Skimming

Skimming means looking over a text very quickly in order to get the gist – in other words, a basic idea of what it’s about. This means quickly reading main features such as, topic sentences, headings, sub headings and generally brushing your eye over a text for any other striking key words, phrases, sentences and bullet points.

The first sentence of each paragraph is especially important as it tends to contain the main idea of that paragraph. Skimming the passage before you try to answer the questions is essential, as it gives you an idea of the topic and of how the passage is organised. This gives you an idea of where different key information is located in a text; this is very helpful when it comes to locating the answers to questions rapidly.

Learning to skim a passage effectively can save you a lot of time. The limited time does not allow you to read all the writing. If you try to do so, there’s a chance that you’ll run out of your time. As long as you skim carefully, the pleasant result will come as a large quantity of information within a short period of time. Moreover, you’ll even have a couple more minutes to check if the answers are correct.

To skim, simply look over each paragraph quickly, but in a strategic way. You should read the first line or two of each paragraph normally, but then you should go over the rest much faster. As you skim, you’re trying to notice words that stand out because they seem important. This helps you to get the “gist,” or the basic sense of each paragraph.

The ultimate goal of skimming is to notice things in the text that will help you answer questions. You may find people’s names, or important dates. You may also figure out how a passage is organized. For example, imagine you are reading a historical text. Often, historical passages are organized chronologically, from the beginning of a time period to the end. Skimming effectively will help you to notice this organizational pattern, and this knowledge will most likely help you to find answers to questions more quickly. Any time you get a question that includes a date or time reference, you’ll know where to look because you’ve skimmed the passage effectively. Here is a summary of the key skimming techniques you should master:

• Notice the title of the passage. It often gives you a general idea about the main idea of the text.
• Read the first sentence or two of each paragraph. Often, this is where the main idea of each paragraph is located.
• Underline words that stand out to you as important (or highlight the words onscreen if you are taking the computer-delivered IELTS). This will help you get a general idea of what is being talked about.
• Pick out words that have something in common (i.e., airports, passengers, lounge, fly).
• Ignore words that you do not know. Focusing on words that are unfamiliar to you will slow you down.
• At all times, try not to get caught up in the detail when you skim!

When learning to skim, get yourself ready to move your eyes quickly through the pages. The main headings are of the most essential, so don’t forget to read them. Remember that tables and charts have headings, too (e.g., U.S population by age and gender, Healthcare cost from 2010 to 2017 and Risks of environmental impacts). Some may miss the headings of tables and charts as a habit, so keep in mind they are there for some good reasons.

After reading the first sentences, scroll your eyes down to the last ones of each paragraph. These sentences can be the topic sentences which hold the main idea. This should not take you too much time as there’re only a few important words to follow. However, don’t hesitate to stop if you think something needs to be read entirely. Make sure you leave the paragraph and move to the next after carefully skimming.

Attentively read the keywords. They can be nouns, dates, events, names, numbers, etc. These very single words or phrases that give details are worth considering. Questions about these kinds of information usually show up in the IELTS test. Along with your skimming process, underline or highlight important words and phrases. It’s good to use a marker or pencil (if you think you might want to erase the lines after that). This is also a preparation for scanning.

Remember it’s you who decide what rate of speed you want to skim. Of course, it’s not necessarily equal in every part. The situations may vary, it could be a slow-down when you skim through an unfamiliar word, for example. Sometimes, there are sentences that need more than one glance. 

Now, let’s practice a little bit of skimming. Complete the Quiz given in the ‘Lesson Content’ box below.