reading for details – MitchRyan's Blog

Reading is one of the best ways to acquire new vocabulary and learn grammar structures.

When reading, it engages the imagination. It is like having motion pictures in your mind. With this, details are printed deeply in memory that retention and recall may be long term, and comprehension may be achieved. Frequent and thorough reading are best in attaining overall linguistic competence. However, quick reading is necessary as tests and exams are time restrained.

Two reading skills related to quick reading are skimming and scanning.

Skimming is a reading technique used when you want to quickly get the gist or idea of a text, thus reading for gist. Skimming refers to a quick browse of the entire text, paying more attention to the content words – like nouns, verbs, and adjectives, as they provide meaning. In this manner, you are able to get the ideas or messages the writer is trying to convey quickly.

Example: Rescue teams were slow to respond and poorly equipped.

Scanning is another technique related to quick reading. It is used when reading for details. Here, readers scan the text for more specific information such as, names, time, date, day, percent, and other specific data in the text.

Example:

On 15 November 2022, the world’s population reached 8 billion people, a milestone in human development. While it took the global population 12 years to grow from 7 to 8 billion, it will take approximately 15 years—until 2037— for it to reach 9 billion, a sign that the overall growth rate of the global population is slowing.

Reading for Overall Linguistic Competence Techniques

Read frequently
Pay attention to new words and grammar structures
Immediately use new words in a sentence or in conversation
Test your comprehension by answering guide questions if available

Reading for Comprehension Techniques

Read for gist
- look for nouns, verbs, and adjectives
Read for details
- look for specific details like names, dates, day, numbers, etc

READING EXERCISES: Click the link below. Read the texts and answer the guide questions after.

Past stories
Announcements
Article 1 – Mobile Phones
Article 2 – Vaccination

RELATED POSTS

Dear Diary

Story by Mitchelle Juaban

Dear Diary, I ran into the kindest person in the world yesterday. I didn’t see him coming as I walked hurriedly into the university canteen. I bumped unto him and hit my face hard unto his chest. I felt dizzy for a while, and as I looked up to see who it was I saw his handsome face staring back at me. I blushed! He then asked me if I was alright to which I timidly answered yes. It was then I realized that he was actually holding me on both arms. Oh my gosh, I blushed some more. I didn’t know what to do! I was frozen. I just stared at him with my mouth opened for what felt like eternity. After a while, he asked if there was something wrong. “Oh. I’m so sorry. But… but I think I got your shirt stained with my lipstick” I explained hurriedly. He let go of me, and intently glanced at the lipstick stain on his shirt.

I was nervous. A lot of things were running in my mind at that time. “Will he get angry? Should I ask him to take his shirt off, so I could wash it? Oh no I should not say that. Does he think I’m crazy? Will he ever talk to me again?” ……Then I heard him say, “Not a big deal. Anyway, I like the way it looks on my shirt.”

Guide Questions

Where did the story happened?
How was the narrator of the story and the handsome guy related?
How did the narrator of the story feel about the handsome guy?
What was on the handsome guy’s shirt?
How did the handsome guy feel about the narrator of the story? Give your reason(s)

Download these stories

The Best Hamburger of My Life

When I was thirteen years old, I had a great surprise at the Grand Hotel in Toronto. My favorite soccer team was visiting from Mexico, so I went to the hotel to get autographs from some of the players. When I got there, I waited outside for a long time because I was very nervous. Finally, I told my legs to start moving, and I went up to my favorite striker, Sergio Verdirame, and asked for his autograph. My voice was trembling, but I controlled it. He stopped to listen to me, and then an amazing thing happened. He invited me to his table for dinner. I could not believe it! Suddenly I was sitting across the table from Sergio Verdirame! I ordered a big hamburger with everything on it except onions. When the food came, my hands were shaking, and I could not eat or talk. After a while, I took a deep breath and said to myself, “Hey, this happens just once in your life.” I got rid of my nerves and started talking with the team and enjoying my hamburger. They were really great guys, and we had a good time laughing and joking together. That was the most delicious hamburger I ever ate in my life because I was eating it with my idol.

Guide Questions

How old was the person narrating this story?
Who was the person’s favorite soccer player?
Who did the person eat with in the restaurant?
What did he have for dinner?
What vegetable he didn’t eat with it?
How did the person get rid of his/her nerves?
Decide if the person narrating the story is a female or a male. Give your reason(s).

DOWNLOAD THE PAST STORIES HERE

The Hero

**Story by Betty Erickson

After a week of rain, the sun came out. Nick ran out to play. He found a puddle full of tadpoles under his swing.

Day after day, Nick watched the tadpoles. They grew legs. Their tails got shorter. Nick was afraid that the puddle would dry up before the tadpoles turned into toads. So he scooped the tadpoles into an old watering can.

Two weeks later, Nick watched a tiny toad come out of the spout. It jumped into the grass. Then two more toads came out of the spout. At last Nick counted six happy toads hopping in the grass. Nick felt like a hero. He had saved a whole puddle of toads!

Guide Questions