Precis Writing | SSC Banking UPSC CAT Grammar | BhashaLab
- Jul 30
- 11 min read
Updated: 6 days ago
Section 1 – What is Précis Writing and Why Should You Care?
Have you ever read a lengthy, dense 500-word editorial passage and tried to summarize it, only to end up copying lines from the middle or adding your own personal opinions? You are not alone! Précis Writing is one of the most rigorously evaluated descriptive tests in competitive examinations, where examiners penalize students heavily for sentence-lifting, exceeding word limits, or writing in the first person.
Précis Writing (pronounced pray-see) is the art of condensing a comprehensive, lengthy passage into its bare minimum core essentials while retaining its exact tone, logical development, primary argument, and objective viewpoint. A précis is a miniature mirror of the original text, typically structured strictly to one-third of the original word count.
💬 Précis writing is like compressing a large image file into a smaller JPEG – you reduce the file size dramatically, but the picture, colors, and subject remain exactly the same! You are not reviewing the image or adding new elements to it; you are simply presenting a clear, compact version of it.
Précis Writing carries substantial weight across major descriptive papers: UPSC Mains English Compulsory carries 1 long question (15–25 marks), State PSCs (MPSC, UPPSC, etc.) feature 10–20 marks, Bank Descriptive Exams (SBI PO / IBPS PO) test 10–15 marks, and Management Entrances (CAT / XAT) indirectly test these condensation skills in Para Summary items.
Section 2 – The Complete Breakdown
1. The Three-Step Reduction Method (Read, Extract, Draft)
Précis writing requires a disciplined mechanical process rather than random writing.
Step 1 (Read): Read the source text twice to capture its overarching macro-theme and logical flow.
Step 2 (Extract): Extract key argumentative pillars while crossing out redundant examples, anecdotes, and statistical data.
Step 3 (Draft): Draft the condensation in your own words while respecting the mandatory $1/3$ word count limit.
💬 प्रेसिस लिखने का एक पक्का नियम है: पहले पैसेज को दो बार शांत दिमाग से पढ़कर उसका पूरा ढांचा समझो (Read)। फिर उसमें से फालतू उदाहरणों और आंकड़ों को काटकर मुख्य विचारों को अलग कर लो (Extract)। अंत में, उन मुख्य विचारों को अपनी भाषा में एक तिहाई शब्दों में गूँथ लो (Draft)।
How to Identify
How to Identify (English) | कैसे पहचानें? (Hindi) |
1. Count the approximate words of the source passage and divide by 3 to set your target word limit. | 1. स्रोत पैसेज के कुल शब्दों का अनुमान लगाकर उसे 3 से भाग दें ताकि लक्ष्य शब्द सीमा तय हो सके। |
2. Eliminate all rhetorical questions, direct quotations, parenthetical jokes, and statistical digressions. | 2. सभी अलंकारिक प्रश्नों, सीधे उद्धरणों (Direct quotes) और आंकड़ों वाले ब्योरों को हटा दें। |
3. Connect the core logical nodes using smooth transition words (consequently, furthermore, thus). | 3. मुख्य तार्किक बिंदुओं को सुचारू ट्रांज़िशन शब्दों (consequently, thus) से आपस में जोड़ें। |
4. Verify that the draft captures the author's primary conclusion accurately. | 4. यह जाँचें कि ड्राफ्ट लेखक के मुख्य निष्कर्ष को पूरी ईमानदारी से बयान कर रहा है या नहीं। |
Quick Examples Table
Source Passage Element | Précis Handling Rule | Why? |
"As Thomas Jefferson famously stated in 1789, 'The tree of liberty...' "
| Summarize or Omit | Direct historical quotes waste word count; paraphrase the underlying claim if vital. |
"For example, in Delhi alone, vehicular congestion causes 400,000 lost man-hours daily."
| Omit Specific Data | City statistics are secondary examples; capture the broader theme of urban gridlock. |
"Therefore, decentralized municipal governance is imperative for urban survival."
| Retain as Core Node | This is the concluding resolution/thesis of the author and must be preserved. |
The #1 Exam Rule: Always write strictly in the third person (the author argues, it is asserted) and reported past/editorial tense, even if the original text uses first-person (I, we) addresses.
2. Synthesizing and Polishing the Draft
A professional précis must read as a unified, independent literary piece rather than a choppy mosaic of stitched-together sentences. Achieving internal cohesion requires transforming multiple disjointed arguments into a seamless, flowing paragraph.
