Précis
Introduction
The word précis, pronounced as ‘pray see’ /preɪsiː/, originates from
French précis (precise) from Latin praecīsus (cut off), and means an abridgement or
a concise summary of essential points, statements, or facts . A précis is a short account
of something that gives the important points but not the details. It is a concise and clear
account of the substance of a longer passage in a connected and readable shape. A précis
must be accurate, brief and clear, and is about one-third of the original.
Précis writing involves summarizing a document to extract the maximum amount of
information, then conveying this information to a reader in minimum number of words. It is a
process of condensing information without changing the original meaning and focus of a
passage. It is an exercise in concentration, comprehension and condensation. The one aspect
one must be careful about is that one should not add one’s subjective interpretation or
comments to the précis and should try to retain the original author’s voice and
opinions.
It's also a particular kind of writing. When you write a précis you have to exactly and
succinctly account for the most important parts of a text. If you write a successful précis, it is
a good indication that you’ve read that text closely and that you understand its major moves
and arguments. Writing a précis is an excellent way to show that you’ve closely read a text.
Writing a précis guides your reading and directs your attention to the key aspects of a text.
Précis writing prepares you to discuss a text and sets you up for that important next step:
analysis.
The primary object of précis writing is to present facts and information in a way so as to not
spend time reading unnecessary details. The necessity of speedily reading documents mainly
arises in business firms and government departments besides other fields of activity.
Lawyers, journalists, students, and secretaries of business executives need to apply the art of
précis writing regularly in their day to day activities. Lawyers have to summarise the main
points of their cases, editors and reporters have to summarise news and speeches; students
have to make notes from lectures and text-books. The importance of précis writing in
business lies in the economical way of recording and presenting lengthy documents in
compressed form. Busy executives and managers in large organisations can get in the précis
all the essential points and thus can avoid the time-consuming process of going through long
correspondence, reports, etc. An important duty of the secretary of every organisation is to
prepare the précis of business documents including letters, reports and minutes of meetings.
The Five Cs Essential to a Précis
Completeness: The précis must have the essential contents of the original passage without
omitting any fact or idea.
Compactness: All the ideas reproduced from the original document should form a compact
whole. The words and sentences should convey a sense of unity with each other.
Conciseness: This is achieved by the process of sifting essential from unessential
information, by avoiding repetition, and by omitting ornamental phrases.
Clarity: It should be intelligible to even those readers who have not gone through the
original document.
Coherence: All sentences and ideas in a précis should follow a reasonable and natural order
of development
Rules for Good Précis Writing
• Identify the Central Idea or Theme of the passage
• Provide an appropriate Title or Heading which matches the main theme of the text
• Retain important points
• Filter out non-essential content
• Remove unnecessary examples
• Arrange the points in a logical and coherent sequence
• Have brevity and clarity
• Include necessary statistical information
• Do not repeat any idea
• Do not change the tense
• Avoid redundancy, circumlocution, passive voice and wordiness
• Avoid subjective interpretation
• Do not include your own opinion, wish, remark or criticism
• Do not use abbreviations (if not found in the original), or contractions
• No comments but conclusion
• Observe proportion
• One third of original passage
Exercise
1. Machines have, in fact, become the slaves of modern life. They do more and more work
that human beings do not want to do themselves. Think for a moment of the extent to which
machines do work for you. You wake, perhaps, to the hoot of a siren by a machine in a
neighbouring factory. You wash in water brought to you by the aid of machinery, heated by
machinery and placed in basins for your convenience by a machine. You eat your breakfast
quickly cooked for you by machinery, go to school in machines made for saving leg labour.
And if you are lucky to be in a very modern school, you enjoy cinema where a machine
teaches you or you listen to lessons broadcast by one of the most wonderful machines. So
dependent has man become on machines that a certain writer imagines a time when machines
will have acquired a will of their own and become the master of men, doomed once more to
slavery.
