Precis Writing and Composition Guide for CSS and PMS

ENGLISH PRECIS & COMPOSITION

A step-by-step guide to precis writing, comprehension, grammar, vocabulary and translation. Last reviewed: 15 October 2026.

The English Precis and Composition paper rewards accuracy, concision and careful reading more than fancy language. This guide explains how to prepare for each skill, with original examples and exercises. General study advice is kept separate from the official paper format, which you should always confirm from the commission's own notice.

Your learning path

1. Know the paper format (official FPSC sections and marks)
2. Learn the précis method, then study the worked example
3. Learn the rules: comprehension, grammar, sentence correction, pairs of words, translation
4. Practise with answer keys: précis passages, sentence correction, pairs of words, translation
5. Review your work with the self-review checklist and set a weekly routine

What the official FPSC syllabus lists

The published FPSC syllabus for the CSS examination lists English (Precis and Composition) as a compulsory 100-mark paper in Part A. Its sections, as published, are:

Part	Section	Marks
I	Precis writing (15 marks for the precis and 5 for a suggested title)	20
II	Reading comprehension (one passage with five questions)	20
III	Grammar and vocabulary	20
IV	Sentence correction	10
V	Grouping of words	10
VI	Pairs of words	10
VII	Translation of Urdu sentences into English	10

Read the full text in the official FPSC syllabus (PDF) and check fpsc.gov.pk for the latest notices. This table applies to the FPSC CSS syllabus; for PMS, PPSC or any other test, confirm the pattern in that commission's own current notification.

Precis is not summary

A summary shortens a passage in any convenient way and may even add a comment. A precis is stricter: it keeps the writer's central argument and key supporting points in your own words, in proportion, in the same order, with the same tone and without opinions, quotations or examples of your own. Many teachers suggest aiming for roughly a third of the original length, but always follow the length instruction in your question paper.

A step-by-step precis method

1. Read twice. First for the general meaning, second with a pencil to mark the central argument and main supporting points.
2. Find the central idea. State it in one sentence. If you cannot, read again.
3. Cross out the extras. Examples, repeated points, rhetorical questions, figures of speech and minor details usually go.
4. Write a rough draft in your own words. Replace phrases with shorter equivalents, but do not change the meaning.
5. Join the ideas. Use one connected paragraph in the passage's order, in the third person and past or present tense as appropriate.
6. Check length, accuracy and tone. Remove anything the author did not say. Count words.
7. Add a title. The syllabus allots 5 marks to a suggested title, so make it short and faithful to the central idea.

Worked example (original passage)

Practise next: try the two précis passages with model answers.

Passage (112 words): Public libraries were once the quiet centres of every town, but in recent years many have struggled to attract readers. Falling budgets have reduced opening hours, and younger visitors often prefer to search for information on their phones. Yet libraries still offer what a search engine cannot: trained staff who help people judge the quality of sources, free access to books for those who cannot afford them, and a shared space for study. Some towns have responded by adding computer corners and evening programmes, and visitor numbers there have begun to recover. Libraries, in short, will survive not by resisting technology but by combining it with the services only they can provide.

Central idea: libraries face decline, yet keep unique value and can survive by combining technology with their own services.

Precis (41 words): Although budget cuts and online search have reduced library use, libraries still provide trained guidance, free books and study space. Towns that added digital facilities and evening programmes are recovering, showing that libraries survive by combining technology with their unique services.

Suggested title: Libraries in the Digital Age

Why it works: it keeps the argument and the order (decline, what libraries still offer, recovery, conclusion), drops detail such as "quiet centres", and adds no opinion.

Reading comprehension

The syllabus describes one passage with five questions. Practise this routine: read the questions first, read the passage once for meaning, then return to the text to find evidence for each answer. Answer in complete sentences in your own words, only from the passage, and do not copy long stretches. Distinguish between what the writer states and what you assume. Reading one editorial or long article daily, and writing a two-line summary of its argument, builds this skill steadily.

