Kerala SSLC Kannada BT key terms

A composition written in metrical verse lines, as opposed to prose. In the SSLC reader it covers devotional, patriotic, and nature poems studied for meaning, emotion, and figures of speech.

Written language arranged in sentences and paragraphs rather than verse lines. Prose lessons in the textbook include short stories, essays, and biographical sketches read for theme and character.

The system of metre that governs syllable count, length, and rhythm in Kannada verse. Recognising the metre helps a student scan a poem and explain its musical quality.

The repetition of the same initial consonant at the start of successive verse units, giving Kannada poetry its characteristic chime. It is a favourite identification question in poetry sections.

A figure in which the same consonant sound recurs within nearby words, producing a pleasing echo. It differs from prasa because the repetition need not fall at line openings.

A poetic ornament or figure of speech that heightens expression, such as simile, metaphor, or personification. Questions often ask students to name the figure and justify the choice with a quoted line.

A simile: an explicit comparison of two things using words meaning 'like' or 'as'. The student must identify both compared objects and the shared quality being highlighted.

A metaphor in which one thing is described directly as another, without any word of comparison. Identifying it requires noticing that the sentence asserts identity rather than similarity.

The emotional feeling or mood a poem conveys, such as devotion, longing, or patriotic pride. Explaining bhava means quoting lines and naming the sentiment they arouse in the reader.

The aesthetic pleasure or dominant sentiment experienced by a reader when a literary work is fully realised. Traditional criticism names several rasas, including heroic, compassionate, and devotional.

A narrative prose piece with characters, setting, conflict, and resolution. Story questions usually test plot sequence, character motivation, and the moral or message of the episode.

A character in a story, play, or narrative poem. Candidates are asked to describe traits, quote speeches that reveal them, and explain how a character changes during the work.

An essay or extended prose composition developing a single theme in organised paragraphs. In the exam it may appear as a reading passage or as a writing task the candidate must produce.

The subject or topic of a passage, essay, or letter. Identifying the central vishaya is the first step in comprehension, summary writing, and planned composition.

A concise summary that restates the main ideas of a passage in the writer's own words, omitting examples and repetition. It must preserve the original order of ideas and stay within the word limit.

The meaning of a word, sentence, or passage. Vocabulary questions test whether a candidate can supply a Kannada synonym or explain usage in context rather than give a vague gloss.

A synonym: a word carrying the same or nearly the same meaning as another. Exam items ask candidates to match or supply synonyms for words drawn from the prescribed lessons.

An antonym: a word whose meaning is opposite to another. Candidates must supply the opposite term and, in longer answers, use both words correctly in a sentence.

A noun: a word naming a person, place, thing, or abstract idea. Grammar items require candidates to pick out nouns from a sentence and classify them as proper, common, or abstract.

A pronoun: a word standing in place of a noun, such as the Kannada forms for he, she, it, they, and this. Questions test correct agreement between pronoun and the noun it replaces.

A verb: the word expressing an action or state in a sentence. Candidates identify verbs, note whether they are transitive or intransitive, and check agreement with the subject.

A grammatical case ending attached to a noun or pronoun to show its relation to other words, such as subject, object, or possession. Kannada marks these with suffixes rather than prepositions.

A suffix added to a root or stem to form a new word or to mark a grammatical function. Exercises ask candidates to split words into root and suffix and to build new forms.

The joining of two words or word elements in which the final sound of the first combines with the initial sound of the second. Candidates are asked to separate sandhi words or to combine given pairs.

A compound: two or more words fused into a single expression whose meaning is read as one unit. Exam items require splitting the compound and naming its type.

Grammatical tense, showing whether an action happens in the past, present, or future. Candidates rewrite sentences in a required tense and check that the verb ending changes correctly.

Grammatical number, singular or plural, marked on nouns, pronouns, and verbs. Agreement questions test whether the verb ending matches the number of its subject.

A sentence: a complete unit of meaning containing a subject and a predicate. Candidates identify sentence types, correct faulty order, and combine short sentences into one.

Punctuation marks such as full stop, comma, question mark, and quotation marks. Marks are awarded for correct punctuation in composition and deducted when it is missing or misused.

Translation of a passage from one language into another, here usually English to Kannada or Kannada to English. The aim is accurate meaning and natural style, not word-for-word substitution.

A letter written for a practical purpose, either personal or formal. Formal letters follow a fixed layout of sender, date, address, subject, salutation, body, and closing.

A formal application submitted to an authority to request something, such as leave or a certificate. It states the reason briefly and politely and ends with a request for favourable consideration.

A report presenting factual information about an event or activity in an organised way. A school report typically answers what, when, where, who, and why in a neutral tone.

A biography: an account of a person's life focusing on formative events and achievements. Textbook extracts are read for chronology, character, and the values the subject represents.

Expression: the clear and effective communication of ideas in speech or writing. Composition marks reward organised thought, varied sentence structure, and vocabulary suited to the topic.

A proverb carrying folk wisdom in a fixed, memorable form. Exam items ask candidates to explain the inner meaning of a proverb or to complete it from memory.

An idiom: a fixed phrase whose meaning cannot be worked out from its individual words. Candidates explain the idiom's sense and often use it in an original sentence.