once, in which case simple rules determine their order:

• the first is a preface from the publisher, which may contain some information about the release of a scientific article or book, review;
• the second is the preface of the editor, who may indicate specific points or tell about the scientific work from another point of view;
• the author last leaves his own preface, in which he talks about the book, emotions, and the process of creating the work or gives advice.

That is why the importance of precis writing is hard to overestimate. If your assignment requires you to write this element to your research paper, it is better not to ignore such a requirement. Competently use all the parts of the preface given by our Bid4Papers authors for this purpose and create the right first impression in the readers.

How to Write a Précis

“I didn’t have time to write a short letter, so I wrote a long one instead.” ― Mark Twain

One of the most  famous American essayists , Mr. Twain nailed it: short doesn’t equal quick or easy to write. Especially if you write a summary and not just re-write the original. So, the process of précis writing begins with critical reading and research:

• Read the original piece.
• Specify its core points and arguments.
• Consider the evidence used by the author.
• Research what’s new for you in the original piece: definitions, statements, words, data, etc.).
• Identify the appeals the author used.
• Evaluate how the author conveyed meaning.
• Restate the thesis .
• Write a 1-2 sentence summary of each section in the original.
• Describe it by own words.
• Reread the original and compare it with your summary.

Now it’s time to start writing the final draft of your critical précis. Begin with paraphrasing the thesis and your 1-2 sentence statements, then review it to make sure you’ve explained the main point, identified the evidence, and used the logical structure.

Finally, check your précis for clarity, correctness, and coherence.

This précis example will help to understand the sense of such a writing assignment better.

Sandra M. Gilbert, professor of English at the University of California, Davis, in her essay “Plain Jane’s Progress” (1977), suggests that Charlotte Brontë intended Jane Eyre to resemble John Bunyan’s Pilgrim’s Progress in that Jane’s pilgrimage through a series of events based on the enclosure and escape motif eventually lead toward the equality that Brontë herself sought. Gilbert supports this conclusion by using the structure of the novel to highlight the places Jane has been confined, the changes she undergoes during the process of escape, and the individuals and experiences that lead to her maturation concluding that “this marriage of true minds at Ferndean – this is the way” (501). Her purpose is to help readers see the role of women in Victorian England in order to help them understand the uniqueness and daring of Brontë’s work. She establishes a formal relationship with her audience of literary scholars interested in feminist criticism who are familiar with the work of Brontë, Bunyan, Lord Byron and others and are intrigued by feminist theory as it relates to Victorian literature.

Source: Winthrop.edu

Follow a Precis Format and Structure

A rhetorical précis is not an argumentative or expository essay , but its structure looks the same. As well as any college essay , a precis consists of three parts:

Introduction

This is a single sentence including the following information:

• the author’s name
• the title of the original piece
• the publishing date (in parentheses)
• power verbs determining the author’s thesis (“explains,” “argues,” “proves,” etc.)
• your thesis itself.

Some experts suggest starting your précis with a hook and then restating the author’s thesis. Others say this type of academic writing doesn’t need hooks in the introduction. The best decision would be to ask a professor about the format you may use and essay maker you may need.

Here’s the example of a rhetorical précis introduction:

Each paragraph explains a separate section of the original piece, providing the author’s evidence, purpose, and ideas. Don’t forget that you can’t interpret arguments from your point of view but should analyze the author’s stands on an issue. Feel free to use quotes here, but be brief and attribute them correctly.

This précis template makes it all clear:

In her article “Who Cares if Johnny Can’t Read?” (1997), Larissa MacFarquhar asserts that Americans are reading more than ever despite claims to the contrary and that it is time to reconsider why we value reading so much, especially certain kinds of “high culture” reading. MacFarquhar supports her claims about American reading habits with facts and statistics that compare past and present reading practices, and she challenges common assumptions by raising questions about reading’s intrinsic value. Her purpose is to dispel certain myths about reading in order to raise new and more important questions about the value of reading and other media in our culture. She seems to have a young, hip, somewhat irreverent audience in mind because her tome is sarcastic, and she suggests that the ides she opposes are old-fashioned positions.

Source: Bakersfieldcollege.edu

It should restate the main idea. Summarize everything and remember to avoid any personal statements about the original piece.

Source: TeacherWeb.com

Additional Precis Templates to Check

More rhetorical precis templates needed to understand the nature of a précis and get a better idea of how to write it right? No problem!

In her essay “Cyberspace and Identity” (1999), Sherry Turkle argues that “today’s life on the screen dramatizes and concretizes a range of cultural trends that encourage us to think of identity in terms of multiplicity and flexibility” (272). Turkle supports her assertion by juxtaposing theories of cyberspace and identity formation with older understandings of identity found in psychology, sociology, and philosophy. Her purpose is to show readers that theories on cyberspace and identity, which claim that identity is multiple and cyclical, do not overturn, but rather add to our understandings of identity in order to encourage her audience “to rethink our relationship to the computer culture and psychoanalytic culture as proudly held joint citizenship” (278). Turkle’s tone assumes a highly educated audience who is familiar with theories not only of cyberspace and identity, but sociology and psychology as well.

