Odisha BSE HSC English SLE flashcards

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

Main idea of a passage

The central point the writer makes about the topic, usually stated in the opening or closing sentence. It is broader than any single supporting detail such as a date, name or statistic.

Inference versus restatement

A restatement repeats words already in the passage; an inference is a conclusion drawn from those words. Inference answers must still be defensible from a specific line, not from general knowledge.

Vocabulary in context

Meaning determined by surrounding words, not by dictionary order. Test each option by substituting it into the original sentence and rejecting any that breaks grammar, tone or logic.

Tone and attitude words

Adjectives describing the writer's stance: critical, sympathetic, ironic, nostalgic, objective, sarcastic. Objective means the writer reports without evaluative adjectives or judgement.

Rhyme scheme identification

The pattern of end sounds, labelled with letters: abab for alternating rhyme, aabb for couplets, abba for enclosed rhyme. A change in pattern often signals a turn in the poem's argument.

Simile and metaphor

A simile compares using like or as ('brave as a lion'); a metaphor states identity without like or as ('the classroom was a zoo'). Both create comparison; only the simile marks it explicitly.

Personification

Giving human qualities or actions to non-human things, as in 'the wind whispered' or 'the moon watched'. It differs from simile because no comparison word appears.

Reference to context

A three-part answer: quote the given words, identify who or what they refer to, then explain their significance within the passage or poem.

Subject-verb agreement traps

'One of the boys is' takes a singular verb; each, every, either and neither are singular; 'the number of' is singular while 'a number of' takes a plural verb.

Present perfect with since

Use present perfect for an action beginning in the past and continuing now: 'She has lived here since 2010.' Simple past is wrong when the period still continues.

Article choice by sound

Choose a or an by the first sound, not the first letter: 'an hour', 'a university', 'an MLA'. No article is used with uncountable nouns taken generally.

Preposition collocations

Fixed pairings to memorise: depend on, insist on, capable of, aware of, similar to, different from, married to, good at, prefer X to Y.

Passive voice transformation

Make the object the new subject, keep tense and aspect, and use the past participle: 'They are building the road' becomes 'The road is being built'. The agent is optional.

Reported speech shifts

Change pronouns to match the speaker, drop inverted commas, and shift tense and time words: now to then, today to that day, tomorrow to the next day, will to would.

Conditional sentence types

Zero: present plus present for general truths. First: present plus will. Second: past plus would. Third: had plus past participle plus would have.

Word form before blank

Decide the part of speech the blank needs before choosing: noun, verb, adjective or adverb. From success come successful, successfully and succeed, each fitting different slots.

Character evidence rule

Name the trait, cite an incident that proves it, and quote a line of dialogue or action. A trait asserted without textual evidence earns little credit.

Justifying a title

Link the title to the opening situation, the turning point and the ending. If the title names a symbol, explain what the symbol stands for in the story.

Theme with illustration

Move from a specific incident to the general idea and back to a textual detail. A theme stated alone, without illustration, reads as unsupported assertion.

Poetry analysis order

State the central idea first, then name the figure of speech that conveys it, then describe the effect on the reader. Reversing the order weakens the response.

Moral with example

A general statement of the value or lesson plus one concrete incident from the text. Avoid retelling the plot; the moral must be drawn out, not narrated.

Quotation attribution

Identify the speaker and the situation before interpreting the quoted line. A misattributed quotation invalidates the interpretation that follows it.

Supplementary reader conflict

Identify the central conflict, the choice the character makes, and the consequence shown. Value-based questions usually turn on this choice-and-consequence chain.

Setting and atmosphere link

Setting is where and when; atmosphere is the mood it creates. Answers should connect a specific place or weather detail to the feeling it produces in the scene.

Formal letter format

Sender's address, date, receiver's designation and address, subject line, salutation, two or three body paragraphs, then subscription and signature. Format is marked separately from content.

Notice format and length

Institution name at the top, the word NOTICE, date, heading, three or four sentences of body, then issuer's name and designation. No salutation or subscription; about 50 words.

Report writing conventions

Heading, byline with name and designation, place and date, then a factual account in past tense and third person. Personal opinion is excluded unless the question asks for it.

Paragraph structure

One idea per paragraph: a topic sentence, two or three supporting sentences with examples, and a concluding sentence. No bullet points or headings inside a paragraph.

Essay structure

Introduction stating a thesis, two or three body paragraphs each carrying a point with evidence, and a conclusion that restates the position in fresh wording rather than repeating it.

Subscription choice

Use 'Yours faithfully' with 'Dear Sir or Madam' when the recipient is unnamed; use 'Yours sincerely' with 'Dear Mr or Ms X' when the name is known.

Cohesive linkers

Words signalling relationships between sentences: moreover, however, therefore, consequently, on the other hand, in conclusion. One at a paragraph boundary is usually sufficient.

Word limit discipline

Exceeding a stated limit by more than roughly ten per cent invites penalty, while falling far short suggests underdeveloped content. Plan the number of sentences before writing.