WBBSE Madhyamik First Language Telugu key terms

A stanza of classical Telugu verse written in a fixed metre with a set syllable pattern and rhyme scheme; the basic unit of the poetry section of the syllabus.

The science of Telugu prosody: the rules governing syllable weight, feet (gaṇas), line length and rhyme that decide whether a poem is metrically correct.

A metrical foot of three syllables classified by weight as laghu (light) or guru (heavy); eight such triples are combined to build the line patterns of Telugu metres.

A heavy syllable in prosody, counted as two units of time; it is a long vowel, a short vowel followed by a consonant cluster, or a short vowel at the end of a line.

A light syllable in prosody, counted as one unit of time; it is a short vowel not followed by a consonant cluster or by the end of the line.

The rule fixing where a metrical pause must fall within a line of a given metre, usually at a stated syllable position; a misplaced yati is treated as a metrical fault.

The rhyme rule requiring the second letter (or the consonant-vowel unit after the first consonant) of each line in a stanza to be identical, giving the poem its sound pattern.

A figure of speech, a deliberate device such as simile, metaphor or alliteration that adds beauty or force to expression; identifying and naming figures is a standard poetry question.

The figure of simile: an explicit comparison of one thing to another using words such as 'like' or 'as', where the two things differ in kind but share a stated quality.

The figure of metaphor: the compared object and the object of comparison are identified as one, without any word meaning 'like' or 'as' between them.

The meaning or underlying sentiment of a passage; in poetry questions candidates are asked to state the bhāvam of a stanza in their own simple words.

The plain-prose restatement of a verse or stanza, giving its full sense in ordinary language rather than word by word; a frequent short-answer requirement in the poetry section.

A lesson or prose piece prescribed for detailed study; questions on its author, source, theme and characters are set from this material under the prescribed prose domain.

A character in a prescribed story or prose extract; candidates are expected to describe the character's qualities and role, citing incidents from the text as evidence.

The plot or storyline of a prose lesson or story, summarised in the correct sequence of events; a common instruction is to write the kathāṁśam briefly in your own words.

The context of a quoted line: which lesson it comes from, who says it and in what situation; identifying the sandarbham is required before explaining a given extract.

The particular situation or occasion in which a statement is made; explaining the prasaṅgam means showing what has happened just before the quoted words.

A summary of a passage giving only its main points in a few sentences, with examples and repetition left out; tested under rapid reading and summary skills.

Reading comprehension: the ability to read an unseen passage and answer questions on its stated facts, implied meaning, tone and vocabulary.

An unseen prose passage set for comprehension; the candidate must answer without any prior study of the text, relying only on what the passage states.

A synonym: a word having the same or nearly the same meaning as another word, such as the several words Telugu offers for 'water' or 'king'.

A word carrying more than one distinct meaning depending on context; questions ask for the different senses of such a word used in separate sentences.

The etymological or derived meaning of a word, traced from its root and formation, as opposed to its current conventional meaning.

A proverb: a short, fixed saying expressing common wisdom or a moral observation, used in speech to make a point indirectly; candidates explain its meaning and use it in a sentence.

An idiom: a fixed multi-word expression whose overall meaning cannot be worked out from the separate words, such as a phrase meaning 'to be very close to someone'.

A compound or bound phrase formed by joining words, whose meaning may be specialised; identifying and using such phrases correctly is part of vocabulary work.

The rule-governed joining of two words or word-parts in which the final sound of the first and the initial sound of the second combine, sometimes with a change of form.

A compound word formed by combining two or more words into a single unit; naming the type of compound and splitting it back into its component words are regular grammar tasks.

A grammatical case ending attached to a noun or pronoun to show its relation to other words in the sentence, such as possession, object or location.

The verb of a clause, expressing the action or state and carrying markers of tense, person and number; Telugu normally places it at the end of the clause.

A sentence: a complete unit of expression containing a subject and a predicate; grammar questions ask candidates to identify sentence types and correct faulty constructions.

An active-voice sentence in which the subject itself performs the action, as opposed to a sentence where the subject receives the action.

A passive-voice sentence in which the object of the action becomes the grammatical subject; converting between active and passive is a standard grammar exercise.

Direct speech: reporting a speaker's exact words, usually enclosed in quotation marks, in contrast to reported or indirect speech.

Indirect or reported speech: restating what someone said without quoting the exact words, adjusting pronouns and verb forms to fit the reporting sentence.

A letter written for a practical purpose, such as applying for a job, complaining to an authority or inviting a guest; format, salutation and closing are marked.

A formal application addressed to an official or institution requesting something, laid out with sender's address, date, recipient, subject line, body and signature.

An essay: a structured piece of writing on a given topic with an introduction, developed body paragraphs and a conclusion, written in coherent formal prose.

The clear expression of ideas and feelings in writing, marked on relevance, logical order, appropriate vocabulary and grammatical accuracy rather than length alone.

Creative writing: composing an original piece such as a story, description or dialogue from a given hint, judged on imagination, organisation and correct language.