WBBSE Madhyamik English (Second Language) key terms

A short prose text you have not read before, printed in the question paper. You answer questions on its content, infer meaning, and identify the writer's purpose from the passage alone.

The central point a passage or paragraph makes, usually stated in one sentence. It is broader than a detail and covers everything the writer says about the topic.

The sentence, often first in a paragraph, that announces what the paragraph is about. Other sentences support or illustrate it with reasons, examples, or details.

A fact, example, statistic, or reason that backs up the main idea. Examiners ask you to pick such details out of the passage and restate them in your own words.

A conclusion you draw from clues in the text rather than from a directly stated fact. The answer is implied, so you must combine evidence with reasoning and avoid guessing beyond the passage.

The sense a word carries in a particular sentence, which may differ from its dictionary sense. You decide it by reading the surrounding words, not by reciting a fixed definition.

A word with nearly the same meaning as another in a given context. In comprehension answers, a good synonym shows you understood the passage without simply copying its wording.

A word opposite in meaning to another, such as 'generous' and 'stingy'. Questions often ask you to supply an antonym of a word taken from the passage.

The attitude a writer conveys through word choice, such as humorous, ironic, critical, or sympathetic. Naming the tone correctly requires evidence from the language, not just the subject matter.

The feeling a text creates in the reader, for example calm, tense, or mournful. Mood arises from setting, imagery, and rhythm as well as from the events described.

A stanza or short section printed from a poem you may not have studied. You interpret its imagery, speaker, and feeling, and explain the effect of particular words or lines.

Descriptive language that appeals to the senses, helping readers see, hear, or feel what is described. Poets use it to create atmosphere and to make abstract ideas concrete.

An expression used for effect rather than literal meaning, such as simile, metaphor, or personification. Identifying it is only half the answer; you must also explain what it suggests.

A comparison between two unlike things using 'like' or 'as', for example 'as brave as a lion'. It makes a description vivid by linking the unfamiliar to the familiar.

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

Giving human qualities to a non-human thing, as in 'the wind whispered through the trees'. It can make a scene feel alive or give an abstract idea a voice.

The voice or character the poet adopts to speak the poem, which is not necessarily the poet's own self. Distinguishing persona from poet prevents mistaken biographical readings.

The pattern of end rhymes in a poem, usually labelled with letters such as abab or aabb. The pattern affects pace, emphasis, and the poem's overall musical quality.

The overall emotional quality of a scene or poem, built from setting, imagery, and word choice. It shapes how the reader feels about the events being described.

The form of a verb that shows the time of an action, such as present, past, or future. Correct tense use keeps the time frame of a sentence consistent and clear.

The relationship between the verb and its subject: active voice makes the doer the subject, passive voice makes the receiver the subject. Passive forms use a form of 'be' plus the past participle.

Conveying someone's words indirectly, without quotation marks, adjusting pronouns, tense, and time words. For example, 'I am tired' becomes 'He said that he was tired'.

A person's exact words placed inside quotation marks with a reporting clause, as in 'She said, "I will come."' Punctuation and pronouns follow the original utterance.

Combining two or more simple sentences into one using conjunctions, relative pronouns, or participles, without changing the meaning. The result should read as one well-formed sentence.

A word that links words, phrases, or clauses, such as 'and', 'but', 'because', 'although'. Choosing the right one shows the logical relation between the joined ideas.

A clause beginning with a relative pronoun such as 'who', 'which', or 'that', which describes a noun in the main clause. It lets you combine two sentences about the same person or thing.

A verb combined with a particle or preposition to make a new meaning, such as 'give up' or 'look after'. The meaning usually cannot be guessed from the separate words.

Building new words from a root by adding prefixes and suffixes, for example 'kind' to 'kindness' or 'unhappy'. Questions test whether you can supply the correct form for a sentence gap.

A letter group added to the front of a word to change its meaning, such as 'un-' in 'unfair' or 're-' in 'rewrite'. It rarely changes the word's grammatical class.

A letter group added to the end of a word, often changing its grammatical class, as '-ness' turns 'happy' into a noun. It can also mark tense or number on verbs and nouns.

The rule that a verb must match its subject in number and person, so a singular subject takes a singular verb. Long phrases between subject and verb often hide errors.

A short formal announcement displayed for a group, giving what, when, where, and whom to contact. It is written in a heading, dated, and kept brief, with no personal chat.

A factual account of an event written for readers of a newspaper or school magazine. It needs a headline, an opening sentence with the main facts, and events in order.

A letter to an official or institution, using a polite impersonal tone, a clear subject line, and a fixed layout. It avoids contractions, slang, and personal asides.

A personal letter to a friend or relative, written in a relaxed conversational tone with contractions and personal news. It still follows a layout of address, greeting, body, and closing.

Composing a short piece on one topic with a clear opening idea, supporting sentences, and a closing line. Unity, coherence, and correct linking words matter more than length.

The quality that makes a piece of writing flow logically, with each sentence connected to the last. Linking words, consistent pronouns, and ordered ideas create it.

A piece explaining how something is done, step by step, in the correct order, such as preparing tea. It uses sequence markers and passive or imperative verbs rather than story narration.

Marks such as full stops, commas, question marks, and inverted commas that organise written language. Correct punctuation prevents misreading and is separately penalised in marking.

Writing words with the correct letters in the correct order. Marks are deducted for misspellings, so check commonly confused pairs and double letters before submitting your answer.