Bihar Intermediate English (BSEB) key terms

The main character whose actions and choices drive a story forward, and whose fortunes the reader follows most closely. In the BSEB prose lessons, identifying the protagonist helps you answer character-based questions quickly.

A short description of a person in a text, covering appearance, behaviour, speech, and the qualities the author reveals through them. Examiners often ask for a brief sketch of a figure from a prescribed lesson.

The central idea or message a piece of writing conveys, such as the value of honesty, the pain of partition, or the dignity of labour. Stating the theme clearly is expected in long-answer questions on prose and poetry.

The single most important point a passage or poem makes, usually expressible in one sentence. Precis writing and short-answer questions both depend on extracting it accurately rather than retelling details.

The lesson about right conduct that a story or fable is designed to teach. In BSEB prose answers, the moral should be stated in your own words and linked to specific events in the text.

Descriptive language that appeals to the senses, creating pictures in the reader's mind through words about sight, sound, smell, taste, or touch. Questions on poetry frequently ask you to identify and explain images.

An expression used in a non-literal way to add force or beauty, including simile, metaphor, personification, and hyperbole. Naming and explaining the figure is a standard poetry question.

A comparison between two unlike things introduced by words such as like, as, or than, for example cheeks like roses. It states the comparison openly rather than implying it.

A direct comparison in which one thing is described as if it were another, without using like or as, for example calling life a journey. It works by carrying qualities across from one object to another.

A device in which a non-human thing, such as a river, wind, or tree, is given human qualities or the ability to speak and feel. It is common in nature poems in the prescribed syllabus.

An object, person, or action that stands for something larger than itself, such as a lamp standing for hope. Explaining what a symbol suggests earns marks in poetry answers.

The pattern of end rhymes in a poem, usually shown with letters so that lines rhyming together share a letter, as in abab. Naming the scheme is often the first part of a poetry appreciation answer.

A group of lines separated from other groups by a blank space in a poem, working like a paragraph in prose. Referring to stanza numbers helps you locate evidence precisely.

The pattern of stressed and unstressed syllables that gives a poem its musical beat. Reading aloud helps a candidate feel the rhythm before writing about it.

The sequence of events in a narrative, arranged to show cause and effect rather than mere chronology. Summaries in the supplementary reader section should follow the plot without adding outside detail.

The point of greatest tension in a story, where the main conflict reaches its peak and the outcome is decided. Identifying the climax helps you structure a summary or a long answer.

The struggle between opposing forces in a story, whether between characters, within one character's mind, or between a person and circumstances. Naming the conflict sharpens analysis of the non-detailed text.

The voice that tells a story, which may be a participant in the events or an outside observer. Distinguishing the narrator from the author prevents errors in questions about point of view.

The perspective from which a narrative is told, such as first person using I and we, or third person using he and she. It shapes what the reader can know and how trustworthy the account feels.

A conclusion drawn from evidence in the passage rather than stated directly in words. Unseen comprehension questions often test inference, so answers must be supported by clues in the text.

The point a paragraph or passage is chiefly making, to which most of its sentences contribute. Finding it first makes answering detail and vocabulary questions in comprehension much faster.

The sentence, usually near the beginning of a paragraph, that announces what the paragraph is about. Locating topic sentences speeds up scanning an unseen passage under exam pressure.

Reading quickly to grasp the general sense of a passage without attending to every word. It is the right first step for an unseen passage before you turn to the questions.

Running the eyes over a text looking for one specific item, such as a date, name, or number. It is used after skimming, when a question demands a particular detail.

A word or phrase near an unfamiliar word that hints at its meaning, such as a definition, example, or contrast. Using context clues is the safest way to answer vocabulary questions in comprehension.

A sentence construction in which the subject performs the action, as in the teacher explained the poem. It is usually clearer and more direct than the passive alternative.

A construction in which the subject receives the action, formed with a form of be plus the past participle, as in the poem was explained by the teacher. Conversion questions require keeping the tense unchanged.

Reporting a speaker's exact words inside quotation marks, as in She said, I am tired. Changing it to indirect speech requires shifts in pronouns, tense, and time words.

Reporting what someone said without quoting the exact words and without quotation marks, as in She said that she was tired. Tense usually shifts back one step when the reporting verb is in the past.

The verb such as said, told, asked, or exclaimed that introduces reported speech and decides the structure that follows. Choosing told requires an object, while said does not.

A short word, a, an, or the, placed before a noun to show whether it is indefinite or definite. Choosing correctly depends on sound, countability, and whether the listener can identify the referent.

A word such as in, on, at, of, or since that links a noun or pronoun to another element and shows relations of place, time, or manner. Fixed combinations must be memorised as whole units.

A verb combined with an adverb or preposition to produce a new meaning, such as give up meaning surrender or look after meaning care for. The particle cannot be guessed from the verb alone.

Rewriting a sentence into another grammatical form, such as changing affirmative to negative, simple to compound, or degree to degree, without altering the meaning. Examiners check that the sense survives the change.

A concise, faithful summary of a passage, written in your own words and usually about one-third of the original length, keeping the main ideas in logical order. It must not include examples, repetition, or personal opinion.

Restating a piece of writing in different words while keeping the original meaning intact. It is the core skill in précis writing and in translation, where word-for-word copying usually produces poor language.

Conveying the meaning of a text from one language into another so that the sense, tone, and register are preserved rather than the exact word order. BSEB tests both English to Hindi and Hindi to English.

A fixed expression whose meaning cannot be worked out from its individual words, such as to let the cat out of the bag meaning to reveal a secret. Idioms must be learnt as whole units and translated by sense.

A word that has nearly the same meaning as another in a given context, such as begin and commence. Exact equivalence is rare, so register and collocation must be considered when substituting.

A word opposite in meaning to another, such as scarce and abundant. Antonym questions reward knowing the precise sense of a word rather than a vague impression of it.