💬 प्रेसिस ऐसा नहीं लगना चाहिए कि जैसे-तैसे कैंची से काटकर जोड़ दिया गया हो। वह एक स्वतंत्र और बहती हुई धारा की तरह दिखना चाहिए, जहाँ एक विचार से दूसरा विचार पूरी सहजता से जुड़ा हो।
How to Identify
How to Identify (English) | कैसे पहचानें? (Hindi) |
1. Replace long adjective clauses with single precise adjectives ("a policy that lacks foresight" "myopic policy"). | 1. लंबे उपवाक्यों (Clauses) की जगह सटीक विशेषणों का प्रयोग करें ("myopic policy")। |
2. Combine two short causal sentences into a single compound-complex sentence. | 2. दो छोटे वाक्यों को मिलाकर एक मजबूत और संयुक्त वाक्य बनाएँ। |
3. Ensure no central theme or structural pivot (However, Therefore) is lost in translation. | 3. यह सुनिश्चित करें कि कोई भी मुख्य मोड़ (However, Therefore) छूट न जाए। |
4. Give your précis a fitting, concise title if explicitly demanded by the exam instructions. | 4. यदि परीक्षा के निर्देशों में माँगा गया हो, तो प्रेसिस को एक छोटा और सटीक शीर्षक (Title) दें। |
Quick Examples Table
Wordy Source Construction | Condensed Précis Equivalent | Word Savings |
"Due to the fact that the government failed to implement timely policies..."
| "Because of delayed governmental policies..."
| Saved 4 words |
"The phenomenon of global climate change is something that affects every living creature on earth."
| "Global climate change affects all life forms."
| Saved 9 words |
The #1 Exam Rule: The title of a précis should be a concise 3–5 word conceptual summary of the entire passage, not a catchy or sensational newspaper headline.
Section 3 – The Exam Traps (Don't Fall for These)
Examiners penalize specific mechanical mistakes that students commit when rushing through descriptive papers. Avoid these 5 major traps:
⚠️ EXAM TRAP 1
What students think: A précis is made by simply copying the first sentence of every paragraph and stitching them together. Correct answer: Stitched first sentences result in a disjointed, incoherent summary; a true précis synthesizes the entire conceptual argument into fresh, condensed prose. Rule: Never engage in mechanical sentence-lifting. Seen in: UPSC Mains, State PSC Descriptive Papers [VERIFY]
⚠️ EXAM TRAP 2
What students think: You can add your own expert counter-arguments or modern data to "improve" the author's outdated passage. Correct answer: Injecting outside knowledge or personal opinions violates the absolute objectivity rule of précis writing. Rule: Restrict your content strictly to what is contained within the source text boundaries. Seen in: UPSC, Bank Descriptive Exams [VERIFY]
⚠️ EXAM TRAP 3
What students think: Keeping direct dialogue and quotation marks ("We shall overcome...") makes the précis look authentic. Correct answer: Direct quotes must be converted into indirect, reported speech (The speaker asserted that they would overcome...). Rule: Eliminate all quotation marks and direct speech registers. Seen in: State PSC Descriptive Papers [VERIFY]
⚠️ EXAM TRAP 4
What students think: Writing a précis that is only 50 words long for a 500-word passage is brilliant because "shorter is always better." Correct answer: Violating the word count rule (either making it too short or exceeding the limit) incurs heavy administrative negative marking. Rule: Adhere strictly to the target word count window . Seen in: UPSC Mains, Banking Descriptive [VERIFY]
⚠️ EXAM TRAP 5
What students think: You must retain all historical dates, proper nouns of minor cities, and specific personal names in your précis. Correct answer: Proper names and dates are secondary scaffolding; generalize specific data points into conceptual categories (e.g., replacing "Mumbai, Kolkata, and Chennai" with "major coastal metropolises"). Rule: Generalize specific data points into conceptual categories. Seen in: UPSC Mains, State PSC [VERIFY]
Section 4 – Solved Examples (Exam Style)
Q1. Source Passage (Approx. 210 words):
"Democracy is frequently praised as the most resilient form of political organization, yet it harbors an internal vulnerability that modern technocratic governance struggles to manage. In a populist electoral ecosystem, long-term structural reforms – such as ecological taxation, pension restructuring, or fiscal consolidation – are routinely sacrificed at the altar of short-term electoral gratification. Politicians, incentivized by the next election cycle rather than the next generation, pander to immediate public anxieties while kicking intractable structural crises down the road. Furthermore, the exponential proliferation of unverified digital media has weaponized misinformation, polarizing the electorate into hermetically sealed echo chambers where objective policy debate is replaced by visceral tribalism. Consequently, the civic consensus required for deliberative democracy is fragmenting. To survive this institutional decay, democratic states must innovate beyond traditional ballot-box majoritarianism. This requires embedding insulated, expert-led deliberative bodies – such as citizens' assemblies and independent fiscal councils – into the legislative architecture. These bodies can deliberate on generational challenges without immediate electoral anxiety, thereby reconciling popular sovereignty with long-term institutional rationality."
Task: Write a précis of the passage above in approximately 70 words, giving it a suitable title.
