rhetorical precis pronunciation

Cambridge Dictionary +Plus

English pronunciation of précis

Your browser doesn't support HTML5 audio

(English pronunciations of précis from the Cambridge Advanced Learner's Dictionary & Thesaurus and from the Cambridge Academic Content Dictionary , both sources © Cambridge University Press)

Word of the Day

hit the road

to leave a place or begin a journey

Searching out and tracking down: talking about finding or discovering things

Learn more with +Plus

Recent and Recommended {{#preferredDictionaries}} {{name}} {{/preferredDictionaries}}
Definitions Clear explanations of natural written and spoken English English Learner’s Dictionary Essential British English Essential American English
Grammar and thesaurus Usage explanations of natural written and spoken English Grammar Thesaurus
Pronunciation British and American pronunciations with audio English Pronunciation
English–Chinese (Simplified) Chinese (Simplified)–English
English–Chinese (Traditional) Chinese (Traditional)–English
English–Dutch Dutch–English
English–French French–English
English–German German–English
English–Indonesian Indonesian–English
English–Italian Italian–English
English–Japanese Japanese–English
English–Norwegian Norwegian–English
English–Polish Polish–English
English–Portuguese Portuguese–English
English–Spanish Spanish–English
English–Swedish Swedish–English
Dictionary +Plus Word Lists
All translations

To add ${headword} to a word list please sign up or log in.

Add ${headword} to one of your lists below, or create a new one.

Something went wrong.

There was a problem sending your report.

Learn About Précis Through Definition and Examples

Glossary of Grammatical and Rhetorical Terms

Westend61 / Getty Images

An Introduction to Punctuation
Ph.D., Rhetoric and English, University of Georgia
M.A., Modern English and American Literature, University of Leicester
B.A., English, State University of New York

A précis is a brief summary of a book, article , speech , or other text .

The basic characteristics of an effective précis are conciseness , clarity , completeness, unity , and coherence . According to Barun K. Mitra, Ph.D., in "Effective Technical Communication: A Guide for Scientists and Engineers," "The most important task is to ensure that the original sequence of events and the flow of ideas remain unchanged."

Pronunciation : PRAY-see

Also known as : abstract, summary, executive summary, synopsis

Plural : précis

Alternate spelling : precis

Etymology : From the Old French, "condensed"

Examples and Observations

"I would say that the ability to write a précis is the central language skill. For a start, it is a craft essential in all professions and businesses; indeed, anyone whose work includes dealing with documents at some time (and that accounts for most people) will need précis skills as a matter of course... Such vocational considerations, though important, are not in my view the most telling, however. The fundamental value of précis is that it tests and exercises every aspect of linguistic competence," says Richard Palmer in "Write in Style: A Guide to Good English."
"[O]rganization of ideas, logical sequencing of points, clear and meaningful expression, [and the] use of language suitable to the situation are essential for writing précis effectively. The writer of précis must be able to identify the essential ideas in a given passage and separate them from nonessential ideas. But at the same time a précis is not a [type of] creative writing, inasmuch as it is merely a condensed restatement of the original writer's ideas, points, etc.," says Aruna Koneru in "Professional Communication."

Sample Précis

Original passage from Aristotle's "Rhetoric" (199 words): "It is evident that those in the prime of life will be between the young and the old in character, subtracting the excess of either, and neither exceedingly conﬁdent (rashness is such) nor too fearful but having the right amount of both, neither trusting nor distrusting everybody but rather making realistic judgments and not directing their lives only to what is ﬁne or what is advantageous but to both and neither to frugality nor to extravagance but to what is ﬁtting. Similarly in regard to impulse and desire. And they combine prudence with courage and courage with prudence, while among the young and the old these things are separated; for the young are brave and lack self-restraint, the older prudent and cowardly. To speak in general terms, whatever advantages youth and old age have separately, [those in their prime] combine, and whatever the former have to excess or in deﬁciency, the latter have in due measure and in a ﬁtting way. The body is in its prime from the age of thirty to thirty-ﬁve, the mind about age forty-nine. Let this much be said about the kinds of character of youth and old age and the prime of life."
Précis from "A Synoptic History of Classical Rhetoric" (68 words): "The character of those in the prime of life lies midway between that of youth and of age. Neither rash nor timid, neither skeptical nor overtrusting, they usually make choices on a true basis. They are not given to excess in desire, nor to lack of feeling or parsimony. They live respecting both honor and expediency. In short, the most useful traits of youth and age are theirs."

Methods and Purpose

"A précis is not an outline , but a summary or digest. It is useful as an exercise in grasping the essential ideas of an already completed composition and in stating these ideas in concentrated form. The précis shears away all elaborations of the thought and gives only what is left, in such a way as to make the summary a complete composition. It does not, therefore, skeletonize the original composition so much as it reduces its scale. Many of the articles in The Reader's Digest are only précis, so skillfully done that the average reader does not know that he is reading a summary. Since the précis says a great deal within a brief space, it is of great service in taking notes on library assignments and general reading," says Donald Davidson in "American Composition and Rhetoric."

Aristotle. Rhetoric , book 2, chapter 14. Aristotle, On Rhetoric: A Theory of Civic Discourse. Translated by George A. Kennedy, Oxford University Press, 1991.

Davidson, Donald. American Composition and Rhetoric . Scribner's, 1968.

Koneru, Aruna. Professional Communication . Tata McGraw-Hill, 2008.

Mitra, Barun K., PhD. Effective Technical Communication: A Guide for Scientists and Engineers. Oxford Publishing, 2006.

Murphy, James J. and Richard A. Katula. A Synoptic History of Classical Rhetoric. 3rd ed, Hermagoras Press, 2003.

Palmer, Richard. Write in Style: A Guide to Good English. 2nd ed, Routledge, 2002.

Quotes on Why Life's Fabulous at Forty
Proof in Rhetoric
What Is a Written Summary?
Definitions and Discussions of Medieval Rhetoric
Ethopoeia (Rhetoric)
Use a Periodic Sentence to Create Suspense
Writer's Notebook
Francis Bacon on Youth and Age
What Is Phronesis?
What Is an Annotated Bibliography?
Definition and Examples of Ethos in Classical Rhetoric
Invention (Composition and Rhetoric)
Understanding Shakespeare's "Seven Ages of Man" in Today's World
50th Birthday Quotes

 LIVE CHAT  Login

How to Write a Rhetorical Precis: Template, Steps & Example

What is a precis.

A precis is a summarizing method in which the author maintains the meaning, proportions, and tone of the original text. In other words, precis refers to a summary of a reading one has completed. Writing a precis requires a lot of work, starting with reading and brainstorming on other people’s work.

The length of a precis is not strictly defined and as such, it can vary greatly. In most cases, a precis is 100 to 200 words long or approximately, it takes one-fifth or one-sixth of the original reading’s size.

Even though this is basically a summary, there’s a difference between the two terms. In summaries, the writers cover the main points of the text in a more succinct manner, while in precis, the size of the content is at least 1/3 of the total words from the original content.

To be more, a summary takes a broader approach toward the main events and is more generalized. Precis writing, on the other hand focuses on details and analyzes the situations more thoroughly.

What is a Rhetorical Precis?

A rhetorical precis is an analytical, less neutral summary of the content, as well as methods found in the original text. If summary is a brief representation of the original text, this is a representation of two things – what’s said and done in the original text.

Generally speaking, summaries are far more widely used and assigned than rhetorical precis. Even so, chances are you’ll be asked to write at least one precis during your studies, which makes it crucial for you as a student to learn how to write a rhetorical precis.

This is a type of academic writing that recapitulates the main arguments, ideas, and points of the selected work. In it, the primary goal of the author is to provide the most accurate details about the text in question. In a couple of paragraphs, precis writing must analyze the text itself, as well as the delivery of written discourse, all while answering questions such as ‘’how’’, ‘’what’’, and ‘’why’’.

Rhetorical Precis Structure

Academically speaking, the rhetorical precis structure includes the following elements:

Introduction
Body paragraphs

Basically, it has an essay structure where the introduction ends with a thesis statement, and the body paragraphs summarize the main arguments and concepts.

