Summarising

    Summary is a shortened version of a
letter, a passage, a report, an article, a chapter or a book. Summarising is a
writing skill. It is very useful in education and other fields. Generally,
there are two kinds of summary:

1) Abstract
: When a summary is written only to give the reader an idea of what a book
or an article is about, it is called an Abstract. It is very brief. It is tenth
of the original.

2) Precis
: When a summary covers the main points of the
original text to give the reader a comprehensive understanding of the piece
without having to read it, it is called précis. It is one third of the
original. 

The Skills Required for Precis/Summarising:

a) Reading and Understanding

b) Analysing

c) Selecting Important
Points

d) Using Note-making Skills

e) Ability to Rewrite

Steps in Writing a Summary:

a) Scanning: Scanning means reading a text carefully. Writing a summary should
start with a scanning. The reader should make a close reading of the text to
understand each and every word and sentence in it.

b) Skimming: Skimming means reading a text apparently just to understand its subject.
Scanning should be followed by Skimming especially when the text or article is
very difficult and complex.

c) Identify the Subject: The next step is to identify the subject of the passage, its main
points and sub-points.

d) Main
points and subpoints should be put down in    proper order in the form of notes.  

e) Preparation
of Rough Draft

f)  Preparation
of Fair Draft.

Exercise – 1:

Read the passage given below and write its summary.

      One day,
Pahom was sitting at home, when a peasant passing through the village, happened
to call in. he was allowed to stay the night, and supper was given him. Pahom
had a talk with this peasant and asked him where he came from. The stranger
answered that he came from beyond the Volga, where he had been working. One
word led to another, and the man went on to say that many people were settling
in those parts. He told how some people from his village had settled there.
They had joined the Commune, and had had twenty-five acres per man granted
them. The land was so good, he said, that the rye sown on it grew as high as a
horse, and so thick that five cuts of a sickle made a sheaf. One peasant, he
said, had brought nothing with him but his bare hands, and now he had six
horses and two cows of his own. (Total
Words: 160)

Rough Draft

        Once, a peasant visited Pahom when he was sitting at home. He stayed and
took supper at Pahom’s home  at night. Pahom asked him where he came
from. He answered that he came from beyond the Volga. The man told him 
that many people were settling in those parts. He told how some people from his
village had settled there. They had joined the Commune to obtain twenty-five
acres of land per man. The land was so good that the rye sown on it grew as
high as a horse. It was so thick that five cuts of a sickle made a sheaf. One
peasant had nothing. Now, he had his own six horses and two cows. (Total
Words: 117)

Fair Draft

       Once, a
peasant spent a night at Pahom’s house. He informed that he came from beyond
the Volga. Many people including some of his villagers had settled there. The
Commune had given each twenty-five acres fertile land. The rye in it was high
and thick. One peasant had nothing earlier. Now, he had many horses and
cows. (Total Words:
57)