Scanning:

Scanning is a technique used to find specific information quickly within a text. This involves moving your eyes rapidly over the text to locate particular words, phrases, or data.

Example 1: If you're looking for a phone number in a business directory, you wouldn't read each entry word by word. Instead, you would scan the page, looking for the specific numbers or the name of the business you’re interested in.

Example 2: When you need to find a specific date in a historical article, you would scan the text for numbers or date-related keywords rather than reading the whole article.

Skimming:

Skimming is a technique used to get a general idea of the content without reading every word. It involves reading the headings, subheadings, and the first and last sentences of paragraphs to grasp the main points.

Example 1: If you’re trying to understand the gist of a news article, you might skim the headline, the first few lines, and the conclusion to get a summary of the news without diving into the details.

Example 2: When reviewing a book chapter, you might skim through the introduction, main headings, and conclusion sections to get a sense of the chapter’s main arguments and key points without reading every paragraph.