2. The conditions under which democracy can flourish are difficult to define; but one thing is
clear that democracy is always a slow growth, whereas dictators may rise to power and
inaugurate a new regime with dramatic suddenness and success, under suitable conditions.
One great new force has appeared in the world since the Great War, the art of modern
propaganda. It is invaluable to the dictator who can inculcate his creed day by day through
the press, the cinema, the radio, the whole body of the people and can suppress all counter
propaganda. It is a terrible danger to democracy, since it tends to destroy the sound and
commonsense judgement of the people which depends on constant access to facts and on
honest public discussion based on those facts. Then again, the kindly and cooperative outlook
which alone can make democracy a success depends on material conditions, on the economic
security and welfare of the whole of the people; a starving man or a man in constant fear of
unemployment cannot be expected to be a good citizen of democracy. And lastly, war is
utterly hostile to democracy. The horrors and passion of war inevitably produce a war
mentality under which the method of democracy becomes impossible.
3. Certain people consciously or unconsciously cherish the desire that some part of their work
and of their accomplishment will outlive their own individual life. The influence which they
have exercised on the world in which they lived, the concern which they have built up, the
books which they have written, the work they have laid as a part of some scientific edifice,
whose completion they themselves will not live to see all such things inspire the people that
some aspect of themselves will outlast their own personal existence, the artist bequeaths his
pictures, the scholar his contribution of knowledge while poets and composers are primarily
concerned that posterity shall take pleasure in their creations. Statesmen envisage that
particular agreement in whose development they themselves had played a crucial part will
preserve their names for future generations. People are not unconcerned for their posthumous
reputation. Many an old person is distinctly preoccupied with this question and keeps a
zealous watch to ensure that his achievement are properly quoted and recorded.
4. One of the outstanding features of the century has been the improvement of living
conditions of working man, greater political power, more wealth and leisure, and better
facilities for health, security and education. In early civilisations, most communities were
sharply divided into two classes, those who laboured and those who did not. The small
number of rulers -- kings, priests, military leaders -- lived in great comfort, and did very little
work. The vast majority of the population enjoyed very few comforts, did lot of work and had
scarcely political power. In some societies, there was an even more wretched class, the
slaves, who had no rights at all. The Industrial Revolution of Europe led to the production of
vast quantities of goods, and workers began to be dissatisfied with their poverty. The factory
owners needed skilled workers, and gradually they realised that they must show goodwill to
their workforce, in order to stay in business. As in many other reforms, some enlightened
slowly spread that workers were entitled to some consideration. Since men were free to work
for any master they chose, good master soon had the pick of the workers and old-fashioned
employers found themselves with a factory full of lower-grade workforce. Such a situation
soon led to an all-round improvement in standards, and good employers tried to raise working
conditions still higher. These improvements were speeded up by the increased organisation of
workers in Trade Union movements, particularly in low-standard factories, where the owner
often had to deal with strike action by dissatisfied workers. Now that the working classes are
getting better and better working conditions, the need to strike has lessened considerably; and
employers and workers alike have come to realise that they depend on each other for their
livelihood.
5. The chief object of the repetitive form of advertisement is to help people to remember the
product. The general principle is similar to that followed by Bajaj Automotives Ltd: "You
just can't beat a Bajaj". The repetition of a phrase, the inclusion of a trade name or a trade
mark in every advertisement; is intended to impress upon the mind of the reader/listener that
name or phrase or picture. The response sought by the advertiser is achieved when a customer
enters a shop for, say, toothpaste. To the shop-keeper's question, "Why this particular brand,
please?, the customer gives the reply that is in his mind, not necessarily because he has
arrived at a decision by any process of reasoning, nor because some strong feeling has been
aroused for some particular brand, but simply because he has repeatedly seen the name, with
it is associated in his mind with the idea of a good two-wheeler. Some trade names become so
common that they displace the true name of the commodity itself, such as 'vaseline', the well-
known trade name for 'petroleum jelly'. Advertisements which have relied on repetition have,
in the past, proved very powerful, but with the increased variety of proprietary articles and
products intended for the same purpose, this kind of advertising is losing some of its value
because of the confusion of names that arise in a customer's mind when he wishes to buy,
say, cigarettes, tobacco, soap, chocolates, tea and other goods which are widely used.
