A précis should consist of these six elements:
(1) a statement of the thesis or main points of the reading;
(2) a summary of the arguments and evidence the author uses to establish the
thesis;
(3) a critique of the thesis and arguments (critiques can be positive, negative or a
mixture of both);
(4) a statement of your own position with respect to the topic;
(5) a statement of the most important thing you learned from the reading; and
(6) a list of questions that remains uppermost in your mind.
A précis should be in essay form. It should not be less than 600 words.There are approximately 300 words per page. It should be stapled, typed, and double-spaced. Margins should be at least one inch on all sides, the font/type-size should be between 10–12 point font, and each page should be labeled in the upper right corner with your full name, précis number, and a consecutive page number (e.g., Jane Smith, Précis 1, Page 1).
