Drafting: Precising

Test yourself

Cutting Down Your Writing

'Précising' is a fancy word for 'cutting down'. You should try to cut down any long passages.

Cutting down

You should try to avoid long passages.
Shorter passages are easier to read.
Shorter passages can still contain all the important details.

Example: original passage

Henry is a boy. Henry is a boy at my school. Henry does not have many friends. Henry sits by himself at lunchtime. Henry sits by himself at break time. Henry sits by himself in the classroom. I want to talk to Henry. I do not know how to talk to Henry.
- We could cut this passage down without losing any meaning.

Example: new passage

Henry is a boy at my school. Henry does not have many friends. Henry sits by himself at lunchtime, at break time and in the classroom. I want to talk to Henry but I do not know how.
- We have cut out some of the repetition.
- We have used different sentences to make the passage shorter.

1Reading

1.1Reading

1.1.1Understanding New Words: Prefixes

1.1.2Understanding New Words: Suffixes

1.1.3Understanding New Words: Root Words

1.1.4Exception Words

1.2Prefixes

1.2.1Adding a Prefix with a Hyphen

1.2.2End of Topic Test - Reading & Prefixes

1.3Suffixes

1.3.1Words Ending in '-cious' or '–tious'

1.3.2More Words Ending in '-cious' / '-tious'

1.3.3Words Ending in '-cial' or '-tial'

1.3.4Words Ending in '-ant' or '-ent'

1.3.5Words Ending in '-ance' or '-ence'

1.3.6Words Ending in '-ancy' or '-ency'

1.3.7Words Ending in '-able' & '-ably' (1/2)

1.3.8Words Ending in '-able' & '-ably' (2/2)

1.3.9Words Ending in '-ible' & '-ibly'

1.3.10Words Ending in '-fer'

1.4Spelling Rules

1.4.1‘i' Before 'e' Except After 'c’

1.4.2‘i' Before 'e' Except After 'c’: Exceptions

1.4.3End of Topic Test - Suffixes & Spelling Rules

1.5Reading Comprehension

1.5.1Retrieval

1.5.2Answer Retrieval Questions

1.5.3Retrieval Practice

1.5.4Inference

1.5.5Answering Inference Questions

1.5.6Impressions

1.5.7Inference Practice

1.5.8Prediction

1.5.9Predictions: Example

1.5.10Prediction Practice

1.5.11Summarising

1.5.12Answering Summary Questions

1.5.13Summarising Practice

1.6Reading Comprehension: SAT Practise

1.6.1Reading Comprehension Practise 1 (SAT)

1.6.2Reading Comprehension Practise 2 (SAT)

1.6.3Reading Comprehension Practise 3 (SAT)

1.6.4Reading Comprehension Practise 4 (SAT)

1.6.5Reading Comprehension Practise 5 (SAT)

1.6.6Reading Comprehension Practise 6 (SAT)

1.6.7Reading Comprehension Practise 7 (SAT)

1.6.8Reading Comprehension Practise 8 (SAT)

1.7Word Meaning

1.7.1Word Meaning

1.7.2Answering Questions About Word Meaning

1.7.3Homonyms

1.7.4End of Topic Test - Comprehension & Word Meaning

1.8Fact vs. Opinion

1.8.1Fact & Opinion

1.8.2Fact & Opinion - Questions

1.9Justifying Views

1.9.1Justifying Your Views

1.9.2End of Topic Test - Facts & Opinions

1.10Figurative Language

1.10.1Figurative Language

1.10.2Similes

1.10.3Similes: Comprehension

1.10.4Metaphors

1.10.5Personification

1.10.6Onomatopoeia

1.10.7Alliteration

1.10.8Hyperbole

1.11Text Structure

1.11.1Structure in Poetry: Verses

1.11.2Structure in Poetry: Rhyme

1.11.3Structure in Non-Fiction (1/2)

1.11.4Structure in Non-Fiction (2/2)

1.11.5End of Topic Test - Fig. Language & Text Structure

2Writing

2.1Sounds in Words

2.1.1The 'ough' Sound (1/2)

2.1.2The 'ough' Sound (2/2)

2.1.3Silent Letters

2.1.4Silent Letters: Examples

2.1.5End of Topic Test - 'Ough' Sound & Silent Letters

2.2Homophones

2.3Using a Dictionary

2.3.1Using a Dictionary

2.3.2Using a Thesaurus

2.4Writing Composition

2.4.1Reasons for Planning

2.4.2Identifying Your Audience

2.4.3Identifying Your Purpose

2.4.4Noting Down Ideas

2.4.5Considering Other Writing

2.4.6Drafting: Grammar

2.4.7Drafting a Narrative

2.4.8Drafting: Precising

2.4.9Making Your Writing Flow: Conjunctions

2.4.10Making Your Writing Flow: Devices for Cohesion

2.4.11Making Your Writing Flow: Synonyms

2.4.12Drafting a Layout

2.4.13Editing: What Is Editing?

2.4.14Editing: Editing Your Tenses

2.4.15Editing: Things to Check When Editing

2.4.16Proof Reading: Steps

2.4.17Proof Reading: Punctuation, Spelling & Grammar

2.4.18End of Topic Test - Dictionary & Composition

2.5The Subjunctive Mood

2.5.1Hopes & Wishes

2.5.2Hopes & Wishes: Examples

2.5.3Demands & Commands

2.5.4Requests

2.5.5Suggestions

2.5.6End of Topic Test - The Subjunctive Mood

2.6Modal Verbs

2.6.1What are Modal Verbs?

2.6.2Can

2.6.3Could

2.6.4May

2.6.5Might

2.6.6Should

2.6.7Shall

2.6.8Will

2.6.9Would

2.6.10Must

2.6.11Have to

2.6.12End of Topic Test - Modal Verbs

2.7Active & Passive Voice

2.7.1Active Voice

2.7.2Passive Voice

2.8Relative Clauses

2.8.1Relative Pronouns

2.8.2Relative Clauses

2.9Expanded Nouns

2.9.1Expanded Nouns

2.9.2Expanded Nouns Phrases: Examples

2.9.3End of Topic Test - Active, Passive, Relative...

2.10Punctuation

2.10.1Commas for Meaning

2.10.2Commas in Lists

2.10.3Commas in Compound Sentences

2.10.4Hyphens

2.10.5Using Dashes for Parenthesis

2.10.6Using Brackets for Parenthesis

2.10.7Using Commas for Parenthesis

2.10.8Clauses: Using Colons to Separate Clauses

2.10.9Clauses: Using Semi-Colons to Separate Clauses

2.10.10Clauses: Using Dashes to Separate Clauses

2.10.11Colons

2.10.12Bullet Points: Puctuation

2.10.13Bullet Points: Capital Letters

2.10.14Bullet Points: Consistency

2.10.15End of Topic Test - Punctuation

2.11SAT Spelling Practise

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