UPMSP Intermediate Tamil - Code 114 cheat sheet

Urainaḍai (prose) lessons in the UPMSP Intermediate Tamil syllabus are drawn from the prescribed textbook; each lesson has an author, a central theme, and key characters or arguments.

For each prose lesson, note the author’s full name, the source (if given), and the period; questions often ask to identify the author or the work from a quoted line.

Theme questions require stating the main idea in one sentence, then supporting it with two or three textual details; avoid mere summary.

Character-based questions: list the character’s traits with evidence (actions, dialogue) rather than adjectives alone.

Prose comprehension passages in the exam are usually unseen, but lesson-based questions test recall of specific facts (dates, places, names) from the prescribed text.

When asked for ‘message’ or ‘purpose’, link it to the lesson’s conclusion or the author’s stated aim; do not invent outside moral lessons.

Vocabulary from prose: identify difficult words in context and give synonyms or explanations in Tamil; do not simply transliterate.

For ‘answer in brief’ questions, one or two well-formed sentences suffice; for ‘elaborate’, use a short paragraph with a clear topic sentence.

Prescribed poems: know the poet, the title, the central emotion (love, devotion, patriotism, nature), and the metre or verse form if specified.

Poetic devices (aṇi) to identify: uvamai (simile), uruvakam (metaphor), tinai (personification), iyaṟkai (natural description), and alliteration (mōṉai).

Simile (uvamai) compares two things using ‘pōla’, ‘pōṉṟa’, ‘aṉa’ (like/as); metaphor (uruvakam) asserts identity without a comparison word.

Personification (tinai) attributes human actions or feelings to non-human entities (e.g., the sky ‘weeps’).

Alliteration (mōṉai) is the repetition of the same initial consonant in adjacent words; assonance (eṭukai) is repetition of the same vowel.

When asked to explain a line, paraphrase in simple Tamil, then state the device used and its effect (e.g., enhances imagery, emphasizes emotion).

For ‘central idea’ questions, state the theme in one sentence and support it with one quoted phrase from the poem.

Poetic diction: archaic or literary Tamil forms (e.g., ‘-um’ endings, ‘-ār’ honorifics) may appear; explain their function, not just meaning.

The non-detailed text is a longer prose work (novel, biography, or collection); questions test plot, characters, setting, and theme rather than line-by-line recall.

Know the main characters’ relationships and their development across chapters; a common question asks how a character changes.

Plot questions: be able to summarize the beginning, climax, and resolution in three sentences each.

Theme questions: identify the central conflict (e.g., individual vs. society) and how it is resolved.

Setting questions: note time period, place, and social context; explain how setting influences the story.

Author information: name, other works if mentioned in the textbook, and the work’s significance (e.g., social reform, historical novel).

For ‘character sketch’ questions, combine physical description (if given), personality traits, and actions with evidence.

Quotations from the non-detailed text may be asked for identification; learn two or three key lines per major character.

Tamil cases (vēṟṟumai): first (nominative), second (accusative, -ai), third (instrumental, -āl), fourth (dative, -ku), fifth (ablative, -il/-iṉ), sixth (genitive, -aṟku/-uṭaiya), seventh (locative, -il/-iṭam), eighth (vocative).

Verb conjugation: tense markers - past (-t-/-nt-/-iṉ-), present (-kiṟ-/-kiṉṟ-), future (-v-/-p-); person-number-gender endings must agree with the subject.

Sandhi (puṇarcci): when two words join, changes occur (e.g., ‘kal + toṭu’ → ‘kaṟtoṭu’); know common rules like nasal assimilation and consonant doubling.

Noun classes (peyar): ‘uyartiṇai’ (rational beings) vs. ‘aṟṟiṇai’ (non-rational); this affects pronoun and verb endings.

Pronouns: personal (nāṉ, nī, avaṉ, avaḷ, avar, nāṅkaḷ, nīṅkaḷ, avarkaḷ), reflexive (tāṉ), and honorific (avar, avarkaḷ) usage.

Negation: ‘-ā’ suffix (e.g., ‘ceyyā’ = do not), ‘illai’ for existential negation, and ‘-ātu’ for negative verbal participle.

Adjectives (uṇai) precede nouns and do not change form; adverbs (vinaiyuṇai) modify verbs and often end in ‘-āka’ or ‘-āy’.

Sentence types: declarative, interrogative (with ‘-ā’ or question words), imperative, and exclamatory; know the typical word order (subject-object-verb).

Formal letter (Tamil): sender’s address top left, date, receiver’s address, subject line, salutation (e.g., ‘Aṉpāṉa……’), body paragraphs, closing (‘Iṉṉum’, ‘Nandri’), signature.

Informal letter: include sender’s address, date, salutation (e.g., ‘Aṉpāṉa nāṇpaṉē’), personal tone, closing, and signature.

Application letter: state the purpose in the first paragraph, provide relevant details, and end with a polite request; use formal register.

Essay (kaṭṭurai): structure - introduction (topic sentence), body (two or three supporting points with examples), conclusion (summary or call to action).

Paragraph writing: one main idea per paragraph; use linking words (e.g., ‘mēlum’, ‘āṉāl’, ‘enavē’, ‘mutalil’) to connect sentences.

Notice/announcement: include date, time, venue, purpose, and contact; keep it brief and factual.

Report writing: state what, when, where, who, and why; use past tense and third person; include a title and a concluding remark.

Dialogue writing: use natural spoken Tamil, turn-taking, and appropriate honorifics; avoid literary Tamil unless the context demands it.

Translate meaning-for-meaning, not word-for-word; preserve tone (formal/informal) and cultural references where possible.

For Tamil-to-English, convert Tamil compound verbs (e.g., ‘ceytu viṭu’) into appropriate English phrasal verbs or single verbs.

For English-to-Tamil, use standard Tamil equivalents for technical terms; if no equivalent exists, transliterate and explain in parentheses.

Idioms (e.g., ‘kai niraya’ = generously) should be translated by equivalent idioms, not literal glosses.

Vocabulary: learn synonyms and antonyms in context; exam questions often ask for a synonym or explanation of an underlined word.

Prefixes and suffixes: Tamil uses derivational suffixes (e.g., ‘-mai’ forms abstract nouns: ‘naṉmai’ = goodness); English uses prefixes/suffixes; know common ones.

False friends: some Tamil words look like English but differ in meaning (e.g., ‘ṭāyim’ not English ‘time’); verify meaning from context.

Number, tense, and gender must be preserved in translation; check subject-verb agreement after translating.

Read the passage twice: first for overall meaning, second to locate answers to specific questions.

Answer in your own words; do not copy long phrases from the passage unless asked to quote.

For ‘main idea’ questions, identify the topic sentence (often first or last) and paraphrase it.

For ‘inference’ questions, base your answer on clues in the passage, not on outside knowledge.

Vocabulary-in-context: determine the meaning of an unfamiliar word from surrounding words (synonyms, examples, contrast).

If a question asks for ‘two reasons’, number them clearly (1., 2.) and keep each reason in a separate sentence.

For ‘title’ questions, choose a phrase that captures the central theme, not just the first line.

Time management: skim questions first, then read the passage with those questions in mind; allocate about 10–12 minutes for a typical unseen passage.