Précis Writing Guidelines

The main points of précis writing are: 1.Read carefully – Read the passage

thoroughly and understand the main idea. 2. Find main ideas – Select only the

most important points; leave out examples or repetitions. 3.Use your own words – Write the summary

in your own words, not by copying from the text. 4.Be brief and clear – Keep it short,

clear, and well-organized. 5.Keep the same meaning and tone – Do not change

the writer’s message or intention. 6.Length – A précis is usually about one-third the length

of the original passage.