How to Skim a Text in English: Reading Techniques (Part 1 of 3)

This article explains how to skim a text in English, a key reading skill for IELTS, TOEFL and Cambridge exams, and gives you a practice text with answers.

1.Reading strategies

There are dozens of reading strategies, and trying to use all of them at once rarely helps. This series focuses on the two most useful ones: skimming and scanning. They sound alike, but they do different jobs:

• Skimming is reading for the general idea (the gist).
• Scanning is searching for specific details, such as names, numbers and dates. It is covered in part 2.

Skimming

When you skim, you move quickly through the text and read only the main points: the important parts, the main ideas and the key words.

But how do you know where the main ideas are? Look for topic sentences. A topic sentence summarises the main idea of a paragraph, and it is usually the first sentence. Don't skip the free summaries either: headings, titles and pictures tell you a lot before you read a single paragraph.

A good skimming routine:

1. Read the title and any headings.
2. Read the first sentence of each paragraph.
3. Note one or two key words per paragraph.
4. Ask yourself: what is this text mainly about?

2.Practice text: Why cities are planting more trees

Skim the text below and find the topic sentence of each paragraph. (This practice text was written by GrammarTrack for this exercise.)

A. Cities around the world are planting more trees than ever, and the reason is not only that trees look nice. Planners now see trees as part of a city's infrastructure, in the same way as roads, pipes and drains. To understand why, it helps to look at what trees actually do for the people who live under them.

B. The most obvious benefit is shade. On a hot summer afternoon, a street lined with mature trees can feel several degrees cooler than a street of bare concrete. Leaves block the sun before it heats the pavement, and water evaporating from them cools the air around them. As summers get hotter, this natural air conditioning is becoming more valuable.

C. Trees also help when it rains. Their leaves catch part of the rainfall, and their roots help water soak into the ground instead of running straight into the drains. In heavy storms, this can reduce the risk of flooding in low-lying streets.

D. There are benefits for people's health too. Many studies have linked green streets with more walking, lower stress and a better mood. People seem more willing to spend time outside, and to talk to their neighbours, when their street is a pleasant place to be.

E. However, city trees are not free of problems. Roots can lift and crack pavements, falling leaves can block drains in autumn, and some species release pollen that troubles people with allergies. Young trees also need regular watering for their first few years, which costs money and time.

F. For this reason, choosing the right tree for the right place matters as much as planting it. A large oak may be perfect for a park but a poor choice for a narrow street with cables overhead. Many cities now keep lists of species that cope well with heat, dry soil and pollution.

G. Finally, some cities are asking residents to help. Schemes that let people "adopt" a street tree and water it during dry spells are becoming popular, and they give residents a sense of ownership over their neighbourhood.

Topic sentences (click to expand)

Paragraph A: Cities around the world are planting more trees than ever, and the reason is not only that trees look nice.
Paragraph B: The most obvious benefit is shade.
Paragraph C: Trees also help when it rains.
Paragraph D: There are benefits for people's health too.
Paragraph E: However, city trees are not free of problems.
Paragraph F: For this reason, choosing the right tree for the right place matters as much as planting it.
Paragraph G: Finally, some cities are asking residents to help.

3.What to do after skimming

Use what you found. One of the best exercises for skimming is matching headings to paragraphs, a common IELTS task type.

Match each heading to a paragraph, A–G. Use the topic sentences you found.

1. Matching the tree to the location
2. A cooler city in summer
3. The downsides of street trees
4. Why trees are now treated like roads and pipes
5. Good for body and mind
6. Sharing the work with local people
7. Fewer floods after heavy rain

Answers (click to see)

1: Paragraph F
2: Paragraph B
3: Paragraph E
4: Paragraph A
5: Paragraph D
6: Paragraph G
7: Paragraph C

Notice the signal words that helped: However (paragraph E) introduces a contrast, and For this reason (paragraph F) shows a result. Words like these are covered in our guide to English connectors.

Next: learn how to find specific details quickly in part 2: scanning. After that, part 3: active reading shows you how to read deeply and remember more.

And always remember:

Practice makes perfect!