Source: RSU.edu

Charles S. Peirce’s article “The Fixation of Belief” (1877) asserts that humans have psychological and social mechanisms designed to protect and cement (or “fix”) our beliefs. Peirce backs this claim up with descriptions of four methods of fixing belief, pointing out the effectiveness and potential weaknesses of each method. Peirce’s purpose is to point out the ways that people commonly establish their belief systems in order to jolt the awareness of the reader into considering how their own belief system may the product of such methods and to consider what Peirce calls “the method of science” as a progressive alternative to the other three. Given the technical language used in the article, Peirce is writing to a well-educated audience with some knowledge of philosophy and history and a willingness to consider other ways of thinking.

Source: Oregonstate.edu

Further reading:

• Rhetorical Précis Writing
• The Rhetorical Précis: Explanations and Examples
• The Rhetorical Précis Format

Related posts

• How to Write a Problem Statement for a Research Paper
• Tips on Term Paper Writing
• Footnotes: A Step-by-Step Guide with Word Instructions

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How to Write a précis (Writing Guide + Examples)

• Author Matt Carlson
• Published October 15, 2022

It is common for students to confuse a précis with rhetorical analysis, reflection essays, and critical analysis. We get to clarify the confusion in just a moment.

However, for what it is worth, college life prepares you for the unforgiving life that awaits after graduation. One way it does this is through regular assignments that are timed. You can never afford to submit an assignment late if you want to be classified for a college degree.

Now, when undertaking college education, précis writing is one of the most important yet challenging tasks. At least, from our internal survey, it emerged that 3 out of 5 students find it hard to write a précis. The students also do not understand what a précis is and how to write a précis step by step.

In this article, we have put together important facts on how to write a précis, we explain what it means, its rules, and give you links to précis examples.

What is a précis?

It would be prudent to begin by first reflecting on what a précis contains.

Well, it entails the thesis of the author, the main message or idea of the author. So, when you are asked to write a précis, you need to simply write short summary of the essential ideas of a longer composition between several texts.

It’s also known as a position paper, which means you create a claim based on what you see as the connections between the text. What do these texts have in common? Are there similar ideas that appear in the readings so far? What are they?

A rhetorical précis can be defined as a summary of an original piece of text that includes the main ideas, arguments, and insights of the thesis of the author in that text.

It is a clear, accurate, and concise summary of a longer text in a connected, readable, and elaborate manner. You can also refer to it as an academic summary as it involves summarizing the main argument of a piece of academic writing, such as a peer-reviewed article.

In simple terms, a précis is like a synopsis of a text, article, or any piece of literature. précis is a term borrowed from French, which means summary or

It should never be a narrative of what the author said in sequence. Rather, it is more of providing a skeleton of the arguments in the piece of work. A précis is also not rewriting or an essay.

Qualities and Features of a Rhetorical précis

When you are assigned to write a précis, here are some important elements that must feature in your paper:

• A précis summarizes the content of the original article or academic text in brief.
• Start your précis by creating a context (setting) and stating the main idea of the piece. Then you should begin presenting the method that the author used to defend this thesis.
• It is formal writing that reveals the meaning and value of an original text.
• précis gives the people who have no time to read an entire text the chance to understand the main points in it.
• Explains the core of the text in a structural format making it easy to spot the major points without skimming through pages.
• A précis can be written on a scholarly article, published work, or a dissertation.
• Always state the name of the article/document, the author, and the source (is it from a magazine, book, encyclopedia, etc.)
• It is never a critical or interpretive piece of writing.
• Helps identify areas to concentrate when reading.
• It is meant to improve the writing skills of the writers
• Titles of texts should be put in italics OR underlined
• When writing about history, use the past tense.

précis writing is important as it helps the writer discriminate between what is regarded as useful and that which is never useful. It is a comprehension exercise that allows the writer to present the gist of a passage in their own words

Rules (or Do’s) of précis Writing

There are ten golden rules when writing a précis : you can call them the Dos of précis writing.

• Read the passage/text and determine its theme . While reading focus on the theme or major argument expressed by the author.
• précis writing means the art of remodeling.  Your précis writing should reflect your prowess in using your own words to express the meaning from a text.
• Be concise, accurate, and clear. précis writing is never complete without brevity, yet it should not come at the expense of clarity or accuracy. Throw in some economy with words, avoid ambiguity, obscurity, and vagueness.
• It should convince even those who have not read the text.  When writing a précis, ensure that it is intelligible to anyone who has not read the original text. By reading your thesis, the reader should engage with the original text.
• A précis uses your own language.  Remember that a précis does not mean paraphrasing. Read and comprehend, then write.
• Forever stick to the third person.  Begin your  précis by identifying what the author says.
• Do not give a personal opinion.  Never give your personal comments or reflection on the piece of work. You will be deviating from précis writing. It should follow the order of the original text.
• A précis by the rule of the thumb should be a third of the original text.  Mostly, academic précis writing suggests it should be between 100 and 200 words. A précis of a 20-page book or article should be between 2-3 pages. Look at how to write a  précis for a research article .
• Balance your précis.  Make sure you are not just filling the space with words but with substance from the text.
• When there are statistics involved, use discretion. Unless the statistics are inevitable and utterly important drop it when writing your précis.

