Writing a Rhetorical Précis
The précis is a highly structured and stylized summary. The précis differs from a general summary in that it analyzes the content (the what) and the delivery (the how). Although précis are short, they are quite challenging.
The following outlines the information you should include in each of the parts; you will need to include the following each time you submit a précis. Please double space:
- Bibliographic information (MLA)
- Precis
- Reflection in which you talk about the rhetorical situation and argument. Discuss what you found interesting, vapid, entertaining, etc. Engage with the content and style in your reflection. Make connections, ask questions, challenge assumptions. Embrace the process!
Include a URL or web address to help readers locate your sources. MLA only requires the www. address, so eliminate all https:// when citing URLs. Be sure to left justify the first line and use a hanging indent (see paragraph, special) for second and subsequent lines of text in your citation.[unique_solution]
- Use the following format:
Pennycook, Gordon, and David Rand. “The Right Way to Fight Fake News.” The New York Times, 24 March 2020, www.nytimes.com/2020/03/24/opinion/fake-news-social-media.html. Accessed 24 March 2020.
- Précis:
Sentence 1:
Name of author, the genre and title of the work, date in parentheses (additional publishing information in parentheses or note), a rhetorically accurate verb (such as “asserts,” “argues,” “suggests,” “implies,” “claims,” etc.), and a THAT clause containing the major assertion (thesis statement) of the work. Optional: a phrase describing the author.
Sheridan Baker, in his essay “Attitudes” (1966), asserts that writers’ attitudes toward their subjects, their audiences, and themselves determine to a large extent the quality of their prose.
Sentence 2:
An explanation of how the author develops and/or supports the thesis, usually in chronological order.
Baker supports this assertion by showing examples of how inappropriate attitudes can make writing unclear, pompous, or boring, concluding that a good writer “will be respectful toward his audience, considerate toward his readers, and somehow amiable toward human failings” (58).
Sentence 3:
A statement of the author’s apparent purpose, followed by an “in order” phrase.
His purpose is to make his readers aware of the dangers of negative attitudes in order to help them become better writers.
Sentence 4:
A description of the intended audience and/or the relationship the author establishes with the audience, often by describing the tone of the work.
He establishes an informal relationship with his audience of college students who are interested in learning to write “with conviction” (55).
- Reflection
I first heard about the citizenship question on the census in my seminar on multiculturalism, and I was curious to see the way the New York Times would report on it. The Board’s tone and directness make me think that it is vigorously pushing against the citizenship question; they even call out the Supreme Court directly at the end of the article. The Court, which is conservative as of this moment, only has until June to decide whether or not to add the question. The Editorial Board knows this and this is why they are aggressively presenting their case to the Court (and to the public). I find it interesting how the NYT is able to use its power to influence readers, even Supreme Court Justices. The Justices most likely either read the NYT or will be told about the article by others who did read it. And that also makes me wonder how people will continue to perceive the newspaper, which already has a reputation for bias.