1. Writing a Precis
Monmouth University

2. What is a precis?
The word “precis”, from the Old French, means to “cut short”. It is a concise summary of a reading that explains the main idea, logical support, and structure of the original piece but in a very condensed form. Unlike a critical analysis where an argument it evaluated and uses evidence within the article (quotations) for support, a precis is objective. So, a precis is void of personal opinions and evaluations.
They can be words or approximately one-fifth to one-sixts of the length of the original piece.

3. The process Read the essay multiple times.
Read it again and annotate – make note of key points and underline key sentences.
Consider the kinds of evidence the author uses.
Restate the author’s thesis in your own words.
Make an outline of the reading – write a one or two sentence summary of each section of the essay.
Reread the essay to compare it with your summary notes.
Start writing using your paraphrase of the thesis and your summary that mirror the original essay.
Review your precis to confirm that you have explained the main point of the essay, identified the supporting evidence that the writer uses, and have used the same logical structure of the text.
Finally, check for clarity, coherence, and correctness.

4. Introduction Open with a restatement of the thesis. It should include:
The author’s name
The title of the essay
And the date of its publication if available
In his influential 1936 essay, “Beowulf: The Monsters and the Critics”, J.R.R. Tolkien criticizes scholars of this day for mining Beowulf solely for historic evidence about the Anglo-Saxon period, rather than reading the poem as a great and inspiring work of literature.”
“Toni Morrison, in her essay “Disturbing Nurses and the Kindness of Sharks,” implies that racism in the United States has affected the craft and process of American novelists.”
“Douglas Park, in his essay, “Audiences” (1994), suggests that teaching audience is an essential but elusive part of teaching writing.”

5. Body
Each body paragraph should explain a separate section of the text and should provide the evidence (in a very condensed form) that the writer used to support that section. If used, quotations should be brief, correctly introduced or incorporated and should be correctly attributed.

6. Conclusion
The conclusion should restate the thesis of the text and reiterate the main support. Do avoid any personal statements or reflections about the essay.

7. Tips for an effective precis
Be sure to include the thesis.
Include the author, title of the essay and other relevant information
Be as concise as possible while including all important points.
Use YOUR OWN WORDS and do not include your opinion.
Avoid using statements like “this article states…”; instead, cite the author.
Do not make an argument in the precis; simply restate the author’s argument.
Revise and edit the precis to make it as clear and accurate as possible.