Kerala Plus Two English Literature (DHSE) key terms

A conclusion a reader draws by combining details in a text with general knowledge, even though the writer never states it directly. Recognising inferences helps you answer questions about implied meaning and attitude.

The central point a passage develops and supports throughout. It is broader than any single detail and can usually be stated in one sentence after the whole text has been read.

A word, phrase or punctuation mark near an unfamiliar word that hints at its meaning. Common types are definition, example, contrast and synonym clues, which let readers work out vocabulary without a dictionary.

The attitude a writer or speaker takes towards the subject and the audience, revealed through word choice, sentence length and detail. Tone may be ironic, nostalgic, indignant or matter-of-fact.

Language that appeals to the senses of sight, sound, touch, taste or smell so that readers can picture a scene. Poets use it to create mood and make abstract ideas concrete.

A comparison in which one thing is described as if it were another, without using 'like' or 'as'. The comparison points to a shared quality rather than literal identity.

A comparison between two unlike things introduced by 'like' or 'as', used to sharpen a description. An effective simile surprises the reader while making the similarity immediately clear.

Giving human qualities, feelings or actions to animals, objects or abstract ideas. Poets use it to make the non-human world speak and to deepen the emotional effect of a passage.

The repetition of the same initial consonant sound in nearby words, as in 'wild and windy'. It creates rhythm, links words together and can reinforce mood or meaning.

The running on of a sentence or phrase past the end of a line of poetry without a pause. It speeds up reading and creates tension between the line break and the grammar.

Writing that uses humour, irony or exaggeration to expose and criticise human foolishness or vice. Its purpose is correction rather than mere ridicule, though it usually entertains while it attacks.

A short, often personal story told to illustrate a point or illuminate a character. In essays it makes an abstract argument concrete and gives readers something memorable to hold on to.

A brief, unexplained reference to a person, event, text or myth that the writer expects readers to recognise. Allusions pack extra meaning into few words by borrowing familiar associations.

A piece in which the writer examines a personal experience and draws out its wider significance. It moves between narration and interpretation, showing what was learned rather than merely what happened.

The central character whose fortunes the narrative follows and whose decisions usually drive the plot. A protagonist need not be admirable, but readers are invited to see events from that character's perspective.

The perspective from which a story is told, such as first person, third person limited or omniscient. It controls what information readers receive and how much they know about characters' minds.

Hints or clues planted early in a narrative that prepare readers for later events. Foreshadowing builds suspense and makes surprising endings feel both unexpected and believable.

The time, place and social circumstances in which a story unfolds. Setting shapes characters' choices, creates atmosphere and can carry symbolic weight beyond mere background detail.

A moment in which a character suddenly understands something important about themselves or their situation. It often marks a turning point and may replace dramatic action with inner change.

A speech in which a character, alone on stage, thinks aloud and reveals private thoughts to the audience. It supplies information and motive that other characters on stage cannot hear.

A short remark spoken by a character directly to the audience, supposedly unheard by others present. It offers confidential comment, often comic or ironic, on the action.

A situation in which the audience knows something important that the characters on stage do not. The gap in knowledge creates tension, pity or dark comedy as events unfold.

The instructions in a play's script describing setting, entrances, exits, movement, gesture and tone of voice. They guide production choices and reveal the dramatist's intentions.

A defect of character or judgement in a tragic hero that contributes to his or her downfall. It makes the catastrophe feel earned rather than accidental.

A concise summary that preserves the main ideas of a passage in the writer's own words, usually about one third of the original length. It omits examples and repetition and keeps the original order.

A short formal announcement displayed for a specific audience, giving details of an event, meeting, lost item or change. It uses a heading, brief factual sentences and contact details, not continuous prose.

A structured factual account of an event, investigation or meeting, written for readers who need information. It typically has a heading, introduction, findings in sections and a conclusion or recommendation.

A critical account of a book, film, play or performance that describes the work and judges its strengths and weaknesses. A good review supports its opinion with evidence and names its likely audience.

The sentence, usually placed first in a paragraph, that states the paragraph's controlling idea. Everything else in that paragraph should support, explain or illustrate it.

The way sentences and paragraphs are linked through pronouns, repetition, conjunctions and reference words so that a text reads as a connected whole rather than a list of separate statements.

A sentence construction in which the subject performs the action, as in 'The committee approved the plan'. It is usually clearer and more direct than the alternative construction.

A construction in which the subject receives the action, formed with a form of 'be' plus the past participle, as in 'The plan was approved'. Useful when the doer is unknown or unimportant.

The way we retell what someone said without quoting the exact words, shifting tense, pronouns and time expressions, as in 'She said she was leaving'. It requires careful backshift of tenses.

A subordinate clause that describes a noun and is introduced by who, which, that, whose or where. It may be defining or non-defining, and only the non-defining type takes commas.

The rule that a verb must match its subject in number and person, so a singular subject takes a singular verb. Intervening phrases and collective nouns often cause errors here.

A fixed expression whose meaning cannot be worked out from its individual words, such as 'break the ice'. Idioms are figurative and often informal, so they suit conversation better than formal reports.

A verb combined with an adverb or preposition, or both, that carries a new meaning, such as 'put off' or 'give in'. Some are separable and some are not, which affects word order.

A letter group added to the front of a word to change its meaning, as in 'un-', 'pre-' and 'mis-'. Recognising common prefixes helps you work out unfamiliar vocabulary in examinations.

Any deliberate departure from literal language for effect, including simile, metaphor, personification and hyperbole. Figures of speech shape tone and make writing vivid, persuasive or memorable.