If you want to learn how to write a rhetorical precis, one essential thing to know is the widely-accepted, 4-part structure of this assignment. A four sentence precis is basically a guide that helps you include the four key elements this assignment requires. They are:

First sentence includes: name of the author, date in parenthesis, title of the work, a rhetorical verb, and a that clause (one that contains the thesis statement of your work).
Second sentence gives an explanation of how you supported and developed the thesis statement i.e. your that clause claim.
Third sentence gives a statement of your purpose and uses an ‘’ in order’’ phrase.
Fourth sentence describes the relationship of the author with the intended audience.

How to Write a Rhetorical Precis? Step by Step Guide

If you haven’t written this type of paper before, you probably have no idea how to start a precis – or finish it afterward. This is why we’ve created a short guide, a list of steps that will help students understand how to write a rhetorical precis.

Step 1: Introductory paragraph

The introduction of a rhetorical precis starts with an attention-grabbing, summary-like statement. The following sentences, usually one or two, provide the central claims presented by the author, as well as the context of the composition. Lastly, the final sentence is the thesis statement where the writer includes a that clause.

Step 2: Summary paragraph

In many cases, a rhetorical precis template also has a summary paragraph that fits between the introduction and first body paragraph. Some consider this to be part of the body of the precis. Anyways, this section highlights the paper’s main concepts from a more practical perspective, usually in a chronological order. The idea is to provide a short overview of the paper.

Step 3: Body paragraphs

If you check any quality rhetorical precis example, you’ll see that they always include at least 3 body paragraphs. In every paragraph, the author discusses one of the main points. These paragraphs are connected with transitions and end with statements that add to the central claim. This is what we call ‘’the sandwich rule’’.

Step 4: Conclusion paragraph

The conclusion of this assignment starts by restating the thesis statement. But, if you check a rhetorical precis example, you’ll see that the thesis statement is not copied word for word. In a good conclusion, it is used to summarize the results and introduce the author’s conclusion about the original work being summarized.

Rhetorical Precis Template

To make things easier for writers, people often come up with a rhetorical precis template. What is this? This is basically a rhetorical precis example, but one where you have to fill in the gaps. To write the essay, the author still needs to evaluate the work in the selected text and fill in the gaps. Basically, you’re getting the structure.

In fact, an experienced precis writer might choose to create such a unique template on their own before they start writing the assignment. It’s a great way to outline the ideas and set forth the format and structure of the precis assignment.

How to Write a Rhetorical Precis Template

Any good precis writer will create the template in a way that structures and formats the writing accurately. This means that they’ll start by outlining the introduction, body, and conclusion. Let’s take a look at the step-by-step approach.

Step 1: Introduction template

The opening paragraph begins with a hook that will grab the attention of the reader. Depending on the source, the author can decide to use different rhetorical devices and attention-grabbing phrases. In addition to this, the paragraph includes information about the original text, as well as introduces the purpose of the article.

In the template, it’s important to follow a chronological order that sows readers how the author supports their thesis, what’s the author’s apparent purpose, and who’s their intended audience.

Step 2: Body paragraphs template

In this part, you need to given an account of any significant concepts from the source. In the first paragraph, the author usually summarizes shortly the article discussed. The next paragraphs show how the text appeals to rhetorical aspects. And of course, these must follow the sandwich rule:

Topic sentence i.e. the main argument of the paragraph
Supporting evidence
Explanation of how the evidence relates to the main point
Closing sentence that connects it with the next paragraph

Step 3: Conclusion template

Here are some tips for this part:

Use the last sentence to connect back to the introduction i.e. the hook you used in it
Do not copy the thesis statement
Avoid adding new details to this part

Rhetorical Precis: Example

Now that you know how a precis should be structured, let’s see a nice example.

Sentence 1:

Name of author (may also include a phrase that describes the author)
Type and title of the work (date in parentheses)
A rhetorical verb that describes the author’s work in the text
That clause for the thesis statement

Sentence 2:

An explanation of the author’s methods for developing or supporting the thesis
Presented in the same chronological order as in the original work

Sentence 3:

Statement of the author’s purpose
An In order to phrase where you demonstrate the purpose

Sentence 4:

Describe the intended audience
Describe the relationship that the author establishes with his audience

What are rhetorical precis verbs?

Some common verbs used in precis writing include: argue, define, call attention to, deny, point out, show, prove, inform, suggest, disclose, persuade, convince, and report.

In addition to this, rhetorical precis papers include specific terminologies that allow the writers to respond to questions like:

What – the response tells the readers about the source under analysis (journal article, news or magazine article, research report, book review, biography, bibliographical essay, editorial, etc.)
How – the response tells the reader about the action that the writer took to write the precis paper. This part usually includes the aforementioned verbs such as ‘’analyze’’, ‘’assert’’, ‘’argue’’ or ‘’explain.
Why – answered by stating the factors that led to the creation of the precis paper. In this part, the writers usually include terminologies like ‘’call attention to’’, ‘’deny’’, ‘’show’’, ‘’prove’’, ‘’point out’’, etc.
Whom – this answer shows the readers who the target audience for the summarized text is, as well as its nature. In this case, the writers use terminologies like ‘’formal’’, ‘’casual’’, ‘’impersonal’’, ‘’informal’’, ‘’emotional’’, ‘’logical’’, ‘’humorous’’, etc.

Need Help and Support? Ask Precis Writers at A-Writer!

Writing a precis is not a simple task to do. Not only should you read someone else’s work, but you also need to evaluate it and go into details while describing it in your writing. On top of that, you need to turn your writing into a very well-structured text by using the right rhetorical verbs and phrases, connecting all paragraphs with each other, all while discussing someone else’s work.

This can be troublesome, especially if you haven’t written such a piece before. It becomes even more challenging if you don’t like or don’t understand the work of the writer of the original text. In many cases, students cannot understand the purpose or goal of the writer, which makes it impossible to craft a quality precis task.

For all of these students, there’s a simple solution – you can use A-writer professional writer service to help you with this task.

If you give us a call or place an order on our website, you can get a fully-crafted rhetorical precis paper without any trouble. We’ll take over the entire process – reading and evaluating the author’s work and turning it into a professional summary that will land you a high grade.

Our people are experts at creating this type of assignment. Having written many of them over the years, we know exactly what to say – and how – all to help you get a high grade.

Let’s Summarize

A rhetorical precis assignment is a type of academic writing intended to summarize another piece of text written by a different author. This assignment is given to students to teach them better research skills, allow them to analyze other people’s work, etc.

Basically, this type of work provides readers with an insight into an author’s work. The primary aim is to provide details about the issue and topic discussed in the original piece.

If all this sounds like too much of a hassle for you, which is definitely the case if you haven’t written anything similar before, you can solve your problems quickly – just hire an expert who has done hundreds of these for students just like you!

Want to create or adapt books like this? Learn more about how Pressbooks supports open publishing practices.

176 Breaking Down the Rhetorical Précis

Writing summaries is one of the best skills you can have as a student– and this is true in almost all of your college classes! In most classes, your main “job” is to read texts or listen to lectures and retain the important knowledge within. The problem is, most of us do not have a perfect photographic or audiographic memory with the ability to recite an entire book chapter from memory after one reading. So, our brains need us to create files and file drawers full of information– at least enough information that we can apply what we learned to other situations and topics or pull up enough of a memory to help us dig deeper into the topic. To do this, we must train our brains to quickly summarize information. Now, you may read an important article on immunology for a science class and then need to refer back to the key points for a test or in a real lab situation. But, the article was 25 pages long… How can you get the key points from a 25-page article into a short enough summary that your brain can actually hold onto the information?

A rhetorical précis (pronounced pray-see) differs from a summary in that it is a less neutral, more analytical condensation of both the content and method of the original text. If you think of a summary as primarily a brief representation of what a text says, then you might think of the rhetorical précis as a brief representation of what a text both says and does. Although less common than a summary, a rhetorical précis is a particularly useful way to sum up your understanding of how a text works rhetorically.

