WBBSE Madhyamik Gurmukhi Punjabi (First Language) key terms

The prose section of the prescribed Punjabi textbook, containing essays, short stories and biographical sketches that candidates must read closely for theme, character and author's purpose.

The poetry section of the prescribed text, covering poems whose stanza, imagery and central idea are examined through short-answer and explanation questions.

A concise summary of a prescribed prose lesson, written in the candidate's own words and covering the opening situation, main events and conclusion without copying sentences from the text.

A brief introduction to a prescribed author giving name, period, region, major works and literary contribution, asked as a short writing task in the examination.

The way a writer builds a character through actions, speech, appearance and the reactions of others; candidates are asked to describe or judge a character from a prescribed story.

The central idea or message of a lesson or poem, stated in one or two clear sentences that capture what the writer wants the reader to understand or feel.

An explanation question requiring the candidate to take a given line of prescribed poetry and unfold its literal meaning, imagery and underlying sentiment in connected prose.

The aesthetic flavour or emotional relish a poem or passage produces in the reader, classified in Punjabi poetics into kinds such as veer ras, shringar ras and karun ras.

A figure of speech that ornaments poetic language, such as simile, metaphor, alliteration or hyperbole; candidates identify the figure used in a quoted line and justify the choice.

The figure of simile, in which one thing is explicitly compared to another unlike thing using words such as 'ਵਾਂਗ', 'ਜਿਵੇਂ' or 'ਸਮਾਨ', making the description vivid and easy to picture.

The figure of metaphor, where the object of comparison is not stated with a comparing word but is identified directly with the imagined thing, as when a beloved is simply called the moon.

The feeling or emotional content carried by a word, line or whole poem, distinct from its literal dictionary meaning and often described in explanation answers.

The metrical pattern or verse form of a Punjabi poem, determined by syllable count and stress arrangement; some prescribed poems are set in traditional forms such as dohra or chaupai.

The rhyming of line endings in a poem, often described by a rhyme scheme; noticing which lines rhyme helps candidates quote poetry correctly and discuss musical effect.

An unseen passage not taken from the prescribed textbook, followed by comprehension questions testing general understanding, vocabulary in context and inference rather than memorised content.

Inference: drawing a conclusion that the passage implies but does not state directly, a skill tested by questions asking what the writer suggests or how a person probably felt.

The main idea of an unseen passage, usually expressed in the opening or closing sentences; identifying it quickly helps candidates answer summary and title questions accurately.

The meaning of a word as it is used in a particular sentence or passage, which may differ from its most common dictionary sense and must be judged from context.

Words having the same or nearly the same meaning, such as synonyms for 'beautiful' or 'brave'; grammar questions ask candidates to supply a matching word for a given term.

Antonyms: words with opposite meanings, such as 'day' and 'night' or 'victory' and 'defeat'; candidates are asked to give the opposite of a listed word in the grammar section.

A single word carrying several distinct meanings depending on context, for example a word that can mean both a body part and a part of a tree; questions ask for two or more senses.

The joining of two sounds or words where the final sound of the first and the initial sound of the second combine, sometimes changing form; candidates split or combine given examples.

A compound word formed by combining two or more words into one unit, such as a compound noun; grammar exercises ask candidates to break a compound into its component words.

Word formation: how meaningful units such as roots, prefixes and suffixes build new words, including the derivation of nouns and adjectives from verbs or other nouns.

The noun: a word naming a person, place, thing or idea, further classified as proper, common, collective or abstract; identification questions appear regularly in grammar.

The pronoun: a word used in place of a noun to avoid repetition, such as personal, reflexive, relative and interrogative pronouns, each with its own forms in Punjabi.

The verb: the word expressing an action or state, carrying tense, person and number, and agreeing in Punjabi with the gender and number of its subject or object.

Tense: the form of a verb showing whether an action happens now, happened before or will happen later, including the continuous and perfect forms used in Punjabi.

Sentence correction: spotting and repairing errors of agreement, word order, preposition use or tense in a faulty sentence, then rewriting it correctly.

An idiom: a fixed phrase whose meaning cannot be worked out from its individual words, such as a phrase meaning 'to be very happy'; candidates use it in a sentence to show understanding.

A proverb or traditional saying expressing folk wisdom in compact form; questions ask for the meaning of a given proverb or for a suitable situation in which to use it.

Letter writing, both formal letters to officials or editors and informal letters to relatives, following the required format of address, salutation, body, closing and signature.

An essay on a given topic, organised into an introduction, several developed paragraphs and a conclusion, with relevant examples and a consistent point of view.

A formal application written to an authority requesting action, with a clear subject line, respectful address, statement of the request and the applicant's details.

A brief written sketch of a person's life and achievements, or of a topic's main features, presented in a short structured composition rather than a full essay.

Precis or summary writing: reducing a given passage to about one-third of its length while keeping the central idea and omitting examples, repetition and minor detail.

The rapid reader or supplementary text prescribed alongside the main book, read quickly for plot and character and examined through short questions on its stories.

The plot of a supplementary-reader story: the sequence of events from beginning through conflict to resolution, which candidates recount in order when answering questions.