Bangla Grammar, Orthography, and Usage
Core concepts
The grammar section rewards precision over memorised lists. Candidates must command sandhi and samas (compound) formation, the distinction between tatsama, tatbhava, and deshi words, karak (case relations) and the eight case-forms, samasa classification (dvandva, dvigu, karmadharaya, bahuvrihi, avyayibhava), and shabda and dhatu conjugation. Orthography is tested through vowel harmony, the i-kar and u-kar endings, ref and ya-phala placement, anusvara versus nasikya, and the correct spelling of loanwords.
Common traps
Questions often hinge on minimal pairs: kori versus kori with different vowel signs, bhalo spelled with the wrong initial vowel, or shat (seven) versus shot (hundred). Watch for samas questions where the same compound can be read two ways depending on context, and for karak questions that confuse karma (object) with apadan (source). Punctuation and chhed (splitting words) also appear; remember that hasanta removes the inherent vowel while khanda-ta is a distinct letter.
Rule of thumb
For any spelling question, ask which dhatu or tatsama root the word descends from; the root usually dictates the vowel sign. For samas, identify the head word first: if the compound denotes a person or thing possessing the quality, it is bahuvrihi.
Worked example
Bidyabhaban: bidya + bhaban. The head is bhaban (house), and the first member qualifies it, so this is karmadharaya, not dvandva. A dvandva would require both members to be coordinate, as in ma-baba (mother and father).