A précis is a brief synopsis of a written piece. It is used to summarize and analyze a text’s main points. If you need to write a précis for a research paper or the AP Lang exam, you’ve come to the right place.
In this comprehensive guide by Custom-Writing.org, you’ll find:
- explanations of different précis formats,
- a step-by-step writing guide,
- 4 précis samples,
- answers to frequent questions.
📚 What Is a Precis?
Précis is a type of writing that represents crucial ideas of the text and has a fixed structure. It’s close to an essay in format, but it consists of only 4 sentences with specific content:
- Author’s name, genre, and title of work. It also contains the thesis statement (what the author claims or suggests.)
- How the author reveals the thesis. It’s usually discussed in the same order as in the original text.
- Explanation of the text’s purpose. This part answers the questions “why?” and “what for?”
- Description of author’s tone and the audience. This sentence discusses who the author appeals to.
Writing a précis can be helpful in many cases, such as:
- preparation for complex text analysis,
- creation of an annotated bibliography,
- writing of a research paper summary,
- improvement of critical thinking and analytical skills.
Difference between Summary and Precis
Even though “summary” is a synonym of “précis,” there are some crucial differences between these two things. The main distinction lies in structure: a précis always consists of 4 sentences, while a summary’s structure can vary. Have a look at the comparison below.
📝 Precis Format Types
Now you know what a précis is, but that’s not all of it. There are also different formats of précis writing: critical, rhetorical, research, and literary. In this section, we will examine their features and structure.
Critical Precis Definition & Structure
A critical précis focuses on an argument and reveals the text’s reasoning. It’s also the most common précis format. While working on a critical précis, follow these writing rules for each sentence:
- Formulate an argument expressed in the original piece of writing.
- Point out the author’s reasoning and its essential steps.
- Analyze the evidence on how this reasoning supports the author’s argumentation.
- Discuss what kind of audience the author appeals to.
Rhetorical Precis Definition & Structure
A rhetorical précis is an analytical review of the original text’s content and persuasion methods. It reveals the most crucial points of the paper and shows how it works rhetorically. This format is one of the AP Lang assignments.
Each of the 4 elements of a rhetorical précis structure expresses specific information:
- Background information and thesis statement.
- The author’s argument used to support the thesis.
- Explanation of the text’s purpose.
- Analysis of the rhetorical devices the author uses to persuade the audience.
Research Precis Definition & Structure
Research précis is similar to the critical one, but it’s aimed to give a brief structured synopsis of a research paper. The 4 elements of this précis type are as follows:
- Description of the research’s purpose and issues raised by the author.
- Summary of all the methods used by the researcher.
- Summary of the research results and findings.
- Explanation of the research’s significance.
Literary Precis Definition & Structure
Literary précis is an argumentative summary of a text with attention to its literary devices. The purpose and contents of this type differ from other précis types. Have a look at this format’s structure:
- The text’s title, genre, and central theme.
- Plot summary: the principal characters, place and time of the narration, and the main conflict.
- The text’s overall purpose: what thoughts and feelings the author wants to evoke in the minds of their audience.
- The analysis of literary devices the author uses to achieve the desired effect.
✅ How to Write a Precis Step by Step
Now, let’s see what exactly you need for writing an excellent précis.
We’ll start with the pre-writing stage. As soon as this stage is done, the writing will be far more manageable. The following tips can help you with it:
- Start with reading the original text thoroughly and note down the essential information.
- Summarize each paragraph in a single sentence.
- Don’t forget to mention the text’s central thesis, methods, and purpose in your notes.
It can be beneficial if you use the mind mapping method for organizing the main ideas from the reading. Putting all the main points to the chart or diagram helps you organize your thoughts and create a good plan for your essay. When you do this, you only need to connect the points you’ve already outlined. Check out this article by the University of Kansas to learn more about mind mapping and other pre-writing techniques.
Precis Outline
Below you’ll find a detailed outline that explains how to write a précis. Check it out to make your writing process easier:
Step #1. Give some background information about the text.
- State the text’s title and the author’s name. You can also add some publishing information, such as the number of the edition.
- Mention the text’s central idea or theme.
Step #2. Show how the author develops their arguments and supports the thesis.
- Focus on the evidence used by the author rather than the specific details of their reasoning.
- When writing the literary précis, focus on literary devices the author uses to develop the theme.
Step #3. Clarify the purpose of the work.
- If you’re writing a rhetorical or critical précis, build your sentences using the phrase “in order to.”
- Avoid repeating the thesis. Instead, analyze the author’s motive and goals.
Step #4. Demonstrate what type of audience the author appeals to.
- To detect the intended audience, analyze the text’s theme, thesis, and tone.
- The type of audience usually depends on the author. For example, scholars typically appeal to their colleagues interested in the topic. Writers of fiction can appeal to any social group or society as a whole.
Rhetorical Precis Template
To help you structure your précis, we’ve created a sample template that you can download in PDF format below. All you need to do is to print it out and fill in the blanks.
Example:
- [Name of the author] in his/her [type of the text] titled [the text’s title] argues that [the text’s main argument].
