1. When a list of things is given in the original, a general word should be used to express the idea
for example: ” There were dogs, cats, hens, ducks, geese and pigs barking, squealing, crowing, quacking and growling all over the farmyard.”
In compressing this, we shall convey the idea in the following manner:
Different animals and birds were making various noises over the farmyard.
The number of words used here is more than one-third of the original, but that is because the original passage is too short to allow a précis one-third in length. This is only an illustration to convey the technique.