The rhetorical precis assignment helps you to summarize a ten to twenty-five page article into five succinct, concise sentences which will allow you to remember the important points of the article. Writing a precis, a shorter version of an article annotation, for everything you read in all of your college classes will also help you keep track of valuable information, organize articles and other sources for your research papers, and help you build your own set of resources for your classes and future career. Writing précis can be an excellent study skill, particularly for essay exams that allow you to bring your own notes, or just to help you weed out the less important information and hone in on the things you really need to learn.

THE STRUCTURE OF A RHETORICAL PRÉCIS:

Sentence One: Name of author, genre, and title of work, date in parentheses; a rhetorically active verb; and a THAT clause containing the major assertion or thesis in the text.

Sentence Two: An explanation of how the author develops and supports the thesis.

Sentence Three: A statement of the author’s apparent purpose, followed by an “in order to” phrase.

Sentence Four: A description of the intended audience and/or the relationship the author establishes with the audience.

Sentence Five: An analysis of the significance or importance of this work.

If it helps, make a template of the above structure using what we learned in the They Say I Say template activity earlier this semester.

Time to Practice:

Read this essay: “Writing as Reckoning”

Read the essay once and try to find the thesis statement, author’s purpose, audience, and why the author feels this work is important or significant to the field of study. Practice writing out a precis.

Share This Book

How to Write a Precis: Definition, Guide, & Examples

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.

The picture shows the definition of a précis.

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.
📚 Précis Definition
📝 Format Types
✅ Step-by-Step Guide
📋 Précis Examples

🔍 References

📚 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.

The picture shows the 4 types of précis formats.

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.

[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.

Précis of Everyday Use by Alice Walker
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
Précis of an article by Douglas C. Engelbart
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
Summary of the article The HR Challenges Shaping the Healthcare Industry
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
Summary of the article Breast Cancer and Exercise
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
Summary of Examining Evidence-Based Interventions to Prevent Inpatient Falls
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
Summary of McCallum’s Followership
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
Précis of sports and organizational conflict articles
Write a summary and analysis of the article New Bases of Competitive Advantage
Synopsis of Asleep on the Job
Précis of Sleep, Health, and Wellness at Work
Summary of Leadership Characteristics and Digital TransFormation
Present a synopsis of Tweeting Social Change by Guo & Saxton
Précis of the article The Nature of Things: Biomimicry
Summary of How to Develop a Strategic Mindset
Synopsis of Coalition Brings Pressure to End Forced Uighur Labor
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
Summary of Zika Virus Disease: A Public Health Emergency of International Concern
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
Write a summary of Get Your Bonds Ready for a Fed Rate Boost

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!

❓ 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.”

A Review of Critical Reading Skills: Palomar College
Writing a Summary or Rhetorical Précis to Analyze Nonfiction Texts: University of Wisconsin-Madison
Rhetorical Précis: Lumen Learning
Writing a Useful Précis for a Research Article: University of Washington
Précis: Texas A&M University
How to Write a Précis: Monmouth University
Writing a Précis: Wilfried Laurier University
Mapping: Gallaudet University
The Rhetorical Précis: Folsom Cordova Unified School District
All about Précis Writing: Purdue University
Share to Facebook
Share to Twitter
Share to LinkedIn
Share to email

How to Write a Synthesis Essay: Examples, Topics, & Outline

A synthesis essay requires you to work with multiple sources. You combine the information gathered from them to present a well-rounded argument on a topic. Are you looking for the ultimate guide on synthesis essay writing? You’ve come to the right place! In this guide by our custom writing team,...

How to Write a Catchy Hook: Examples & Techniques

Do you know how to make your essay stand out? One of the easiest ways is to start your introduction with a catchy hook. A hook is a phrase or a sentence that helps to grab the reader’s attention. After reading this article by Custom-Writing.org, you will be able to...

How to Write a Critical Analysis Essay: Examples & Guide

A critical analysis essay is an academic paper that requires a thorough examination of theoretical concepts and ideas. It includes a comparison of facts, differentiation between evidence and argument, and identification of biases. Crafting a good paper can be a daunting experience, but it will be much easier if you...

How to Write a Process Analysis Essay: Examples & Outline

Process analysis is an explanation of how something works or happens. Want to know more? Read the following article prepared by our custom writing specialists and learn about: process analysis and its typesa process analysis outline tipsfree examples and other tips that might be helpful for your college assignment So,...

How to Write a Visual Analysis Essay: Examples & Template

A visual analysis essay is an academic paper type that history and art students often deal with. It consists of a detailed description of an image or object. It can also include an interpretation or an argument that is supported by visual evidence. In this article, our custom writing experts...

How to Write a Character Analysis Essay: Examples & Outline

A character analysis is an examination of the personalities and actions of protagonists and antagonists that make up a story. It discusses their role in the story, evaluates their traits, and looks at their conflicts and experiences. You might need to write this assignment in school or college. Like any...

Argumentative vs. Persuasive Essays: What’s the Difference?

The difference between an argumentative and persuasive essay isn’t always clear. If you’re struggling with either style for your next assignment, don’t worry. The following will clarify everything you need to know so you can write with confidence. First, we define the primary objectives of argumentative vs. persuasive writing. We...

How to Write a Cause & Effect Essay: Examples, Outline, & Tips

You don’t need to be a nerd to understand the general idea behind cause and effect essays. Let’s see! If you skip a meal, you get hungry. And if you write an essay about it, your goal is achieved! However, following multiple rules of academic writing can be a tough...

How to Write an Argumentative Essay: 101 Guide [+ Examples]

An argumentative essay is a genre of academic writing that investigates different sides of a particular issue. Its central purpose is to inform the readers rather than expressively persuade them. Thus, it is crucial to differentiate between argumentative and persuasive essays. While composing an argumentative essay, the students have to...

How to Write an Exemplification Essay: Topics, Examples, & Outline

Exemplification essays, also called illustration essays, are one of the easiest papers to write. However, even the simplest tasks require experience and practice. It is a good idea to find and analyze free exemplification essay examples. You can also ask your teacher to give you some sample exemplification essays from...

How to Write about a Topic You Lack Interest in [2024]

During their school years, students may not always have the opportunity to select a topic for their essay or research paper. Instructors tend to assign one or offer a list of ideas that might not seem engaging. Moreover, even the topic that you choose yourself can sometimes end up being...

Do you have to write an essay for the first time? Or maybe you’ve only written essays with less than 1000 words? Someone might think that writing a 1000-word essay is a rather complicated and time-consuming assignment. Others have no idea how difficult thousand-word essays can be. Well, we have...

Rhetorical Precis

How to Write Rhetorical Precis? - A Step-by-Step Guide

What is Rhetorical Precis?

Looking at the rhetorical precis definition:

A rhetorical precis is a concise and structured four-sentence paragraph summary that captures the essential elements of a written or spoken text.

Rhetorical precis is a powerful tool that helps you break down and understand complex texts. It's like creating a condensed roadmap for the main ideas of an article. In simple terms, it's a structured summary that captures the author's key points, purpose, evidence, and style.

Think of it as a decoder – turning complex passages into clear, manageable insights.

Origin and Historical Context

Originating from the Latin word "praecisus," meaning precise or concise. It embodies the essence of refining lengthy content into manageable summaries. Over time, it evolved into a structured approach, emphasizing clarity in articulating the core elements of scholarly works.

Importance of Rhetorical Precis

They break down complex texts for clearer understanding.
They teach how to identify the main ideas and key arguments.
Rhetorical precis enhances the ability to articulate ideas concisely and coherently.
They encourage deeper engagement with academic material.
Lastly, they help convey the essence of scholarly works with clarity .

Paper Due? Why Suffer? That's our Job!

How to Write Rhetorical Precis?

While there isn't a rigid set of rules for writing a rhetorical precis, there are generally accepted guidelines to ensure an effective and accurate summary.

