Free Summarising and Precis MCQs with Answers

• A. To reproduce every detail in shorter sentences
• B. To add personal opinions to the original argument
• C. To present the central ideas briefly and accurately
• D. To replace difficult words with technical terms

Explanation: A précis gives the essential meaning of a passage in a concise form. It preserves the writer's main ideas without adding personal comments…

• A. It includes the writer's central ideas
• B. It changes the writer's main conclusion
• C. It develops an unrelated supporting argument
• D. It copies several sentences word for word

Explanation: A summary must retain the important ideas of the original text. Changing the conclusion or copying large portions fails to show accurate…

• A. One-half of the original length
• B. One-third of the original length
• C. Two-thirds of the original length
• D. One-fourth of the original length

Explanation: A conventional précis is generally reduced to about one-third of the original passage.

• A. Counting all the descriptive words first
• B. Replacing each sentence with a synonym
• C. Reading the passage for its overall message
• D. Selecting the longest sentence as the topic

Explanation: Reading for the overall message helps distinguish the central idea from supporting details.

• A. The author's main claim
• B. A necessary cause of the result
• C. The conclusion of the passage
• D. An illustration that does not affect the argument

Explanation: A minor illustration can usually be removed when it does not support the essential meaning.

• A. All parts contribute to one central idea
• B. Every sentence uses the same number of words
• C. The passage contains only one grammatical tense
• D. Each original sentence appears in the same order

Explanation: Unity means that the writing remains focused on one controlling idea. It does not require equal sentence lengths or an exact reproduction…

• A. The author makes an excellent and undeniable point
• B. The passage argues that training improves job performance
• C. I strongly agree with the author's useful conclusion
• D. This interesting passage proves that managers are right

Explanation: The second sentence reports the passage's argument without personal judgment.

• A. Adding examples to clarify every point
• B. Changing facts into the writer's opinions
• C. Changing direct speech into reported speech
• D. Removing the relationship between causes and effects

Explanation: Direct speech can usually be converted into reported speech to save space and maintain a consistent style.

• A. A précis follows a more controlled and condensed form
• B. A summary is always longer than its source
• C. A summary must contain the writer's personal response
• D. A précis includes details that a summary excludes

Explanation: A précis is usually a tightly controlled condensation that preserves the source's essential structure and meaning.

• A. Poor planning is an important business problem today
• B. Poor planning may reduce profit by causing costly delays
• C. Delays and profits are common subjects in business writing
• D. Businesses should always plan carefully for better results

Explanation: The second option preserves the chain from poor planning to delays, costs, and reduced profit.

• A. The History of Ocean Exploration
• B. A Personal View of Clean Beaches
• C. Plastic Waste and Marine Life
• D. Methods of Industrial Production

Explanation: A précis title should briefly express the central subject of the passage.

• A. State each idea in separate sentences
• B. Expand them to make the précis clearer
• C. Replace them with unrelated examples
• D. Combine them without losing their meaning

Explanation: Repeated ideas should be combined so that the précis remains concise and avoids needless duplication.

• A. It is changed into a suitable third-person form
• B. It remains entirely in the first person
• C. It is converted into a series of questions
• D. It is copied without changes in wording

Explanation: An objective précis usually changes personal narration into an appropriate third-person form while preserving the writer's meaning.

• A. The original number of paragraphs
• B. The original causal relationship
• C. The writer's decorative expressions
• D. Every illustration used by the writer

Explanation: A précis must retain the logical relationship between causes and effects because it is part of the passage's meaning.

• A. The report wisely proves that reform is essential.
• B. The report's excellent proposal deserves praise.
• C. I strongly agree with the report's conclusion.
• D. The report states that reform may improve services.

Explanation: The second sentence reports the document's claim without praising or criticising it.

• A. Retain it or explain it briefly in context
• B. Remove it to make the language simpler
• C. Replace it with an emotional expression
• D. Repeat it in every sentence of the précis

Explanation: An essential technical term should remain accurate, with a short explanation if the context requires one.

• A. State the general claim and compress the examples
• B. List all three examples in full
• C. Discuss a fourth example in greater detail
• D. Omit the general claim and retain one example

Explanation: The general claim carries the main meaning, while several examples can usually be compressed or represented collectively.

• A. Adding quotations from famous writers
• B. Using logical connectors between related points
• C. Changing the subject in every sentence
• D. Using difficult words instead of clear ones

Explanation: Logical connectors show relationships such as contrast, sequence and result, making the précis easy to follow.

• A. As the same question with added emphasis
• B. As a personal answer from the summariser
• C. As a clear statement of the implied point
• D. As several new questions on the topic

Explanation: A rhetorical question usually conveys an implied assertion, which can be expressed directly in a précis.

• A. Replace its words with more advanced vocabulary
• B. Count only the adjectives in both versions
• C. Check whether every sentence has equal length
• D. Compare its key points with the source passage

Explanation: Comparing the précis with the source helps confirm that its essential ideas and relationships remain accurate.