RBSE SS English Comp key terms

A piece of writing the candidate has not read before, followed by questions testing whether the main idea, details, and inferences were understood. It rewards careful reading rather than memorised content.

The central point a paragraph or passage is built around, usually stated or implied in one sentence. Everything else in the text supports, explains, or illustrates it.

The sentence, often first in a paragraph, that announces what the paragraph will be about. The remaining sentences give evidence, examples, or explanation for it.

A conclusion drawn from clues in the text rather than from a directly stated fact. The reader combines evidence with general knowledge to work out what is meant.

A word or phrase near an unfamiliar word that hints at its meaning, such as a definition, example, contrast, or cause-effect relationship. Using such clues avoids reaching for a dictionary.

The attitude a writer takes towards the subject or reader, for example ironic, sympathetic, or critical. Tone is revealed through word choice, sentence length, and details selected.

The quality that makes a piece of writing hold together logically, so each sentence leads naturally to the next. Linking words, pronoun reference, and consistent focus all create it.

The way sentences are tied together by linking devices such as connectors, pronouns, and repeated key words. Cohesion is the surface glue; coherence is the underlying logic.

A word or phrase such as however, therefore, moreover, or on the other hand that signals the relationship between ideas. Choosing the wrong connector changes the logic of a sentence.

A letter written to an official, editor, or institution in a polite, impersonal register. It follows a fixed layout: sender's address, date, receiver's address, subject, salutation, body, and closing.

The greeting at the start of a letter, such as Dear Sir or Madam or Dear Mr Sharma. Its formality must match the relationship between writer and reader.

The polite ending of a letter, such as Yours faithfully, Yours sincerely, or Yours truly. The choice depends on whether the reader's name is known.

A formal letter stating a problem with a product or service and asking for redress. It should describe the fault factually, state the inconvenience caused, and request a specific remedy politely.

A structured account of an event, survey, or incident written for a reader who was not present. It usually has a title, introduction, findings in headed sections, and a conclusion or recommendation.

The level of formality in language suited to a situation, ranging from casual speech to official writing. Formal letters and reports keep a neutral, impersonal register and avoid slang.

A group of sentences developing one controlling idea, marked by indentation or a line break. A well-built paragraph opens with a topic sentence and closes with a link to the next idea.

A longer piece of writing that argues or explains a single thesis through organised paragraphs. It normally moves from introduction and thesis, through supporting body paragraphs, to a conclusion.

One sentence in an essay's introduction that states the central claim the essay will defend. Each body paragraph should support some part of it.

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

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

The grammatical category that shows whether the subject acts or is acted upon. English has two voices, active and passive, and converting between them is a common exam task.

Reporting a person's exact words inside quotation marks, as in She said, I am tired. The tense inside the quotes stays as originally spoken.

Reporting what someone said without quoting the exact words, as in She said that she was tired. Pronouns, tense, and time words usually shift back one step.

The grammatical conversion of a statement, question, command, or exclamation from direct to indirect speech. Each sentence type needs a different reporting verb and structure.

The rule that the tense of a subordinate clause usually agrees with the tense of the main verb, especially after a past reporting verb. It explains why said I am becomes said that he was.

A clause beginning with who, which, that, whose, or whom that describes a noun, as in the boy who won. It may be defining, giving essential information, or non-defining, adding extra detail between commas.

A group of words containing its own subject and finite verb. A main clause can stand alone as a sentence; a subordinate clause depends on a main clause.

A sentence expressing a condition and its result, usually with if. The first conditional uses present plus will; the second uses past plus would; the third uses had plus would have.

A word placed before a noun to specify quantity or identity, such as a, the, this, some, many, or each. Articles are the most common determiners and often tested.

The determiner a, an, or the. A and an are indefinite, used for one non-specific item; the is definite, used for something already known or unique.

A word or phrase showing how much or how many, such as much, many, few, little, a lot of. Countable nouns take many and few; uncountable nouns take much and little.

A word such as in, on, at, by, or with that links a noun to another element and shows place, time, or manner. Fixed combinations like depend on must be learnt as units.

A verb combined with an adverb or preposition that carries a new meaning, such as give up or look after. Some are separable, as in turn the light off, and some are not.

The habitual pairing of words that native users expect together, such as heavy rain or make a decision. Wrong partners, like strong rain, sound unnatural even when grammatically correct.

A word with a meaning close to another, such as begin and commence. True synonyms are rare, since words differ in formality and shade of meaning.

A word opposite in meaning to another, such as generous and mean. Antonyms are often tested through prefixes like un-, in-, and dis-.

A meaningful unit added to the front of a word to change its meaning, as un- in unhappy or re- in rewrite. Knowing common prefixes helps in guessing unfamiliar words.

A meaningful unit added to the end of a word, often changing its part of speech, as -ness in kindness or -less in hopeless. Suffixes signal whether a word is a noun, verb, or adjective.

The process of building new words from existing ones by adding prefixes and suffixes or by changing word class, as in beauty, beautiful, beautifully. Exam tasks often ask for the correct derived form.

A fixed expression whose meaning cannot be worked out from its individual words, such as once in a blue moon. Idioms must be learnt whole and used in the right context.

The methods a writer uses to build a character, including description, action, dialogue, and what others say. Direct characterisation states traits; indirect shows them through behaviour.

The central idea or message explored in a literary work, such as loss of innocence or the value of honesty. Themes are usually implied through events and characters rather than stated outright.

The voice that tells a story. A first-person narrator uses I and knows only personal experience; an omniscient narrator stands outside and knows all characters' thoughts.

The perspective from which a story is told, such as first person, third-person limited, or omniscient. It controls how much the reader can know and how sympathy is directed.

A gap between what is said or expected and what is actually meant or happens. Verbal irony says the opposite; situational irony reverses expectations; dramatic irony gives the audience knowledge characters lack.

Descriptive language appealing to the senses that creates a picture in the reader's mind. Poets use imagery to evoke mood and feeling rather than to state ideas directly.

A comparison that states one thing is another without using like or as, as in the classroom was a zoo. It transfers qualities from one object to another to sharpen perception.

A comparison using like or as, as in her voice was like honey. It makes an explicit link between two unlike things to clarify or decorate meaning.

Giving human qualities to a non-human thing, as in the wind whispered through the trees. It is a form of metaphor common in descriptive poetry.

The repetition of the same initial consonant sound in nearby words, as in sweet songs of spring. It creates rhythm and emphasis, especially in poetry read aloud.

The pattern of end rhymes in a poem, shown with letters such as abab or aabb. Identifying it helps describe a poem's form and structure accurately.

A group of lines in a poem separated from other groups by a space, roughly like a paragraph in prose. Stanzas shape pace and often mark a shift in thought.

The use of a concrete object, person, or place to stand for a larger abstract idea, such as a caged bird for freedom denied. Symbols carry meaning beyond their literal sense.