NSSCAS Silozi First Language 8197 flashcards

32 cards. Read the term and the definition here. The deck at the top of this page is optional.

Summary word limit

In summary tasks the candidate must stay within the stated number of words, counting content words only, because material beyond the limit is not credited.

Own words requirement

Summary points must be rephrased using synonyms and restructured clauses; copying whole sentences from the passage scores no marks even when the content is correct.

Main idea location

The central claim of a Silozi passage is often stated in the opening or closing sentence; supporting examples and repetition are excluded from a summary.

Inference question

An inference question asks what the text implies rather than states; the answer needs a claim plus the specific textual detail that supports it.

Vocabulary in context

Word-meaning questions require the sense the word carries in that particular sentence, so a dictionary meaning that does not fit the passage is wrong.

Author purpose

Purpose questions (to inform, persuade, or entertain) are answered from verb choice, audience address, and structure rather than from the topic alone.

Essay mark split

Essay marks divide between content and ideas, organisation and structure, and language accuracy, so a clear plan protects all three categories.

Formal letter frame

A formal Silozi letter contains sender address, date, recipient address, salutation, body paragraphs, closing formula, and signature in that order.

Argumentative essay thesis

An argumentative essay states its position in the introduction, develops one idea per paragraph, and closes by restating the position without introducing new points.

Register matching

Formal address and pronouns are used for officials and strangers, while informal address suits friends and family; a mismatch between register and audience loses marks.

Cohesive connectors

Silozi connectors signal relationships: cause with 'ka lebaka la', contrast with 'kono' or 'nihakulicwabo', sequence with 'kamulaho', and purpose with 'kuli'.

Report and minutes format

Reports and minutes use headings, numbered points, and an impersonal register; personal opinion is confined to a clearly labelled recommendations section.

Narrative tense consistency

Narrative essays are marked on coherent plot, consistent tense throughout, and correctly punctuated dialogue rather than on length alone.

Noun class concord

The subject prefix on a Silozi verb must agree with the noun class of the subject, not with the English translation of that noun.

Object concord

When the object is a pronoun or an established referent, an object concord attaches to the verb; omitting it before a pronoun object is an error.

Adjective prefix agreement

Adjectives and possessives take class prefixes matching the noun they qualify; a mismatch between qualifier prefix and noun class is a frequent exam error.

Direct speech punctuation

Direct speech places a colon or comma before the quoted words and a comma before the closing quotation mark when a reporting clause follows.

Comma splice

A comma alone cannot join two independent clauses; a full stop, semicolon, or coordinating connector is required between them.

Idiom glossing

Idioms must be explained figuratively as a whole unit; translating them word by word produces an incorrect meaning in vocabulary questions.

Verb tense prefixes

Silozi verbs mark tense through prefixes combined with subject concord, so present habitual, past, and future forms differ in their opening morphology.

Character evidence

Character answers name the episode, state what the character does, then state the trait revealed; unsupported trait labels earn little credit.

Prose analysis elements

Prose answers address theme, characterisation, setting, and narrative technique; retelling the plot without analysis earns only limited marks.

Poetry form and sound

Poetry analysis separates form (line length, stanza pattern, refrain), sound (rhyme, alliteration, rhythm), and imagery (simile, metaphor, personification).

Speaker versus poet

Meaning questions ask for the speaker's attitude within the poem; the speaker is a constructed voice and is not automatically the author.

Dramatic irony

Drama is analysed through dialogue, stage directions, and conflict; dramatic irony arises when the audience knows what a character does not.

Quotation use

A quotation earns credit only when it is short, accurately recalled, and explicitly explained; an unexplained quotation is not accepted as evidence.

Extract context question

Context questions require locating the passage in the work, identifying speaker and addressee, and linking the extract to the wider theme.

Literature essay argument

Literature essays need a single line of argument sustained across paragraphs, rather than a list of unconnected observations about the text.

Listening for detail

Aural comprehension is marked on specific detail such as names, numbers, reasons, and sequence as spoken, not on general impressions of the recording.

Debate assessment criteria

Oral debate scoring covers turn-taking, relevance of each contribution, and use of supporting evidence, assessed alongside fluency and clarity of speech.

Oral presentation structure

A presentation opens with greeting and topic statement, develops ordered points with signposting, and closes with a summary of the main claims.

Spoken summary form

Summarising spoken text requires note-form paraphrase of key points; verbatim transcription of the recording does not count as a summary.