Precis Writing Procedure

Precis writing can be considered as an art. It is a subtle way of writing the long passages into crisp and cohesive short paragraph. And that is why it is very important to know the basics of precis. More so if you are in the field of communication where precis writing is done almost daily. A better precis can be written with more and more practice. Search for some precis writing examples for that.

Here our main focus will be on precis from the business correspondence and reporting point of view. There are essential points that you need to keep in mind while writing a precis and we will start with this one.

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Writing Precis

Before writing a precis, it is important that you take care of a few essential points. The main thing that you need to remember is that before writing a precis, read the passage carefully.

Only then you will be able to truly understand the essence of the passage and write it down more concisely. The one thing that you need to convey clearly is the main idea of the paragraph.

For precis, we short down the paragraph and sometimes forget to convey the main idea. But in precis, the general idea should not be forgotten. Also, make sure that all the important points of the passage are conveyed in the precis. Focus on language and try and make it as clear, crisp, and concise as possible.

There is no fixed pattern to write a precis. But we must follow certain rules and procedure so that the precis can be more effective. Follow the right diction and you will be able to write a good precis.

Browse more Topics under Precis Writing

• Meaning and Qualities of a Good Precis
• Do’s and Dont’s of Precis Writing

For a Good Precis, follow this Procedure:

• Start by reading the paragraph thoroughly and then understand the central theme or the idea. It is important that you identify the idea so that you incorporate that in the required precision.
• Check whether the total number of words is given or not. If it not given than count out the total words in the paragraph.
• If you have not understood the precis in one go then give it a couple more reads. Make sure you are clear with the meaning of the paragraph.
• While reading the paragraph highlight the main points and make notes of it. Try to find which information is irrelevant for your precis.
• The heading is very critical, so give it a good thought before finalizing it
• The notes or the points that you have highlighted is very important in precis
• As the precis should follow the logical order, arrange these points in the same
• For officials, you need to provide titles and designations rather than names. If nothing is provided then you go with the personal name, but make sure that you follow the same pattern throughout your writing.
• Before submitting your draft, review it properly as the precis is already in a short format error should be avoided
• Have a final glance at the paragraph to make sure that you have missed out on anything. A good practice would be to count the number of words in the precis and put it in a bracket at the end of precis.

Solved Precis Writing Examples

Q. What is the ideal word limit for drafting a precis?

Answer. The word limit for a precis depends on whether it has been mentioned already in the question for precis writing examples. Otherwise, the writer is free to use any number of words she wishes. But, one must never forget that the main idea behind a precis is summarising a text. So, it is best to keep the length as short as possible.