Rules of Precis Writing - The Use Of Indirect Form In Presi Writing

The précis writing tells us or reports in a brief way what some one also has said. He has, therefore, to change the direct statements in the original passage into the reported or the indirect form of narration. Hence the indirect form or narration must always be used when writing a précis, i.e. a précis must be written in the past tense. However, an exception to it is made only when a universal truth is expressed.

While writing the précis of a speech or lecture, an introductory verb must be used, such as: “He said … he remarked … he ordered … He advised.” The choice of this verb will depend upon the form of the speech to be reported. Always use the third person in your précis.

Rules regarding the reporting of statements, questions, reports, commands and exclamations should also be revised thoroughly and assimilated.

No doubt, while making a précis of a speech or a sermon or a dialogue, all the rules for changing the Direct Form into the Indirect Form of Narration are to be observed, yet the précis-writer must remember that the précis, even of such passages s not to be given in the words of the original but as far as possible, in the précis-writer’s own words. His task is not merely to change the direct into the indirect form of narration; t s also to discriminate the essential and the inessential points and to retain the former and leave out the latter.

When you are making the précis of a dialogue, arrange the précis clearly so that the reader may understand without difficulty what each person says.

You should be careful about using the personal pronouns as he, she, and they. Pronouns are limited in number and sometimes ambiguity arises when the same pronoun is used for two persons or groups of persons. In such cases, some proper noun should be used occasionally to avoid ambiguity and to make the sense clear.