6. All human beings are liable to err. To be at peace with oneself, the realization of this fact is
essential. Humanity is faced with numerous struggles and difficulties. We should view our
own problems as part of a universal struggle and brace ourselves to meet every difficulty with
fortitude. To be frantic and desperate on such occasions cannot help the situation. Perhaps the
greatest folly is for each of us to hug his troubles to himself. Often the path through our worst
worries can be made smoother if we seek the guidance of a trusted friend. But there are limits
to human wisdom. The only adequate way to endure large evils is to find large
consolations. The key to this search is prayer. The faith in a beneficent “Higher Power” can
carry us through our most anxious moments. It has cured many people of their diseases and
banished melancholy from their hearts. It was faith in God coupled with hard work, which
enabled Alexis Carrel to face ridicule and rejection calmly and finally became the recipient of
the Nobel Prize. Finally, how much less we should be if we could see our struggle as a part of
the struggle of a whole creation intent on growth and renewal. By doing so, we not only make
our lives easier, but we also add our bit to the sum of human dignity and faith.
7. The science has become one of the most powerful factors in modern life is a generally
accepted and indeed an obvious fact. The proper role of the scientist himself is however, a
point on which there is no general agreement. On the one hand, are those diehards who,
ignoring the changed circumstances of the outside world, contend that, outside the laboratory
personal influence of the scientist should be no more than that of an ordinary citizen. On the
other hand, are extremists who advocate a stage verging on a technocracy, in which scientists
would have special privileges and a large measure of control? Those who tend towards the
later view are much vociferous than their more conservative and much more numerous
colleagues with the unfortunate result that there is a wide-spread impression that scientists
generally share these views and wish to claim a far larger share in the control of world affairs
than they possess at present. It is, therefore, proper to attempt an evaluation of the proper
status of the scientists in modern society.
8. We all know what we mean by a "good" man. The ideally good man does not drink or
smoke, avoids bad language, converses in the presence of men only exactly as he would if
there were ladies present, attends church regularly and holds the correct opinion on all
subjects. He has a wholesome horror of wrong-doing and realizes that it is our painful duty to
castigate sin. He has a still greater horror of wrong thinking, and considers it the business of
the authorities to safeguard the young against those who question the wisdom of the views
generally accepted by middle-aged successful citizens. Apart from his professional duties, at
which he is assiduous, he spends much time in good works: he may encourage patriotism and
military training; he may promote industry, sobriety and virtue among wage earners and their
children by seeing to it that failures in these respects receive due punishment; he may be a
trustee of a university and prevent an ill-judged respect for learning from allowing the
employment of professors with subversive ideas. Above all, of course, his "morals" in the
narrow sense must be irreproachable.
9. The Department of Industrial Policy and Promotion (DIPP) will start working closely with
banks to kick-start the government's Start-Up India initiative in both rural and urban India.
The department is spearheading the Start-Up India initiative announced by Prime Minister
Narendra Modi in his Independence Day address. The commerce minister Nirmala
Sitharaman said DIPP would work with banks across the country, especially in rural areas. "If
each of these (bank) branches gives tribal or Dalit population something to start up with, it
would take the whole startup and innovate India (initiative) thought to district level," she
said. DIPP is also working on ways to reach out to the urban educated and the deprived
section of the society to build entrepreneurship. "All over the country, youngsters are coming
up with ideas of entrepreneurship. They don't have time to wait, we don't have time to lose,"
Sitharaman said that there is a need for greater participation of industry in driving ahead the
movement of Skill India. "India needs an ecosystem where talent and skills can be nurtured.
