JustPractice
justpractice.in
English · Quick Reference

English Core
Quick Reference

Literary devices · grammar rules · writing format templates · reading-skills tips for CBSE Class 12 English Core (Code 301) — one compact page for last-minute revision.

Literary Devices 12 Tenses Modals Reported Speech Transformation Common Errors Notice Format Letter Formats Article / Report Reading Tips

Section CLiterary Devices

Alliteration
Repetition of consonant sound at the start of nearby words.
"Silent snow-flakes softly fall."
Assonance
Repetition of vowel sounds inside nearby words.
"The rain in Spain falls mainly..."
Metaphor
Direct comparison — A IS B (not "like" or "as").
"Time is a thief." (Time = thief)
Simile
Comparison using "like" or "as".
"My mother dozed off... as a late winter's moon" (Kamala Das).
Personification
Human qualities given to non-human things.
"The wind whispered through the trees."
Onomatopoeia
Words that imitate the sound they describe.
"Buzz, hiss, clang, splash."
Imagery
Descriptive language appealing to the 5 senses.
"A thing of beauty is a joy forever" — visual + emotional imagery (Keats).
Symbolism
An object that stands for an abstract idea.
Aunt Jennifer's tigers = freedom from oppression.
Irony
Saying the opposite of what is meant; or an outcome opposite to expectation.
Tiger King vows to kill 100 tigers — dies of a wooden tiger splinter.
Hyperbole
Deliberate exaggeration for effect.
"I've told you a million times."
Oxymoron
Two contradictory words joined together.
"Bittersweet", "deafening silence", "sweet sorrow".
Paradox
A statement that seems contradictory but reveals a truth.
"Less is more."
Transferred Epithet
An adjective shifted from the person it describes to a nearby object.
"A sleepless night" (the person, not the night, is sleepless).
Enjambment
A line of poetry running into the next without punctuation.
Kamala Das: "drove from my parent's / home to Cochin..."
Repetition
Repeating a word/phrase for emphasis.
"Keeping quiet" — Neruda repeats "quiet" for stillness.
Rhyme Scheme
The pattern of end-rhymes — labelled abab, aabb, etc.
"Aunt Jennifer's Tigers" uses aabb (rhyming couplets).
Refrain
A line repeated at the end of each stanza.
Frost's "miles to go before I sleep, / and miles to go..."
Allusion
An indirect reference to history / mythology / literature.
"His hubris brought him down" — alludes to Greek tragedy.
Exam tip: When asked "Identify the poetic device in this line", look for: comparison (simile/metaphor), repetition (alliteration/assonance), human-on-non-human (personification), or contradiction (oxymoron/paradox). One line can use multiple devices.

Grammar12 Tenses — Quick Reference

TenseStructureExampleUse
Simple PresentS + V1/V1+sShe writes daily.Habit, fact
Present ContinuousS + is/am/are + V-ingShe is writing now.Current action
Present PerfectS + has/have + V3She has written a letter.Completed, relevant now
Present Perfect Cont.S + has/have been + V-ingShe has been writing for an hour.Started in past, still going
Simple PastS + V2She wrote yesterday.Completed past
Past ContinuousS + was/were + V-ingShe was writing when I called.Action in progress in past
Past PerfectS + had + V3She had written before he came.Earlier of two past actions
Past Perfect Cont.S + had been + V-ingShe had been writing for an hour.Duration before another past action
Simple FutureS + will/shall + V1She will write tomorrow.Future action
Future ContinuousS + will be + V-ingShe will be writing at 8pm.Action in progress in future
Future PerfectS + will have + V3She will have written by 9pm.Completed before a future point
Future Perfect Cont.S + will have been + V-ingBy 9pm, she will have been writing for 3 hours.Duration up to a future point

GrammarModal Verbs

Can / Could
Ability (present / past); polite request.
She can swim. Could you help me?
May / Might
Possibility; formal permission.
It may rain. Might = lower probability than may.
Must
Strong obligation; logical certainty.
You must wear a helmet. He must be tired.
Should / Ought to
Advice; moral duty.
You should apologise. We ought to respect elders.
Need / Need not
Necessity / absence of necessity.
You need rest. You need not come early.
Dare / Dare not
Courage / lack of courage.
How dare you speak like that!
Used to
Past habit no longer practised.
I used to wake at 5am as a child.
Shall
Future (1st person); formal offer / suggestion.
Shall we begin? I shall return.

GrammarReported Speech (Narration)

Tense backshift rules

Direct (Present)Reported (Past)
Simple Present (writes)Simple Past (wrote)
Present Continuous (is writing)Past Continuous (was writing)
Present Perfect (has written)Past Perfect (had written)
Simple Past (wrote)Past Perfect (had written)
Will / ShallWould / Should
Can / MayCould / Might

Time + place adverb shifts

now → then
today → that day
tomorrow → the next day
yesterday → the previous day
here → there
this → that
these → those
ago → before

Reporting verbs by sentence type

Sentence TypeReporting VerbConnector
Statementsaid, toldthat
Yes/No questionasked, enquiredif / whether
Wh-questionasked, enquired(retain wh-word)
Command / Requestordered, requested, askedto + V
Exclamation / Wishexclaimed, wishedthat
Universal-truth exception: Don't backshift if the reported clause is a universal truth or habitual fact. "He said that the sun rises in the east" — NOT "rose".

