WHAT IS PRECIS?

Precis is a short piece of a writing that gives only the main facts or ideas about something
(Cambridge Dictionary, 2019). A précis is a way of summarizing in which the tone,
proportions, and meaning of the original text are maintained. A précis summarizes a
reading that you have completed. The length of a précis can vary greatly; it can be 100-200
words or approximately one-fifth to one-sixth of the length of the original reading
(Monmouth University, 2011).

WHAT IS ABSTRACT?
Abstract is a short form of a speech, article, book, etc., giving only the most important facts
or ideas (Cambridge Dictionary, 2019). An abstract summarizes, usually in one paragraph
of 300 words or less, the major aspects of the entire paper in a prescribed sequence that
includes: 1) the overall purpose of the study and the research problem(s) you investigated;
2) the basic design of the study; 3) major findings or trends found as a result of your
analysis; and, 4) a brief summary of your interpretations and conclusions (Clarion
University, 2009).

WHAT ARE THE STEPS IN WRITING A PRECIS AND

AN ABSTRACT?
HOW TO WRITE A PRÉCIS (Monmouth University, 2011)

⇒ Read the article or book multiple times.

⇒ Take notes on the key points of the reading and underline key sentences.

⇒ Compose an outline of the reading.

⇒ Using the outline and your notes, summarize each paragraph in the reading
into one to two sentences.
 ⇒ Combine the sentences into a logical format and create your own
paragraphs that mirror the work.

⇒ Review the précis and ensure that it has the same tone, proportions and
meaning of the original text.

HOW TO WRITE AN ABSTRACT (Carejo, 2013)

o Begin writing the abstract after you have finished writing your paper.
o Pick out the major objectives/hypotheses and conclusions from your
Introduction and Conclusion sections.
o Select key sentences and phrases from your Methods section.
o Identify the major results from your Results section.
o Now, arrange the sentences and phrases into a single paragraph in the
following sequence: Introduction, Methods, Results, and Conclusions.
o Make sure that this paragraph does not contain new information that is not
present in the paper, undefined abbreviations or group names, a discussion
of previous literature or reference citations, and unnecessary details about the
methods used
o Remove all extra information and then link your sentences to ensure that the
information flows well, preferably in the following order: purpose; basic
study design, methodology and techniques used; major findings; summary of
your interpretations, conclusions, and implications.
o Confirm that there is consistency between the information presented in the
abstract and in the paper.
o Ask a colleague to review your abstract and check if the purpose, aim,
methods, and conclusions of the study are clearly stated.
o Check to see if the final abstract meets the guidelines of the target journal
(word limit, type of abstract, recommended subheadings, etc.).
WHAT IS AN OUTLINE?
An outline is used to describe something, for example a new plan or idea, in a general way
without giving too many details (Cambridge Dictionary, 2019). It is a summary of a written
work and a preliminary account of a project (Merriam-Webster Dictionary, 2019) An
outline allows a writer to categorize the main points, to organize the paragraphs into an
order that makes sense, and to make sure that each paragraph/idea can be fully developed.
Essentially, an outline helps prevent a writer from getting stuck when performing the actual
writing of the essay. An outline provides a map of where to go with the essay. A well-
developed outline will show what the thesis of the essay is, what the main idea of each
body paragraph is, and the evidence/support that will be offered in each paragraph to
substantiate the main points. (Aims Community College, 2018)

WHAT ARE THE STEPS IN WRITING AN OUTLINE?

 Choose Your Topic and Establish Your Purpose. A lot of writers struggle to
define the initial focus for their paper. Trying to come up with a topic from a list of
possibilities is a difficult task, but understanding your essay’s larger purpose is just
as important. Having a goal or objective in mind will help you set guidelines and
limitations on what is appropriate content for your essay. What do you want your
readers to learn from reading your paper? What do you want them to understand
about your topic? These questions can help you focus your ideas around the specific
take-home messages you want to leave with your readers.
 Create A List Of Main Ideas. This is the brainstorming part of the writing process.
The goal here is to come up with a list of essential ideas that you are planning to
present in your article or essay. This step can be a list of arguments to answer a
question, a list of resources, or it could even include tips on how to do something.
No matter what the topic is, this step gives you a chance to get all of your ideas out
and have a list of possible topics that you can touch on in your essay.
 Organize Your Main Ideas. The goal of this step is to rearrange the list of ideas
that you came up with in Step 2, putting them in an order that will make sense to
you and the reader. There are many different strategies for organizing your ideas,
and these will vary depending on the type of essay you are writing. Some common
organizational structures are cause and effect, classification, chronological and
process. Once you have put your ideas in order, you’re well on your way to
developing the structure of your essay.
 Flush Out Your Main Points. After you have decided on the order of your main
points, you’ll want to add some relevant content to help support each main idea.
Your goal in this step is to expand upon your original ideas so that your reader has
a better understanding of each point. You can add more detail to each concept by
including examples, quotes, facts, theories or personal anecdotes. While this step
may seem tedious, it will make your drafting process much easier. You’ll save time
in the long run because your paper will be more logical and focused and your ideas
will be fully developed.
 Review and Adjust. Most people would think that after step four your outline is
done, but that is not the case. Writing is a repetitive process, and all good writers
continue to review and revise their essay until they feel it is the best it can possibly
be. The same goes for an outline; it should be like a roadmap that you use to direct
your essay exactly where you want it to go. Make sure that you’ve included all of
your ideas and established the connections between each of your main points.
CAN WE CONSIDER AN OUTLINE A HELPFUL
START OFF IN WRITING A PRECIS AND AN
ABSTRACT? PROVE/EXPLAIN YOUR POINT OR
ANSWER.
Yes, because in writing an abstract and precis, the broad will be narrowed down to
simple sentences that should be constructed efficiently to ensure the correctness of the text.
Outlining also helps minimize and summarize complicated texts due to the fact that you
will first gather ideas and construct them in the way that they should be written. Creating
an outline also ensures the validity since all concepts will be included in small portions
since the text should have the complete thought of the text. In summary, although outlining
may seem like a long process, it will make the writing process a much easier experience.
Once you have your outline completed, all the hard work is done. You’re ready to start
putting your ideas into full sentences and writing a logical, well-developed text.
REFERENCES:
Cambridge Dictionary. (2019). Precis. Retrieved from

https://dictionary.cambridge.org/us/dictionary/english/precis

Monmouth University. (2011). How to Write a Precis. Retrieved from

https://www.monmouth.edu/resources-for-writers/documents/how-to-write-a-precis.pdf/

Cambridge Dictionary. (2019). Abstract. Retrieved from

https://dictionary.cambridge.org/us/dictionary/english/abstract

Clarion University. (2009). Writing an Abstract. Retrieved from

https://libguides.usc.edu/writingguide/abstract

Carejo, C. (2013). 10 - Step Guide to Make Your Research Paper Abstract More Effective.

Retrieved from https://www.editage.com/insights/a-10-step-guide-to-make-your-

research-paper-abstract-more-effective

Cambridge Dictionary. (2019). Outline. Retrieved from

https://dictionary.cambridge.org/us/dictionary/english/outline

Merriam – Webster Dictionary. (2019). Outline. Retrieved from

https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/outline

Aims Community College. (2018). Online Writing Lab – Outline. Retrieved from

https://www.aims.edu/student/online-writing-lab/process/outline
Herzing University. (2019). 5 Steps To Create the Perfect Outline. Retrieved from

https://www.herzing.edu/blog/herzing/5-steps-create-perfect-outline