NEB Class 12 English flashcards

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

Skimming vs scanning

Skimming reads quickly for general meaning or gist; scanning moves the eyes rapidly to locate specific information such as a name, date, or number without reading every word.

Inference question rule

The correct answer follows logically from stated evidence in the passage. If an option requires outside knowledge or a guess beyond the text, it is not the intended answer.

Not Given option

In true/false/not-given tasks, 'Not Given' means the passage neither confirms nor contradicts the statement. Real-world truth is irrelevant; only the text decides.

Vocabulary in context

To choose a word's meaning, substitute each option into the original sentence and re-read the whole clause. Only the option that preserves the sentence's logic is correct.

Main idea versus detail

A main-idea answer summarises the whole passage. A detail option may be factually true but covers only one sentence, so it is a distractor, not the main idea.

Formal letter layout

Sender's address, date, receiver's designation and address, salutation, subject line, three-paragraph body, complimentary close 'Yours faithfully', and signature. Contractions and slang are excluded.

Job application structure

Opening paragraph names the post and where it was advertised; middle paragraph gives qualifications and experience; closing paragraph requests an interview and thanks the employer politely.

Inverted pyramid news story

A news report opens with a lead paragraph answering who, what, when, where, and why, then presents details in descending order of importance so cutting from the bottom loses least.

Topic sentence function

The topic sentence states the controlling idea of a body paragraph. Every following sentence should support, illustrate, or explain that idea, giving the essay unity and coherence.

Cohesive devices

Linking words such as however, moreover, consequently, in contrast, and for instance connect ideas and show relationships. They replace choppy short sentences in formal writing.

Register in writing

Register is the level of formality. Formal letters avoid contractions, slang, and abbreviations; informal letters and personal essays may use contractions and direct address.

Present perfect use

Formed with has/have plus past participle, it describes a past action with present relevance or an experience at an unstated time. A stated finished time requires the past simple.

Third conditional form

If + past perfect in the condition clause, would have + past participle in the result: 'If she had studied, she would have passed.' It describes an unreal past situation.

Passive transformation

Move the active object to subject position and use be + past participle, keeping the original tense: 'They built the bridge' becomes 'The bridge was built'. The agent may be dropped.

Reported speech backshift

When the reporting verb is past, shift the reported tense one step back and change pronouns and time words: now to then, tomorrow to the next day, here to there.

Subject-verb agreement traps

Ignore phrases between subject and verb. Each, everyone, and nobody take singular verbs; 'a number of' takes a plural verb, while 'the number of' takes a singular verb.

since versus for

'Since' introduces a starting point in time (since 2019, since Monday); 'for' introduces a duration (for three years, for two hours). Both usually pair with perfect tenses.

Question tag rules

A positive statement takes a negative tag and a negative statement a positive tag. The tag repeats the auxiliary and pronoun: 'She has left, hasn't she?'

Relative pronoun choice

Use who for people, which for things, whose for possession, and where for place. Non-defining clauses take commas and cannot use that as the relative pronoun.

Tone versus mood

Tone is the writer's or speaker's attitude towards the subject; mood is the feeling the text creates in the reader. Both are justified by diction and imagery, not guessed.

Conflict in short stories

Conflict is the central struggle, classed as person against person, self, society, or nature. Naming it and stating whether it resolves or remains open strengthens analysis answers.

Figures of speech checklist

Look for metaphor, simile, personification, alliteration, and symbolism. For each, quote the words and state the effect on meaning or tone, not just the label.

Stating theme as claim

A theme answer should assert an idea, for example 'the poem argues that memory outlasts loss', and support it with textual evidence rather than offering a single abstract word.

Embedding quotations

Short quotations of three to eight words integrated into your own sentence are more effective than long block quotations. Paraphrase when exact wording is uncertain.

Poetry form identification

Identify whether the poem is a sonnet, ode, ballad, or free verse, note the rhyme scheme and stanza pattern, then relate form to meaning, such as a turn at the sonnet's end.

Polite request exponents

Requests use Could you...?, Would you mind + -ing?, or I wonder if you could... . Bare imperatives sound abrupt and are usually the impolite distractor in function tasks.

Declining an invitation

Decline politely with an apology plus a reason: 'I'm afraid I can't; I have another commitment.' A bare 'No' is impolite and marks the wrong option in dialogue tasks.

Answering Do you mind

'Do you mind if I open the window?' is granted with 'No, not at all.' Answering 'Yes' refuses. This reversed logic is a common trap in language-function questions.

Making suggestions

Suggestions use Why don't we + base verb?, How about + -ing?, or Let's + base verb. Agreement is shown with 'That's a good idea'; disagreement with 'I'm not sure that would work'.

Partial agreement expression

Expressions such as 'I agree up to a point' or 'I see your point, but...' show partial agreement. They are often the target answer in dialogue-completion exercises.

Taking a telephone message

Record the caller's name, number, and message, repeating details to confirm. Relay the message later using reported speech: 'She said she would call back tomorrow.'

Listening gap-fill strategy

Read the rubric to predict content and the word class needed, then note names, numbers, and spellings as you listen. Write the exact form required, such as a time or noun.