GrammarTransformation of Sentences

FromToExample
ActivePassiveShe wrote the letter → The letter was written by her.
AffirmativeNegativeShe is honest → She is not dishonest.
AssertiveInterrogativeHe is intelligent → Isn't he intelligent?
SimpleCompoundBeing tired, he rested → He was tired, so he rested.
CompoundComplexHe worked hard and passed → He passed because he worked hard.
Degrees of comparison—Mumbai is the largest city → No other city is as large as Mumbai.

Voice change — quick rules

Subject ↔ Object swap
Object becomes subject; original subject moves to "by + agent".
She wrote it → It was written by her.
Verb form
Always use V3 (past participle) with the appropriate "be" form for the tense.
Modal verbs
Modal + be + V3.
She can solve it → It can be solved by her.
Imperative
Use "Let + object + be + V3" OR "You are requested to + V".
Open the door → Let the door be opened.

EditingCommon Errors to Spot

Subject-Verb Agreement
Singular subject takes singular verb.
✗ The list of items are long → ✓ The list of items is long.
Article Misuse
"A" before consonant sounds, "An" before vowel sounds (sound, not letter).
A university (yoo-ni), An hour (silent h).
Preposition Errors
Watch verb-preposition pairs.
depend ON · differ FROM · suffer FROM · agree WITH (person) / TO (proposal).
Tense Inconsistency
Don't shift tense within a sentence without reason.
✗ He came and sees me → ✓ He came and saw me.
Pronoun Reference
Pronoun must agree with antecedent in gender/number.
✗ Each student must do their work → ✓ his/her work (or rephrase).
Comparative Errors
Use "than" with comparatives, not "to" (except: prefer X to Y, senior to).
✗ Better then → ✓ Better than.

Section BNotice — Format Template

Notice4 marks · 50 words
┌─────────────────────────────────────────┐ │ NAME OF SCHOOL/ORG │ │ NOTICE │ ├─────────────────────────────────────────┤ │ DATE: 5 May 2026 │ │ │ │ HEADING (centered, bold) │ │ │ │ Body — 3-4 sentences answering: │ │ WHAT, WHEN, WHERE, WHO, WHY/HOW │ │ │ │ (Signature) │ │ ABC │ │ Head Boy/Girl │ └─────────────────────────────────────────┘
Marks lost for: no box · no heading · word count over 50 · missing date · missing signature/designation. Always sign as "Head Boy/Girl/Secretary/etc." — never just your name.

Section BLetter Formats

Formal Letter (Job Application / Letter to Editor / Official)5 marks
Sender's Address (left-aligned) House No., Street City - PIN Date: 5 May 2026 Receiver's Designation Receiver's Name Office Address Subject: Brief subject line (one line) Salutation: Sir / Madam / Respected Sir, Body: Para 1 — Purpose / introduction Para 2 — Details / qualifications / argument Para 3 — Closing request / call to action Yours faithfully / sincerely, (Signature) Your Name
Use "faithfully" when you don't know the recipient's name (Sir/Madam). Use "sincerely" when you addressed them by name (Mr Sharma).
Informal Letter
Sender's Address Date Salutation: Dear [Name], Body — friendly tone, can be 2-3 paragraphs. With love / regards, Your Name
Less rigid format. Skip the subject line. Use first names. Tone should match the relationship.

Section BArticle / Report

Article5 marks · 120-150 words
HEADLINE by Name (or BY-LINE) Para 1 — Hook + introduce topic (~2-3 lines) Para 2 — Causes / current situation (~5 lines) Para 3 — Effects / impacts (~5 lines) Para 4 — Suggestions / solutions / conclusion
Tone: opinionated but balanced — present arguments + counter-arguments + your stance. Use linkers (firstly, moreover, on the contrary, in conclusion).
Report (Newspaper / Event)5 marks · 120-150 words
HEADLINE by Name, Place, Date Para 1 — 5 W's (What, When, Where, Who, Why) — must be in opening line! Para 2 — Details: chief guest, sequence of events, speeches Para 3 — Highlights / quotes / memorable moments Para 4 — Closing: vote of thanks / lasting impression
Reports use third-person + past tense ONLY. No "I" or "me". Inverted pyramid: most important info first.
Invitation & Reply4 marks each
FORMAL invitation: third person, no "I". Card-style centred layout. INFORMAL invitation: letter-style, first/second person, warm tone. REPLY: Always thank + accept/regret + give reason if regretting.

Section AReading Skills — Strategy

Skim first, then read
First pass: 60 seconds for gist + topic sentences. Second pass: read each question THEN scan for the answer.
Vocabulary Qs
Find the word in context — use surrounding sentences to infer meaning. Don't rely on dictionary memory.
Inference Qs
Answer is NOT directly stated — read between the lines. Look for tone, implication, author's stance.
Title-of-passage Qs
Pick the option that covers the WHOLE passage, not just one paragraph.
"Which of the following is TRUE/FALSE"
Read each option fully. One word can flip the answer (e.g. "always" vs "often").
Time budget
Section A = 22 marks → roughly 35-40 minutes of the 3-hour paper. Don't over-spend here.