Bihar Intermediate English (BSEB) flashcards

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

Prose: reference to context

A question type requiring identification of the lesson, the speaker, and the situation before explaining the quoted lines. Marks are given first for correct identification, then for explanation.

Character sketch method

An answer structure covering physical or social identity, two or three traits each supported by a specific incident from the text, and the character's contribution to the lesson's theme.

Central idea answer

A short prose answer that states the lesson's thesis in the opening sentence, gives one supporting textual detail, and closes with a comment on the lesson's relevance or message.

Author-lesson matching

An objective question type pairing a prescribed prose lesson with its writer. Learners must memorise exact author names, including translated Hindi writers and Indian English authors.

Simile

A figure of speech comparing two unlike things using 'like' or 'as', for example 'as brave as a lion'. It differs from metaphor, which makes the comparison directly.

Personification

A poetic device giving human qualities to non-human things, such as describing the wind as whispering or the moon as watching. It creates vivid imagery and emotional tone.

Alliteration

Repetition of the same initial consonant sound in nearby words, as in 'silent, slow, sad steps'. It is a sound device and should be quoted with the exact line.

Rhyme scheme labelling

A method of marking end rhymes with letters per line: abab for alternating rhyme, aabb for couplets, abba for enclosed rhyme. Blank verse has no rhyme scheme.

Onomatopoeia

A word that imitates the sound it describes, such as buzz, hiss, crash, or murmur. Poets use it to make descriptions auditory and immediate rather than merely visual.

Oxymoron

A compressed phrase joining contradictory words, such as 'bitter sweet' or 'living death'. It creates paradox and forces the reader to hold two opposing ideas together.

Non-detailed plot recall

Remembering the order of major events in a supplementary-reader story: exposition, conflict, climax, resolution. Objective questions often test exact names, places, and event sequence.

Supplementary theme answer

A response tying the story's moral or theme to a specific incident. A moral stated without textual evidence receives only partial credit in examinations.

Inference question

A comprehension item asking what the writer implies rather than states. The answer needs a claim plus textual support, not personal opinion or outside knowledge.

Vocabulary in context

A comprehension item asking the meaning of a word as used in the passage. Choose the sense that fits the sentence, not the most frequent dictionary meaning.

Suitable title task

A comprehension question requiring a 2-6 word heading that captures the passage's main idea rather than its broad topic. Titles are judged on focus and brevity.

Passive voice formation

Make the active object the subject, use the correct form of 'be' plus past participle, and keep the original tense. Example: 'She writes a letter' becomes 'A letter is written by her.'

Reported speech backshift

When the reporting verb is past, shift present to past, past to past perfect, will to would, can to could. Pronouns and time words also change to the reporter's perspective.

Reported questions

Indirect questions use statement word order, no question mark, and no auxiliary inversion. Example: 'He asked me where I lived.' The reporting verb is ask or enquire.

Article choice rule

Use 'a' before consonant sounds, 'an' before vowel sounds, and 'the' for specific or unique reference. Hindi has no articles, so English output must add them.

Prepositions of time

Use 'in' for months, years, and seasons; 'on' for days and dates; 'at' for clock times, night, and noon. These three cover most time expressions tested.

Degree transformation

Rewriting a sentence across positive, comparative, and superlative degrees without changing meaning, for example 'No other boy is as tall as Ram' equals 'Ram is taller than any other boy.'

English-Hindi word order

English follows subject-verb-object order, while Hindi follows subject-object-verb. Translating meaning rather than word order requires moving the verb to the clause end.

Idiom translation rule

Replace an idiom with an equivalent idiom in the target language, not a literal word-for-word rendering. Literal idiom translation is marked incorrect in examinations.

Transliteration in translation

Keeping proper nouns, place names, and technical terms in the target script rather than translating them. Names such as 'Gandhi' become गांधी, not a translated word.

Formal letter format

Sender's address, date, receiver's designation and address, subject line, salutation, body paragraphs, 'Yours faithfully', signature, and name. Format earns separate marks.

Précis rules

Reduce the passage to about one-third length in your own words, keep the central idea, omit examples and repetition, and supply a suitable title.

Report structure

A heading, reporter byline with place, opening paragraph answering what, when, where, and who, then details and quotes, then a closing line. Use past tense, third person.

Essay structure

An introduction stating the thesis, two or three body paragraphs each developing one idea with an example, and a conclusion restating the position without introducing new arguments.

One-word substitution

A single word replacing a descriptive phrase, such as philanthropist for one who loves mankind, or hydrophobia for fear of water. These are common objective vocabulary items.

Phrasal verb meaning shift

The particle changes the verb's meaning: give up means surrender, give in means yield, give away means distribute or reveal. Learn these as fixed units.

Homophone pairs

Words sounding alike but spelled differently with different meanings, such as principal and principle, stationery and stationary, compliment and complement, affect and effect.

Prefix for antonyms

Meaning-reversing prefixes include un-, in-, im-, il-, ir-, dis-, mis-, and non-. The correct prefix depends on the root word and must be learned per word.