Reducing a Passage Without Turning It Into Opinion
A WBCHSE Class XII student is given this passage for a précis exercise: 'Handwriting is not merely a way to record words. When children form letters by hand, they slow down, and this slowness helps them notice spelling patterns, punctuation, and the shape of an argument. Typing encourages speed and revision, but it also encourages deletion before reflection. A 2014 study of university students found that those who took notes by hand recalled more concepts than those who typed, even though the typists recorded more words. The researchers did not conclude that typing is harmful; they concluded that the medium shapes attention. In an age of screens, schools should not abandon handwriting drills, but neither should they treat them as nostalgia. The goal is to match the tool to the thinking task.' The student writes: 'Handwriting is good. When children write by hand they slow down and notice spelling. A 2014 study found handwritten notes better. Typing is fast but bad. Schools should keep handwriting and not be nostalgic. The goal is to match tool to task.'
1. Write a précis of the passage in about 55 words.
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Handwriting slows children down, helping them notice spelling, punctuation, and argument. A 2014 study found that handwritten note-takers recalled more concepts than typists, though typists wrote more. The medium shapes attention rather than causing harm. Schools should keep handwriting drills without treating them as nostalgia, matching the tool to the thinking task.
2. Identify two sentences or phrases in the student's draft that must be changed, and explain why they are unsuitable for a précis.
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'Handwriting is good' must be removed: the passage does not make a moral judgement, and a précis should not introduce the writer's approval. 'Typing is fast but bad' must also be removed or rewritten: the passage says typing encourages speed and deletion before reflection, and it explicitly says the researchers did not conclude that typing is harmful. The student has converted a balanced claim into a verdict. A third problem is 'A 2014 study found handwritten notes better': the passage says handwritten note-takers recalled more concepts, not that handwriting is generally better. A précis must preserve proportion and avoid evaluative language.
3. Explain the difference between a summary and a précis as this exercise tests them.
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A summary may be selective: it can omit examples or minor points and can be longer, depending on purpose. A précis is a compact, proportional restatement of the whole passage in the writer's own words, usually with a strict word limit. It must retain the main argument and its qualifying points, not just the conclusion. In this passage, a summary could leave out the 2014 study; a précis should acknowledge it briefly because it supports the claim about attention. A précis also avoids first-person opinion, rhetorical questions, and new examples. The student's 'good' and 'bad' are summary-style judgements, not précis.