Maharashtra SSC Kannada FL (MSBSHSE) key terms

A prose passage that candidates have not studied before, printed in the question paper and followed by questions on meaning, inference and vocabulary. It tests reading skill rather than memory of prescribed lessons.

A brief restatement of a passage's main points in your own words, without copying whole sentences and without adding opinions or examples that the original text does not contain.

The central idea or prevailing feeling that a passage or poem conveys as a whole, as distinct from its individual details. Answers state it in one or two clear sentences.

A short title proposed for an unseen passage or paragraph, chosen to capture its main subject. Good titles are brief, specific and supported by the content of the text.

The situation and surrounding text that explain why a particular sentence or line occurs where it does. Context questions ask you to state the situation first, then interpret the quoted words.

A word having the same or nearly the same meaning as another, such as ಸಂತೋಷ and ಆನಂದ for joy. Exercises ask for a synonym taken from, or suited to, the given passage.

A word whose meaning is opposite to that of another word, for example ಹೆಚ್ಚು and ಕಡಿಮೆ for more and less. Vocabulary items ask candidates to supply or identify such pairs.

A person represented in a story, anecdote or play. Questions ask about a character's qualities, motives or change, and full marks require evidence from specific incidents in the lesson.

A prose composition developing a single theme through linked paragraphs, usually moving from an introduction through reasons or examples to a conclusion; the word also labels reflective essays printed in the textbook.

A factual account of a real person's life written by another author, commonly arranged in time order and stressing struggles, achievements and service to society.

The story of a person's life told by that person, using first-person narration. Extracts in the textbook mix personal memory with reflection on people and events that shaped the writer.

A short fictional narrative with few characters, one main incident and a turning point, often ending with an implied message rather than a stated moral.

Conversation between two or more speakers written as direct speech, with each turn marked by a dash or a name. Lessons use it to reveal character and to dramatise an argument.

A first-person account of a journey, describing places visited, people met and the writer's impressions; questions test the ability to separate observed fact from personal opinion.

Background information about the author of a prescribed lesson, such as birthplace, period, major works and awards; it is usually examined as a short-answer question worth a few marks.

A literary composition in verse, laid out in lines and stanzas rather than paragraphs. Prescribed poems are studied for meaning, emotion, metre and figures of speech.

The plain prose meaning of a stanza: what the lines say, expressed in simple sentences without metre, often with a note on the feeling behind them.

The metrical system governing a Kannada poem, covering syllable count, line length and rhythmic pattern. Questions may ask you to name the metre of a prescribed verse.

A deliberate figurative device that heightens poetic language, such as simile, metaphor or alliteration. Candidates identify the device and explain how it adds to the meaning.

A figure in which one thing is compared with another of a different kind using words meaning like or as; the two things stay distinct in the comparison.

A figure in which one thing is described as if it were another, with no word of comparison, so the two are fused; calling a brave man a lion is the standard example.

Repetition of the same consonant sound, typically at the beginning of successive words in a line, used in poetry for rhythm and emphasis.

A Kannada stanzaic metre with four lines, widely used in narrative and devotional poetry. Candidates may be asked to identify the metre or describe its rhyme arrangement.

A short unrhymed Kannada devotional composition in free verse, associated with the Sharana poets; each vachana usually closes with a signature line naming the poet's chosen deity or pen name.

The rule-governed joining of the final sound of one word to the initial sound of the next, producing one combined form. Grammar items ask you to split a joined form or to join two words.

A compound in which two or more words combine into a single unit with one meaning. Candidates identify the type, such as tatpurusha or dvandva, and give the expanded form.

A case ending attached to a noun to show its relation to the verb, marking subject, object, instrument, place and similar roles; Kannada has eight such markers, including the vocative.

The word that states the action or state in a sentence and carries tense, person and number, agreeing with the subject. Every complete Kannada sentence needs one.

A word naming a person, place, thing or abstract idea. It can take case endings and normally heads a noun phrase, often accompanied by an adjective.

A word that qualifies a noun by describing its quality, quantity or number, and agrees with that noun where Kannada requires it, as in ಒಳ್ಳೆಯ ಹುಡುಗ, a good boy.

A word used in place of a noun already identified by context, such as ಅವನು (he) or ಇದು (this). It avoids repetition and helps link one sentence to the next.

An indeclinable word that takes no case ending and never changes form, covering adverbs, conjunctions and particles such as ಮತ್ತು (and) and ಇಲ್ಲಿ (here).

A fixed expression of two or more words whose meaning cannot be worked out from the individual words, such as ಕೈ ಕೊಡು, to lend help. Passages often contain one and ask its sense.

The composition task of writing a letter in correct format: sender's address, date, salutation, body paragraphs, closing and signature, in the register suited to the reader.

A formal letter addressed to an official, institution or newspaper editor, using respectful address, an impersonal tone and a clearly stated purpose, with no personal chatter.

A personal letter to a relative or friend, written in a warm informal tone and sharing news, feelings and inquiries, while still keeping the standard layout of a letter.

A letter of application requesting leave, admission, a certificate or a post. The request is stated early and supported by relevant details arranged in a short, factual body.

A factual write-up of an event, giving a heading, date and place, an account of what happened, who took part and the outcome, written without personal comment.

The writing task in which a candidate composes a multi-paragraph essay on a given topic, with a clear opening, organised points supported by examples, and a rounded conclusion.