Don’ts when writing a précis

When writing a précis, avoid doing this

• Never use complicated vocabulary that might make your précis complex. Simplicity always has its place in academic writing. Overcome the urge to use tough vocabulary that are otherwise fillers.
• Never use the first-person pronoun when writing a précis. You are not allowed to use I or we when writing a précis.
• Never mention additional information other than the thesis of your author, methods the author uses to present the thesis, the results, and their conclusion.
• Do not use abbreviations or contractions.
• Avoid words like big, good, bad, little, and a lot. Also, do not use the phrase “throughout history.” This is cliché.
• Never copy sentences as they are from the original unless you are quoting, where you must also provide the right in-text citation.
• Avoid addressing wrong figures and facts. Every fact that you reference in your précis must be from your original.
• Do not use the words “in this article.” Use the style “Crane argues that the most significant contribution of the Czechs was … “
• When looking at primary sources, you should make note of the origin, purpose, value, and limitations of the document.)
• Count your “ands.”

Remember, a rhetorical précis demonstrates that you have mastered the art of writing. It equally demonstrates that you are able to express your thoughts cogently and intelligibly. Therefore, you must uphold high levels of clarity, correctness, objectivity, conciseness, and coherence.

The Structure/Format of a précis

Even though a critical or rhetorical précis is  not an essay such as argumentative or expository essays , it follows the same structure.

A précis has an  introduction, body paragraphs, and conclusion .

The introduction is usually a sentence with the author’s name, the title of the original piece, date of publishing, and thesis statement of the author. You can use verbs such as argues, explains, proves, expands the argument, demonstrates, etc.

Some writing experts and professors have suggested that you can start off your précis with a hook and then restate the thesis of the author of the original piece.

Each of the body paragraphs of your précis should explain different parts of the original piece. Focus on the ideas, purpose, and evidence presented by the author.  

Do  not interpret, criticize, or analyze the arguments of the author . Where necessary, use quotes or phrases from the text but intelligibly. For instance: Paulo Coelho’s quotation, It’s part of the human condition to want to share things”thoughts, ideas, opinions, could become Humans want to share ideas with others.

The conclusion of your précis should restate the main idea. It should have a summary of everything and avoid making any personal judgments on the original piece.

How to Write a précis Step by Step

So, you get a prompt like this one from your English 1102 class:

OBJECTIVE: Practice summarizing evidence and conclusions of academic articles in the rhetorical précis format in order to, ultimately, compose an annotated bibliography using sources that pertain to a topic of your interest.

PART I: précis

• Select 2 relevant sources for examination. Both should be scholarly/peer-reviewed.
• Read carefully looking for main conclusions and the evidence to support those conclusions.
• Write a short paragraph for each source following the rhetorical précis model found on pp. 212 of the Guide to First-Year Writing.

You first wonder what you should do, how you can start, and how you are going to complete the paper. Okay, instead of panicking, follow these eight steps and write a rhetorical précis that appeals to your professor : one they will forever use as an example. So how do you get to do it step-by-step? Here is how to proceed writing your précis:

First Step : Read the prompt

Like other assignments, you need to begin by reading the rhetorical précis essay prompt. In most cases, the prompt specifies the number of words. For instance, your professor might require you to write an 800:1000-word essay in MLA format. The prompt will also specify the exact pages or chapters if it is a book.

Second Step: Read the original piece

Read the text that you are to write a précis on several times. If it is short 2-5 times is recommended, else two times is the standard for long texts. Use the headings and subheadings as your guide to getting the gist of the text.

Ensure that you read the assigned readings and you understand the  essence  of each article.  In other words, what is the central argument , as it relates to the theme being discussed in class?

Third Step: Re-read the original and take notes

Annotate or mark the text as you read. Here is where you highlight the major points that stick out. You can do this by underline or highlight the most important points in the original text. If you are reading using PDF readers, you can take advantage of the power to highlight and add notes. It helps you knit together the thesis of the author.

Fourth Step: Put together the highlighted ideas

If there is evidence used by the author or novel words, take a keen interest and look them up. Also, study the statistics used to corroborate facts in the text.

Collect these highlighted passages in point-form. Write a list of two or three main ideas that the essays, articles, or the original pieces have in common.

Fifth Step: Develop the thesis

Restate the authors’ thesis in your own words. When doing this be clear, accurate, and concise. If it is a long piece, try to find the major arguments that the author is bringing forth. Write a brief outline of your argument. 

Sixth Step: Breakdown your précis (make an outline)

Provide one to two sentence summaries of each paragraph from the author’s work. If it is a long text, divide it into sections or chapters and give a summary. For a précis on a novel, division by chapter would be prudent.

Seventh Step: Write the précis

write the précis. It should feature a short introductory paragraph, usually one sentence. Develop the body paragraph as outlined in the previous sections. Conclude the précis by summarizing the facts and restating the thesis.

Think of it this way : you are summarizing the lecture for a friend who missed the class and the material will be on an upcoming test. Also, you may want to include a brief statement about the tone, audience, or purpose of the article.

Ensure that you do great work when citing a précis. Have consistency in placing the in-text citations as per the recommended formatting style such as MLA, APA, or Chicago formats.

