Difference Between Summary and Precis

Thekey difference between summary and precisis that a precis consists of a heading and a title while a summary does not.

A summary is a concise version or a small description of all the main points of an article, while a precis is a small model of an article ora paragraphwith only the crucial points included. Before writing either a summary or a precis, it is important to read the original article thoroughly, make notes of the essential points to be included, and then add them up meaningfully without exceeding the required word limit.

CONTENTS

1.Overview and Key Difference
2.What is a Summary
3.What is a Precis
4.摘要和摘要in Tabular Form
5.Summary – Summary vs Precis

What is a Summary?

A summary is a simplified or short version of an article or a book. It briefly covers all the main points included in the original article and does not comprise the interpretation as originally mentioned in the article. However, it should not change the original perception in any way nor include judgment, ideas, or any kind of reaction to the original text other than those of the original writer. When writing a summary, one can use his/her own words and paraphrase the text. It does not have to be written in the same order as the original article or the book; the writer can even omit points if he or she feels them as unnecessary.

摘要的目的是简要为读者提供文章，章节或书籍的所有要点的集合，具有连贯性。根据文本的不同，摘要通常可以是一到三个段落，并且应该具有各种特征，主要是proper citationsand inclusion of main ideas. Other than these, a summary can also contain direct quotations if necessary.

What is a Precis?

A precis too is a shortened version of an article or a paragraph but with a suitable heading. Unlike a summary, a precis contains only the crucial points in the same order as the original text. In a precis also, it is important not to express opinions of the writer nor to interfere in any way with the original text. It should include the same meaning as well as the tone of the original work.

根据原始文章的长度，PRECIS可以在100-200个单词之间，通常可以缩短到原始文本长度的五分之一或六分之一。此外，重要的是要记住结束结论。

What is the Difference Between Summary and Precis?

A summary is a short description of all the main points in an article which can be written using one or two paragraphs, depending on the original text. Unlike a precis, it does not need to have a title or a conclusion. In fact, this is the key difference between summary and precis. One can write a summary using his/her own words, and it does not have to be in the same order as the original. A precis is different. It should have a heading and a conclusion and should convey the meaning, tone, and order of the original article precisely.

The following table summarizes the differences between summary and precis in tabular form.

Summary – Summary vs Precis

的关键差异een summary and precis is that a precis includes a title and a conclusion at the end. Unlike a summary, a precis contains only the essential points of the original article and is about one-fifth of the length of the original text.

Reference:

1. “Summary Composition” Thought.com

Image Courtesy:

1. “Summarized” Mphathi2009 - 自己的工作(CC BY-SA 4.0)via Commons Wikimedia