Anatomy of a Paragraph
Gallery showing topic sentence, supporting detail, contrast, example, conclusion.
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Every paragraph has a skeleton. Skimming helps you spot these structural bones.
Skim a paragraph to see what job it does, instead of reading every detail.
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Teach skimming as finding structure, not understanding every detail.
Many IELTS test-takers think skimming means reading every single word at double speed. This usually leads to panic, poor comprehension, and missed answers.
True skimming is structural mapping. You are looking for the skeleton of the paragraph to understand its purpose, rather than absorbing every detail.
Gallery showing topic sentence, supporting detail, contrast, example, conclusion.
Every paragraph has a skeleton. Skimming helps you spot these structural bones.
Visual checklist of structural signals.
Often the topic sentence — it sets the direction of the paragraph.
Words like however, although, and but show a shift.
Repeated nouns usually reveal the central subject of the paragraph.
Phrases like for instance and such as point to supporting details.
Words like therefore and ultimately signal the final point.
Learner matches highlighted sentences to their structural purpose.
Terms
Definitions
Questions identifying paragraph function.
"Many experts believed the Mayan civilization collapsed due to warfare. However, new soil analysis suggests prolonged drought was the actual culprit, devastating their agriculture." What is the main structural function of this text?
AI explains why the selected sentence controls the paragraph.
Identify your specific strengths and blind spots when skimming.
Write out a concrete action plan for your next practice test.