Here are some basic steps to follow:

Step 1: Actively Read the Content

Before attempting to write a rhetorical precis, immerse yourself in the text. Read it carefully, paying close attention to the author's main arguments, supporting evidence, and overall message. Take notes on key concepts, phrases, and any significant literary devices used.

Example: For instance, consider an excerpt from Martin Luther King Jr.'s " I Have a Dream " speech. Read through the speech, identifying his main points about racial equality, justice, and the dream of a harmonious society.

Step 2: Create a Rhetorical Precis Outline

Creating an outline is a crucial step in the rhetorical precis process. It helps you identify the major components of the text and organize your thoughts coherently. When outlining, focus on pinpointing key themes, arguments, and the overall structure of the text.

Here's a template for organizing the rhetorical precis structure using Martin Luther King Jr.'s "I Have a Dream" speech as an example:

Step 3: Write the Opening Sentence (Introduction)

Craft an opening sentence that introduces the author, title, and the context of the text. This sentence sets the stage for the rest of the precis.

For example:

Step 4: Write Down the Summary Sentence (Body)

Compose a sentence that concisely summarizes the main ideas of the text. Capture the essence of the author's message without delving into specific details.

For King's speech, it could be something like this:

Step 5: Draft the Purpose Sentence (Body)

Articulate the author's purpose in writing the text. Consider why the author chose particular words, examples, or persuasive techniques.

For the example above, you might write:

Step 6: State the Closing Sentence (Conclusion)

Conclude your rhetorical precis by summarizing the significance of the text. Reflect on the broader implications of the author's message.

For Example:

Step 7: Refine with Proofreading

Once you've drafted your rhetorical precis, take a moment to proofread. Look for any grammatical errors, ensure clarity in your statements, and check the precis against the original text to guarantee accuracy.

This step is crucial to maintaining the integrity of your precis and ensuring it accurately reflects the author's intended message. Consider using a rhetorically accurate verb in your thesis statement to emphasize the writer's technique.

Step 8: Revise for Precision

After proofreading, revise your rhetorical precis with a focus on precision. Evaluate each sentence to ensure it aligns with the overall thesis statement of the work.

Utilize a verb such as "asserts" to highlight the author's conviction, emphasizing the strength of their argument. Also, consider the intended audience.

If you looking for general steps to write a precis make sure to read our “ How to write a precis ’ blog!

Rhetorical Precis Format

When formatting a rhetorical précis, it typically follows a specific structure with four sentences. Here's a breakdown of each rhetorical précis 4 sentences:

Name of the author, the title of the work, the date in parentheses:

Provide the author's name, the title of the work, and the publication date (if available). This sentence should be a clear and concise introduction to the text.

A statement of the author's main argument or purpose:

Summarize the main argument or purpose of the text. Focus on the author's thesis and the key points that support it. This sentence should be specific and to the point.

A summary of the text's key points:

Highlight the major points or evidence the author uses to support their argument. This sentence should provide a condensed overview of the key ideas in the text, focusing on the most important elements.

A statement of the author's method and tone:

Describe the author's tone and any rhetorical strategies used to convey their message. Consider the author's style, tone, and any notable techniques employed. This sentence should convey how the author presents their argument.

Here's an example of a rhetorical précis in the specified format:

Rhetorical Precis Example

When tackling an assignment for the first time, reading examples can be very useful. They help you understand the basic concept and writing structure.

Here are some rhetorical precis pdf examples to help you get started:

Rhetorical Precis Sample

Rhetorical Précis AP Lang

Rhetorical Precis Worksheet

Tips for Writing a Good Rhetorical Precis

Here are some essential tips that you will find helpful while writing a precis:

Keep your precis brief and to the point . Aim for clarity and brevity, avoiding unnecessary details or elaborations.
Write in the third person . This means using the author's name and avoiding personal pronouns like "I" or "you."
Write in the present tense to convey the enduring nature of the text's content. This adds a sense of immediacy to your summary.
A rhetorical precis is not the place for personal opinions . Stick to presenting the author's ideas without adding your interpretation or critique.
Ensure that your precis is clear and coherent. Readers should be able to understand the main points of the text without referring back to the original.
Use precise and accurate language . Be mindful of your word choices to capture the nuances of the original text.
While summarizing main ideas, avoid repetition . Each sentence should contribute new information to the overall summary.
Your goal is to present the author's work objectively. Avoid injecting personal biases or emotions into your summary.
Reflect on the author's logical progression of ideas . Ensure that your summary flows in a way that mirrors the structure of the original text.

Moving towards the end!

This guide has taken you through the essential steps, format, and outline for crafting a rhetorical precis. By exploring practical examples, we aimed to simplify the process, offering a clear understanding of how to approach this nuanced form of summarization.

We hope that this blog has equipped you with the necessary tools to confidently undertake rhetorical precis assignments. However, if you find yourself in a time crunch don't hesitate to reach out to our professional writing service at MyPerfectWords.com .

Place your " do my essay " request today to enhance your writing experience!

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the benefit of writing a rhetorical precis.

A precis is a great way to show that you've read and understood the text. In addition, it improves your critical thinking skills.

Do you use quotes in rhetorical precis?

Yes, you can easily use quotes in rhetorical precis.

Write Essay Within 60 Seconds!

Dr. Barbara is a highly experienced writer and author who holds a Ph.D. degree in public health from an Ivy League school. She has worked in the medical field for many years, conducting extensive research on various health topics. Her writing has been featured in several top-tier publications.

Paper Due? Why Suffer? That’s our Job!

Keep reading

Writing a Summary or Rhetorical Précis to Analyze Nonfiction Texts

Download this Handout PDF

Academic writers across all disciplines analyze texts. They summarize and critique published articles, evaluate papers’ arguments, and reflect on essays. In order to do these things, they have to read complex texts carefully and understand them clearly.

This page is about how you can read and analyze nonfiction texts. When you’ve read a text well, you can then discuss it in class, think critically about it, incorporate it into your writing, consider it in light of other texts, and advance or push against its ideas. We believe two productive strategies for approaching this kind of reading and analysis are active reading and rhetorical précis writing. This page provides a guide to these strategies and practical ways to help you evaluate, compare, and reflect upon nonfiction texts.

Active Reading

Introduction to the rhetorical précis, parts of a rhetorical précis, using a rhetorical précis to guide analysis.

Active reading requires you to slow your reading down, engage more intentionally with the text, think about it, and focus your attention on its ideas. When you read actively, you can’t just flip pages and daydream about tomorrow’s plans. Much has been written about active reading, but generally we recommend that when you read you:

Skim over the text before reading it. Look to see how long it is, where it’s published, how it may be divided into sections, what kind of works cited list it has, whether there are appendices, etc. Use the title to help you predict what the text is about and what it argues. This overview will help you to understand the context, genre, and purpose of this piece as well as help you gauge how long it will take you to read it and how it might be relevant to your class, paper, or project.
Take notes about the text’s key ideas and your responses to those ideas. Depending on the text and your preferences, these notes could be made on your copy of the text or article or in a separate place. Notes will help you remember and process what the text is about and what you think about it.

In addition to these strategies, we firmly believe that one of the best ways to understand a book, article, essay, blog post, etc. is to write a summary of it. Specifically, we recommend that you use your reading to generate a rhetorical précis.

“Précis” is French for “specific” or “precise.” It’s also a particular kind of writing. When you write a précis you have to exactly and succinctly account for the most important parts of a text. If you write a successful précis, it is a good indication that you’ve read that text closely and that you understand its major moves and arguments. Writing a précis is an excellent way to show that you’ve closely read a text.

Disclaimer: There are different kinds of précis for different contexts. A legal précis is different from what we’re talking about here. Some précis are longer or shorter than others. If you are writing a précis as a course assignment, be sure to follow your instructor’s guidance on what this should consist of and how it should be formatted.

Sometimes rhetorical précis writing is a course requirement. However, even if you aren’t required to write a précis for a class, writing one can help you in a number of ways. Writing a précis guides your reading and directs your attention to the key aspects of a text. Précis writing prepares you to discuss a text and sets you up for that important next step: analysis. A rhetorical précis can even help you structure your annotated bibliography annotations or provide you with summary sentences to include in a paper as you account for your sources.