Through our 10,000 crore fund of fund for startups, we will provide soft loans, capital to
those who want to start fresh enterprises," she said. The skill development and
entrepreneurship ministry currently offers certified training in 31 different sectors under the
Pradhan Mantri Kaushal Vikas Yojana.
10. Discipline is of the utmost importance in student life. If the young students do not obey
their superiors and go without discipline, they will be deprive do much of the training they
should have at this period and in future they will never be able to extract obedience from
other sin the society. Society will never accept them as persons fit for commanding and
taking up any responsible positions in life. So it is the bounder. Duty of all the students to
observe discipline in the preparatory stage of their life. A college without discipline can never
impart suitable education to students. The rule of discipline in the playground and the battle
field as well plays a very important role. A team without discipline may not fare well in spite
of good players for want of mutual understanding and cooperation. In any army everyone
from the rank of the general down to the ranks of an ordinary soldier must observe discipline.
In case a soldier does not obey his immediate superior the army becomes a rabble quite unfit
for the achievement of the common ends of war. At first sight it may appear to us that
discipline takes away individual liberty. But on analysis it is found that it does not do so, for
liberty is not license. We find disciplined liberty at the root of all kinds of human happiness.
11. The thing above all that a teacher should Endeavour to produce in his pupils if democracy
is to survive, is the kind of tolerance that springs from an Endeavour to understand those who
are different from ourselves. It is perhaps a natural impulse to view with horror and disgust
all manners and customs different from those to such we are use. Ants and savages put
strangers to death. And those who have never traveled either physically or mentally find it
difficult to tolerate the queer ways and outlandish beliefs of other nationals and other times
other sees and other political parties. This kind of ignorant intolerance is the antithesis of
civilized outlook and is one of the gravest dangers to which cur over crowded world is
exposed. The educational system, ought to be designed to correct it, but much too little is
done in this direction at present. In every country nationalistic feeling is encouraged and
school children are taught what they are only too ready to believe, that the inhabitants of
other countries are morally and intellectually inferior to those of the country in which the
school children happens to reside. In all this the teachers are not to blame. They are not free
to teach as they would wish. It is they who know most intimately the needs of the young. It is
they who through daily contact have come to care for them. But it is not they who decided
what shall be taught or what the methods of instruction are to be.
12. Not all thieves lurk in dark alleys and parks. Some sit with their faces lit by the glow of
their computer monitors, copying, pasting, and printing. It may seem like just another helpful
source of information, but the Internet has taken the theft of “intellectual property” to a new
level. Part of the problem is that most students don’t really know the exact definition of
plagiarism or its consequences. Some say that using someone else’s ideas without attributing
them is a form of theft, but most people don’t think of it as a serious crime. For teachers,
Internet plagiarism has been especially problematic compared to “theft” from other sources.
This is because it is so difficult to locate the origin of Internet material. To counter student
plagiarism, Internet services designed to detect copied material have emerged to aid teachers.
One company, TurnItIn.com, has developed a system for detecting material plagiarized from
the Internet. Teachers can upload student works onto the site, which searches for similarities
to material from all over the Web. The teachers then receive an “originality report.” To utilize
this technology, teachers have students submit all papers electronically. The main concern is
not only the use of a few plagiarized sentences, but of entire papers. “Paper mills” like
SchoolSucks.com and Evil House of Cheat are some of the most popular sources for pirated
papers. Sites like these, which have achieved fame and notoriety among slackers everywhere,
were the motivation for TurnItIn.com and similar sites.
13) As early as the sixth or seventh century B.C. Panini wrote his great grammar of the
Sanskrit language. He mentions previous grammars and already in his time Sanskrit had
crystallized and become the language of an ever growing literature. Panini͛ s book is
something more than a mere grammar. To has been described by the Soviet. Professor Th.
