Precis writing: A guide for Indian judiciary aspirants

Synopsis:

1. This article guides the Indian Judiciary aspirants on Precis Writing. It talks about:
   1. What is Precis Writing?
   2. Why do Indian Judiciary aspirants need to focus on precis writing?
   3. What is the importance of Precis writing?
2. Step involved in Precis Writing:
   1. Importance of reading a text before starting with the precis.
   2. Noting down the essential facts and points in the text.
   3. Forming a structure in order to compartmentalize the precis.
   4. Writing the precis- what to do and what not to do.
   5. Proof reading to ensure there are no errors and that no point is left out.
3. The article also enumerates several Do’s and Don’ts of precis writing:
   1. Adhere to the word limit
   2. Do not add manufactured facts or points from outside the text
   3. Use proper grammar and good vocabulary
   4. Keep the original text in mind.
   5. For every 3-4 lines of the original text, write one line in the precis. The better the vocabulary, the easier to condense the original text.
4. What makes a precis great?
   1. Good vocabulary.
   2. Proper linking of different point
   3. Some specific points for aspirants preparing for Judicial Services Exams
5. Conclusions:
   1. By following the steps and do’s and don’ts given in the article, it is easy to understand the writing kill of precis writing.
   2. It is easier to write your own opinions than writing about someone else’s, hence practice is the key.

PRECIS WRITING: A GUIDE FOR INDIAN JUDICIARY ASPIRANTS

Precis writing is a form of writing skill where one has to summaries a given text. It has its origin in the French language and literally translates to ‘cut brief’ or ‘precise’.  It is a lot like summary writing and hence, a precis is a short, terse and concise version of an elaborate text. It is very essential to understand the true meaning of precis writing before you venture into writing a precis. It requires skill that you understand the true essence of the given text and consolidate it when encapsulating it in the form of a precis. You need to articulately compress and shorten the paragraph while still accommodating all its crucial points. It is important to know the skill of precis writing because it is a complex task of summarizing long texts. Most people read carelessly and hence are not able to fully comprehend the meaning of a text. Precis writing helps people in paying attention only to the important parts of a text. It also improves overall writing skills. Also, there are several courses in schools/colleges/exams across the globe which has inculcated precis writing in their curriculum. Hence it is important to understand and practice precis writing.

For Indian Judiciary aspirants, precis writing is an essential writing skill as many state judiciary exams also have the same in their syllabus. It carries a good amount weightage in the paper, sometimes equal to judgement writing. The texts given in judicial services exams are usually very long and hence shortening them can be a tedious task. But by following the correct steps and instructions, one can master precis writing easily!

Now, to be able to write an excellent precis, you need to remember the most important point: Do not manufacture any new facts other than those already mentioned in the text. It is very important that what is written in the precis, matches with what is given in the text. The best way to keep the facts straight is to read the texts several times, while underlining or jotting down the critical points. It is a lot like making notes for a subject! You just need to focus on the facts which are essential and accommodated them in the precis. Identifying which fact is important and which isn’t requires good understanding of the text, which can only be achieved by reading it numerous times, and there is no hard and fast rule for the same, as it depends on the type of text. Usually, an important fact can be identified as the fact which needs to be included in the precis or the absence of it might alter the meaning of the text or, the text might seem incomplete. There are always some details, which are of greater significance than others. Therefore, it is important to pick out these details and include it in the precis.

One of the most challenging tasks faced during writing a precis is putting the given text in your own words. It can be a rather tough task to change the wordings of a text and write it again in your own words, especially when the text is right in front of you. To overcome this challenge, it his highly recommended that once you have noted down the important facts after reading the text, keep the it aside and start writing the precis. Once the text is out of your sight, your mind would automatically force you to write sentences in your own words. It is of utmost important to retain the essence of the text in the precis. This is why,do not make any conclusions on your own. Your only job when writing a precis is to condense it, while retaining its general idea.

STEPS INVOLVED IN WRITING A PRECIS:

Steps involving precis writing can generally be categorized as those involving careful reading of the text, note making, outlining a structure, writing down the precis and finally,proof reading. Writing a precis is the process of reading through/ analyzing a literary work and extracting the main points, so as to assemble a brief summary of the text.It is not as easy as it seems. But if the following steps and instructions are followed word by word, then you can master the art of precis writing.