A rhetorical précis, as developed by Margaret K. Woodworth and described in her 1988 article “The Rhetorical Précis” (published by Rhetoric Review), consists of four dense but direct sentences.

The first sentence identifies who wrote the text, where and when it was published, and what its topic and claim are.
The second sentence explores how the text is developed and organized.
The third sentence explains why the author wrote this, her purpose or intended effect.
The fourth and final sentence describes the “for whom” of the text by clarifying who the intended or assumed audience of this text is.

Let’s look more closely at those four parts.

First Sentence: Who, Where, When, and What?

Start by identifying the author and offering any information that might help clarify who this person is in relation to this text. Is this a scholar? If so, what is her field? Is she a public official or a prominent blogger? Is he a public intellectual? A reporter? A spokesperson? Has he written other stuff? Locate a bio in the journal or the book cover. Do a quick internet search. Figuring out who the writer is will help you understand some of the texts’ context.

Next up, the publication. What is its title? Is it a book in a series or an article in a special collection? Does it appear in the leisure section of a local newspaper? Sometimes the title of the journal is self-explanatory, but at other times it’s unfamiliar or not clearly connected to a specific discipline. Explain it as necessary. Add the date in parentheses after the title of the text. Unless it’s a newspaper, magazine, or time-sensitive online article, usually just the year will suffice.

The rest of the sentence should be about the article’s topic—what it is about. In order to make this part particularly precise, use a rhetorically strong verb to describe the author’s claim. For example, the author may suggest, argue, analyze, imply, urge, contrast, or claim something.

Second Sentence: How?

In this sentence, provide a very condensed outline of how the author develops, structures, and supports the argument. What kind of evidence does the article draw upon? How is the case built? Perhaps by comparing and contrasting, illustrating, defining, or providing context? Perhaps the text starts out with a narrative and then moves into a description of several research studies? This sentence should account for all the most important moves made across this piece.

Third Sentence: Why?

What does the writer want the reader to do, believe, feel, or think about all this? What was the purpose of this text? In the first sentence, you told us what that author is arguing; now it is time to consider why the author has done all of this. Use an “in order to” phrase in this sentence to very clearly indicate the purpose.

Fourth Sentence: For Whom?

In the final sentence, identify the author’s intended audience and offer some rationale for how you know that to be the audience. Look back at the publication and think about who is likely to read this kind of magazine, journal, or book. Pay attention to the language used in this piece and how much background the writer provides. What does the writer assume readers believe, know, or value? Identifying the audience helps you consider how rhetorically effective this text is.

An Annotated Sample of a Rhetorical Précis

Take a look at this annotated précis of William Cronon’s 1995 article “The Trouble with Wilderness: Or, Getting Back to the Wrong Nature.” It closely follows the précis structure outlined above.

In “The Trouble With Wilderness: Or, Getting Back to the Wrong Nature” (1995), the opening essay of the edited collection Uncommon Ground: Rethinking the Human Place in Nature, renowned environmental historian William Cronon [Comment: The information about who Cronon is was very easily located at the end of the article and through a quick internet search.] critiques the romantic idolization of supposedly untouched, vast wilderness and argues that such a perspective of wilderness negatively affects humankind’s relationship with nature. Cronon builds a historical case for wilderness as a human construct, explores the cultural and literary foundations for the belief that wilderness is a sublime frontier, identifies the problematic paradoxes inherent in this belief, and outlines the detriments of and possible paradigm–shifting solutions to this environmental problem. [Comment: One of the challenges of the second sentence is to decide what not to include. In this case, more could be said about what those paradoxes and detriments are, but since the focus here is on the “how” instead of the “what,” they have been left out. If those kinds of unidentified details are important enough, there is room to mention them more thoroughly in the third sentence.] Cronon opposes the perspective of wilderness as an idealized, non–human space in order to persuade his readers to live rightly in relationship to nature and embrace the reality that “home” as a welcoming, responsibility–requiring place encompasses both “wilderness” and “civilization.” [Comment: Often there is more than one “why,” so be on the look out for this as you actively read.] According to his specific identification, scholarly presentation, and publication venue, Cronon’s primary audience includes American environmentalist academics. [Comment: In the later third of this essay, Cronon uses the pronoun “we” to identify himself and his assumed readership. Often authors aren’t this useful in helping to identify an audience.]

Writing a good précis is a lot of work. It takes dedicated time and consideration. But, it can be useful in and of itself and productive in the development of additional academic writing. Of course, the most obvious application of a précis is connected to its function as a summary. In academic writing, we summarize sources all the time. Once you have written a précis, you can incorporate some of its sentences or ideas into your writing when you need to quickly account for a text’s argument, content, or purpose.

But a rhetorical précis is even more powerfully useful for writing analysis.

Etymologically, “analysis” comes from the Ancient Greek terms for “throughout” and “loosening.” When you analyze something, you deconstruct it, extract its parts, peer inside to see how everything fits together. You thoroughly loosen it in order to understand it better. When you’ve used a précis to lay out the primary elements of this text (the author; the argument’s what, how, and why; and the audience) in front of you, you’re ready to move on with your analysis. Analysis of nonfiction texts can take several forms, but three common ones are: evaluation and critique, comparison, and reflection.

Evaluation and Critique

Evaluating a text requires you to use your analysis to consider and critique the strengths and weaknesses of that piece of writing. Look back at the argument and audience and ask yourself some of these questions:

Is this a persuasive argument for this group of readers?
How well is the author’s argument developed and clarified through the structure of the text?
Where does the logic of the argument and its supporting evidence cohere or fall apart?
Do the author’s background, tone, evidence, and assumptions foster credibility?
Does the piece achieve what the author intended?

Detailed answers—with examples—to any of these or similar questions could generate enough material for a close, analytical evaluation. Make sure that you are connecting your assertions about what works and doesn’t work in this text to the author, the argument’s development and purpose, and the audience. Make sure that you are looking deeply at how and why various elements of the text and its argument succeed or falter.

Through comparison, you bring together an analysis of more than one text. Start by writing a précis for each piece you have to compare. Then look at each précis side–by–side and ask yourself about how a sentence in one précis relates to the corresponding sentence in the other précis. Here are some questions to guide your thinking:

Are all texts addressing a parallel idea?
Are they making similar or different arguments?
Have they employed similar methods to arrive at their arguments?
Are they using the same kind of structure to develop those arguments?
What is different about their intended audiences?
Is one more or less successful or persuasive than the other?

Let what you identify as being similar and different about these texts guide your comparative analysis.

Reflection provides you with space to analyze a text in light of your experiences, perspectives, and ideas. In this kind of writing, you get to talk about yourself. In a way, a reflective analysis is kind of like a comparative analysis where the second text is you. Look back at that rhetorical précis and ask yourself questions like these, or other questions that connect what you know and have experienced with the text you have read:

What else have you read or experienced that furthers or complicates the argument made by this text?
How do you see that these ideas fit into the larger context of what you’ve been studying in this course?
Why do you have a particular opinion or response towards this piece of writing?
Moving forward, how can this text, its argument, or its presentation be influential in shaping your thinking or research?

In order to analyze a text, you need to understand key elements of it. Closely reading that text and summarizing it through a rhetorical précis can help you understand it better. In large part, the quality of your analysis will be dependent on the quality of your comprehension. So, give yourself the time you need to read carefully, think deeply, and analyze effectively.

Works Cited

Cronon, William. “The Trouble with Wilderness: Or, Getting Back to the Wrong Nature.” Environmental History , vol. 1, no. 1, pp. 7–28.

Woodworth, Margaret K. “The Rhetorical Précis.” Rhetoric Review , vol. 7, no. 1, pp. 156–64.

Academic and Professional Writing

This is an accordion element with a series of buttons that open and close related content panels.

