Comprehension précis and composition
Précis is a test of your ability to find the important points in a piece of writing and to put them together
To write a précis you must be able to do two things you must be able to understand what you read
And to put ideas together comprehension is a test of your ability to understand what you read comprehension is a test of you’re ability to put ideas together so précis comprehension and composition
Are closely related to each other unit 1
Contains twenty-four short pieces at same questions under each piece your answers together in this way you will make a short paragraph your paragraph will be a précis of the piece at the same time
It will be composition before you begin each exercise read these instructions carefully read them each
Time you begin a new piece they are very important
How to work
Read the piece carefully two or three times make sure your understand it
Write an answer to each question each answer must be a complete sentences
Your answers to the questions must follow each other together they will make a complete paragraph
Read thought your work and correct your mistakes
Count the number of words in your paragraph words like the ,a,etc,count as single words words which are joined by a hyphen (e g living room ) also count as single words do not over the word
Limit at the end of your paragraph write the number of words that you have used
Example
Work through this example carefully and then try to do the exercises in unit in the same way
Granny Forbes
Mrs Forbes was very old and very poor everybody in the Neigh bourhood called her granny Forbes
And tried to help her some Neighbours came in each day and cooked meals for her others came
And cleaned her room it was small dark and almost empty there was a bed and a table
And there were two chairs in winter neighbours sometimes brought coal and lit fire but granny s room was often very cold granny lived in poverty all her life she died at the age of eighty four then her Neighbours got a big surprise she left 50,000.00
Comprehension précis and composition
Answer these questions in not more than 50 words
Did granny forbes live in poverty all her life or not
Did her neighbours help her or did her relations help her
Did they cook meals for her every day or not
Did they clean her small poorly furnished room or not
Did they sometimes light a fire for her in winter or not
Did granny forbes die at the age of eight one or did she die at the age of eight four
Did everyone get a surprise or not
How much did she leave
Answer
Granny forbes lived in poverty all her life her neighbours helped her they cooked meals
For her every day they cleaned her small poorly furnished room they sometimes lit a fire
For her in winter granny forbes died at the age of eighty four everyone got a surprise
She left 50,000.00
Key structures and special difficulties
When you finish the exercise in comprehension précis and composition go on to the language
Exercise that follow the information under the title key structures gives you advice about particular problems the twent four passges in unit I will help you to understand these problems
And to do the language exercise
Chapter one
1 A private conversation
Last week I went to the theatre I had a very good seat the play was very interesting I did not enjoy it a young man and a young woman were sitting behind me they were talking loudly
I got very angry I could not hear the actors I turned round I looked at the man and the woman
Angrily they did not pay any attention in the end I could not bear it I turned round again I can’t hear a word I said angrily
It ‘s none of your business the young man said rudely this is a private conversation
Comprehension précis and composition
Answer these question in not more than 55 word
Where did the writer go to last week ?
Did he enjoy the play or not ?
Who was sitting behind him ?
Were they talking loudly or were they talking quietly ?
Could the writer hear the actors or not ?
Did he turned round or not ?
What did he say ?
Did the young man say the play is not interesting or did he say this is a private conversation
Key structures
Word order in simple statements
A statements tells us about something all the sentences in the passage are statements
Each of these statements contains one idea each statements tells about one thing
A statements that tells us about one thing is a simple statements
The order of the words in statements is very important look at these two statements
They both contain the same words but they do not mean the same thing
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