Title: Reconciling Democracy with Long-Term Governance
Précis Draft: Modern democracies face systemic decay due to electoral populism, where politicians prioritize short-term gains over vital long-term structural reforms. Additionally, digital misinformation polarizes the electorate, eroding civic consensus. To overcome this vulnerability and survive institutional decay, democratic states must integrate insulated, expert-led deliberative bodies into their legislative frameworks. This structural reform reconciles popular majoritarianism with long-term planning, ensuring survival against generational crises. (68 words)
Explanation (English): The source text is 210 words long, making the target $1/3$ word count approximately 70 words. The draft condenses the core problem (populism + misinformation) and the proposed solution (expert deliberative bodies) into fresh prose without using direct quotes, first-person pronouns, or outside commentary. समझाएं (Hindi – Std 8 level): यह स्रोत पैसेज लगभग 210 शब्दों का है, इसलिए 1/3 नियम के अनुसार हमारा लक्ष्य 70 शब्द था। ड्राफ्ट में बिना किसी बाहरी जानकारी या फर्स्ट-पर्सन ('I/We') का प्रयोग किए पूरी बात को अपनी सरल भाषा में 68 शब्दों में समेट दिया गया है। Rule tested: Section 02, Sub-Topic 1 (Reduction & Third-Person Shift).
Q2. Source Passage (Approx. 90 words):
"The rapid expansion of artificial intelligence in corporate workplaces has sparked intense debates regarding job displacement. While technophiles argue that automation eliminates mundane administrative burdens, labor economists caution that millions of routine clerical and manufacturing jobs are at immediate risk of permanent obsolescence. Governments must proactively implement robust social safety nets, universal basic income trials, and massive state-sponsored reskilling initiatives to prevent widespread societal upheaval."
Task: Summarize in approximately 30 words.
Title: Addressing AI Job Displacement
Précis Draft: AI workplace expansion threatens routine jobs with permanent obsolescence despite eliminating mundane tasks. To prevent societal upheaval, governments must urgently establish safety nets and state-sponsored reskilling programs. (27 words)
Explanation (English): The draft reduces 90 words to 27 words (fitting the target count). It strips away secondary descriptions and condenses the threat of obsolescence alongside the government's required policy response. समझाएं (Hindi – Std 8 level): 90 शब्दों के इस छोटे पैराग्राफ को 27 शब्दों में समेटा गया है। इसमें तकनीक के नुकसान और सरकार द्वारा किए जाने वाले सुरक्षा उपायों को बिना फालतू शब्दों के साफ-साफ लिखा गया है। Rule tested: Section 02, Sub-Topic 2 (Synthesizing & Clause Reduction).
Section 5 – Common Errors Indian Students Make
ERROR TYPE: Mechanical Sentence Lifting
❌ Wrong: Copying sentences 2, 5, and 9 directly from the source text and pasting them together.
✅ Correct: Synthesizing the underlying ideas into an entirely rewritten, condensed paragraph. Why: Sentence lifting results in a disjointed collage rather than a coherent précis. Examiners instantly penalize direct copy-pasting.
💬 Hindi: मूल पाठ से सीधे तीन-चार लाइनें उठाकर उन्हें जोड़कर प्रेसिस बना देना। यह सबसे बड़ी गलती है; इसे अपनी भाषा में लिखना अनिवार्य है। Seen in: UPSC Mains, State PSC [VERIFY]
ERROR TYPE: Violating the Third-Person Constraint
❌ Wrong: Writing: 'As we observed in the passage, our society faces severe moral corruption...'
✅ Correct: Writing: 'The author argues that contemporary society faces severe moral corruption...' Why: Précis writing strictly demands a third-person objective register. First-person pronouns (I, we, our) are strictly forbidden.
💬 Hindi: 'हम' या 'हमारे' (First Person) का इस्तेमाल करके लिखना, जबकि प्रेसिस हमेशा Third Person (The author, it, they) में लिखा जाना चाहिए। Seen in: UPSC, Bank Descriptive [VERIFY]
ERROR TYPE: Including Personal Commentary or Critiques
❌ Wrong: Concluding the précis with: 'However, the author's solution is naive and would never work in India.'
✅ Correct: Reporting the author's proposed solution objectively without editorializing. Why: A précis is a summary, not an opinion column or review essay. Injecting personal critique breaks objectivity.
💬 Hindi: प्रेसिस के अंत में अपनी तरफ से यह लिख देना कि 'लेखक की यह बात गलत है।' प्रेसिस में समीक्षा या आलोचना की कोई गुंजाइश नहीं होती। Seen in: UPSC Mains, State PSC [VERIFY]
ERROR TYPE: Extreme Word Count Violations
❌ Wrong: Writing a 180-word précis for a 300-word passage (failing to achieve reduction).