Analysis Papers

Reading Poetry

A Short Guide to Close Reading for Literary Analysis

Using Literary Quotations

Play Reviews

Writing a Rhetorical Précis to Analyze Nonfiction Texts

Incorporating Interview Data

Grant Proposals

Planning and Writing a Grant Proposal: The Basics

Additional Resources for Grants and Proposal Writing

Job Materials and Application Essays

Writing Personal Statements for Ph.D. Programs

Before you begin: useful tips for writing your essay
Guided brainstorming exercises
Get more help with your essay
Frequently Asked Questions

Resume Writing Tips

CV Writing Tips

Cover Letters

Business Letters

Proposals and Dissertations

Resources for Proposal Writers

Resources for Dissertators

Research Papers

Planning and Writing Research Papers

Quoting and Paraphrasing

Writing Annotated Bibliographies

Creating Poster Presentations

Writing an Abstract for Your Research Paper

Thank-You Notes

Advice for Students Writing Thank-You Notes to Donors

Reading for a Review

Critical Reviews

Writing a Review of Literature

Scientific Reports

Scientific Report Format

Sample Lab Assignment

Writing for the Web

Writing an Effective Blog Post

Writing for Social Media: A Guide for Academics

Questions? Call us:

Email:

How it works
Testimonials

Essay Writing

Essay service
Essay writers
College essay service
Write my essay
Pay for essay
Essay topics

Term Paper Writing

Term paper service
Buy term papers
Term paper help
Term paper writers
College term papers
Write my term paper
Pay for term paper
Term paper topic

Research Paper Writing

Research paper service
Buy research paper
Research paper help
Research paper writers
College research papers
Write my research paper
Pay for research paper
Research paper topics

Dissertation Writing

Dissertation service
Buy dissertation
Dissertation help
Dissertation writers
College thesis
Write my dissertation
Pay for dissertation
Dissertation topics

Other Services

Custom writing services
Speech writing service
Movie review writing
Editing service
Assignment writing
Article writing service
Book report writing
Book review writing

Popular request:

How to write a rhetorical precis.

September 10, 2020

What is precis? The word precis is derived from the French word précis, which means the essence. So, how do you define précis? A precis is the summary or abstract of a text or speech.

What is a Rhetorical Precis?

What is rhetorical precis? In this section, our expert academic writers will help you fully understand the rhetorical precis definition. So, what is a precis? Precis is derived from the French word précis, which means the essence. So, how do you define précis?

A precis is the summary or abstract of a text or speech. However, a rhetorical precis differs from a summary in some ways. It is less natural and more analytically condenses the method and content of the original text.

To make it clearer, if we think of a summary as a brief declaration of what a text says, then we may consider a rhetorical precis to be a concise declaration of both what a text says and does. A rhetorical précis is less common than a summary. However, it comes in handy when you have to sum up how well you understand how a text world rhetorically.

I bet you now know how to define precis. The precis definition may differ from article to article, but the precis meaning and general idea remain the same. In precis writing, you have to use a power verb. You, as the precis writer, will determine which power verb to use.

Rhetorical Precis Format

What is the best precis format to use? Here, I’ll show you the best rhetorical precis outline that will help you to write the perfect rhetorical precis. Let us explore this precis outline.

The first precis paragraph is the introduction. Here, you have the author’s name, the text title, and the publishing date (in parentheses). Use power verbs to describe the author’s work and how it relates to your thesis.

The subsequent precis paragraphs explain different sections of the original text. It provides the evidence, purpose, and ideas of the author. Feel free to use quotes, but be brief and attribute them correctly. Do not avoid deviation from the message of the original work.

Your conclusion should reiterate the main idea. Be succinct and remember to avoid any personal statements about the original piece.

How to Write a Rhetorical Precis

Would you like to know how to write a precis? You’ll be given a precis template that will help you in writing a precis. This guide will show you how to write a precis step by step. There are three formats you can apply whenever you want to write a precis.

Examples of some power verbs are: argues, asserts, believes, claims, declares, identifies the fact, points out, reports, states, reveals, suggests, illustrates, expounds the idea, and so on.

A general rule is that you should be original in writing your sentences about the text, as this goes a long way in determining the quality of your precis. Let’s explore the precis template below. Try your hands on different template types so that you sound unique every time you write. Let’s explore the rhetorical precis rubric below

In the (text type), (text title) (year of publication), author (author’s first & last name), (credentials of author), asserts that (the argument) and suggests (followed by the explanation of the sub-claims or resolution).
He/she proves this claim is right by doing the following: first, he/she _______; next, he/she ________; last, he/she ________.
(Author’s last name) seems to write in expectations of (state the purpose of the author’s writing) in order to (state the author’s aim)
Because of the author’s ________ tone, it seems as if he/she writes for a _______ and _______ audience.
In his/her (type of text) (title of text) (year of publication), (credentials of author) (fist and last name of author) asserts that (state the argument) by addressing ________, ________, and ________.
By giving the reader information about ________ and _______, (state the last name of the author) shapes his/her claims about ________.
(Name of author) wishes to show his/her readers the importance of (state the purpose of the author’s writing) so as to (state the author’s aim).
The audience of the author possibly consists of that have interests in _______ as evidenced in his/her references to _______ and _______; he/she addresses his/her readers with a _______ and _______tone.
(Credentials of the author), (first and last name of author), in his/her (type of text), (title of text), published in (info on the publishing), addresses the (state the topic of the text) and claims that (argument).
He/she supports this argument by ___________, then ___________, and finally ____________.
(State author’s last name) purpose is to (state the author’s purpose in writing) so as to (state the author’s aim).
He/she adopts a(n) __________ manner of tone for his/her readers of (state the details of the publication) and others that have interest in the topic of ______________.

Example of Rhetorical Precis

Let’s examine the rhetorical precis example below.

In her essay, titled “Plain Jane’s Progress” (1977), Dr. Sandra Gilbert advocates that Charlotte Brontë wrote in a such a way that the character, Jane Eyre, will bear striking resemblance to John Bunyan’s Pilgrim’s Progress. This is because of Jane’s pilgrimage through various events…(continue with thesis statement) She ascertains an official relationship with her audience which are literary scholars that are familiar with the work of Brontë, Bunyan, and Lord Byron. These literary scholars are also interested in feminist criticism and are fascinated and captivated by the feminist theory as it relates to Victorian literature (conclusion)

In the sample precis above, the name of the author, title of the essay, year of essay release, and power verb are all italicized. The precis then continues with the body and ends with the conclusion.

But how long should a precis be? There is no fixed number of words for a precis. It can be about 100-200 words or roughly one-fifth of the length of the original text.

So, What is a Critical Precis

A critical precis is an elucidative writing style that is similar in structure to an essay. This type of essay, however, contains a summary of another text. The write up gives an overview of the main ideas, arguments, and abstractions within the text. This text is summarized into a passage of considerably shorter length and provides insight into the thesis of the original author.

Now that you know the definition of precis and how to write a precis, you should have no problem writing an engaging article or book precis. You just need to choose good research sources . Make use of these tips and bring that A+ home! Best of luck!

Take a break from writing.

Top academic experts are here for you.

How To Write An Autobiography Guideline And Useful Advice
182 Best Classification Essay Topics To Learn And Write About
How To Manage Stress In College: Top Practical Tips
How To Write A Narrative Essay: Definition, Tips, And A Step-by-Step Guide
How To Write Article Review Like Professional
Great Problem Solution Essay Topics
Creating Best Stanford Roommate Essay
Costco Essay – Best Writing Guide
How To Quote A Dialogue
Wonderful Expository Essay Topics
Research Paper Topics For 2020
Interesting Persuasive Essay Topics

How to Write a Precis Step by Step?

19 June, 2020

14 minutes read

Author: Elizabeth Brown

Have difficulties writing a precis while submission deadline is approaching? Chill out and exhale - we know how to make your essay an eye-candy. William Shakespeare once wrote: “Brevity is the Soul of Wit”. While we all know this phrase, not everyone knows how to use the skill of conciseness in their writing. If you’re one of those who got into this trouble, there’s a way out. In this article, we’ll speak about the nature of precis essay, discuss its peculiarities, and learn how to compose a readable piece which everyone will adore.

What is a precis?

