skimming & scanning diferences

A few days ago, I have read my friend posting and found new vocabulary. Now, I think that this is good idea. We can try this way to increase our vocab and learn english such grammar or pronounciation.(Who know that we’ll be native speaker ^^).But, the major consideration is trying to add vocab, learn it, get experience especially for practising toefel =D and speak english fluently.(If only I lived in UK, I would speak English all the time ^^) I wish I could speak one in my daily activity =p (I remember, My teacher ever told me that I needed partner to practise it and ordered not to delay an occasion) So, let me practise ^_^ (Would you mind correcting me if I’m wrong?). We often read english articles, story or novels.But sometimes, We get troubled to find main idea or know important information quickly. These are tips from my teacher to differentiate between scanning and skimming.

Scanning and skimming is known as the way of or strategy of faster reading. The skill of skimming and scanning are very important when you need to read quickly for information.

Scanning means knowing what information you need to find before you read. You have something in your mind, your eyes, then, move quickly to find that particular information. You scan when you are looking for a fact or a detail or a particular vocabulary word. When you are scanning, you don’t have to read every word to answer the questions and don’t have understand every word.

Skimming means reading quickly for general meaning. You skim reading material to find out about topic, the main idea, and generic structure of passage. For this kind of reading, you only want to find out something and don’t want to know and memorize everything you read. In fact, you should leave out everything except a few important words. There are the words that tell you the general idea.

How do apply it?
Preview for skimming :
- read the title
- observe first and last sentence
- look for appearing frequently word
- answer this question : what is the generic structure of the text above?

just reminder that three kind of main idea :
- deductive when it find in the first paragraph
- inductive when it find in the last paragraph
- implicit when it is conclusion of the paragraph

good luck for trying ^^ I hope it helps us.

skimming & scanning

Skimming and Scanning Scientific Material

Skimming involves searching for the main ideas by reading the first and last paragraphs, noting other organizational cues, such as summaries, used by the author.

Scanning involves running your eyes down the page looking for specific facts or key words and phrases.

Skimming and scanning are particularly valuable techniques for studying scientific textbooks. Science writers pack many facts and details closely together, and students react by shifting their reading speeds to the lowest gear and crawling through the material. Notwithstanding the fact that science textbooks are usually well-organized, with main points and sub-topics clearly delineated, the typical student ignores these clues and plods through the chapter word-by-word, trying to cram it all in.

It is precisely these characteristics, organization and density of facts per page, that make it so vital that you employ skimming and scanning techniques. To successfully master a science test, you must understand thoroughly the major ideas and concepts presented.

Without such a conceptual framework, you will find yourself faced with the impossible task of trying to cram hundreds of isolated facts into your memory. Thus, a preliminary skimming for the main ideas by using the author's organization cues (topic headings, italics, summaries, etc.) is a vital preliminary step to more intensive reading and maximum retention. It will provide a logical framework in which to fit the details.

Similarly, scanning skills are valuable for several purposes in studying science.

First, they are an aid in locating new terms, which are introduced in the chapter. Unless you understand the new terms, it is impossible to follow the author's reasoning without dictionary or glossary. Thus a preliminary scanning of the chapters will alert you to the new terms and concepts and their sequence. When you locate a new term, try to find its definition. If you are not able to figure out the meaning, then look it up in the glossary or dictionary. (Note: usually new terms are defined as they are introduced in science texts. If your text does not have a glossary, it is a good idea to keep a glossary of your own in the front page of the book. Record the terms and their definition or the page number where the definition is located. This is an excellent aid to refer to when you are reviewing for an examination, as it provides a convenient outline of the course).

Secondly, scanning is useful in locating statements, definitions, formulas, etc. which you must remember completely and precisely. Scan to find the exact and complete statement of a chemical law., the formula of a particular compound in chemistry, or the stages of cell division. Also, scan the charts and figures, for they usually summarize in graphic form the major ideas and facts of the chapter.

If you practice these skimming and scanning techniques prior to reading a science chapter, you will find that not only will your intensive reading take much less time, but that your retention of the important course details will greatly improve.

to see a video please click on: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sbozEcwLhRc&feature=related

PRAYER

In this lesson the basis of English grammar: what makes up a sentence, different types of words and how to use. It also explains how to conjugate verbs in the present and the use of articles.