As well, ensure that at the end of your paper you have works cited, reference, or reference list page. Likewise, have an outstanding title page .

Eighth Step: Proofread, edit, and polish

Proofread, edit, and submit the précis. Consider revising the assignment prompt/instructions. Also, compare your précis with the original text and weed out any similarity. Focus on your grammar and spelling while ensuring you maintain coherence and clarity. You can read it out loud or take advantage of a third eye, such as online editing services .

Paragraphing: The Four Sentence Rhetorical précis

When writing your précis, you can adopt the four-sentence rhetorical précis paragraph format. It is a highly structured paragraph that records the essential elements of the discourse, whether spoken or written.

Notably, each of the four sentences bears specific information as we shall see shortly. When writing with this format, the précis might have brief quotations that convey the sense of style, unique voice, and tone of the author.

First Sentence

• Name of the author (if possible, a description of their credential)
• The genre (essay, lecture, research paper, book chapter, book review, editorial, etc.
• Date (in parentheses)
• A rhetorically accurate present tense verb (argues, asserts, suggests, implies, claims, questions, concurs, explains, etc.
• The THAT clause, which comes before mentioning the assertion or thesis statement from the author’s text.

Second Sentence

• An explanation of how the author develops or supports the thesis (narration, comparison and contrasting, illustration, listing, telling, or definition, etc.)
• Explanation in chronological order as the items of support are presented in the original text
• Uses present tense verbs

Third Sentence

• Statement of the author’s purpose in the original text
• An IN ORDER TO clause that explains what the author wants the audience to feel or do after reading the piece

Fourth Sentence

• A description of the tone that the author uses: formal, informal, condescending, sarcastic, humorous, contemptuous, etc.
• Description of the intended audience

The four-sentence précis Template

First Sentence: (Author’s full name) _______________________________________,  in his/her (essay, novel, poem, article, painting, short story, etc.) _______________________ (year for APA attribution)__________, asserts that ________________________________________. Second sentence: (Author’s last name) ____________________________________ supports this assertion by (showing, offering, using, citing, challenging, etc.) _______________________________examples of______________________________________________________ . 

Third sentence: His/her purpose is to __________________________________. 

Fourth sentence: He/She (establishes, creates, constructs, suggests, offers, presents, etc.)   ____________________ a/an ______________________________________________________with/for his/her audience of ______________________________________________________________________________ who _________________.

Sample four-sentence rhetorical précis

Here are some examples of well-written précis paragraphs.

Sandra M. Gilbert, professor of English at the University of California, Davis, in her essay Plain Jane’s Progress (1977), suggests that Charlotte Brontë intended Jane Eyre to resemble John Bunyan’s Pilgrim’s Progress in that Jane’s pilgrimage through a series of events based on the enclosure and escape motif eventually lead toward the equality that Brontë herself sought. Gilbert supports this conclusion by using the structure of the novel to highlight the places Jane has been confined, the changes she undergoes during the process of escape, and the individuals and experiences that lead to her maturation concluding that “this marriage of true minds at Ferndean : this is the way” (501). Her purpose is to help readers see the role of women in Victorian England in order to help them understand the uniqueness and daring of Brontë’s work. She establishes a formal relationship with her audience of literary scholars interested in feminist criticism who are familiar with the work of Brontë, Bunyan, Lord Byron, and others and are intrigued by feminist theory as it relates to Victorian literature.

Adapted from Source

Sheridan Baker, in his essay “Attitudes” (1966), asserts that writers’ attitudes toward their subjects, their audiences, and themselves determine to a large extent the quality of their prose. Baker supports this assertion by showing examples of how inappropriate attitudes can make writing unclear, pompous, or boring, concluding that a good writer “will be respectful toward his audience, considerate toward his readers, and somehow amiable toward human failings” (58). His purpose is to make his readers aware of the dangers of negative attitudes in order to help them become better writers. He establishes an informal relationship with his audience of college students who are interested in learning to write “with conviction.

Analysis of the précis paragraph

NOTE that the first sentence identifies the author (Baker), the genre (essay), the title and date, and uses an active verb (asserts) and the relative pronoun that to explain what exactly Baker asserts. The second sentence explains the first by offering chronological examples from Baker’s essay, while the third sentence suggests the author’s purpose and WHY (in order to) he has set out that purpose (or seems to have set out that purpose — not all essays are explicit about this information and readers have to put the pieces together). The final sentence identifies the primary audience of the essay (college students) and suggests how this audience is brought into/connected to the essay’s purpose.

Toni Morrison, in her essay “Disturbing Nurses and the Kindness of Sharks,” implies that racism in the United States has affected the craft and process of American novelists. Morrison supports her implication by describing how Ernest Hemingway writes about black characters in his novels and short stories. Her purpose is to make her readers aware of the cruel reality of racism underlying some of the greatest works of American literature in order to help them examine the far-reaching effects racism has not only on those discriminated against but also on those who discriminate. She establishes a formal and highly analytical tone with her audience of racially mixed (but probably mainly white), theoretically sophisticated readers, and critical interpreters of American literature.

