Maharashtra SSC Gujarati (First Language) key terms

A prose passage, usually an extract from a story, essay, or biography, studied in the textbook and tested through short-answer and long-answer questions about theme, character, and author's purpose.

A poem or verse passage studied in the poetry section; questions ask about the poet, central idea, imagery, and figures of speech used in the lines.

A lesson or chapter from the prescribed textbook. Candidates should be able to summarise its content, identify characters, and explain its message in their own words.

An incident or episode within a prose lesson. Answers often require narrating the incident briefly and explaining what it reveals about a character or theme.

A character in a story or play. Questions may ask you to describe a character's qualities and support each quality with evidence from the text.

Character or personality as revealed through behaviour and speech; also a biographical sketch. Used when describing what kind of person a figure in the lesson is.

A figure of speech such as simile, metaphor, or personification. Candidates identify the figure in a given line and name the two things being compared.

Simile: an explicit comparison using words such as 'જેવું' or 'સમું'. To answer, state what is compared to what and which quality is highlighted.

Metaphor: an implied comparison where one thing is described as if it were another, without 'like' or 'as'. Identify the transferred image and its intended effect.

The meaning or sentiment of a verse line, explained in simple prose. Answers should restate the idea without repeating the poem's exact wording.

A summary or gist of a passage or poem, written in your own words and covering the main points without unnecessary detail or personal opinion.

Comprehension: understanding an unseen passage well enough to answer factual, inferential, and vocabulary questions drawn directly from it.

An unseen prose passage not from the textbook, used to test rapid reading; questions cover main idea, specific details, and the meaning of difficult words in context.

Rapid reading with accurate recall. Practise skimming for the main idea and scanning for names, numbers, and dates before answering the questions.

Grammar as a whole: the section testing sandhi, samas, synonyms, antonyms, idioms, proverbs, and sentence transformation. Marks here are precise and easy to secure with practice.

Sandhi: the joining of two sounds or words into one form, such as vowel or consonant combinations. You must split a given word into its components and name the type.

Compound word formation, where two or more words combine into a single unit. Questions ask you to split the compound and identify its type, for example tatpurush or dvandva.

A synonym: a word with nearly the same meaning as the given word. Choose the synonym that fits the sentence's register rather than a loosely related word.

An antonym: a word of opposite meaning. Match the grammatical form of the given word, since a noun usually needs a noun as its opposite.

The meaning of a word, especially as used in a particular passage. Context decides the sense, so check how the word functions in the sentence before answering.

A phrase or group of words functioning as one unit. Used when replacing a phrase with a single word or explaining an expression's sense in a sentence.

An idiom: a fixed expression whose meaning is not literal. You should state its figurative meaning and use it correctly in a sentence of your own.

A proverb carrying folk wisdom, often tested by completing the saying or explaining its moral. Learn each proverb with a short situation where it would apply.

An essay written on a given topic, with an introduction, two or three developed paragraphs, and a conclusion. Structure, relevance, and correct language earn the marks.

An outline or skeleton plan of points made before writing an essay. A brief outline keeps the essay organised and prevents repetition or going off-topic.

Letter writing: formal and informal letters following the prescribed layout of address, date, salutation, body, and closing. Tone must suit the reader and purpose.

A formal letter to an official, editor, or institution, written in polite, impersonal language and stating the purpose clearly in the opening lines.

An informal letter to a friend or relative, using a personal, conversational tone while still observing the correct layout and paragraphing.

Translation: rendering a given sentence or short passage into Gujarati or English accurately, preserving meaning, tense, and register rather than translating word for word.

Sentence construction: forming grammatically correct sentences with proper subject-verb agreement, tense, and word order, often applied in applied-writing tasks.

An advertisement written for a specified product, event, or lost item. It must be brief, include all essential details, and use an eye-catching heading.

A notice or set of instructions, such as for an event or a procedure. Write it in short numbered points, keeping the language direct and unambiguous.

Supplementary reading: the non-detailed text studied alongside the main textbook. Questions test plot, characters, and themes from the prescribed supplementary book.

Plot: the sequence of events in a story, including its beginning, complication, climax, and resolution. Useful for retelling or analysing a supplementary text.

The feeling or emotional tone conveyed by a passage, such as joy, grief, or patriotism. Answers should name the emotion and point to the words that create it.

The moral or central message a lesson or poem conveys. State it in one clear sentence, then support it with a brief reference to the text.

The title of a lesson, poem, or composition. Questions may ask why a title is appropriate, so link it to the central idea or main incident.