The Sentence - The Prayer
The English sentence is basically composed of three parts:
OTHER VERB SUBJECT
The subject is the person / thing performing the action indicated by the verb. The rest of the sentence indicates a complement to the way it implements that action. For example:
She goes to the cinema.
In this sentence, the subject is SHE (Ella). The verb is GOES (va). The remaining states in this case, where he goes, TO THE CINEMA (cinema). This explanation is too simplistic, but serves to introduce the topic of subject and verb.
Subjects - Subjects
I I
You You
I The
She She
It He / She (animals or things)
We Us / We
You You / You
They They / They

TYPES OF SENTENCES

THE COMPOUND SENTENCE. CONCEPT AND DIVISION The compound sentence is one that has two or more simple sentences together syntactically
 She Looked up and saw him
She looked up and saw Depending on the link between the constituent simple sentences, compound sentences are juxtaposed, coordinated or subordinated
The simple sentence structure
English is very similar to Spanish in their grammar. It is therefore important to know the Spanish grammar to be easier to learn English. What we learn is the grammar of the sentence estructira simple and elements of that structure.
The two parts that simple prayer is divided into subject and predicate. The subject is one that performs the action and the predicate is what is said about the subject.

SENTENCE STRUCTURE

Affirmative prayer in English is built in accordance with the following structure:
Direct + Object +Subject Verb
I eat apples
You need help
We Bought a car


In the negative sentence, the auxiliary is placed before the main verb:
Auxiliary Verb Subject Direct Object denial
I do not eat apples
You do not need help
We Did not buy a car

In the interrogative sentence, the auxiliary is placed at the start of it:
Assistant Direct Object Subject Verb?
Do I eat apples?
Do you need help?
Did we buy a car?

Other additions to the prayer (place, time, etc..) Are usually placed at the end of it:
I eat apples at lunchtime.
You need help in your job.
We Bought a car last Friday.

Normally, the complement of place goes before the snap of time:
I eat apples at home at lunchtime.
You need help in your job right now.
We Bought a car in Madrid last Friday.

When there are adverbs in sentences, they are usually placed in front of the verb in the simple forms, and between the auxiliary and main verb in the compound forms (there are many exceptions):
I always eat apples at home.
I have always eaten apples at home.
You never need help.
Have you never need help.

VERBS

Describe actions, emotions and states.

There are three main types:

· Main verbs

· Auxiliary verbs

· Modal verbs

1. Main Verbs:

Form well-made sentences. They carry the main meaning.

Example: Walk

Talk

Expect

Grow

2. Auxiliary Verbs and Auxiliary Modals:

They indicate the grammatical tenses in the negative and interrogative forms.

Verbs: be, have, do

Modals: shall, will

3. Modals Verbs

They express possibility, capacity, permission, suggestion, desires or necessity.

They are: Can Could

May Might

Must Ought to

Should Would

Examples: He can do it

She might do it

Tense

A verb or verb phrase referring to the time of the action. A form that takes the verb depending on the time it is expressing.

There are three basic forms:

Simple tenses

Rashid catches the bus to school most days

Continues tenses

Rashid is catching the bus this morning

Perfect tenses

Rashid has caught the bus right now

Verbs Forms

There are four or five different forms

The base or infinitive form

Talk, expect, grow, talks, expects, grows

Present participle

Talking, expecting, growing

The past tense

Talked, expected, grew

The past participle

Talked, expected, grown

Transitive and Intransitive Verbs

A. Trans. Verbs:

A verb that has a direct object.

Direct object: a noun phrase or pronoun coming after the verb:

The teacher helped Rebecca

Indirect object: is which can be used after a preposition to express the same meaning or over which refers the verb action in indirect form:

John gave Peter a book

John gave a book to Peter

B. Intransitive Verbs:

A verb that does not have a direct object over which the verb action falls down:

She laughed

She was laughing at him

Exercises

http://www.scribd.com/doc/26829320/The-Basic-Parts-of-Speech

http://www.englisch-hilfen.de/en/exercises/structures/parts_of_speech.htm

PREPOSITIONS

Expresses the noun relation with the other parts of the speech, such as by, on, with, from, after, before, etc.

She put the flowers on the table.

However, in some constructions English prepositions can be put at the end of a proposition.