Precis comes from a French word “précis”, and is literally translated “as precise, clear, up to the point”. The precis meaning pertains to a summary of any writing piece, be it a book, an article, or a novel. What is typical for this unusual type of assignment is the outline of the main points and arguments presented in the given text. Any deep or critical analysis should not be provided in precis, but it should nevertheless objectively explain the situation narrated in this or that literary piece.

Mark Twain once said: “I didn’t have time to write a short letter, so I wrote a long one instead”. His claim hit the very essence of precis writing. For while it might seem easy to compose a short paper dedicated to the crystallization of story events, this is not the case with precis. It should be short, but at the same time, it might not be so easy and quick to write. Considering that precis is a type of summary, it should naturally be devoid of re-writing of the original text. Therefore, precis writing always involves critical reading and research.

Summary vs. Precis

We’ve already mentioned before that precis is basically a text summary. But in fact, there’s a fine line between the two terms. A summary is a brief statement that succinctly covers the main points of a given text. Whereas precis should have a title and be 1/3 of the total words in the original passage. Also, summary broadly discusses the main events in general, while precis focuses on every detail and deeply analyzes a particular situation. Let’s take an example to dispel your confusion on this matter. Imagine you’ve recently got a task to analyze the 2nd scene of the 1st act of Shakespeare’s play ‘Macbeth’. Which category would you classify this assignment to – summary or precis? You got it right if you chose the latter variant. This way, a precis can be defined as a brief form of an essay or a chapter in a book or an act in a play.

Precis Outline

The outline is one of the essential parts of precis writing. It allows to properly structure and organize the flow of ideas and helps to sequentially point out the main arguments of your precis. Before you start writing the outline, it’s important to boil down the list of possible topics to the main one. Then, you’ll need to decide on the purpose of your outline, which depends on the topic you chose to write about. For example, the outline can be written to entertain, reflect, or inform readers on this or that theme.

Another crucial step on the way to writing a perfect outline pertains to research. Read the material thoroughly, gather necessary information like quotes or facts. Then take notes, and assemble all the pieces together to start crafting an outline, taking some information here and there.

Once you’re done with this task, move down to brainstorming. This powerful practice of generating ideas might help you fix that genius thought that’s just spring to your mind. You can note down your brainstorm results in the form of random scribbles or create a mind map to build associations with the ideas. And in case some points don’t fit into your precis outline, you can always erase or cross them out. The next block of an outline is dedicated to thought arrangement. If you wonder how to structure an essay , remember to always formulate the information that’ll be included in the introduction, as well as in body paragraphs, and conclusion.

At the stage of finalizing, don’t forget to read your precis outline again and fill in the missing points if necessary. Also, proofread the outline before writing ideas on the assignment itself. That is, check it for typos, grammatical and spelling mistakes, and formatting errors.

How to start a precis?

For some, the phase of preparation for a precis is much harder than the process of writing it. Many questions are coming to mind at this point, like “Where do I start from?”, “What shall I do in the first place?”, “How much time do I need to prepare my precis?”. The formula to effective set-up is a proper study of the given text. At first, you’ll need to read the material. And not only do a skim-through but also make sure that you fully grasp the idea which the author conveys in the reading. For this, you’ll probably need to read the text several times. If this is a novel, you can read it twice, if it’s a short story – 3-5 times will be enough. Also, you can write down the meaning of unknown words if there are any.

While you’re reading, don’t forget to annotate your text. This process stands for underlining and highlighting focal information while making notes for yourself. Annotation comes at handy during the creation of précis, since it helps to latch onto the important text points and get familiarized with the material much faster.

How to write a precis paragraph?

Precis normally encompasses such information as author, article/book title, date of publishing, and topic in the very first sentence. Such a lead-in will briefly state what the book or novel’s idea is about. The second sentence should concentrate on the evidence that articulates the author’s method of telling their narrative. Here, you might want to dwell on several arguments, comparing and contrasting them, to illustrate the author’s point. In the third sentence, you’ll need to explain the purpose of the text. No need to invent another aim than the one you deem important: define the text’s meaning just the way you think, feel, or believe.

The main body usually expands the supporting arguments to explain the author’s evidence, purpose, and ideas. It often takes a short paragraph to write the main body. The conclusion part encapsulates the main author’s idea of a book in 2-3 sentences. There, you’ll need to restate the thesis statement and write a concise summary explaining the author’s type of evidence.

Precis Format

To wrap up the information mentioned above, let’s schematically define the typical format of a nicely-written precis.

In the introductory sentence:

Indicate the author’s name, article/book title, date of publishing in parenthesis, and topic you want to discuss.
A rhetorical verb outlining the author’s primary purpose (e.g., “assert,” “argue,” “deny,” “refute,” “prove,” disprove,” “explain”)
A that clause which includes the thesis statement of the book or novel

In the main body:

Write a sentence that provides clarification of how the author formulates and further explains the main point of the reading
Write a sentence wherein include a statement that reflects the author’s purpose. Use the “in order” phrase to develop this sentence.
Write a sentence with a description of the presumed audience and the depiction of connection which the author establishes with readers.

In the conclusion:

Present a finishing remark of 2-3 sentences to shed light on the author’s intended idea for the book or article
Give a 1-sentence restatement of the major claim which the author used to develop their evidence in the reading.

What are the four steps of precis?

Writing precis is an art in itself, which, as you can see, takes a healthy dose of time and effort.

Apart from that, there is a couple of steps and requirements you should comply with to create an A+ precis. So to make it easier for you not to get lost in a bunch of lengthy processes, let’s break them down for convenient and effortless navigation.

The first step of precis lies in studying the text. The second one – in structuring your précis. The third phase is dedicated to revision and proofreading. As for the fourth step, we’d like to share the best practices for writing a worthy precis to guide you in the right direction. First, always strive to consult with your instructor regarding the formatting requirements. These might be specific for a specific precis. Therefore, the format can depend greatly on the text lengths. For example, a precis for a short article will, as a rule, be 100-200 words long. Whereas long books require a precis that can expand to several pages.

Another proven practice of proper precis writing has to do with the style of composing it. The most typical mistake the majority makes is the incorrect tense usage. Specifically, past tense is not a rare occasion when it comes to writing a precis. However, it’s important to stick to the present tense so that the instructor could follow your text smoothly. Also, remember to ascribe your evidence to the author rather than to the book or article. For instance, write “Brown argues,” instead of “the book argues.”

Besides, you should avoid personal opinions of any kind, since they might distort your precis with excessive subjectivity. The very purpose of precis is to stay objective, so avoid making claims from your own perspective if you want to get positive comments from the instructor. Because ultimately, the approach of expressing personal thoughts might result in a lower grade for your precis.

How long should a precis be?

There’s no universal rule for a precis length, because it can vary significantly depending on the assignment. For example, your precis can range from 100-200 words when the given reading is an article to 2-3 pages if the assigned material is a big book. Whatever the length for your precis, it’s essential to take into account that it should be one-fifth to one-sixth of the original reading’s length. At any rate, you should ask your professor to give you length specifications, and only then start writing a precis.

How to Make Precis Writing Perfect?

A precis is a great way to show your writing skills to instructors and demonstrate the ability to think critically and logically. Besides, working on such task will allow you to develop a new skill of writing short summaries with accurate data and text details. Hence, the secret weapon of any successful precis is about following the qualities needed to make your precis unforgettable. Wonder which these are? They include clarity, correctness, objectivity, coherence, and conciseness. While all these attributes of a perfect precis exist in isolation, they are closely interconnected and aimed at helping you solve possible difficulties with regard to precis writing.

If your precis is clear, it means that your reader can fully comprehend the idea, meaning, and purpose of the author’s work. If your precis is correct, it means that it is devoid of spelling, grammar, and punctuation mistakes and is easy to digest. Also, it means that you’ve used all the facts, figures, and dates in a way proper to precis writing.

