Comprehension and Precis Writing
What is being assessed
Comprehension questions test whether you can locate explicit information, infer unstated meaning, recognise the writer's tone and purpose, and explain vocabulary in context. Precis writing tests a different skill: compressing a passage to roughly one-third of its length while preserving the central argument, without adding opinion or example.
The concepts to master are: main idea versus supporting detail, topic sentences, inference versus literal statement, connotation, and the mechanics of a precis (a title, a continuous paragraph in reported third person, no quotation, no first-person comment).
Traps that appear in questions
- Copying sentences. A precis that lifts phrases verbatim is not a precis; it must be rewritten in your own words.
- Losing the argument. Candidates delete the conclusion along with the examples. Keep the claim; discard the illustration.
- Answering beyond the passage. In comprehension, an inference must be supported by textual clues, not by your general knowledge.
- Ignoring the question word. Why, how, and in what sense demand different shapes of answer.
- Exceeding the word limit. Count your words; examiners do.
Worked example
Passage sentence: "Although rural electrification has expanded rapidly over the past decade, many households still cannot afford the appliances that would make electricity useful, so the benefits remain uneven."
A comprehension question "Why are the benefits uneven?" is answered: because expansion has not been matched by affordability of appliances. A precis version might read: "Rapid rural electrification has not produced equal benefits, since many households cannot afford the appliances that make power useful." The contrast and the cause are retained; the time phrase and rhetorical padding are removed.
Rule of thumb
After drafting a precis, read only your draft. If a reader who has not seen the original can state the author's main point and two supporting reasons, the precis works.