“Since brevity is the soul of wit, I will be brief”.
william shakespeare
Necessity or Importance:-
Precis writing is very essential in the modern world. Business executives, politicians and government officials have little time to go through the lengthy reports, information, documents and letters and applications.
How to shorten the Passage
1. This is the story of Gandhiji’s life written by himself.
ØThis is Gandhiji’s autobiography.
2. The man could neither read or write.
ØThe man was illiterate.
3. He went to the shop and bought three kilos of sugar, a bottle of jam, one kilo of gram, two packets of biscuit and a litre of mustard oil.
ØHe bought some groceries.
4. Our principal is a person who makes others obey his order.
ØOur principal is a disciplinarian.
5. One can achieve success if he works hard and try again and again.
ØOne can achive success by perserverence.
6. To put off till tomorrow what can be done to day will certainly hinder your progress.
ØProcrastination will certainly hinder your progress.
7. When he was not quite old, he did not believe the existence of God.
ØIn youth, he was an atheist.
8. The aticle she wrote for the magazine is of dubious and indefinite meaning .
ØHer article is ambiguous.
9. The speaker said that the government which is of the people, by the people and for the people is the best.
ØThe speaker said that democracy is the best form of government.
10. Glass is a substance through which all objects can be seen.
ØGlass is transparent.
Passage-1
Speech is a great blessing, but it can also be a great curse, for, while it helps yours to make our intentions and desires known to our fellows, it can also, if we use it carelessly, make our attitude completely misunderstood. A slip of the tongue, and the use of an unusual or an ambiguous word, and so on may create an enemy where we had hoped to win a friend. Again, different classes of people use different vocabularies, and the ordinary speech of an educated man may strike an uneducated Listener as showing pride, unwittingly we may use a word which bears a different meaning for our listeners from what it does to men of our own class. Thus speech is not a gift to use lightly without thought, but one which demands carefully handling, only fool will Express himself alike to all kinds and conditions of men.
Noting down important points:-
1. Speech is a great blessing.
2. It can also be a curse.
3. If we use the speech carelessly, it may cause misunderstanding.
4. The use of an unusual word may create enemy.
5. Different classes of people use different vocabularies.
6. The speech of an educated man may seem to be full of pride to an uneducated man.
7. Speech shouldnot be used lightly as it demands careful handling.
Careful use of Speech
Speech is a valuable gift but it can sometimes be harmful and cause misunderstanding if used carelessly. The whimsical use of words may create an enemy. Since different ranks of people use different words under various contexts and situations. We must exercise care and caution in our speech to avoid misinterpretation.