The people I came here with

La gente con la que vine

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QxyRiHeRIUQ

Parts of Speech

NOUNS	Nouns are words that denote or name a person, animal o thing, as book, pen, John, Mary, dog, cat, etc.
VERBS	Verbs express an action, or a state, as go, study, be, feel, etc.
ADJECTIVES	Adjectives describe or define nouns, as good, bad, blue, my, an, etc.
ADVERBS	Adverbs modify verbs, adjectives, or other adverbs, as here, always, very, etc.
PRONOUNS	Pronouns are words used as replacements or substitutes for nouns, as he, him, that, me, them, mine, etc.
PREPOSITIONS	A preposition is a word used to show the relation between its object and some other word, as in, on, at, under, since, etc.
CONJUNCTIONS	Conjunctions function as connectors between words, phrases, clauses, or sentences, as and, or, because, if, etc.
INTERJECTIONS	Interjections are words expressing emotion, distinguished by their use in grammatical isolation, as Hey! Oh!
ARTICLES	Word before noun: a word used with a noun that specifies whether the noun is definite or indefinite. In English the indefinite articles are "a" and "an," and the definite article is "the"

PARTS OF THE SPEECH

The speech could be written and spoken, so you need to learn its parts and how you must use them . I invite you to watch the following video which helps you to review this important grammar subject and you can visit these web sites to practice.

http://www.cftech.com/BrainBank/OTHERREFERENCE/GRAMMARANDPUNCTUATION/PartsSpeech.html

http://www.englishclub.com/grammar/parts-of-speech_1.htm

http://www.toonuniversity.com/flash.asp?err=487&engine=2

THE SENTENCE

Verbals in Passive Structures

Verbals or verb forms can also take on features of the passive voice. An infinitive phrase in the passive voice, for instance, can perform various functions within a sentence (just like the active forms of the infinitive).

• Subject: To be elected by my peers is a great honor.
• Object: That child really likes to be read to by her mother.
• Modifier: Grasso was the first woman to be elected governor in her own right.

The same is true of passive gerunds.

• Subject: Being elected by my peers was a great thrill.
• Object: I really don't like being lectured to by my boss.
• Object of preposition: I am so tired of being lectured to by my boss.

With passive participles, part of the passive construction is often omitted, the result being a simple modifying participial phrase.

• [Having been] designed for off-road performance, the Pathseeker does not always behave well on paved highways.

http://www.englisch-hilfen.de/en/exercises_list/passiv.htm

Les dejo una presentacion que les ayudara a conocer mas sobre la Voz Passiva

http://www.megaupload.com/?d=5TUUJS7Z

Passive Verb Formation

The passive forms of a verb are created by combining a form of the "to be verb" with the past participle of the main verb. Other helping verbs are also sometimes present: "The measurecould have been killed in committee." The passive can be used, also, in various tenses. Let's take a look at the passive forms of "design."

Tense	Subject	Auxiliary		Past Participle
		Singular	Plural
Present	The car/cars	is	are	designed.
Present perfect	The car/cars	has been	have been	designed.
Past	The car/cars	was	were	designed.
Past perfect	The car/cars	had been	had been	designed.
Future	The car/cars	will be	will be	designed.
Future perfect	The car/cars	will have been	will have been	designed.
Present progressive	The car/cars	is being	are being	designed.
Past progressive	The car/cars	was being	were being	designed.

A sentence cast in the passive voice will not always include an agent of the action. For instance if a gorilla crushes a tin can, we could say "The tin can was crushed by the gorilla." But a perfectly good sentence would leave out the gorilla: "The tin can was crushed." Also, when an active sentence with an indirect object is recast in the passive, the indirect object can take on the role of subject in the passive sentence:

Active	Professor Villa gave Jorge an A.
Passive	An A was given to Jorge by Professor Villa.
Passive	Jorge was given an A.

Only transitive verbs (those that take objects) can be transformed into passive constructions. Furthermore, active sentences containing certain verbs cannot be transformed into passive structures. To have is the most important of these verbs. We can say "He has a new car," but we cannot say "A new car is had by him." We can say "Josefina lacked finesse," but we cannot say "Finesse was lacked." Here is a brief list of such verbs*:

resemble	look like	equal	agree with
mean	contain	hold	comprise
lack	suit	fit	become

Defining the passive voice

A passive construction occurs when you make the object of an action into the subject of a sentence. That is, whoever or whatever is performing the action is not the grammatical subject of the sentence. Take a look at this passive rephrasing of a familiar joke:

Why was the road crossed by the chicken?

Who is doing the action in this sentence? The chicken is the one doing the action in this sentence, but the chicken is not in the spot where you would expect the grammatical subject to be. Instead, the road is the grammatical subject. The more familiar phrasing (why did the chicken cross the road?) puts the actor in the subject position, the position of doing something—the chicken (the actor/doer) crosses the road (the object). We use active verbs to represent that "doing," whether it be crossing roads, proposing ideas, making arguments, or invading houses (more on that shortly).