In her article Who Cares if Johnny Can’t Read? (1997), Larissa MacFarquhar asserts that Americans are reading more than ever despite claims to the contrary and that it is time to reconsider why we value reading so much, especially certain kinds of high culture reading. MacFarquhar supports her claims about American reading habits with facts and statistics that compare past and present reading practices, and she challenges common assumptions by raising questions about reading’s intrinsic value. Her purpose is to dispel certain myths about reading to raise new and more important questions about the value of reading and other media in our culture. She seems to have a young, hip, somewhat irreverent audience in mind because her tome is sarcastic, and she suggests that the ideas she opposes are old-fashioned positions.

Adopted from this  source .

Statesman and philosopher, Thomas Jefferson, in The Declaration of Independence (1776), argues that God-given rights of life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness entitle the colonists to freedom from the oppressive British government and guarantee them the right to declare independence. He supports his claim by first invoking the fact of our inalienable rights, then he establishes the circumstances under which a people can throw off an oppressive government; he next proceeds to show that these circumstances have been created by King George II whose oppressive rule now forces the colonists to the separation. The purpose of this document is to convince all readers of the necessity to officially declare independence from Great Britain in order to establish a separate independent nation, the United States of America. Jefferson establishes a passionate and challenging tone for a worldwide audience, but particularly the British and King George III.

Sample précis Questions

Here are two examples of précis homework assignment questions:

1. Write the précis of” liberation, division, and war” 

Write a précis, which contains the following elements:

• what is the author’s thesis
• how‹‹ the author develops the thesis?
• why you chose this reading? (If this helped you? by how?‹‹)

2. Writing a précis

Lippi-Green, Teaching Children to Discriminate

Checklist of a Good précis

We cannot conclude our précis writing guide without exploring some great features of a précis. Here is a checklist to ensure your précis stands out.

• It should be clear, correct, objective, coherent, and concise.
• Has a mix of short and long sentences.
• The précis should have a unique title.
• Do not have irrelevant facts on the author or piece of work.
• Should only involve arguments of the author in the particular work.
• A précis that is not a critical analysis or reflection of the text.
• It is not a merely paraphrased version of the original text.
• Devoid of grammar or spelling mistakes.
• Formatted, styles, and organized in MLA, APA, Chicago, or Harvard.

Our Final thoughts on précis Writing

Our insights in this comprehensive guide can help you understand how you can start and complete writing a précis. To be clear, no professor likes reading mediocre précis. So, make sure yours stands out.

Now that you know how to write a précis, we wish you well.

However, in modern times, students might seek help with writing different essays. When you have a part-time job, no time to complete assignments, or you simply suck at writing, writing a précis can be torturous, which is why you should trust  online custom writing services .

Our  paper writing service  can come in handy and help you cover more work. We have professionals who are polished in writing précis essays.

A skilled essay writer will read the text and write a précis for you. It is never a shame seeking help as you have no option and failing is none of your alternatives in the competitive world.

Let us help you sail through the turbulence of college education. Above all, we believe that reading this article informs you more on how to write a précis. You are ready for the challenge, write it like you the pro you are!

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• November 22, 2020
• By Homework Help Global

How to Write a Précis: Everything You Need to Know to Ace Your Assignment

Need to learn how to write a précis fast but not sure what to do? A précis is a less common type of assignment you may encounter in your academic career, so if you’re scratching your head wondering what in the world this is, you’re definitely not alone.

You’ll likely encounter précis writing in a variety of fields and industries, especially those pertaining to the sciences, economics, business, and legal fields. Writing a précis is a big component on many government exams around the world and will be a requirement for passing tests and certifications, so it’s important to know how to write one. But it can be difficult to determine where to start if you’re new to the academic world.

A précis is an assignment that requires you to summarize critical arguments and points within a text. While it might sound straightforward, précis writing can actually be pretty difficult because it’s not your typical type of summary. You’ll need to get a little technical.

If you’re feeling a little lost and confused, don’t worry. We’re going to tell you how to write a précis that gets the point across, and we’ll give you all the tools you need to get it done.

What is a Précis?

Before you learn how to write a précis, it’s important that you know what a précis actually is. Otherwise, how will you ever know that you’re doing the right thing?

The answer can be found directly in the definition of the word. “Précis“ is a French word that translates to “specific.” According to the Merriam-Webster dictionary , in English it means “a concise summary of essential points, statements, or facts.”

A précis is essentially a summary of a text, article, or other published work. However, it’s not a paraphrased summary where you write your interpretation of what the author is saying. Instead, it’s a brief, concise version of what is written in the text . In other words, you’re trying to take the author’s article and condense it into a smaller, shorter version.

Put it this way: if you regularly read the abstracts of scholarly articles, you’ve read a précis. Abstracts use the same language and make the same points, in the same order, that they are presented in the actual article or text. There is a heavy focus on the same data and keywords that are used within the article to give the reader an idea of the kind of evidence used to form the core points and ideas.

Remember that a précis is a summary – not a critical analysis. You’re not being asked to add your opinion, or reflect on whether specific points are true or valid. All you’re doing is highlighting the author’s main points with clarity and objectivity.

So What’s The Difference Between a Précis And an Article Summary?

