A rhetorical précis is a highly specialized, specific type of summary. It differs from the more general summary in that emphasis is placed upon providing the rhetorical aspects of the work under consideration. Like the summary, the goal is to provide in clear, precise language, the main points of a piece. Essential information within the rhetorical précis include the writer’s name, the genre and name of the piece, the way in which this information is delivered, the main point, how the point is developed, and the relationship between the writer and audience. This information is presented in four very specific sentences as outlined below. 1. Sentence one provides the name of the author, the genre (essay, novel, speech...etc.) and title of the work with the date (in parentheses), a concise appropriate action verb, such as “claims, posits, argues, or asserts” followed by a “that” phrase in which the thesis of the work is stated (either paraphrased or directly quoted). “Paraphrasing” a passage, means putting that passage into your own words (use your own language). When directly “quoting” a passage, you must write the text using the exact words of the original author, and you must encase the select passage in quotation marks. Please remember that whenever you paraphrase or directly quote a passage, you must follow that passage with a parenthetical citation, meaning that within parentheses, you must insert the author’s last name and the page number from which you gathered the passage. If your source does not have a page number then post the paragraph number i.e. (Salinger 18) or (Salinger par. 20) 2. Sentence two provides an explanation of how the author goes about supporting his/her thesis. Remember that brevity is important—you will not restate the details from the work, but include the plan of development (refer to The Essay Components document for assistance