HOW TO WRITE A PRCIS

What is a Prcis?
A Prcis is the expression of a given passage in a condensed form.A
prcis has to be a shorter re-statement of the original. In the
examination, the length of the prcis is mentioned, and the prcis
should not exceed or fall short of the prescribed length by more than 5
words. In case the length has not been prescribed, prcis should be
one-third of the original.
The Principal Contents:
The pruning of the original would spare nothing except the bare essentials.
Metaphors, similes, hyperboles, conceits, epigrams will have to be left
out. On the other hand, prcis would faithfully reproduce all the
principal contents of the original.
Prcis-writer's own words:
A prcis should stand on its own. Although a concise and faithful account
of the original passage, it should be self-contained and independent as
a piece of writing. Naturally, a prcis-writer will have to rely on his
own words rather than use terms from the original passage.
A passage sets forth briefly the central idea of the original:
Passages given in the examinations for prcis writing have generally a central
idea around which the whole statement is woven. The prcis should bring
out this idea clearly.
Orderly Condensation:
A prcis should be an orderly abridgement which means that it should
remove all unnecessary words and phrases and state the import of the
original as an organized and systematic whole. It is to be remembered
that the prcis is expected to be an independent piece of writing in
which the sequence of idea or arguments lead to the conclusion or the

central idea. Care should be taken to preserve the tone of the original
passage.
How to set about writing a prcis:
1.You should read the passage carefully two or three times, until you
have a clear idea of its general meaning. Until the gist of the passage
is clearly grasped, it is useless to begin writing a prcis.
2.When you are satisfied about the main idea, consider the passage in
detail. On careful reading, you will find that the argument generally
resolves itself into certain well- defined sections. Observe carefully
the connections between them and write down a suitable heading for each
section.
3. Note down the important points and number them at
the side. Otherwise you may miss something important. When all the
points are numbered, go through them and strike which are really not
essential to the meaning. You may find that there are repetitions or
what are called redundant expressions. You may find illustrations which
are not necessary to the meaning. Or you may find that there are
stylistic effects, such as exaggeration or expansion or bombast which
have to be removed.
4. No additional matter should be inserted by way of personal comment or explanation.
5.All superfluous details such as long quotations or lengthy
enumerations, added merely to illustrate the argument, must be omitted.
6.When the process of selection and elimination is completed, proceed to
weave the various ideas into a concise and lucid narrative. To do this
effectively requires considerable experience in the use of relevant and
comprehensive words.
7. Now you also see whether the points are arranged in the best possible way in the passage
before you. For it isthe arrangement which gives point or emphasis to what you want to say.
8.Before you begin to write you must remember that you are going to transfer the ideas and the
spirit. Every writer has his own style, and your own style too is different from that of the writer
of the passage.Don't try to copy the style and the matter of the original passage.

Write in your own style.

9. Further, your prcis will not be lucid unless the principal of continuity is observed. It is not
sufficient that the sentences should express the ideas of different sections as briefly as possible,
but they must also follow each other in logical sequence, and welded together by means of
suitable connectives into a vigorous and organic whole.
10. In the competitive examinations, the incidents of the passage given for making a prcis
refer to the past and therefore, the past tense should be used throughout. Your must follow the
same tenses in used in the passage. Ifthe writer has use the first person i.e. I or WE.
11. A prcis is always in indirect form of speech except in very rare cases where it is
necessary to incorporate a few words in the prcis in their original
form so that the meaning is not distorted.
12. Finally, the cardinal requirements of a good prcis may be summed up in three words:
clarity, coherence and brevity.
TITLE:A
title must be assigned to a prcis whether asked or not. The title of a
prcis should give the central idea of the given passage. It should not
exceed five or six words. A prcis title should neither contain a verb
nor form a question.
PRACTICAL HINTS.
Prcis writing demands a wide and accurate knowledge of the language
and ability to sift the essential facts from the chaff of the standard
English prose.

Practice makes a prcis-writer perfect. A man

will not learn swimming unless he actually jumps into the river under
the guidance of an expert. This is equally true of prcis writing.
Candidates for the competitive examinations may also choose passages
from the previous question papers and try to write the prcis within the
stipulated time.
Last but not least, DO NOT PANIC. Remember,
the passage in the examination paper before you is there because it can
be made into a prcis, otherwise it would not have been there. Keep a
cool mind and be confident about your ability.

In a nutshell, the features of a good prcis are: It should be brief and concise. It should
be lucid and clear. It should be written in your own words and the order of ideas should
remain the same. It should be read as continuous whole. It should contain only the essential
points. It should be written in the Indirect form of speech. It should have the same tense as
in the passage. It should be written in the third person. Its length should generally be onethird of the original. The title should be able to sum up the central idea of the prcis.