Before you get to the précis writing step, it’s important to note that while a précis is technically a summary, it’s not the same thing as an article summary. While it’s very common to get these two types of assignments mixed up, you want to avoid the confusion because your professor is marking you on one specific type of assignment.

The key difference between a précis and an article summary is that a précis is very specific and focuses on the most important parts of an author’s thesis, while an article summary contains a broad collection of all of the points made in an article. A précis contains only the most important or essential arguments or ideas of a text.

Here are a few other differences to keep in mind:

● A précis requires the author’s main points to be presented in the order the author presents them, while an article summary can be in any order.

● While your article summary relies heavily on paraphrasing and summarizing in your own words, a précis focuses on using the same language and keywords as the original source.

● Most of the time, a précis requires a specific heading, while an article summary does not.

● A précis is basically a replica of the original text, while an article summary is based on the writer’s interpretation of the points the author is making.

● While an article summary might take the form of a speech or presentation, a précis is always a written piece.

If you need more information on writing an article summary instead of a précis, check out our blog, where we break down how to summarize an article effectively .

Why am I Writing a Précis?

Professors will ask you to write an article summary because paraphrasing is a great indication of how you have absorbed, learned, and understood the author’s information. Since a précis maintains the same language and verbiage the original text uses without relying on paraphrasing, you’re probably wondering what the point of this assignment is in the first place.

A précis has its place both in the academic world as well as the professional world, so there are many times throughout your career that you might encounter this type of project or assignment.

If you plan to complete a higher level in the academic world, you’ll have to know how to write a précis if you plan on publishing articles or journals within your field. Abstracts are a key piece of any scholarly article, and give the reader an idea of whether or not the article is relevant to their research.

In the workforce, a précis is more common than you’d think. People in management positions rarely have time to go through and read reports, updates, articles, or other types of research. For that reason, they’ll rely on other team members to write a précis that extracts the core information they need to know to make an educated decision.

Regardless of the reason why you’re asked to write a précis, these tips and steps will help you make sure you do it properly so you can impress your boss, your professor, or anyone else who requires the work from you.

What You Need to Remember About Précis Writing

Here are some characteristics of good précis writing that you should remember while you work on your assignment:

● Conciseness: Stay clear and to the point. Pick out the essentials and stick to key information.

● Objectivity: Again, it’s important to remember that this is not a critical analysis. Approach your précis with a neutral perspective and relay the facts the author has presented.

● Minimal Paraphrasing: Your goal is to use the same tone, keywords, and language the original author uses. You’re not paraphrasing the author’s thesis with your own interpretation.

● Relevance: Stick to the key points and ideas, and leave out any information that isn’t essential to the author’s thesis. Most of the time you don’t have the space to do this anyway, and will need to cut your words down to fit properly in the précis.

Now that you know what it is you have to do, it’s time to talk about how to write a précis. We’re going to break it down into steps for you so you can follow along and organize your assignment effectively.

Précis Format: What to Include in Your Précis

Understanding the right essay format to use is crucial to making sure you’re turning in the right paper for the right assignment.

When learning how to write a précis, the best place to start is understanding what needs to be included in your assignment. The structure of a précis is actually one of the easier parts of the assignment because you don’t really have a lot of freedom to go off and do your own thing. You have to follow the same order the author uses in their text, which gives you a great starting point for formatting your own précis.

So, with that in mind, all you need to do is lay out the points in a paragraph and put it into the right format. Most of the time you can use the basic essay format of an introduction, body, and conclusion. In terms of length, most précis assignments are brief. If your professor didn’t give you a specific length requirement, stick to this general rule from Texas A&M University: if a published article is 20 pages, write 2-3 pages for your précis. Aim for no more than a quarter of the length of the text.

How to Write a Précis in 5 Steps

Now that you have a bit of background information to work with and you know what a précis is, we’re going to go over the 5 steps of how to write a précis. These 5 steps aren’t an official method of writing a précis, but they are a guideline that you can follow to make sure you do everything you can to get the grade you need.

We’ll break them down with more clarity for you next, but here are the 5 core steps:

1. Read the text and gather information.

2. Determine what the author’s main points or arguments are.

3. Write out those points into a paragraph.

4. Add transitions and connections to bring those points together.

5. Review and edit your work.

Follow these steps, and the précis writing process will become easier, stronger, and more effective overall. Now let’s get into how you can go about making sure you tackle each of these steps.

Step 1: Read The Text

Like most summary-based assignments, the first step in learning how to write a précis is reading the text. That sounds pretty straightforward, right?

As you read, take notes on the important information the author presents. One of the core parts of a précis is extracting the essential ideas and arguments that are integral to the author’s thesis. A great way to do this is in this initial first step is to write down everything you think is important as you read. In the next step, you’ll learn to determine which information is essential, but for now, just take note of everything that seems important.

Make sure you read the article or text a few times over before you start the writing part. Sometimes we don’t see things the first time around that we notice once we’ve gone through a few times, and that could mean missing out on important data.

In the next step, you’re going to pull out those arguments and ideas and determine which ones are essential, so it’s a good idea to take notes in a spreadsheet or Google Sheets document at this point in the process. This way, you can make a column for the note and a column for its importance, which will help you rank how important the information is to the précis in the next step.

