Page 295 - DENG201_ENGLISH_II

Unit 22: Precis Writing from Seen and Unseen Passages

Clergyman : a Christian priest Notes
Baptize : to perform the Christian religious ceremony in which a person is
touched or covered with water to make him pure and show that lie
has been accepted as a member of the church
Preach : to make known (a particular religion and/or its teachings) by
speaking in public
Points for Precis making
1. Money-making is not the chief object of the well-educated, intellectual, or brave men.
2. A noble soldier fights bravely; to him, pay is of secondary importance.
3. A clergyman cares more for the welfare of the humanity than for his pay.
4. A sincere doctor desires to cure his patient far more than to get his fee.
5. Thus, for all cultured men, their duty comes first, their fee second.
Precis
Money-making is not the sole object of the well-educated, intellectual, or brave men. A brave soldier’s
main notion of life is to fight to win battles, not to he paid for winning them. A noble clergyman is
concerned more with the welfare of the humanity than his pay. A good doctor desires far more to
cure his patient than to get his fee. Thus, for all cultured people, their duty comes first, then their fee.
(75 words)
Title
1. Duty First, Fee Afterwards
2. Role of Money
Example: 2
From time immemorial, the weak have always suffered at the hands of the strong. Their pleas for
justice and equality have been ignored time and again because the ruling principle in the world since
the dawn of history has been ‘Might is Right’. This is being followed in the world of today also where
the have-nots are always at the mercy of the haves; the underdeveloped and developing countries
look askance at the highly developed and industrialised countries; the poor beseech, the rich to give
them equal Opportunities, and the Blacks suffer untold miseries and humiliations in South Africa
simply because of their complexion. The weak are herded like sheep and used as tools in the hands of
the strong to serve the latter’s ends whether it be in politics, economics, warfare or social transactions.
The adage that the meek shall inherit the earth is still a far cry in the advanced world of today because
it still belongs to the strong and the mighty. The two superpowers, Russia and America, are keeping
the world on the edge of precipice by their warlike postures and nuclear armament. The Big Five have
the power of veto in the United Nations to turn down any resolution supported by a majority of the
weak or the third world countries. The weak always go to the wall. (225 words)
Key-words
Immemorial : beyond memory or record
Pleas : appeals, entreaties
Ignore : disregard, refuse to take notice of
Look askance : view suspiciously
Beseech : entreat
Herded : treated, driven
Transactions : dealings
Adage : proverb
Meek : humble
On the edge of precipice : on the verge of ruin
Go to the wall : to fail, to be defeated

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