Precis Assignment

Precis rubric

Length: Approximately 1-2 typed, double-spaced pages

For this assignment, you’ll write a précis on one of the critical articles in your edition of Cane: Reilly, Scruggs, Walker, Sollors, Jones.

Form:

A précis is a summary and critical evaluation of a piece of scholarly work. It will typically take the following form:

  1. Full bibliographic citation in MLA format of the article or book chapter.
  2. First paragraph: an objective summary or abstract of the article. This paragraph should present the information as objectively as possible. You’ll have a chance to critique the argument in the second part of your précis. You should not use the abstract published with the journal article or book chapter. The first paragraph should contain the following information:
    1. The overall argument that the author is making:
      1. What is the author’s thesis?
      2. What is the logical thread of the argument?
      3. What kinds of support does the author provide?
      4. Are there special terms used to argue the case? If so, mention and define them.
    2. The context for the argument.
      1. What critics or points of view is the author attempting to refute?
      2. Where does the author’s argument fit into the larger critical discussion of the issue?
      3. Is the author attempting to overturn certain assumptions about the work, and, if so, what are those assumptions?
  3. Second paragraph: a critical analysis of the article. In this paragraph, you’ll assess the strengths and weaknesses of the article and discuss the implications of its reasoning for future study of the work. These questions may help you get started:
    1. What parts of the article were especially strong or insightful, and why?
    2. In what parts of the essay (if any) did the author make claims that were not supported by the evidence? Were there any flaws in the logic of the piece?
    3. In what ways is this article useful for understanding the novel? How significant is it?

You may use more paragraphs if you need to, but you should follow this basic format.

The précis will count for 5% of your grade. It will not receive extensive comments; instead, it will be graded using the following rubric:

Category

Possible Points

Actual Points

Full bibliographic citation in MLA format of the article or book chapter.

10

 

Summary of article (first paragraph)

30

 

Critique of article (second paragraph)

30

 

Quality of writing (style, grammar, punctuation, etc.)

30

 

Total

100