Step 2: Pull Out The Author’s Main Arguments or Ideas

The entire point of your précis is to collect and summarize the author’s most important information. Therefore, this should be your second step, and it should take up the bulk of the time you spend on your paper.

Remember, you’re looking for the most essential information in the text. Your reader doesn’t need to see every single piece of evidence or data. If they wanted that, they would just read the original text.

That being said, it can be a little tricky trying to determine which pieces of information actually are essential, and which can be left out. Here are some things to consider and questions to ask yourself when you’re trying to determine which information is essential:

● Without this fact, would the author still be able to come to their conclusion?

● Does this particular fact make you change your mind about the topic or thesis?

● Are any important keywords used in this point?

● Did this point make you have an “ah-ha” moment where an idea clicked in your mind?

● If this point wasn’t there, would you think differently?

Another good way you can determine which information to include is to go back to your document where you wrote down the author’s points and rank each one based on its relevance, importance, or overall significance. When you’re done, start with the highest ranking points first and move lower down the scale until you come across points you can remove.

Step 3: Write Those Points Into a Paragraph

Naturally, the next step in learning how to write a précis is doing just that: writing.

Once you’ve gathered the author’s main points and ideas, write them down in a paragraph. Keep them in the order they’re presented within the original text.

Here’s the tricky part: you’ll need to be able to re-write the author’s points without copying them directly. You’re not paraphrasing, but you are instead re-stating them using the same language, tone, and style as the original author. This won’t be as difficult as completely interpreting and presenting information in different terms, but it can still be tricky to get the wording right.

A good rule of thumb to follow is to keep keywords and work around them. Sometimes authors will use their own specific keywords that they’ve coined for certain ideas, and those are important to maintain. You can change how those keywords are used to a certain extent, but keep those ideas in mind.

Step 4: Connect Those Ideas Together

Remember, you’re not adding any new ideas here. Your précis is meant to summarize the information from a text. Therefore, after you’ve extracted the essential information from your text and re-worded them into paragraph form, you can connect the points together with transition words to fill in the gaps.

To learn more about transition words and get some ideas for which ones you should use, check out our list of 200 transition words for essays .

Here are a couple things to remember for précis writing:

● Don’t copy and paste. While you’re not relying heavily on paraphrasing, you still can’t copy the author’s sentences directly.

● Remember your audience. Write your précis for an audience that hasn’t read the text or article. That means making sure there aren’t any gaps in your points, and your audience has a clear idea of the main ideas without having to connect the dots in their head.

● Always write in the third person, even if the original author writes from a first person perspective.

● Don’t include outside research. The précis is a summary of that specific text, and your job is exactly that. You’re not here to build on their arguments.

● Include a sentence that states the author’s full name and the title of the article. Your audience needs to know where the information came from, after all.

Step 5: Review and Edit Your Work

With any good assignment comes the important editing step, and précis writing is no different. You should never hand in the first draft of your work. At the very least, you should be running it through spell check software such as Grammarly , leaving it and coming back to it later with fresh eyes, and reading it out loud to see how it sounds.

If your précis is worth a significant portion of your grade, it won’t hurt you to hire a professional editing service to get an extra set of eyes on your work to make sure you’re on the right track. Experts will analyze your work and help you determine if you’ve included any non-essential information, articulated your point strongly, and haven’t made any spelling or grammar errors.

Writing a Rhetorical Précis

There is one type of précis assignment that we haven’t mentioned yet that does follow more specific conventions: the rhetorical précis.

In a rhetorical précis, your job is to summarize both what the author said and how they said it. You’ll need to be able to pull out the author’s essential arguments as well as the rhetorical techniques they’ve used to communicate those points. Remember, it’s still a précis that requires you to offer a brief, condensed summary, but this time you’re adding an extra step.

Here’s a brief guide by Lumen Learning on how to structure your rhetorical précis:

● Start by stating the author’s full name and the text, and introduce their main thesis.

● Offer a brief, concise summary of the essential arguments they’ve made to defend their thesis.

● Summarize the author’s method of delivery. In other words, what has the author said to deliver their arguments and convince their audience to agree? For this part, focus on their tone and language as this will indicate how they have chosen to relate to their audience.

For more information on what goes into a rhetorical analysis , check out our blog on this very topic! We walk you through everything you need to know to make sure your rhetorical analysis is as effective as possible.

Still Don’t Know How to Write a Précis? Here Are Your Options

If you’ve read this entire blog and still aren’t sure how to write a précis, you still have plenty of options. In fact, some of those options can take the work off your plate entirely.

Our team at Homework Help Global can take care of your précis or any other assignment you have to turn in. Whether you don’t have time to complete it or you simply don’t want to, let our experts get you the grade you need without any of the time and effort on your end. Everyone on our academic writing team is highly educated, skilled, and experienced within their respective field, and knows exactly what it takes to write a précis that fits (and exceeds) every expectation of your assignment guidelines.

Order your précis assignment now and sit back while we take care of the work, or get a free custom quote from our team to see how it’s all done.

