UPMSP Intermediate Kannada key terms

The prose section of the syllabus, covering narrative and expository passages such as short stories, essays and character sketches. Questions test theme, character motivation, author's purpose and the meaning of difficult words in context.

The poetry section, containing classical and modern Kannada poems. Candidates must identify the poet, central sentiment, figure of speech, metre and the deeper meaning of lines rather than only literal wording.

A prescribed lesson or text that appears in the official textbook and may be examined directly. Distinguishes tested material from supplementary reading, and signals that exact names, events and quotations from that lesson are fair game.

Supplementary or non-detailed reading material tested for overall comprehension rather than close textual study. Questions usually ask about plot sequence, main characters and moral, so reading the whole text once is essential.

A structured essay written on a given topic, with introduction, body paragraphs and conclusion. In the composition section it must show logical order, relevant examples and consistent register rather than loose collected sentences.

The subject or topic of a passage, essay or question. Identifying it correctly is the first step in comprehension and composition, because every supporting point must relate back to this central subject.

The central idea or dominant sentiment of a poem or prose piece, such as devotion, patriotism, pity or humour. Answering 'what is the main idea' questions requires stating this in one clear sentence.

The aesthetic flavour or emotional relish a literary work evokes in the reader, classified in Kannada poetics into nine types including love, heroism, pity and wonder. Recognising the prevailing rasa helps interpret a poem's tone.

An emotion or feeling expressed in a literary passage, such as joy, grief, anger or longing. Questions often ask which emotion a particular line conveys, so candidates should link wording to an emotional state.

A figure of speech that decorates language, for example simile, metaphor, alliteration or personification. Candidates must not only name the figure but also quote the words that create it and explain the comparison.

Simile: an explicit comparison between two different things using words such as 'like' or 'as'. The two things share one striking quality, and the comparison is stated openly rather than implied.

Metaphor: an implied comparison in which one thing is described as if it were another, without using 'like' or 'as'. The identification is direct, so the reader must infer the shared quality.

Prosody or metre: the regulated pattern of syllables, morae and pauses that gives a Kannada poem its rhythm. Identifying the metre helps explain why a poem sounds musical and how lines are structured.

Alliteration or sound repetition, especially the recurrence of a consonant at the start of successive syllables or words. It creates musicality and emphasis, and is a common feature of Kannada verse and proverbs.

A character in a story, play or novel. Examiners ask about a character's traits, motives, development and relationships, so candidates should support every claim with a specific incident from the text.

Characterisation: the way an author builds a character through description, dialogue, action and the reactions of others. A good answer cites two or three concrete details rather than offering general praise or blame.

Plot: the ordered sequence of events in a narrative, including beginning, complication, climax and resolution. Summarising it accurately, in the right order and without invented detail, is a frequent short-answer task.

A summary or précis that condenses a passage into its essential points in the candidate's own words. It must keep the original order of ideas, omit examples and repetitions, and stay within the word limit.

Paraphrase or rewording: expressing the sense of a sentence or passage using different vocabulary and structure. It demonstrates understanding, and must preserve the original meaning without adding opinions or examples.

Dialogue: conversation between two or more characters, usually marked by quotation marks, alternate speakers and natural turn-taking. Writing dialogue tests correct punctuation, informal register and consistency of each speaker's voice.

The writing task in the composition section, which may be a letter, report, notice, dialogue, story expansion or short essay. Marks depend on format, content relevance, organisation, grammar and clean presentation.

Letter writing, either formal or informal. Formal letters follow a fixed layout of sender's address, date, receiver's designation, subject, salutation, body and closing; informal letters are warmer but still organised.

A formal letter addressed to an official, editor or institution for a specific purpose such as a complaint, request or application. It requires a clear subject line, polite impersonal tone and precise relevant facts.

Grammar: the system of rules governing word formation, inflection and sentence construction in Kannada. Grammar questions test identification and correction of forms, so knowing the rule behind each answer matters.

Junction or combination: the phonetic change that occurs when two sounds or words join to form one unit. Candidates must split a given combined form into its parts and name the rule governing the change.

Compound: a single word formed by joining two or more stems that carry a combined meaning. Questions ask candidates to split the compound, identify its type and state which member carries the main sense.

Case: the grammatical form of a noun or pronoun that shows its relation to other words in the sentence, such as subject, object, instrument or location. Kannada marks these with suffixes attached to the stem.

Number: the singular or plural form of a noun, pronoun or verb. Kannada marks plurality with suffixes, and agreement between subject and verb in number is a common error tested in correction exercises.

Grammatical gender: the classification of nouns as masculine, feminine or neuter in Kannada. Gender affects pronoun choice and some verb forms, and mismatch between noun and pronoun is a frequent exam error.

Pronoun: a word that stands in place of a noun, such as he, she, it, they, this or who. Correct use requires matching the pronoun in gender and number to the noun it replaces.

Verb: the word that expresses action or state and carries tense, person and number marking. In Kannada the verb usually comes at the end of the clause, and its ending must agree with the subject.

Tense: the grammatical marking of time as past, present or future. Kannada verbs change their endings accordingly, and a tense mismatch within a sentence is a standard error in correction questions.

A synonym: a word with the same or nearly the same meaning as another, such as different words for 'water' or 'king'. Synonym questions test vocabulary breadth, so candidates should learn words in related groups.

An antonym: a word whose meaning is opposite to another, such as 'light' and 'dark' or 'victory' and 'defeat'. Antonym items reward knowing the exact opposite rather than a merely unrelated word.

An idiom: a fixed expression whose overall meaning cannot be worked out from its individual words. Candidates should learn each idiom with its figurative sense and be able to use it in a correct sentence.

A proverb: a short traditional saying that conveys practical wisdom or a moral observation. Questions ask for the meaning or an appropriate situation, so candidates should understand the lesson rather than translate literally.

An unseen prose passage not drawn from the textbook, used to test independent reading. Candidates must infer meaning from context, identify the main point and answer without relying on memorised lesson content.

An unseen poem supplied in the examination, accompanied by questions on theme, tone and imagery. Success depends on careful reading of the lines themselves rather than recalling a studied poem.

Context: the surrounding words, sentence or situation that determines the meaning of a word or expression. In comprehension, checking the context prevents choosing a dictionary meaning that does not fit the passage.