The word "precis" (pronounced "pre-see" /ˈpreɪsi/) is derived from the French word "précis" which means succinct or condensed. The spelling can be confusing for English speakers as the final letter "s" is silent. The word is commonly used in academic writing to describe a summary or brief overview of a text or article. When spelling the word correctly, it is important to remember that the accent is on the first syllable and the final "s" is not pronounced.
A precis is a summarized or condensed version of a written or spoken text that captures the essential or key points. It is a concise representation of the original source material, capturing the main ideas and omitting unnecessary details. The purpose of a precis is to provide a brief and clear overview of a longer piece of writing, allowing readers to quickly grasp the main concepts without having to read the entire text.
Typically, a precis consists of a single paragraph, with a specific structure that includes the title or author's name and a succinct summary of the text's central theme or thesis statement. It should avoid personal opinions or interpretations and present the facts objectively. The writing style of a precis is formal, focusing on clarity and brevity.
Precis writing is a valuable skill that helps readers develop a deeper understanding of complex texts by forcing them to distill the main ideas and critically analyze the content. It is commonly used in academic settings, such as literature reviews, research papers, and book summaries, as well as in professional and journalistic contexts. A well-crafted precis can serve as a useful reference tool, allowing individuals to review key information quickly or decide if they want to engage with the full text in more detail.
* The statistics data for these misspellings percentages are collected from over 15,411,110 spell check sessions on www.spellchecker.net from Jan 2010 - Jun 2012.
The word "precis" comes from the French language. It originated from the Old French word "précis" meaning "condensed" or "cut short". The verb "préciser" in French means "to make precise" or "to clarify". The term "précis" was first used in English in the late 18th century, referring to a concise summary or abstract of a text or document.