CSEET · Business Communication · Essentials of Good English
A company secretary is asked to condense a three-page board note into a one-paragraph summary for the directors. Which approach best reflects good précis-writing practice?
The best approach is to retain the main ideas in her own words, in a shorter form, without adding personal opinion. A good summary is concise, faithful to the original and objective, rather than a copy of sentences, a commentary or a list of every detail.
- ACopy the first few sentences of each page word for word
- BRetain the main ideas in her own words, in a shorter form, without adding personal opinionCorrect
- CAdd her own views so that the directors can judge the note better
- DKeep every example and statistic so that nothing is lost
Explanation
A précis (summary) reproduces the essential ideas of the original in fewer words, usually in the writer's own language and without personal comments. Copying sentences does not condense properly, and adding opinions or all examples defeats the purpose of brevity and objectivity.
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