PSEB Class 12 General English key terms

A reading skill in which you draw a conclusion from clues in the passage rather than from a statement made directly. Examiners often ask what a writer implies about a character's mood or motive.

The central point a paragraph or passage is built around, usually stated or hinted in the opening or closing sentence. Summarising tasks and title-selection questions depend on identifying it correctly.

The sentence, usually first in a paragraph, that announces what the rest of the paragraph will explain. Locating it quickly helps you answer comprehension questions and write well-organised paragraphs of your own.

A word, phrase, or example near an unfamiliar word that reveals its meaning. Using surrounding clues lets you answer vocabulary-in-context questions without a dictionary.

The attitude a writer expresses towards the subject, such as ironic, sympathetic, critical, or nostalgic. Tone is revealed through word choice and is often tested by asking you to choose a describing adjective.

To read quickly for gist, letting your eyes move over the text to catch headings, first sentences, and repeated words. Skimming before detailed reading saves time in an unseen-passage section.

To run your eyes over a text looking only for one specific item, such as a date, name, or figure. Scanning answers factual questions faster than reading every line.

The quality that makes a piece of writing flow logically, with each sentence following from the last. Linking words, pronouns, and repeated key nouns all build coherence.

The way sentences are tied together by grammatical and lexical devices such as pronouns, synonyms, and connectives. A cohesive answer reads as one unit rather than as separate sentences.

A connective word or phrase (however, therefore, in addition, on the other hand) that signals the relationship between ideas. Correct use of linkers is a common marking criterion in essays and reports.

A letter written to an official, editor, or institution, using a polite impersonal register, a clear subject line, and a fixed layout of sender's address, date, salutation, body, and closing. It should avoid contractions and slang.

The greeting that opens a letter, such as Dear Sir or Madam, Dear Editor, or Dear Mr Sharma. The form chosen must match the degree of familiarity and the letter's purpose.

A short public announcement displayed on a board, giving information such as a lost article, a meeting, or an event. It is written in the third person, is boxed, and is limited to about fifty words.

A factual account of an event or investigation, written for a specified reader and organised under a heading with a byline. It states what happened, when, where, and the outcome, without personal opinion.

A group of sentences developing one controlling idea, usually beginning with a topic sentence and ending with a clincher. Paragraph-writing questions test unity, order, and brevity.

The level of formality in language, ranging from intimate to formal. Choosing the right register means matching vocabulary and sentence structure to the reader and purpose.

A single sentence in an essay's introduction that states the position the essay will defend. Every body paragraph should support it, and the conclusion should return to it.

A sentence pattern in which the subject performs the action, as in The teacher marked the papers. It is usually preferred for directness, and voice-change questions ask you to convert it to the passive.

A sentence pattern in which the object of the action becomes the subject, formed with a form of be plus the past participle, as in The papers were marked. It is used when the doer is unknown or unimportant.

Speech reported in the speaker's exact words, enclosed in quotation marks and introduced by a comma, as in She said, I am tired. Converting it to indirect speech requires changes of tense, pronouns, and time words.

Reported speech that gives the sense of what was said without quoting it, as in She said that she was tired. Backshift of tense and adjustment of pronouns and time expressions are usually required.

The verb that introduces reported speech, such as said, told, asked, remarked, or exclaimed. The choice affects word order and whether a question is reported with if or a question word.

The third form of a verb, such as written, broken, or gone, used after auxiliaries to form perfect tenses and the passive voice. Irregular forms must be memorised.

The grammatical form that locates an action in time and shows whether it is complete, ongoing, or repeated. Consistency of tense within a passage is a frequent error in answers.

The rule that a verb must match its subject in number and person, as in He writes versus They write. Phrases between subject and verb, and collective nouns, often cause errors.

A group of words containing its own subject and finite verb. An independent clause can stand alone as a sentence, while a dependent clause cannot.

A group of related words that does not contain both a subject and a finite verb, such as in the morning or having finished the work. Phrases function as single parts of a sentence.

A word with a meaning close to that of another, such as begin and commence. Vocabulary questions ask you to supply a synonym that fits the sentence's context, not merely a dictionary equivalent.

A word opposite in meaning to another, such as generous and miserly. Antonym items test whether you know the precise sense of a word rather than a vague approximation.

A fixed expression whose meaning cannot be worked out from its individual words, such as to bury the hatchet or a bolt from the blue. Idioms are tested in fill-in and matching items.

The central concern or message a literary work explores, such as the dignity of labour or the pain of parting. Theme questions ask you to state the idea and support it from the text.

The methods a writer uses to create and reveal a character, including description, dialogue, action, and what others say. Direct characterisation tells; indirect characterisation shows.

The voice that tells a story, whether a participant in it or an outside observer. Identifying the narrator's position helps you judge how much of the account is reliable.

Descriptive language that appeals to the senses and creates a picture in the reader's mind. In poetry questions you are often asked to quote one image and explain its effect.

A figure of speech that states one thing is another without using like or as, as in the classroom was a zoo. It creates meaning by transferring qualities from one object to another.

A comparison introduced by like or as, such as cheeks like roses or as brave as a lion. It differs from a metaphor only in the explicit marker of comparison.

The repetition of the same initial consonant sound in nearby words, as in wild and windy weather. Poets use it for rhythm and emphasis, and identification questions ask you to quote an example.

The pattern of end rhymes in a poem, shown by letters such as abab or aabb. Labelling the scheme helps you describe a poem's structure accurately.

A group of lines forming a unit in a poem, separated from others by a space. Stanza questions may ask about length, function, or the shift of thought it marks.

The use of a concrete object or action to stand for a wider idea, such as a road standing for a life choice. Explaining a symbol requires linking it to the work's theme.