How to Write a Précis is designed to teach students how to read and comprehend a text, and then reduce its length without omitting the essential details or radically altering the style of the original. It contains theoretical background, practical step-by-step instructions on how to write a précis, sample précis, and a variety of exercises. Also included are sections on popularizing and abstracting.
Its tightly organized structure and straightforward, direct style make How to Write a Précis the ideal text for students and teachers of translation, of English as a second language, and of all types of English Composition. It is intended for use in universities, community colleges, high schools, and in adult education. The exercises have been carefully chosen and organized so as to provide optimum hands-on learning experience for the reader; they vary in difficulty, so that the teacher may select those that suit the level of proficiency and the special interests of a particular group of students.
Author(s): Pamela Russell
Publisher: University of Ottawa Press
Year: 1988
Language: English
Pages: 76
Tags: Abstracting;Abstracting -- Problems, exercises, etc
Cover......Page 1
TABLE OF CONTENTS......Page 6
PREFACE......Page 10
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS......Page 12
INTRODUCTION......Page 14
PART ONE......Page 16
TYPES OF SUMMARIES......Page 18
HISTORICAL BACKGROUND......Page 22
PRÉCIS-WRITING AND LANGUAGE TEACHING......Page 23
PRÉCIS-WRITING AND TRANSLATOR TRAINING......Page 24
BEYOND THE TRADITIONAL PRÉCIS: VARIATIONS OF SUMMARY-WRITING EXERCISES......Page 25
A FIVE-STEP APPROACH......Page 28
APPLYING THE PRÉCIS-WRITING PROCESS: A SAMPLE PRÉCIS......Page 30
METHODS OF SHORTENING......Page 34
REPORTING SPEECH......Page 35
ADHERING TO A PRESCRIBED LENGTH......Page 36
APPENDIX I: Evaluating the Précis: Guidelines for the Teacher......Page 38
APPENDIX II: A Proposed Writing Skills Program for Translators......Page 40
BIBLIOGRAPHY......Page 42
PART TWO......Page 44
Introduction to Part Two......Page 46
Exercises 1-8......Page 48
Exercises 9, 10......Page 54
Exercises 11-16......Page 58
Exercises 17, 18......Page 62
Exercises 19-31......Page 64
SECTION 6 Summarizing Spoken Texts......Page 74
Exercises 32-34......Page 75
SECTION 7 Interlingual Précis-Writing......Page 80
Exercises 35-37......Page 82
SECTION 8 Popularization-Summaries......Page 84
Exercises 38, 39......Page 85
SECTION 9 Abstracting......Page 88
Exercise 40......Page 89