1. Read the text multiple times- The very first and the most important step for writing a good precis is to read the given text several times. Doing this will give you a better understanding of the text. It is important to understand the mood and tone of the text and hence, reading the it helps a lot.
2. Note down important points- While reading the text after a couple of times, you can start noting down the important points. As stated above, important points can include any fact which is a crucial part of the text. It is important to note that there is no universal formula for this step, and it depends from text to text. But, one thing to remember is that any point is considered important, absence of which, can change the context of the text, must be included in the precis. Refrain from twisting the points and retain their original idea.
3. Create a structure for the precis- Now that you have read the text several times, noted the important points, next thing to do is to create a structure. Creating a structure will help you incompartmentalizing your points and will make your job easier. Think of this as when you have to explain a topic to someone, you always explain each section within that topic separately. In the same way, to be able to explain each point and make sure that you don’t leave out anything, it is advised that you follow this step.
4. Writing- When you start writing a precis, make sure you also write about the tone of the text. While summarizing a text, other than writing about what is contained in the text, you need to also write about the idea behind the text. But this does not include making unnecessary conclusions or assumptions. It is advised that you refrain from forming any opinions as this will lead to biased precis. Try to include words other than the ones already used in the text. Limit your precis to 150-200 words.
5. Proof-read- Always proof-read your precis! Make sure that there are no grammatical errors, all the points are included, and the precis is up to the mark. Also note that you don’t exceed the word limit. Word limit is either given or it is usually supposed to be within the range of 150-200 words. This step also involves giving a quick read to the original text and then ensuring that you have not left out any point.

Remember, the reasons behind writing a precis is to give the reader a gist of the text, without manipulating the crux of it. Make sure to understand the context and audience of the text, then you will be able to write a more coherent precis. Another advise is that you can write down the condensed version of the sentences on rough sheet before writing in your main answer sheet. After writing the precis, you can also write the word count in a bracket at the end.

The following are some Do’s and don’ts that you should follow to be able to write a flawless precis!

DO’s:

• Start the precis with the main idea surrounding the text. This will help the reader in understanding the true nature of the write up.
• Write important points and make sure to link them together in the precis.
• Retain the key words from the paragraph.
• Always state the name of the author, article and its source.
• State the context of the text.
•  Make sure that you are keeping a check on the grammar.
• Try to reflect on what author is trying to communicate through the text.
• Write only one or two sentences for each of the section. It should be a short summary of each section.
• Keep referring the original text.
• A precis needs to be concise and only convey important information, rather than secondary information.
• Writing should be in a logical order. It should be well-connected.
• Make sure to give a title.
• If you are mentioning anything related to history or any historical data, then make sure that it is written in the past tense only.
• Read 3-4 lines and try to condense it in a line. This will automatically bring down your word count.
• By using good vocabulary, one can condense multiple sentences into one.
• Keep sentences short and crisp.

DON’T’s:

• Do not take information from outside the article.
• Do not add irrelevant information.
• Do not paraphrase the text.
• Do not pick up direct sentences from the original text.
• Always take the fact and data that is given in the paragraph only.
• Do not insert your own ideas or remarks.
• Do not form a biased opinion.
• Avoid using abbreviations or contractions.
• Avoid words like big, good, bad, little, and a lot. Use better vocabulary.
• Do not complicate the sentences. Make sure that your precis is easy enough so that the readers can grasp it easily.
• Do not exceed the word limit.

WHAT MAKES A PRECIS GREAT?

To make a precis great, make sure its precis. It should have clarity and precision so that the reader, after going through it once gets an idea about the text without missing out on any important information. Remember that a good precis is never paraphrased. Precis is different from paraphrasing as, in the former, you do not need to mention all the details while in latter, all details are mentioned and just the language is changed and twisted a bit. Also remember that it is not critical analysis as it does not demand you to write your personal opinion. Only essential points should be covered. 

CONCLUSION:

Precis writing is a very essential component of Judicial Services Exams and hence it is advised that the aspirants practice this several times and keep in mind the steps and Do’s and Don’ts. It is important to read and revise your writing piece. Read and make sure that it clearly expresses the main idea of the author, the importance of the article or book and the meaning of the text. The tone, voice of the original text should be also preserved. Also check the structure of your work, grammar and punctuation.Always remember to check your precis for clarity, coherence, creativeness and correctness. With the help of precis writing, you will learn to choose your words carefully and construct your sentences in a logical and concise manner. It is easy to write personal opinions and statements, but précis is much more complicated than that and you need a patient mind, therefore practice is the key!