Reading & Understanding
Comprehension and analysis skills
Skimming: Read quickly for overall idea — headings, first sentences, final paragraph.
Scanning: Search for specific info — a name, date, or keyword — without reading everything.
Inference: Reading between the lines — what the writer implies without stating directly. **Deduction:** Drawing logical conclusions from evidence.
Writer's craft (language analysis): Examine HOW a writer achieves an effect: **Metaphor** (direct comparison), **Simile** (using like/as), **Personification** (human qualities), **Repetition**. Use **PEE structure:** **Point** → **Evidence** (quote) → **Effect** (what it makes the reader feel).
Summary writing: Select relevant info, express in own words concisely. No copying, no opinion, stay within word limit.
Key Points to Remember
- 1Skimming and scanning
- 2Inference and deduction
- 3Writer's craft analysis
- 4Summary writing
Pakistan Example
Analysing a Dawn Newspaper Editorial — Real IGCSE Practice
Dawn editorials are ideal practice. A headline like 'Karachi's Water Crisis Deepens' requires skimming for topic, scanning for stats, inference for implied criticism, and language analysis of emotive words like 'deepens'. IGCSE often uses journalism-style texts.