WBCHSE HS English (Second Language - ENGB) key terms

A piece of prose or verse you have not studied before, printed in the question paper, which you must read and answer questions on using only the text given.

The sentence, usually first in a paragraph, that states the main idea the rest of the paragraph develops. Spotting it quickly helps you locate answers in an unseen passage.

The central point a passage or paragraph makes, broader than any single detail. Questions often ask you to state it in one sentence of your own words.

A fact, example, figure, or reason that backs up the main idea. Examiners test whether you can tell details apart from the writer's central claim.

A conclusion you draw from clues in the text rather than from a directly stated sentence. A valid inference must be supported by evidence in the passage, not by guesswork.

The sense a word carries in a particular sentence, which may differ from its dictionary sense. Questions ask you to explain a word as it is used in the passage.

The feeling or association a word suggests beyond its literal meaning, such as the harshness in 'cheap' compared with 'inexpensive'. Writers use it to shape the reader's attitude.

The plain dictionary meaning of a word, stripped of emotional colour. Distinguishing it from connotation is often needed in vocabulary questions.

The writer's or speaker's attitude towards the subject and reader, conveyed by word choice and sentence style, for example ironic, nostalgic, urgent, or detached.

The atmosphere or emotional feeling a passage creates in the reader, such as gloom, suspense, or cheerfulness. It is produced by setting, imagery, and rhythm rather than by stated opinion.

Descriptive language appealing to the senses, often through figures of speech, that creates a vivid picture or sensation and reinforces the passage's meaning or atmosphere.

A figure of speech stating that one thing is another without using 'like' or 'as', as in 'the classroom was a beehive'. It transfers qualities to sharpen the description.

A comparison of two different things using 'like' or 'as', as in 'her voice was like gravel'. The comparison must be explained, not merely named, in appreciation answers.

Giving human qualities to a non-human thing, as when the wind 'whispers' or death is called 'kind'. It makes abstract or natural forces vivid and emotionally charged.

The repetition of the same initial consonant sound in nearby words, as in 'slow, silent, sliding steps'. It draws attention to the phrase and can create rhythm or emphasis.

The pattern of stressed and unstressed syllables that gives a line its movement. In verse it is measured as metre; in prose it comes from sentence length and stress.

The regular arrangement of stressed and unstressed syllables into feet, such as iambic pentameter. Naming the metre supports claims about a poem's pace and form.

The pattern of end rhymes in a poem, shown by letters such as abab or aabb. Changes in the scheme often mark a turn in argument or feeling.

A group of lines forming a unit in a poem, separated by a space. Stanza divisions usually signal shifts in thought, speaker, or scene that you should comment on.

A line or phrase repeated at intervals, often at the end of stanzas. Repetition can build emotional force or mark a change of meaning with each return.

A situation in a play where the audience knows something a character does not, so the character's words carry a meaning they cannot see. It creates tension or tragic weight.

A speech in which a character, alone on stage, reveals private thoughts to the audience. It is a primary source of evidence about motive in drama questions.

A brief remark spoken by a character that other characters on stage are not supposed to hear. It gives the audience confidential information and often reveals hypocrisy or plotting.

The methods a playwright or novelist uses to build a character: speech, action, description, and others' reactions. Strong answers cite specific lines as evidence.

The reason behind a character's action, inferred from what the text shows of their desires, fears, or circumstances. Explaining motive requires textual evidence, not opinion alone.

The arranged sequence of events in a narrative or play, including causes and turning points rather than mere chronology. It is distinct from story and from theme.

The point of greatest tension or turning in a narrative, after which the outcome becomes inevitable. Identifying it helps you explain structure in drama and prose answers.

The central idea a text explores, such as ambition, justice, or the passage of time, stated as a general insight rather than as a plot summary.

An answer that combines summary with analysis of technique, structure, tone, and effect, supported by quotation. It goes beyond retelling and judges how the text works.

A short exact phrase from the prescribed text used as evidence. Keep quotations brief and integrate them into your own sentence rather than dropping them in alone.

Restating a passage's meaning in your own words without copying its phrasing. It is tested directly in comprehension questions and is safer than long quotation in summaries.

A fixed expression whose meaning cannot be worked out from its individual words, such as 'to bury the hatchet'. Idioms must be learnt as whole units.

A verb combined with a preposition or adverb to give a new meaning, such as 'put off' or 'give in'. The particle changes the sense, so the whole unit must be learnt.

The habitual pairing of words that native users expect together, such as 'heavy rain' rather than 'strong rain'. Wrong collocation is a common source of error in composition.

The level of formality suited to a situation, ranging from casual speech to formal written English. A letter to an editor and a note to a friend need different registers.

Agreement between subject and verb, or between pronoun and its antecedent, in number and person. Errors such as 'The list of items are long' are tested under this heading.

Keeping verbs in a sequence that matches the time frame of the narrative or argument, shifting only when the meaning requires it. Unmotivated shifts are marked as errors.

Conveying what someone said without quoting directly, which requires backshifting tenses and adjusting pronouns and time words, as in 'She said she would come the next day'.

A word such as 'in', 'on', 'at', or 'despite' that links a noun or pronoun to another element and shows relations of place, time, or manner. Choice is often idiomatic.

A letter written in impersonal, polite style to an authority or editor, following a fixed layout of sender's address, date, salutation, body, and closing. Contractions are avoided.

A factual composition that presents findings on an event or issue under a heading, in impersonal past or present tense, with clear paragraphs and no personal opinion unless asked.

The quality of a paragraph that develops one controlling idea, with every sentence contributing to it. Breaking unity weakens marks in composition as well as comprehension answers.

The way sentences are linked by reference words, conjunctions, and repetition so that a text reads as a connected whole. Examiners reward clear linking in written answers.

A word or phrase such as 'however', 'therefore', or 'in addition' that signals the relation between sentences. Used well, it guides the reader through your argument.