Stcherabatsky, of Leningrad, as one of the greatest productions of the human mind Panini is
still the standard authority on Sanskrit grammar. Through subsequent grammarians have
added to it and interpreted it. It is interesting to note that Panini mentions the Greek script.
This indicates that there were some kind of contacts between India and the Greeks long
before Alexander came to the East. The study of astronomy was specially pursued and it
often merged with astrology. Medicine had its text books and there were hospitals.
Dhanwantri is the legendary found of the Indian science of medicine. The best known old text
books however, date from the early centuries of the Christian era. These are by Charka on
medicine and Sushruta bon surgery. Charka is supposed to have been the royal court
physician of kanishka who had his capital in the north-West. These text books enumerate a
large number of diseases and give methods of diagnosis and treatment. They deal with
surgery, obstetrics, baths, diet, hygiene, infant feeding, and medical education. The approach
was experimental, and dissection of dead bodies was being practiced in course of surgical
training. Various surgical instruments are mentioned by Sushrutas, as well as operations
including amputation of limbs, abdominal, caesarean section, cataract, etc. Wounds were
sterilized by fumigator. In the third or fourth century B.C. there were also hospitals for
animals. This was probably due to the influence of Jainism and Buddhism with their
emphasis on non-violence.
14) There is an enemy beneath our feet - an enemy more deadly for his complete impartiality.
He recognizes no national boundaries, no political parties. Everyone in the world is
threatened by him. The enemy is the earth itself. When an earthquake strikes, the world
trembles. The power of a quake is greater than anything man himself can produce. But today
scientists are directing a great deal of their effort into finding some way of combating
earthquakes, and it is possible that at some time in the near future mankind will have
discovered a means of protecting itself from earthquakes. An earthquake strikes without
warning. When it does, its power is immense. If it strikes a modern city, the damage it causes
is as great as if it has struck a primitive village. Gas mains burst, explosions are caused and
fires are started. Underground railways are wrecked. Buildings collapse, bridges fall, dams
burst, gaping crevices appear in busy streets. If the quake strikes at sea, huge tidal waves
sweep inland. If it strikes in mountain regions, avalanches roar down into the valley.
Consider the terrifying statistics from the past 1755: Lisbon, capital of Portugal - the city
destroyed entirely and 450 killed. 1970: Peru: 50,000 killed. In 1968 an earthquake struck
Alaska. As this is a relatively unpopulated part, only a few people were killed. But it is likely
that this was one of the most powerful quakes ever to have hit the world. Geologists estimate
that during the tremors, the whole of the state moved over 80 feet farther west into the Pacific
Ocean. Imagine the power of something that can move an entire subcontinent! This is the
problem that the scientists face. They are dealing with forces so immense that man cannot
hope to resist them. All that can be done is to try to pinpoint just where the earthquake will
strike and work from there. At least some precautionary measures can then be taken to save
lives and some of the property.
15) Scientists have learned to supplement the sense of sight in numerous ways. In front of the
tiny pupil of the eye they put, on Mount Palomar, a great monocle 200 inches in diameter,
and with it see 2000 times farther into the depths of space. Or they look through a small pair
of lenses arranged as a microscope into a drop of water or blood, and magnify by as much as
2000 diameters the living creatures there, many of which are among man’s most dangerous
enemies. Or, if we want to see distant happenings on earth, they use some of the previously
wasted electromagnetic waves to carry television images which they re-create as light by
whipping tiny crystals on a screen with electrons in a vacuum. Or they can bring happenings
of long ago and far away as coloured motion pictures, by arranging silver atoms and colour-
absorbing molecules to force light waves into the patterns of original reality. Or if we want to
see into the centre of a steel casting or the chest of an injured child, they send the information
on a beam of penetrating short-wave X rays, and then convert it back into images we can see
on a screen or photograph. Thus almost every type of electromagnetic radiation yet
discovered has been used to extend our sense of sight in some way.