Objectivity here stands for the neutral voice of book or article summary, in which any opinion from the first person is omitted. Coherent precis pertains to the consequent interrelation of the main text’s ideas. This point is important because your readers will want to see the logical flow of concepts and notions without losing their interest while reading your precis. Finally, conciseness denotes the ability to state the ideas clearly while avoiding useless details in your precis. Of course, you should never abstain from facts, but keep yourself away from lengthy and vague expressions, repetitions, and generally-known expressions.

Long story short, writing a precis is quite a challenging task that involves different stages and requirements. It might seem easy in theory, but as you write, you’ll notice how complicated and time-consuming this process actually is. However, with the right level of preparation and enough knowledge of how to accurately organize the text, your precis will become a writing piece that your professor will definitely remember. So the next time you’ll experience hardships writing your own precis, follow our guide and learn how to compose a high-rated work which both your instructor and parents will compliment you for.

Feel free to buy essay online with our top-level essay writers .

A life lesson in Romeo and Juliet taught by death

Due to human nature, we draw conclusions only when life gives us a lesson since the experience of others is not so effective and powerful. Therefore, when analyzing and sorting out common problems we face, we may trace a parallel with well-known book characters or real historical figures. Moreover, we often compare our situations with […]

Ethical Research Paper Topics

Writing a research paper on ethics is not an easy task, especially if you do not possess excellent writing skills and do not like to contemplate controversial questions. But an ethics course is obligatory in all higher education institutions, and students have to look for a way out and be creative. When you find an […]

Art Research Paper Topics

Students obtaining degrees in fine art and art & design programs most commonly need to write a paper on art topics. However, this subject is becoming more popular in educational institutions for expanding students’ horizons. Thus, both groups of receivers of education: those who are into arts and those who only get acquainted with art […]

IMAGES

How to Write a Précis: Step by Step Guide with Examples
PPT
How to Write a Rhetorical Precis Your Professor Will Never Forget
Writing the Rhetorical Precis
6+ Rhetorical Precis Samples
6+ Rhetorical Precis Samples

VIDEO

Rhetorical Precis 1 overview and highlighting
How to Pronounce ''À cet instant précis'' (At this precise moment) Correctly in French
How to Pronounce ''Question rhétorique'' (Rhetorical question) Correctly in French
Rhetorical Precis Notes
to write rhetorical analysis, remember: context choices do slay #englishstudy #studyhelp
How to Pronounce ''À ce moment précis'' (At this very moment) Correctly in French

COMMENTS

How to pronounce PRÉCIS in English
How to pronounce PRÉCIS. How to say précis. Listen to the audio pronunciation in the Cambridge English Dictionary. Learn more.
PDF Rhetorical Précis
Rhetorical Précis - description and examples. In order to help us quickly and effectively describe the argument an author is making in a text, we can use a method of description called the rhetorical précis. Developed by Margaret Woodworth, 1. this method is designed to highlight key elements of the rhetorical situation and
PDF The Rhetorical Precis: Description and Examples
The rhetorical precis is a four sentence summary of an article that accurately and briefly represents the author's argument, method of development and support, purpose, and relationship to audience (which suggests tone). The sentences are: 1. Name of author, [optional: a phrase describing the author], genre and title of work,
PDF The Rhetorical Précis
The Rhetorical Précis Overview: In order to concisely describe the argument and context an author presents in a text, academic writers sometimes use a format called the rhetorical précis.. This form is a highly structured four‐sentence paragraph that highlights the essential rhetorical elements in any text.
Précis Definition and Examples
Updated on February 05, 2020. A précis is a brief summary of a book, article, speech, or other text . The basic characteristics of an effective précis are conciseness, clarity, completeness, unity, and coherence. According to Barun K. Mitra, Ph.D., in "Effective Technical Communication: A Guide for Scientists and Engineers," "The most ...
How to Write a Rhetorical Precis: Definition and Templates
Step 3: Body paragraphs. If you check any quality rhetorical precis example, you'll see that they always include at least 3 body paragraphs. In every paragraph, the author discusses one of the main points. These paragraphs are connected with transitions and end with statements that add to the central claim.
Breaking Down the Rhetorical Précis
The rhetorical precis assignment helps you to summarize a ten to twenty-five page article into five succinct, concise sentences which will allow you to remember the important points of the article. Writing a precis, a shorter version of an article annotation, for everything you read in all of your college classes will also help you keep track ...
Rhetorical Precis
A rhetorical precis is a useful writing exercise that introduces participants to basic rhetorical tools such as an author's purpose and tone. The rigid format allows the participant to focus on ...
PDF Writing'a'Summary'or'Rhetorical'Précis'to'Analyze'Nonfiction'Texts'
The$Writing$Center$ 6171$Helen$C.$White$Hall$ UW4Madison$ www.writing.wisc.edu/$ Writing'a'Summary'or'Rhetorical'Précis'to'Analyze'Nonfiction'Texts'
What is a rhetorical précis?
What is a rhetorical précis? A précis is a highly structured summary of a text, focusing on the text's argument and presentation. It is a type of academic writing presenting factual information only, without opinions of the précis writer. One way of organizing a précis is to write a four-sentence summary:
Critical précis
Critical précis. A critical précis, or sometimes rhetorical précis, is a short work written in an expository style similar to an essay. It summarises all the main ideas, arguments, and abstractions [1] from longer text. The purpose of a critical précis is to make the original author's thesis more accessible by allowing readers to skip non ...
Précis
A précis is a kind of academic summary. Specifically, it's a tightly focused summary of an argument expressed by a piece of academic writing, not necessarily a summary of the piece of writing that expresses the argument. The difference is important. An argument is the attempted demonstration of a claim (a thesis, or "the point," or the answer to a question) via a structure of reasoning.
The Rhetorical Precis
The Rhetorical Prncis 157 the choices other writers make if they are to learn that every written product is the result of one human being, in a specific time and place, choosing to say something, in a particular way, to other human beings, for some purpose. The rhetorical precis is so named because it acknowledges the rhetorical
PDF The Structure of A Rhetorical Précis
A rhetorical précis (pronounced pray-see) differs from a summary in that it is a less neutral, more analytical condensation of both the content and method of the original text. If you think of a summary as primarily a brief representation of what a text says, then you might think of the rhetorical précis as a brief representation of what a
Précis Definition & Meaning
The meaning of PRÉCIS is a concise summary of essential points, statements, or facts. How to use précis in a sentence.
How to Write a Precis: Definition, Guide, & Examples
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 ...
Rhetorical Precis
Looking at the rhetorical precis definition: A rhetorical precis is a concise and structured four-sentence paragraph summary that captures the essential elements of a written or spoken text. Rhetorical precis is a powerful tool that helps you break down and understand complex texts. It's like creating a condensed roadmap for the main ideas of ...
The Rhetorical Précis
The Rhetorical Précis. Overview: In order to concisely describe the argument and context an author presents in a text, academic writers sometimes use a format called the rhetorical précis. This form is a highly structured four-sentence paragraph that highlights the essential rhetorical elements in any text. The précis includes the name of ...
PDF Rhetorical Précis* Definition
Rhetorical Précis* Definition: The précis is a highly structured four sentence paragraph that records the essential elements of a unit of spoken or written discourse, including the name of the speaker/writer, the context of the delivery, the major assertion, the mode of development and/or support, the
Writing a Summary or Rhetorical Précis to Analyze Nonfiction Texts
Academic writers across all disciplines analyze texts. They summarize and critique published articles, evaluate papers' arguments, and reflect on essays. In order to do these things, they have to read complex texts carefully and understand them clearly. This page is about how you can read and analyze nonfiction texts. When you've read a text well,…
Rhetorical Precis
The first precis paragraph is the introduction. Here, you have the author's name, the text title, and the publishing date (in parentheses). Use power verbs to describe the author's work and how it relates to your thesis. Body. The subsequent precis paragraphs explain different sections of the original text.
How to Write a Precis Step by Step?
Indicate the author's name, article/book title, date of publishing in parenthesis, and topic you want to discuss. A rhetorical verb outlining the author's primary purpose (e.g., "assert," "argue," "deny," "refute," "prove," disprove," "explain") A that clause which includes the thesis statement of the book or novel.