Skimming Keyword Extraction in Précis WritingSkimming Keyword Extraction in Précis Writing

Skimming is a rapid reading strategy meant to give a bird’s-eye view of the text before detailed analysis.

• Topic Sentence Extraction: Focus primarily on the first and last sentences of paragraphs where authors typically state and summarize their primary arguments.
• Ignoring Elaborative Details: Deliberately bypass statistical minutiae, illustrative anecdotes, rhetorical flourishes, and parenthetical digressions during skimming.
• Identification of Core Legal/Administrative Entities: Highlight statutory bodies, constitutional articles (e.g., Article 226, 21), court judgments, and policy mandates that anchor the text.
• Thematic Synthesis: Combine scattered sub-arguments into a unified central theme statement that dictates the trajectory of the ensuing précis.

Maintaining exact length limits and absolute neutrality separates top-scoring candidates in high court examinations.

• One-Third Length Rule: The final précis must strictly adhere to 33% (one-third) of the source word count. If the passage has 300 words, the précis must be around 100 words.
• Elimination of Redundancy: Replace lengthy descriptive phrases with single compact administrative terms (e.g., substitute 'steps taken for the welfare of impoverished citizens' with 'welfare measures').
• Ban on Personal Opinions: Never use phrases like 'In my opinion', 'I believe', or add external critiques. Reflect only the author’s exact viewpoint with complete objectivity.
• Indirect Speech & Third Person Convention: Write exclusively in the third person ('The author states that...', 'The judgment emphasizes...') avoiding direct quotes or first/second-person pronouns.

A precise title acts as the umbrella under which the entire summary operates, while logical flow maintains readability.

• Nature of a Good Title: The title must be brief (3 to 6 words), punchy, and encapsulate the absolute essence of the passage without being overly broad or cryptic.
• Preserving Logical Flow: Ensure smooth transitions between sentences using subtle conjunctions (therefore, consequently, however) reflecting the original author's sequence of thought.
• Avoidance of Questions as Titles: Titles should never be framed as interrogative questions (e.g., 'Is Justice Delayed?'); instead, use declarative noun phrases ('Causes of Judicial Delay').