A summary of a written work is called a précis.You can explain the original text without doing a critical analysis.Don't get discouraged, it might seem difficult at first.It's easy if you understand the structure.You need to study the text before you can write.The correct structure and style guidelines are used when writing a précis.
Step 1: The précis will summarize the text you read.
Work your way through the text while taking your time.Make sure you understand the author's argument, their support for it, and how they made it.You will need to read the text several times.You can read a novel and a short work at the same time.Before you read the text, divide it into sections.If the text has headings, use them as a guide.You can divide it by paragraphs.Look up the words you notice.
Step 2: Don'ttate.
Marking your text to identify important information is annotating.It's important to show how you interact with a text and understand it over time by writing annotations.It will help you decide what is important enough to include in your précis.To highlight the thesis, supporting arguments, and important details, use different colored highlighters.You can explain important arguments in your own words by writing notes in the margins.
Step 3: Restate the text with your own words.
The argument is in the author's thesis.It will point out the evidence used to back up the argument.The thesis is in the beginning of the text.You may need to do a close reading to find the thesis in a longer text.The author's main ideas and arguments should be considered.The author's controlling idea is the thesis.A novel won't have a clear thesis, but you could identify what the author is trying to prove.Look at book reviews in literary journals and major newspapers for examples of how to do this.Don't copy the thesis, which is considered plagiarizing.
Step 4: Use 1-2 sentences to summarize each section of the text.
How big your sections should be is up to you.You could divide the text into sections using headings, subheadings, or chapters.When you were reading the guide you came up with, you had to divide the text into main headings and subheadings.Sometimes it is necessary to have more sections in order to fully understand the text, but remember that it will be harder to condense your summaries into a précis.When dividing your sections, consider the length and difficulty of the text.There is a way to section an article.If you were writing a novel, you could summarize each chapter.If the journal article is already divided into sections, you could summarize them.You could summarize each paragraph in an article.You should only include the key point and evidence in your summary.You don't need to refer to the main text in your summaries if you include enough information.
Step 5: Determine the author's purpose.
The author was trying to accomplish something.What do they want the reader to do after reading the text?The questions will help you find your purpose.You will explain the purpose in your précis.You will need to determine the author's purpose, since they won't state it.Think about your reaction to the text.Did it make you think?Are you different about the subject?This can help you figure it out.The author may be entertaining the reader, but they will also have a message behind the story.The purpose can be found by this message.The purpose of the cis may be related to the thesis.What is the writer trying to prove?How do they connect to their purpose?The author's purpose might be to change the way you think about recycling."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."A few published reviews of the book can give you good contextual information and different perspectives to orient your understanding.
Step 6: An outline of the argument is needed.
An outline won't help you understand the author's argument and supports.The thesis should be written at the top of your outline.Each piece of evidence should be a main point of the thesis.If necessary, include any other supports as subpoints.You can see how the argument is assembled with an outline.Don't worry if the outline is messy, it's just for you.
Step 7: The summaries should be compared to the original text.
Take your summaries with you when you read the original text.You should go back and forth between the texts to make sure what you write is in line with what the author said.Make changes to your work if necessary.You should use your own words.The meaning of the original text needs to be portrayed accurately.
Step 8: The author, genre, date, and topic should be introduced in the first sentence.
You will present it concisely, even though it is a lot of information.The work should be introduced in 1 sentence.In rare cases, you need to provide more information about the author in order to understand the précis.An article about how being on the space station affected their research can be written by an astronauts.Adding that the author had been to space adds to their credibility.The date should be put in parentheses after the title.The genre refers to the type of text.To introduce the author's argument, use a rhetorical verb such as asserts, explains, argues, refutes, proves, or disproves.The moral Politician claims that policies based on morality can undermine the basis of governance.
Step 9: In the second sentence, the author supports their argument.
The author used a rhetorical method, not details of their argument.Provide the type of support used by the author.Here are some types of evidence you might see: comparing and contrasting of 2 or more things.Several small arguments were provided.There is a long chain of argument.Illustrating a point.A narrative is being created.It's citing research.The terms of the thesis can be defined.
Step 10: The purpose of the text should be given in the third sentence.
The purpose is what the author is trying to accomplish.Do you know what the author wants the reader to think about the topic?The purpose is not the thesis, but the author's motive.The purpose of the case studies presented by Rus is to create an awareness in the reader of counter productive policy making.
Step 11: The intended audience should be described in the fourth sentence.
Explaining your rationale for your conclusions is important when identifying the audience.The background information provided by the author as well as the knowledge the reader has should be taken into account.The author won't tell you their intended audience, so you need to use cues from the article.The type of language used, the types of references and the author's background are some of the things to watch for.You can compare the article to other similar ones to see if it's formal or informal.Academic or professional articles may use a lot of jargon, and they may expect the reader to understand references to other ideas in the field.Down-to-earth language may be used in articles written for the casual reader.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."
Step 12: If you are writing a long précis, expand on the supporting arguments.
You will still include your 4 sentence explanation, but you will also include short paragraphs explaining each of the supporting pieces of evidence.The type of evidence used and the author's argument will be included.The paragraphs should be similar to the sentence 2 in the précis.The 4-sentence structure presented above is more common than this type of précis.If your instructor asks you to write a long précis, you should.Don't forget to check your assignment details.
Step 13: The conclusion should be included in a long précis.
If you've been assigned a long précis, you only need to write a conclusion.To conclude, you will give a 1-sentence summary of the type of evidence the author used.You don't need to think outside of the box, as a précis is only about the work itself.Your conclusion needs to be concise.
Step 14: Areas that need work should be noted in your précis.
You should highlight parts that need revision or areas that don't make sense.You should follow the structure listed above.It is a good idea to look for errors now, but you will still need to check your final draft.
Step 15: Take the original text and compare it to your précis.
It's important to present what the author is trying to say.If you don't know if it matches, it's best to change your précis.Every word counts since a précis is so short.If you want to re-read the original text, you have to read your précis.If you can, have someone read the original text to you and tell you what they think.
Step 16: Revisions are necessary to improve your work.
If you need to correct your précis, use your notes and feedback from others.The final text should be short and to the point.Extra words that aren't necessary can be eliminated.If you make a lot of changes, it is best to compare it to the original text again.
Step 17: You should proofread your statement.
Check for spelling andgrammatical errors.Any changes need to be made.You might overlook some of your own errors if you ask someone to read your work for you.
Step 18: Check with your instructor for specific requirements.
Although there are strict structural recommendations for writing a précis, your instructor may have a different purpose for assigning it.Longer texts may require more explanation than shorter ones.Before you start, it is important to check these specifications.Depending on the length of the original work and your instructor's preferred length, a précis can vary.The précis for an article will likely be 100 to 200 words long, but a longer work may need a few pages of text.The length of the original text will affect your précis.Carefully read your assignment sheet.
Step 19: Write in the present tense
The text is always in the present.You will still write as though the author wrote the text decades ago.Make sure your verbs apply to the author, not the text."Ruiz argues" is not the same as "the article argues."
Step 20: You should not include your own opinions.
The author's argument, support, and structure should be explained in your own words.You should not offer any of your own opinions.This is not an important piece.Stay objective throughout the writing process.
Step 21: Don't quote the original text.
A concise summary is what your précis will be.The purpose of your thesis would be undermined if you used quotations.It is important that your text is not too wordy.It is ok to quote a special term if it is important to the friars.The term "freakonomics" was created by Steven Levitt and Stephen J. Dubner.It's not a normal word so you would put quotes around it.