Grammar and vocabulary

The syllabus names tense, articles, prepositions, conjunctions, punctuation, phrasal verbs, synonyms and antonyms among the areas tested. Build a small notebook for each: for example, common verb-preposition pairs (depend on, consist of), phrasal verbs with meanings (put off = postpone), and word families. Learn vocabulary in sentences you write yourself, and revise it weekly.

Sentence correction

Practise next: fifteen sentence-correction exercises with answers and rules.

Here the aim is to rewrite a faulty sentence changing only what is necessary. Examples:

• Faulty: The teacher said that, the exam would begin at nine. Corrected: The teacher said that the exam would begin at nine. (Unneeded comma removed.)
• Faulty: Its a pleasant day, isn't it. Corrected: It's a pleasant day, isn't it? (Apostrophe and question mark.)
• Faulty: Each of the students have submitted the form. Corrected: Each of the students has submitted the form. (Singular subject "each".)

Grouping of words and pairs of words

Practise next: pairs-of-words exercises with answers. (Grouping of words is explained here but has no practice set on that page yet.)

For grouping, practise sorting words into pairs of similar or opposite meaning. Example set: abundant, scarce, brief, concise, hostile, friendly, ancient, modern, reluctant, willing. Possible pairs: abundant and scarce (opposites), brief and concise (similar), hostile and friendly (opposites), ancient and modern (opposites), reluctant and willing (opposites).

For commonly confused pairs, learn the difference and use each word in a sentence:

Pair	Meaning and example
affect / effect	Affect (verb) means to influence; effect (noun) is a result. "Rain can affect traffic; the effect was long delays."
principal / principle	Principal is a head or main; principle is a rule or belief. "The principal praised her principles."
stationary / stationery	Stationary means not moving; stationery means writing materials. "The car was stationary outside the stationery shop."
complement / compliment	Complement completes; compliment praises. "The sauce complements the rice; he paid her a compliment."

Translation from Urdu to English

Practise next: Urdu-to-English translation practice with model answers.

The syllabus describes short Urdu sentences, including idioms, to be translated into English. Translate the meaning, not word by word, and keep the English natural and correct in tense and articles.

Urdu	English
محنت کا پھل میٹھا ہوتا ہے	The fruit of hard work is sweet.
آگ بگولا ہونا	To fly into a rage.
وقت کی قدر کرو	Value time.
اس نے کل مجھے ایک کتاب دی	He gave me a book yesterday.

A realistic weekly routine

• Daily (20 to 30 minutes): read one article, then write a short precis of one paragraph and compare it with the original.
• Three times a week: 15 minutes of grammar, vocabulary or sentence-correction practice.
• Twice a week: translate five Urdu sentences and check them for tense, articles and idiom.
• Weekly: attempt a full timed set of sections, then review every mistake and add it to a personal mistakes list.

Practice exercises

For ready-made exercises with answer keys, use the Precis and Composition practice page.

1. Write a precis of a short editorial in about a third of its length and give it a title.
2. Correct: "Neither the manager nor the employees was informed."
3. Group these into pairs: generous, stingy, rapid, slow, victory, triumph.
4. Use each word in a sentence: affect, effect.
5. Translate: سچ بولنا ایک اچھی عادت ہے

Self-review checklist

• Does my precis keep the writer's central argument and order?
• Have I removed examples, repetition and my own opinions?
• Is it in my own words, within the required length?
• Do my comprehension answers rely only on the passage?
• Have I checked tense, articles, prepositions and punctuation?
• Is my translation natural English, not word-for-word?

How MOCC resources can help

MOCC Academy provides free preparation pages for use alongside this method. Pair this guide with our English essay writing guide, and see the approach to English for CSS, PMS and PPSC, the CSS preparation guide and the PMS preparation page. Use the Digital Library for reading, the MCQ Centre and Test Series for practice, and the Current Affairs Centre to find topics to read about. These are study aids; results depend on your own consistent effort.

Questions? Message MOCC Academy on WhatsApp.

Last reviewed: 15 October 2026. Always verify exam rules with the official commission website.

Ready to practise? Try the précis passages, sentence-correction exercises and translation practice with answers, and see how the essay paper is handled in the worked essay outlines.

Pair precis practice with essay work in the Essay Centre, so grammar, vocabulary and structure improve together.