✅ Correct: Maintaining strict adherence to the target word count window (approx. 90–110 words). Why: Exceeding word count limits signals an inability to distill information and triggers administrative penalty marks. 💬 Hindi: शब्द सीमा का ध्यान न रखना और बहुत लंबा या बहुत छोटा प्रेसिस लिख देना, जिससे अंक कट जाते हैं। Seen in: UPSC, State PSC Descriptive [VERIFY]
ERROR TYPE: Retaining Direct Speech and Quotations
❌ Wrong: Writing: The minister declared, "We will not tolerate corruption in public administration."
✅ Correct: Writing: The minister asserted that corruption in public administration would not be tolerated. Why: Précis writing requires transforming direct speech registers into indirect reported speech. 💬 Hindi: सीधे संवाद (Direct Quotes) को वैसे का वैसा लिख देना। इन्हें हमेशा Indirect/Reported Speech में बदलना चाहिए। Seen in: State PSC Descriptive Papers [VERIFY]
Section 6 – Previous Year Questions – Test Yourself
These exercises are modeled directly on official descriptive examination papers. Try condensing each source passage before reading the solution.
Source Passage (Approx. 300 words):
"Education is universally acknowledged as the primary engine of social mobility and economic emancipation in developing nations. Yet, educational systems across the global South remain severely hobbled by an obsolete, industrial-era paradigm that prioritizes rote memorization over critical thinking, emotional intelligence, and technological adaptability. Schools function less as incubators of innovative intellect and more as compliance factories designed to churn out credentialed workers for an economy that is rapidly being revolutionized by automation. Furthermore, deep-seated structural inequities ensure that marginalized rural communities and low-income urban strata are relegated to under-resourced public schools bereft of digital infrastructure, qualified pedagogues, or experiential learning tools. This widening digital and pedagogical divide creates a two-tiered society where privileged elites master advanced cognitive skills while disadvantaged youth are locked out of the knowledge economy. Addressing this monumental crisis requires more than incremental budgetary tokenism; it demands a radical overhaul of curriculum frameworks, decentralized teacher training programs, and universal access to digital public infrastructure. Governments must transition from standardized testing models toward competency-based, inquiry-driven education. Only by democratizing access to high-quality, future-ready learning can nations convert their demographic dividends into sustainable engines of inclusive prosperity and equitable human development."
Task: Condense the passage to one-third of its length (~100 words) and provide a suitable title.
Title: Educational Reform for Inclusive Growth
Précis Draft: Developing nations' educational systems remain crippled by an obsolete industrial model focused on rote memorization rather than critical skills, creating compliance workers rather than innovators. Additionally, severe structural inequalities deny marginalized communities access to digital and pedagogical resources, deepening societal division. Solving this crisis requires moving beyond token budgets toward a radical curriculum overhaul, decentralized teacher training, and universal digital access. Ultimately, nations must adopt competency-based education to transform their demographic potential into sustainable, inclusive human development. (91 words)
Explanation (English): The original passage is ~300 words long, establishing a target limit of ~100 words. The draft generalizes specific criticisms into key themes: outdated models, structural inequality, and necessary systemic reforms. It maintains a strict third-person reported tone throughout. समझाएं (Hindi – Std 8 level): 300 शब्दों के इस लेख को 91 शब्दों में समेटा गया है। इसमें पुरानी शिक्षा प्रणाली की कमियों, सामाजिक असमानता और जरूरी सुधारों (जैसे डिजिटल एक्सेस और नया पाठ्यक्रम) को अपनी भाषा में लिखा गया है।
Section 7 – Practice Worksheet
Test your understanding right now with our interactive practice module! This worksheet contains 20 exam-style questions spanning Foundation, Intermediate, and Advanced difficulty levels, complete with instant answer checking and detailed explanations.
[PRACTICE WORKSHEET WILL BE EMBEDDED HERE]
Section 8 – Exam-wise Quick Strategy
SSC (CGL / CHSL / MTS)
Focus on direct single-paragraph summaries and basic clause reductions. Maintain strict adherence to third-person grammar and eliminate descriptive adjectives. Target completing the précis draft within 15 minutes.
Banking (IBPS PO / SBI PO / Clerk)
Prioritize abstracting financial trends, corporate policies, and regulatory conclusions. Omit specific statistics, raw balance sheet numbers, and company names. Target 15–20 minutes for drafting and word counting.
UPSC / State PSCs
Focus on formal administrative registers, editorial policy nuances, and strict grid-box word count management. Ensure zero external commentary, eliminate all direct quotes, and write a concise 3–5 word conceptual title. Allocate 25–30 minutes for reading, rough drafting, and clean writing.
Defence / Railways / State PSC
Focus on clear narrative condensation and reported speech conversion. Double-check that your word count falls strictly within the range. Target 20 minutes per question.
For the complete exam-wise strategy guide, download our full PDF notes on this topic – link below.
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