R. Dhillon Solved Precis Passage Twenty Five

• Infallible (adjective): Incapable of making mistakes or being wrong
  • Contextual Explanation: The author argues that no single person's judgment is infallible, meaning even the smartest individual can be wrong about a book's value.
• Inappreciations (noun): A failure to understand or recognize the value or quality of something
  • Contextual Explanation: Even great critics suffer from inappreciations, where they simply fail to see the beauty or importance of a particular work.
• Passed the test of time (idiom): To have stayed popular, relevant, or effective for a long time
  • Contextual Explanation: Books that have passed the test of time are those that continue to be admired by new generations, proving their objective greatness.

The passage explains how the greatness of a book is judged, emphasizing repeated reading, collective critical opinion over individual judgment, and the test of time as reliable measures of literary value. Furthermore, the author aims to define the true test of a great book, asserting that lasting admiration across generations rather than individual taste determines genuine literary worth.

Main Idea of the Passage

• A truly great book invites repeated reading and earns lasting admiration from generations rather than isolated critics.

Supporting Ideas Helping the Main Idea

• A great book invites repeated reading and reveals new meanings each time.
• Books read only once by educated readers are likely to be of limited value.
• Individual judgment is fallible due to personal limitations.
• Collective judgment is more reliable than single opinions.
• The judgment of generations is the most trustworthy test of greatness.
• Careful study allows readers to appreciate books that have been admired for centuries.
• A library of time-tested great works is most valuable, especially for the poor.

Confused About Main and Supporting Ideas?

Kindly make sure to revise all five lectures on Precis Writing that I have already delivered. In these sessions, we discussed in detail:

• What a precis is and its purpose.
• What the main idea means and how to extract it effectively.
• What supporting ideas are and how to identify them.
• How to coordinate the main and supporting ideas while writing a concise, coherent precis.

Additionally, go through the 20 examples I shared in the WhatsApp groups. These examples highlight the Dos and Don’ts of Precis Writing, and revising them will help you avoid common mistakes and refine your technique.

Precis 1

The true worth of a book lies in its ability to sustain interest through multiple readings and deliver fresh understanding each time. Therefore, works that fail to engage readers beyond a single reading possess limited merit. Moreover, because personal limitations often constrain individual judgment, collective evaluation is more reliable. Thus, the lasting approval of successive generations serves as the most dependable criterion of literary greatness as books that endure over time continue to reward thoughtful and attentive readers.

• Original Words in the Passage: 235
• Precis Word Count: 78
• Title: Determining the Value of Great Books

Precis 2

A truly great book reveals its worth through repeated reading, each time expanding the reader’s understanding. In contrast, works that invite only a single reading possess little literary strength. As individual judgment is often flawed, the consensus of critical opinion delivers a more trustworthy measure. Hence, the sustained admiration of generations stands as the clearest proof of greatness, since books that endure continue to merit careful study and lasting respect.

• Original Words in the Passage: 235
• Precis Word Count: 70
• Title: Literary Greatness and Time

Precis 3

Books of real merit invite repeated engagement and reveal deeper meaning over time. Therefore, works read only once lack significance. Moreover, since individual opinions are limited, collective judgment is more reliable. Thus, the approval of generations confirms true greatness, and ultimately, such enduring works continue to reward serious readers.

• Original Words in the Passage: 235
• Precis Word Count: 49
• Title: How Literature Is Judged

Precis 4

True literary greatness lies in a book's ability to reward repeated reading. However, individual judgment fails, yet collective and generational approval confirms its lasting value and enduring importance.

• Original Words in the Passage: 235
• Precis Word Count: 28
• Title: Judging Great Literature