MODEL PRECIS

Original Passage: -

Greatest fear of the peoples, who dwell n Southern Asia, Africa, Northern Australia, Southern Europe and South America is a short black insect called the locust, for this winged terror which breads and multiplies at a prodigious rate has, since the days of Pharaoh been the cause of more death and destruction than any human army. In these countries unfortunate to be favored by this past, utter famine s the inevitable result of the visitation by this terribly destructive insect. Once it begins its devastating march, millions of rupees worth of crops are consumed, fertile land is turned into desert and entire population are left destitute and starving. Due to the consequent famine, death comes within a short time to the poor folk who had sweated and toiled over land and crops.

The chief difficulty is the amazing fertility of the insect. The female deposits her eggs in the soil in packets, each of which may contain anything from thirty to one hundred eggs. In the really tropical countries the eggs hatch in two or three weeks. Development is rapid and in one year several generations may be hatched so that a single pair of locusts alone can multiply enormously. Locust’s breeding grounds are estimated to contain millions upon millions of the insects and on one occasion a swarm in flight in East Africa measured sixty miles by three miles and even larger swarms have been observed and recorded.

It has been realized in recent years that the locust peril cannot be wiped out effectively except by concerted and coordinated efforts of every affected country and by attacking the insect before it begins its migratory flight, in other words by ruthless extermination in their breeding grounds.

(286 words)

Application of the Rules to the Model Précis

1. Main Idea

After reading the passage a few times, you find that the main idea it contains is about the winged terror of the locusts.

2. Title: -

Any one of the following will serve the purpose: -

a) The locust peril.
b) The locust terror.
c) The winged terror of the locusts.

3. Sub-headings or salient points: -

By following the passage more closely, the three paragraphs in the original are found to contain three different ideas about the locusts, viz (1) destruction caused by the locusts, (2) their amazing fertility, and (3) their examination.

4. Read the given extract again to determine proportion.

This reading gives you the impression that the writer of the passage emphasizes the destruction caused by the locusts more than he emphasizes any other point. The visitation of the locusts brings five things in its wake, viz famine, destruction of crops, conversion of fertile lands into deserts, starvation and death of population. The next point, which he emphasizes a little than this one is the amazing fertility of the locusts. The third point is their extermination about which he makes only a reference towards the end of the passage.

Now the skeleton plan will be somewhat like this: -

i. Destruction caused by locusts.
a. Famine.
b. Destruction of crops.
c. Conversion of fertile lands into deserts.
d. Starvation.
e. Death of population.

ii. Their amazing fertility.

The female lays eggs in packets, each containing thirty to one hundred eggs. Several generations breed in a year.

iii. How to exterminate them.

5. First draft of the précis: -

The Locust Terror

The locust is the greatest terror of the inhabitants of the southern half of the world. Since Pharaoh’s time it has caused more destruction than any human army. Famine, destruction of crops, conversion of fertile lands into deserts, starvation and death of people follow its visitation.

It is astonishingly, fertile. The female lays eggs in packets, each containing thirty to one hundred eggs, which are hatched in a few weeks. Several generations breed in a year, thus multiplying them in billions.

It is realized that to efface this danger, the affected countries should strive together to exterminate the locusts in their breeding grounds.

6. Count the number of words: -

The number of words in the original passage is 286. Their number in précis should be 95. Their number in the rough draft is 103. It means that you have still to curtail the number of words in the rough draft of the précis by 8.

Now you have to determine which other words and expressions can be deleted without changing the sense of the original passage. Another close reading of the rough draft suggests that the following words and expressions may further be deleted: -

Second paragraph: ‘Thus multiplying them in billions’.
Third paragraph: ‘It is realized that’.

After deleting them, the number of words left in the précis is 95.

7. Final précis:

Read the rough draft of the précis again and if, after curtailing it by nine more words, there is no jarring element left, re-write it in a legible handwriting. Take care of your spelling and punctuation.

Your précis will, then, appear as follows: -

The Locust Terror

The locust is the greatest terror of the inhabitants of the southern half of the world. Since Pharaoh’s time it has caused more destruction than any human army. Famine, destruction of crops, conversion of fertile lands into deserts, starvation and death of people follow its visitation.

It is astonishingly, fertile. The female lays eggs in packets, each containing thirty to one hundred eggs, which are hatched in a few weeks. Several generations breed in a year.

To efface this danger, the affected countries should strive together to exterminate the locusts in their breeding grounds.
(94 words)