BGCSE Setswana 1235 key terms

A piece of writing such as a letter, notice, or composition that carries a message from one person to another and is studied for purpose, audience, and structure.

The main idea or topic that a piece of writing or speech is built around; readers must be able to state it in one clear sentence after reading.

The lesson or point a writer or speaker wants the audience to take away, often stated indirectly through events, characters, or examples rather than plainly named.

The reason a speaker or writer produces a text, such as to inform, persuade, warn, entertain, or instruct; identifying it helps a reader judge whether the text succeeds.

A planned piece of continuous writing on a given topic, organised into an introduction, body paragraphs, and conclusion, and marked for content, arrangement, and language accuracy.

A group of sentences in writing that develops one idea; each new idea in a composition normally begins a fresh paragraph, and the first sentence often announces the topic.

A short plan drawn up before writing in which the writer lists and orders the main points so that the composition flows logically from one idea to the next.

The style or register a writer chooses, formal or informal, depending on the reader and purpose, affecting word choice, sentence length, and use of contractions or slang.

A formal letter written for official purposes, following set conventions such as the writer's address, date, recipient's address, salutation, body, and closing formula.

A friendly, informal letter to a relative or friend, written in relaxed language and usually sharing news, feelings, and personal experiences rather than official business.

A shortened form of a word or phrase, such as initials used for the names of organisations, common in notices and formal writing where space is limited.

A word that names a person, place, thing, or idea; in Setswana nouns are grouped into classes, and each class governs the prefixes used on verbs, adjectives, and pronouns.

A word that expresses an action or state, carrying prefixes that agree with the subject noun class and, where present, suffixes marking tense, aspect, and object.

The grammatical marking of when an action happens, past, present, or future, shown in Setswana mainly through the tense morphemes placed between the subject prefix and the verb stem.

The form of a verb that shows how the action is presented, for example as plain statement, command, question, or possibility, and which changes the verb's prefixes and endings.

A word that stands in place of a noun, such as a pronoun referring back to a person or thing already mentioned, and which must agree with the noun class of what it replaces.

A word that describes or qualifies a noun, such as a word for size, colour, or number, and which in Setswana takes a concord prefix matching the class of the noun it describes.

A word or phrase that adds information about a verb, saying how, when, or where an action happens, and which cannot normally stand alone without the word it modifies.

A word formed by joining two or more independent words into one unit, whose meaning is usually understood from the parts even though the spelling becomes a single word.

A complete unit of speech or writing that expresses a thought and normally contains a subject and a predicate; sentences are classified as statements, questions, commands, or exclamations.

A sentence or utterance that asks for information or confirmation, marked in Setswana by question particles, intonation, or interrogative words such as those for who, what, and where.

A sentence that directs someone to do or not do something, using the imperative form of the verb, often with a polite softening word in courteous speech.

The accepted way of writing words with correct letters, including correct use of prefixes, suffixes, and word division, which is tested in dictation and editing tasks.

The marks used in writing such as full stops, commas, question marks, and quotation marks, which show pauses, sentence types, and direct speech.

A short traditional saying that expresses wisdom or advice about life, often used in speech and writing to support an argument or comment on a situation.

Brief traditional sayings with a fixed wording that carry a moral or observation, frequently quoted in conversation and literature to sum up a situation neatly.

A traditional prose narrative passed down orally, involving characters, conflict, and resolution, used to teach values and entertain listeners, especially younger audiences.

The art of telling stories aloud before an audience, including the storyteller's use of voice, gesture, and audience participation such as response calls and songs.

A composed poem in Setswana that uses lines, rhythm, and imagery, often performed aloud, and studied for subject matter, structure, and figurative language.

A figure of speech that compares two things, often using a word meaning like or as, to make a description vivid and to help the reader picture the idea.

A figure of speech in which human qualities are given to animals, objects, or natural forces, common in traditional stories and in poetry about nature.

The person who composes a poem, story, or play; in literature study candidates must be able to name the writer and separate that person's views from those of the characters.

A character in a story, novel, or play, described by appearance, speech, and actions; candidates discuss whether a character is central or minor and how the character changes.

An event or incident in a narrative that moves the plot forward; identifying the main events and their order is basic to summarising and discussing a story.

The way a person or character behaves, seen in speech and actions; in literature it is used to judge a character's motives and the moral the story conveys.

The skill of paying careful attention to spoken Setswana in order to grasp the main point, note specific details, and follow instructions given orally in the examination.

The skill of expressing ideas clearly and appropriately in spoken Setswana, including correct pronunciation, tone, courtesy, and adapting register to the listener.

Respectful forms of speech and behaviour used when addressing elders, strangers, or people in authority, including polite greetings, indirect requests, and avoidance of blunt language.