Once you know what to look for, passive constructions are easy to spot. Look for a form of "to be" (is, are, am , was, were, has been, have been, had been, will be, will have been, being) followed by a past participle. (The past participle is a form of the verb that typically, but not always, ends in "-ed." Some exceptions to the "-ed" rule are words like "paid" (not "payed") and "driven." (not "drived"). Here's a sure-fire formula for identifying the passive voice:

form of "to be" + past participle = passive voice

MODELO DE VERBO EN VOZ PASIVA

TO BE SEEN = SER VISTO

PRESENTE I am seen, soy visto you are seen, eres visto he is seen, es visto we are seen, somos vistos you are seen, sois vistos they are seen, son vistos PRETERITO PERFECTO I have been seen, he sido visto you have been seen, has sido visto he has been seen, ha sido visto we have been seen, hemos sido vistos you have been seen, habéis sido vistos they have been seen, han sido vistos

PASADO I was seen, fui visto you were seen, fuiste visto he was seen, fue visto we were seen, fuimos vistos you were seen, fuisteis vistos they were seen, fueron vistos FUTURO I shall be seen, seré visto you will be seen, serás visto he will be seen, será visto we shall be seen, seremos vistos you will be seen, seréis vistos they will be seen, serán vistos

PRETERITO PLUSCUAMPERFECTO: I had been seen, había sido visto CONDICIONAL: I should be seen, sería visto FUTURO PERFECTO: I shall have been seen, habré sido visto CONDICIONAL PERFECTO: I should have been seen, habría sido visto

Passive voice

Use of Passive

Passive voice is used when the focus is on the action. It is not important or not known, however, who or what is performing the action.

Example: My bike was stolen.

In the example above, the focus is on the fact that my bike was stolen. I do not know, however, who did it.

Sometimes a statement in passive is more polite than active voice, as the following example shows:

Example: A mistake was made.

In this case, I focus on the fact that a mistake was made, but I do not blame anyone (e.g. You have made a mistake.).

Form of Passive

Subject + finite form of to be + Past Participle (3rd column of irregular verbs)

Example: A letter was written.

When rewriting active sentences in passive voice, note the following:

• the object of the active sentence becomes the subject of the passive sentence
• the finite form of the verb is changed (to be + past participle)
• the subject of the active sentence becomes the object of the passive sentence (or is dropped)

Examples of Passive Level: lower intermediate

Tense		Subject	Verb	Object
Simple Present	Active:	Rita	writes	a letter.
	Passive:	A letter	is written	by Rita.
Simple Past	Active:	Rita	wrote	a letter.
	Passive:	A letter	was written	by Rita.
Present Perfect	Active:	Rita	has written	a letter.
	Passive:	A letter	has been written	by Rita.
Future I	Active:	Rita	will write	a letter.
	Passive:	A letter	will be written	by Rita.
Hilfsverben	Active:	Rita	can write	a letter.
	Passive:	A letter	can be written	by Rita.

Examples of Passive Level: upper intermediate

Tense		Subject	Verb	Object
Present Progressive	Active:	Rita	is writing	a letter.
	Passive:	A letter	is being written	by Rita.
Past Progressive	Active:	Rita	was writing	a letter.
	Passive:	A letter	was being written	by Rita.
Past Perfect	Active:	Rita	had written	a letter.
	Passive:	A letter	had been written	by Rita.
Future II	Active:	Rita	will have written	a letter.
	Passive:	A letter	will have been written	by Rita.
Conditional I	Active:	Rita	would write	a letter.
	Passive:	A letter	would be written	by Rita.
Conditional II	Active:	Rita	would have written	a letter.
	Passive:	A letter	would have been written	by Rita.

Passive Sentences with Two Objects Level: intermediate

Rewriting an active sentence with two objects in passive voice means that one of the two objects becomes the subject, the other one remains an object. Which object to transform into a subject depends on what you want to put the focus on.

	Subject	Verb	Object 1	Object 2
Active:	Rita	wrote	a letter	to me.
Passive:	A letter	was written	to me	by Rita.
Passive:	I	was written	a letter	by Rita.

http://www.englisch-hilfen.de/en/exercises_list/passiv.htm

PASSIVE VOICE

http://www.megaupload.com/?d=5TUUJS7Z