- The author supports his/her arguments by [evidence presented by the author].
- The author’s purpose is to [what the author wants to achieve] in order to [the text’s intended effect on readers].
- The author writes in a [description of the text’s tone] tone for [the type of audience].
Rhetorical Precis: Verbs & Sentence Starters
Want to make your précis stand out? You can do it by using certain clichés and rhetorically accurate verbs. They will help you describe the writer’s reasoning precisely.
Check out this list of common précis words and sentence starters that you can use:
Precis Format Tips
When you finish the writing, it’s time to start proofreading your text. Proofreading means looking for grammar and spelling errors in your text, and it helps you improve your text and correct all the mistakes. Here are some tips for proofreading your text successfully:
- If you have doubts about the sentence structure, it’s better to use simple sentences.
- Check the spelling errors. If you can’t use a dictionary, it’s better not to use words that you barely know.
- Give your text to someone else to check if everything is correct.
- You may also use grammar and spell checkers.
It’s also crucial to format your text correctly. Be sure that you’re following style requirements:
- Use 12 font size and double space intervals and at least 1-inch margins on all sides.
- Write your name at the end.
- Write in the author’s voice instead of reporting their words indirectly.
- Keep the same order of ideas as in the original text.
Precis Writing Checklist
Now you’re all set to start working on your précis. To make things even easier for you, we’ve prepared a checklist you can use while writing:
📋 Precis Examples: Different Types
We’ve prepared for your high school and college examples of different précis to help you write one of your own. Feel free to use them as inspiration.
Critical Precis Example
Rhetorical Precis Example
Research Precis Example
Literary Precis Example
Precis Essay Topics
- Write a summary of COVID-19 related articles
- Synopsis of On the American Working Class
- Create a précis of Wearables by Linnie Greene
- Present a brief summary of Overview of the Immune Response
- Write a synopsis of 3 lung cancer articles
- Summary of the article Maternal Stress and Sensitivity: Moderating Effect of Positive Affect
- Write a concise synopsis of Consider the Lobster
- Present a précis of a journal article
- Summary of the article Coming to the Aid of Women in U.S. Prison by D.S. McClellan
- Come up with a synopsis of an article in Journal of Nutritional Biochemistry
- Write a synopsis of a research paper on evidence-based interventions for anxiety
- Make a précis of the study Practice Nurse Use of Evidence in Clinical Practice
- Present a short summary of the article Robotic Kidney Transplantation: One Year After the Beginning
- Create a synopsis of an article critique
- Short summary of the film The Great Debaters
- Write a synopsis of the article Assessment and Management of Sexual Dysfunction in the Context of Depression
- Précis of the article Maternal Stress and Sensitivity: Moderating Effect of Positive Affect
- Make a reading summary of two social articles
- Short synopsis of the article You Know Nothing, John Doe!
- Précis and analysis of the article My Turn: $15 an Hour Minimum Wage Would Slow Economy
- Present a comparative synopsis of Woolf’s and Brady’s feminist articles
- Précis of Business Careers with High Pay
- Summary of Women Should Have to Register for the Draft
- Write a synopsis of The Spirit in Creation by D. Williams
- Synopsis of Asleep on the Job
- Précis of Sleep, Health, and Wellness at Work
- Present a synopsis of Tweeting Social Change by Guo & Saxton
- Précis of the article The Nature of Things: Biomimicry
- Write a précis of 2 gender inequality articles
- Present a summary of Chopin’s The Story of an Hour
- Synopsis of The Necklace
- Make a précis of The Garden Party by Catherine Mansfield
- Write a synopsis of Ibsen’s A Doll’s House
- Create a short précis of Letter from Birmingham Jail
- Make a summary of Seven Jewish Children by Caryl Churchill
- Synopsis of A Rose For Emily by Faulkner
- Present a précis of Googling Your Date by Martha Irvine
Now you’re ready to write your précis! Use this guide every time you need to write a task for college or if you need to prepare for AP Lang exams. We wish you best of luck with your writing assignments!
Further reading:
❓ Precis Writing FAQs
1. Write the author’s name and title of the text. Briefly recap the thesis
2. Write a summary of the text.
3. Explain the text’s purpose.
4. Describe what rhetorical devices the author used to persuade the readers.
In British and American English, the word “précis” is pronounced as pray-see (with the stress on the 2nd syllable.) It comes from the French language. Originally this word meant “summary,” and it’s related to the word “precise.”
Précis size can vary depending on the format and original text. According to précis writing rules, the rhetorical format should consist of 4 sentences, each being a separate paragraph. A précis is supposed to be about 100-200 words long. Sometimes it can be 1/5 of the original text’s length.
Rhetorical précis is a type of writing used to summarize and analyze a text. Rhetorical précis represents both the content and method of the analyzed text. This type of précis differs from the summary as it shows how the text works rhetorically.
The word “précis” has plural meanings. It can be a synonym for “summary” or a separate type of academic writing. A précis represents crucial ideas of the text and has a specific structure. This word is derived from French and originally means “precise.”