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• Developing a Research Question

by acburton | Mar 22, 2024 | Resources for Students , Writing Resources

Selecting your research question and creating a clear goal and structure for your writing can be challenging – whether you are doing it for the first time or if you’ve done it many times before. It can be especially difficult when your research question starts to look and feel a little different somewhere between your first and final draft. Don’t panic! It’s normal for your research question to change a little (or even quite a bit) as you move through and engage with the writing process. Anticipating this can remind you to stay on track while you work and that it’ll be okay even if the literature takes you in a different direction.

What Makes an Effective Research Question?

The most effective research question will usually be a critical thinking question and should use “how” or “why” to ensure it can move beyond a yes/no or one-word type of answer. Consider how your research question can aim to reveal something new, fill in a gap, even if small, and contribute to the field in a meaningful way; How might the proposed project move knowledge forward about a particular place or process? This should be specific and achievable!

The CEWC’s Grad Writing Consultant Tariq says, “I definitely concentrated on those aspects of what I saw in the field where I believed there was an opportunity to move the discipline forward.”

General Tips

Do your research.

Utilize the librarians at your university and take the time to research your topic first. Try looking at very general sources to get an idea of what could be interesting to you before you move to more academic articles that support your rough idea of the topic. It is important that research is grounded in what you see or experience regarding the topic you have chosen and what is already known in the literature. Spend time researching articles, books, etc. that supports your thesis. Once you have a number of sources that you know support what you want to write about, formulate a research question that serves as the interrogative form of your thesis statement.

Grad Writing Consultant Deni advises, “Delineate your intervention in the literature (i.e., be strategic about the literature you discuss and clear about your contributions to it).”

Start Broadly…. then Narrow Your Topic Down to Something Manageable

When brainstorming your research question, let your mind veer toward connections or associations that you might have already considered or that seem to make sense and consider if new research terms, language or concepts come to mind that may be interesting or exciting for you as a researcher. Sometimes testing out a research question while doing some preliminary researching is also useful to see if the language you are using or the direction you are heading toward is fruitful when trying to search strategically in academic databases. Be prepared to focus on a specific area of a broad topic.

Writing Consultant Jessie recommends outlining: “I think some rough outlining with a research question in mind can be helpful for me. I’ll have a research question and maybe a working thesis that I feel may be my claim to the research question based on some preliminary materials, brainstorming, etc.” — Jessie, CEWC Writing Consultant

Try an Exercise

In the earliest phase of brainstorming, try an exercise suggested by CEWC Writing Specialist, Percival! While it is normally used in classroom or workshop settings, this exercise can easily be modified for someone working alone. The flow of the activity, if done within a group setting, is 1) someone starts with an idea, 2) three other people share their idea, and 3) the starting person picks two of these new ideas they like best and combines their original idea with those. The activity then begins again with the idea that was not chosen. The solo version of this exercise substitutes a ‘word bank,’ created using words, topics, or ideas similar to your broad, overarching theme. Pick two words or phrases from your word bank, combine it with your original idea or topic, and ‘start again’ with two different words. This serves as a replacement for different people’s suggestions. Ideas for your ‘word bank’ can range from vague prompts about mapping or webbing (e.g., where your topic falls within the discipline and others like it), to more specific concepts that come from tracing the history of an idea (its past, present, future) or mapping the idea’s related ideas, influences, etc. Care for a physics analogy? There is a particle (your topic) that you can describe, a wave that the particle traces, and a field that the particle is mapped on.

Get Feedback and Affirm Your Confidence!

Creating a few different versions of your research question (they may be the same topic/issue/theme or differ slightly) can be useful during this process. Sharing these with trusted friends, colleagues, mentors, (or tutors!) and having conversations about your questions and ideas with other people can help you decide which version you may feel most confident or interested in. Ask colleagues and mentors to share their research questions with you to get a lot of examples. Once you have done the work of developing an effective research question, do not forget to affirm your confidence! Based on your working thesis, think about how you might organize your chapters or paragraphs and what resources you have for supporting this structure and organization. This can help boost your confidence that the research question you have created is effective and fruitful.

Be Open to Change

Remember, your research question may change from your first to final draft. For questions along the way, make an appointment with the Writing Center. We are here to help you develop an effective and engaging research question and build the foundation for a solid research paper!

Example 1: In my field developing a research question involves navigating the relationship between 1) what one sees/experiences at their field site and 2) what is already known in the literature. During my preliminary research, I found that the financial value of land was often a matter of precisely these cultural factors. So, my research question ended up being: How do the social and material qualities of land entangle with processes of financialization in the city of Lahore. Regarding point #1, this question was absolutely informed by what I saw in the field. But regarding point #2, the question was also heavily shaped by the literature. – Tariq

Example 2: A research question should not be a yes/no question like “Is pollution bad?”; but an open-ended question where the answer has to be supported with reasons and explanation. The question also has to be narrowed down to a specific topic—using the same example as before—”Is pollution bad?” can be revised to “How does pollution affect people?” I would encourage students to be more specific then; e.g., what area of pollution do you want to talk about: water, air, plastic, climate change… what type of people or demographic can we focus on? …how does this affect marginalized communities, minorities, or specific areas in California? After researching and deciding on a focus, your question might sound something like: How does government policy affect water pollution and how does it affect the marginalized communities in the state of California? -Janella

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