HOW TO SUMMARIZE

 

1.  Read your passage carefully. To ensure understanding read it again. If necessary, read it third time without writing anything.

2.  Write all important points or facts of original passage in order. It will work as framework or draft for your summary. Underline important words in the original passage and quit superfluous words.

3.  Keep your facts in order. It is suggested that put the facts in the same order in which they appear in the original passage. But it is not obligatory; you may reorder them in a way which you consider fit, if you think it improves logical sequence.

4.  Keeping aside the original passage and framework or draft in front, begin writing summary from your notes.

5.  Read framework or draft again. Note if anything is repeated. Adjust its length. Your précis should be of suggested length. Where there is no suggested length, generally about one-third (1/3) to one-fourth (1/4) of original passage is expected.

6.  Read original passage again to ensure that no important thing has been left out. Compare it with your framework or draft.

7.  Note that your précis has the same balance and proportion as original passage has. Otherwise your précis will not conform to the original passage.

8.  Make choice of words carefully. Avoid unnecessary adjectives and adverbs. Pay proper attention to important nouns and verbs which make your précis smaller and notable. Shun use of direct speech in your précis. As a rule, précis is written in indirect speech. Avoid figurative language; cross out all metaphors and similes. Redundancy and the use of ambiguous words often make précis vague.

9.  Let your précis be connected fully. All the important points should be interconnecting altogether in such a way as your précis exerts the impression of a continuous piece of prose which the original passage does.

10. Supply a title for it.  Keep it short and examine opening sentence and concluding sentence and sometimes mid-part of the passage for clue.

A SOLVED EXAMPLE

 Original Source Material: Perseverance is the very hinge of all virtues. On looking over the world, the cause of nine-tenths of the lamentable failures which occur in men’s undertakings and darken and degrade so much of their history, lies not in the want of talents, or the will to use them, but in the vacillating and desultory mode of using them, in flitting from object to object, in starting away at each little disgust, and thus applying the force which might conquer any one difficulty to a series of difficulties so large that no human force can conquer them. The smallest brook on earth by continuing to run has hollowed out for itself a considerable valley to flow in. Commend me therefore to the virtue of perseverance. Without it, all the rest are little better than fairy gold, which glitters in your purse, but when taken to market, proves to be slate or cinders.

                                                                                    (Carlyle)

Title  : Virtue of Perseverance.

Précis          : Perseverance is the noblest of all virtues. People meet with failures in life not because they lack talents but because they misapply them in conquering a host of difficulties at once rather than one by one. They are daunted by every little difficulty. Without perseverance, all the noble qualities of man run to seed.

 

PRECIS-WRITING

 

Précis means abstract, abridgement or summary. In this way, précis-writing means summarising. To make a précis of a passage is to select main points and as far as possible describe them obviously and briefly.

UTILITY OF PRECIS-WRITING

The object of a précis to enable the reader to get information of main points of a passage without going through it. It plays an important role in composition because it teaches you how to describe your ideas clearly, concisely and effectively. Like a mental discipline too, it is useful because it teaches how to distinguish between essential and superfluous; in other words, it develops sound judgement and accurate discrimination.

FUNDAMENTAL OF GOOD PRECIS

Often it can be asked what makes a good précis. Perhaps by counting all essential traits which target purity, you can answer it in the best way:

1.  A good précis should exhibit main points and exert a general impression. A précis which exhibits points without general impression of condensed passage is not much useful.

2.  A good précis should be fit to be read as a continuous piece of prose. It should not make an impact on the reader of being a series of disjointed sentences.

3.  A good précis should be lucid.  It should be presenting the elements of main passage in a simple language as clear as possible.

4.  A good précis should be precise and brief. Do away with all irrelevancies, quit all digressions deviating from the subject, and remove all useless explanations. Quit all examples, and remove all idioms and adages. As far as possible state main idea in least words.

5.  A good précis should not be sketchy. It should be complete in all respects. It should include all what is important in the original.

POINTS TO OBSERVE

The following points are necessary to observe:

1. Sensible shortening: Précis, which is a form of abstract, abridgement, condensation or epitomization, demands one-third (1/3) of nearby summary of a passage. Therefore limit your rendering to one-third.

2. Careful discrimination: Learn how to distinguish necessary from unnecessary, important from unimportant, petty details from the vital facts. Make sure that passage is understood because if your grasp of the text is insufficient, the selection of essentials will not be correct and your précis will be weak.

