NEET / State Class 12 Board (e.g. ISC) English Syllabus

What are the three degrees of comparison of adjectives, with an example?

Positive, comparative, and superlative — e.g. tall, taller, tallest.

What is subject-verb agreement?

The rule that a verb must agree with its subject in number and person — a singular subject takes a singular verb and a plural subject a plural verb.

Name the four main types of sentences by structure.

Simple, compound, complex, and compound-complex sentences.

What is the difference between a transitive and an intransitive verb?

A transitive verb takes a direct object ('He kicked the ball'); an intransitive verb does not require an object ('She slept').

In grammar, what is a gerund and how does it function?

A gerund is the -ing form of a verb used as a noun (e.g. 'Swimming is fun').

What are 'prescribed prose texts' in the ISC English Literature syllabus?

The set short stories and prose pieces from the prescribed anthology that students must study in detail for the Literature paper.

What is the difference between the protagonist and the antagonist of a prose narrative?

The protagonist is the central/main character driving the story; the antagonist is the character or force opposing the protagonist.

Define 'theme' as studied in prescribed prose texts.

The central idea, message, or underlying meaning that the writer explores throughout the text (e.g. greed, sacrifice, freedom).

What is the difference between first-person and third-person narration?

First-person narration is told by a character using 'I'; third-person narration is told by an outside voice using 'he/she/they', and may be omniscient or limited.

What is an omniscient narrator?

A third-person narrator who knows and can reveal the thoughts, feelings, and actions of all characters in the story.

What is the typical plot structure (Freytag's pyramid) of a short story?

Exposition, rising action, climax, falling action, and resolution (denouement).

How does a short story differ from a novel in scope?

A short story is brief, focuses on a single incident, few characters and one main effect; a novel is longer with multiple plots, characters and developed sub-themes.

What is irony, and name its three main types studied in prose?

Irony is a contrast between expectation and reality; the three types are verbal irony, situational irony, and dramatic irony.

What is a 'contextual reference question' (textual reference) in the Literature paper?

A question giving a short extract from the text and asking students to identify the speaker/context and explain or analyse the lines.

What three things are typically required when answering a contextual reference question?

Identify who is speaking and to whom (or the context), explain the meaning of the extract, and comment on its significance/literary feature.

What is dramatic irony as it appears in a prescribed play?

When the audience knows something a character on stage does not, creating tension or anticipation.

What is a soliloquy in drama?

A speech in which a character, alone on stage, voices their inner thoughts aloud so the audience hears them.

How does a soliloquy differ from an aside in drama?

A soliloquy is a longer speech delivered alone revealing inner thoughts; an aside is a brief remark spoken to the audience (or one character) unheard by others on stage.

In drama, what is the difference between an 'act' and a 'scene'?

An act is a major division of a play containing several scenes; a scene is a smaller unit within an act, usually marked by a change of place, time, or characters.

What does 'critical appreciation of drama' require a student to analyse?

The play's plot, characterisation, themes, dramatic techniques, language, conflict, and the playwright's purpose and effect on the audience.

What is dramatic conflict, and what are its two broad types?

The struggle that drives a play; internal conflict (within a character's mind) and external conflict (between characters or against an outside force).

In scene/act analysis, what is meant by 'dramatic significance' of a scene?

How the scene advances the plot, develops characters, builds themes, or heightens tension and its contribution to the play as a whole.

What is the function of comic relief in a serious or tragic play?

A humorous scene or character that eases tension, providing the audience momentary relief amid heavy or tragic events.

What is the climax of a play?

The turning point of highest tension where the main conflict reaches its peak and the action begins to move towards resolution.

What is meant by the 'tone' of a poem?

The poet's attitude or feeling towards the subject (e.g. nostalgic, ironic, joyful, mournful) conveyed through word choice and style.

What is a metaphor, and how does it differ from a simile?

A metaphor states one thing IS another ('Time is a thief'); a simile compares using 'like' or 'as' ('brave as a lion').

Define personification and give an example.

Giving human qualities to non-human things or ideas — e.g. 'The wind whispered through the trees'.

What is alliteration in poetry?

The repetition of the same initial consonant sound in closely placed words — e.g. 'Peter Piper picked'.

What is the difference between rhyme and rhythm in a poem?

Rhyme is the matching of end (or internal) sounds of words; rhythm is the pattern of stressed and unstressed syllables giving the poem its beat.

What is enjambment in poetry?

The continuation of a sentence or thought beyond the end of a line into the next, without a pause or end punctuation.

What does 'critical appreciation of poetry' require you to comment on?

The theme/central idea, structure and form, imagery, poetic/figurative devices, tone and mood, rhyme scheme and rhythm, and the overall effect or message.