ASSEB HSLC Bodo (First Language) flashcards

32 cards. Read the term and the definition here. The deck at the top of this page is optional.

Bodo default word order

Bodo is subject–object–verb. The verb comes last in the clause, so English 'I eat rice' becomes aŋ ma zāyā, with subject, object, then verb.

Genitive case marker -ni

The suffix -ni marks possession on a noun, equivalent to English 'of' or apostrophe-s. It attaches directly to the possessor noun before the possessed item.

Locative marker -āo

-āo is a postpositional case suffix meaning 'in, at, or on'. It follows the noun, as in no-āo meaning 'in the house', since Bodo uses postpositions rather than prepositions.

Future marker -gan

The suffix -gan signals future tense on a Bodo verb. In tense-identification items, locating -gan is the most reliable cue that the action has not yet occurred.

Verb negation suffix

Negation in Bodo is expressed by a suffix on the verb stem, commonly -ā or -ya, as in zā-ā meaning 'does not eat'. Check the negative suffix before deciding tense.

Causative suffix -ho

Adding -ho or -hu to a verb stem makes it causative, meaning 'cause someone to do'. It must be recognised before translating a Bodo sentence into English.

Upamā versus rūpak

Upamā is simile and keeps a comparison word such as nisina or khalam. Rūpak is metaphor and asserts identity without any comparison word; check for nisina before labelling.

Anuprās (alliteration)

Anuprās is the repetition of the same initial consonant sound in nearby words. It is detected by reading the line aloud, not by counting identical letters in spelling.

Poetic voice versus poet

The 'I' speaking in a lyric is the kavita-bākhā, a constructed voice. It is not automatically the poet's own biography, and examiners reward this distinction in speaker questions.

Refrain in Bodo song-poems

A repeated refrain line, often folk-derived, usually carries the poem's central emotion. Quoting it directly is the fastest way to support a full-mark theme answer.

Three-part central idea answer

For poetry central-idea questions, write three sentences: the poem's subject, the feeling it conveys, and the message it leaves the reader. This structure covers all scoring points.

Chanda in poetry appreciation

Chanda refers to metre and rhythm. Along with bhāv (feeling) and alaŋkār (figures of speech), it forms a separate scoring point in Bodo poetry appreciation questions.

Character sketch evidence rule

A character sketch must cite at least two textual actions or statements plus one direct quotation. Sketches built only on adjectives and general impressions receive partial credit at most.

Fact versus opinion test

In non-fiction extracts, statements carrying numbers, dates, or named sources are facts. Evaluative adjectives such as muliŋ (good) or gaya (bad) mark opinion.

Narrator pronoun cues

First-person narration uses aŋ and boŋ forms; third-person narration uses bi and biyung. A mid-passage shift in pronouns signals a change of perspective or a flashback.

Mark-based answer length

A two-mark prose question needs one developed sentence with textual evidence. A five-mark question needs an opening statement, two evidence points, and a closing conclusion.

Bodo tone vocabulary

Name tone explicitly using terms such as məzāŋ (joy), dukhu (sorrow), rəgə (anger), and khəma (forgiveness). Mood and tone questions require the label plus supporting textual detail.

Rapid Reader chronology anchor

Questions asking what happened immediately before or after an event must be answered with the nearest incident in plot order, not the most dramatic or memorable one.

Character–action matching

The commonest Rapid Reader objective item links a named character to one defining deed and one defining trait. Memorise one deed and one trait per major character.

Title significance answer

Connect the title to a literal object or event in the text, then to the abstract idea it symbolises. Both links are needed for full marks in title-significance questions.

Text-specific theme statement

A theme answer must be tied to a named character's decision. Generic morals such as 'hard work pays' score low without a concrete incident from the prescribed text.

Quotation recall with context

Keep three or four short key lines per Rapid Reader text, each with speaker and situation. A close paraphrase is acceptable only when explicitly marked as paraphrase.

Three-paragraph essay frame

A Bodo HSLC essay uses bhāv (introduction), bisay (body with two or three points), and śeṣ (conclusion). Each paragraph runs four to six sentences.

Formal letter components

A formal letter needs sender's address, date, receiver's address, salutation, body, closing, and signature. Missing date or signature costs format marks regardless of content quality.

Report writing essentials

A report requires a headline, a dateline giving place and date, and a factual body in past tense. First person is avoided except inside quoted speech.

Outline story completion

When a story outline is supplied, use all points in the given order, include dialogue in at least one scene, and close with a resolving sentence that ties the plot together.

Idiom translation by sense

Idioms are rendered by meaning, using an equivalent Bodo idiom or plain statement. Literal word-for-word rendering of an English idiom is always marked wrong.

SVO to SOV conversion

Translating English into Bodo requires moving the verb to clause-final position. Identify the English subject, object, and verb first, then reorder before choosing Bodo case markers.

Paraphrase fidelity rule

A paraphrase keeps every fact and the original point of view while changing vocabulary and sentence structure. Length should stay within about twenty percent of the source.

Tense matching in translation

Match the source tense throughout: a past-tense English passage must use -bā or -dā forms consistently in the Bodo rendering, with no mid-passage drift.

Vocabulary-in-context rule

For unseen comprehension vocabulary items, give the meaning the word carries in that passage, not its most common dictionary sense. Reread the surrounding sentence before choosing.

Justified true/false answers

When a true/false item adds 'justify your answer', quote or closely cite the exact phrase from the passage. A justification without textual support scores zero.