3.  Intelligent condensation:  Reduce, whenever possible:

(a) Clause to phrase; as: 

‘When the sun was setting in all its glory’ to

‘at sunset’

(b) Phrase to single word; as: 

‘in the not too distant future’ to 

‘soon’

(c) Clause to single word; as: 

‘A friend in whom one could place entire confidence’ to

‘A reliable friend’

(d) Conversation to its gist in indirect form; as: 

“I really do understand the problem”, Mona protested, “Surely you don’t doubt it? I can assure you that I know exactly what the difficulties are. I am perfectly aware of the complexities of the situation.” to

‘Mona protested that she understand the problem perfectly’

(e) Lists to one generic word; as: 

‘The tea-table was piled high with delicious-looking cakes, brightly-oozing jam tarts, dainty biscuits, sandwiches, and an abundance of most inviting macaroons.’ to

‘There was plenty of delicious food on the tea-table.’

(f) Direct Speech to Indirect Speech; as: 

Direct     : He said to the students, “Do not make a noise”. to

Indirect  : He forbade the students to make a noise.

But it is not always necessary; some passages are well condensed in direct speech.

4.  Clarity and continuity: Make your précis a piece of good, smooth and straightforward prose, not a rough and disjointed note. Lucidity is as essential as economy. It is not just quitting words and phrases in précis.  If there is deficiency of proportion, unity and clarity in your version, you have not succeeded in your work.

 

HOW TO WRITE A CHARACTER SKETCH

 

A character sketch can be written about any character in a story or a drama. It gives the reader a brief yet thorough review of all the characteristics of a particular character. When you write a character sketch, you are trying to introduce someone to reader. The character sketch ought to give an extensive account of all the traits that particular character has. The following are some guidelines for drafting a character sketch:

1.  Research about the Character: To make the reader able to visualize how your character will look, act, talk, and behave, it's crucial to establish their personality and physical characteristics in great depth. Write down the character's appearance, personality, feelings, and other aspects first. This will give you a rough concept of the key characteristics that need to be highlighted. Develop your character's back-story. Think about your character's overall emotions and feelings. It is important to include proof from the story to support what you are writing in the character sketch.

2.  Use short, clear sentences: The character sketch should help the reader easily form a visualization of the character when reading the sentences. Write every feature of the character’s personality, conduct and character in separate paragraph. Use words that help in the visualization of the character. Condense your character's personality into a few sentences. 

3.  Make a brief descriptive picture: The finest character sketches are specific and feature key characteristics. Pay attention to the character's physical and non-physical traits. The description needs to be concise, well-organized, and clear. Create a rough draft to begin with. You should proofread your character sketch to catch any possible inaccuracies. Determine the character's relationship to the story/drama, world, or main character. Fill in any other details that pop into your head. Character sketches only give snapshots of people; therefore, you should not try to write a history of the person.

Character sketch of Havildar Ishar Singh based on the story “The Battle of Saragarhi”

He was a great warrior: Although Afgan Pashtun outnumbered, he fought against the enemy bravely. He along with other 20 Sikh soldiers fought around 8 hours, without food and water. Even when they ran out of ammunition, they didn’t stop and ended in a hand-to-hand fight till their last breath.

He was an excellent organiser: He was known leading the regiment on a last stand against the 10-12,000 strong Pashtun tribesmen with only 20 other men at the Battle of Saragarhi. He called his garrison together for an emergency meeting when approximately 10,000 Pashtuns attacked Saragarhi. He convinced his soldiers to fight a hopeless battle.

He is a good decision maker, democratic and determined: He makes a decision quickly with consultation with his fellows and stands on unanimous decision even in the face of greatest danger to life. When the enemy was approaching, he consulted other soldiers whether to fight or flight. He put the matter to voting. When there was hand-to-hand fight, he quickly sent all others into the post and decided to face enemy alone outside.

He was a fearless person: To stop the enemy from reaching the forts, he and other soldiers decide to battle to the very end. After sustaining enough resistance, he was fighting but refused to surrender and fought to the death along with the rest. He displayed extraordinary bravery by instructing his soldiers to retreat into the inner layer while he continued to battle when there was hand-to-hand combat.

He was dedicated to his duty: He gave his all to the task at hand. According to reports, the Pashtun army commanders promised him and other soldiers anything in exchange for their surrender. The Pashtuns were trying to reach the other forts as they advanced, but he was undeterred and determined to fight until the very end.

He was a true patriot: In a brave hand-to-hand struggle against an impossibly large group of rifle-wielding tribesmen, Havildar Ishar Singh pulled his dagger, charged into the mob, and laid his life as a martyr. He died in battle field in order to save his country from enemy.