ICSE Class 10(QJOLVK/DQJXDJHQuestion

Paper Solution 2020

Question 1
(Do not spend more than 30 minutes on this question.)
Write a composition (300 - 350 words) on any one of the following: [20]
(a) Write an original short story entitled ‘The Secret’.
(b) ‘A family without pets is an incomplete family’.
Express your views either for or against this statement.
(c) Which do you prefer – morning, afternoon, evening or night?
Describe your favourite time of the day. What are the sights, sounds, smells and
feelings that you associate with your favourite time of the day? Why do you like this
part of the day better than the others.
(d) Have you ever said or done something that changed the life of another person?
Give an account of your words or actions that led to this change and describe how the
experience made you feel.
(e) Study the picture given below. Write a story or a description or an account of what it
suggests to you. Your composition may be about the subject of the picture or you may
take suggestions from it; however, there must be a clear connection between the
picture and your composition.

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Comments of Examiners Suggestions for Teachers
(a) Many candidates failed to understand the meaning  Help students understand the
of 'original' in the given topic. Some candidates demarcation between original and
indulged in plagiarism and lifted the story "Hearts lifted stories and insist on
and Hands" in entirety from the short stories. originality. Lifting stories from
Quite a few candidates could not reveal the secret prose, movies etc. should be
in the course of the composition. A few candidates discouraged.
wrote it as a first-person narrative. Plot-structure,  Focus on the importance of writing
setting, sequence and characters were not clear. an original story in every story
writing practice session.
In many cases, the story lacked a neat ending. In  Teach plot structure. Devise pages
some cases, the secret was immediately revealed to be filled in comic book-style etc.
in the second paragraph and the element of shock/  Give adequate practice of writing a
surprise was missing. logical ending through
(b) Many candidates strayed from the proposition. brainstorming sessions.
They focused more on grooming of pets than  Encourage narration of short stories
giving their views on the proposition. in class (lower classes) to kindle
students’ imagination.
Majority of the candidates lacked ideas to develop  Teach students the structure of an
the essay. argumentative essay. Train them to
Some candidates mistook ‘pet animals’ for include anecdotes without jarring
‘domesticated animals’ (cows, goats). Many the originality of the topic given.
candidates failed to take a stand and argued both  Explain the importance of having an
sides of the motion. At times, the number of opinion, placing an argument and
arguments given were inadequate. taking a clear stand.
 Teach students to reduce
(c) A good number of candidates gave an account of
redundancy and repetition of the
all parts of the day instead of justifying the choice
same points.
of their favourite time of the day. Some candidates
 Give adequate practice of the
were unable to express their thoughts due to poor
structure of formal essay writings.
linguistic ability.
 Stress upon the necessity of planning
Certain essays were often garbled and written in a – to think of 4 to 5 main points and
combination of tenses. Some candidates had to build the arguments around these
described the seasons instead. The descriptions points, using examples to illustrate
were inadequately developed in several cases. and strengthen.
(d) A number of candidates simply reproduced  Stress upon the importance of a
memorised essays from guidebooks, as was strong stance – either ‘for’ or
evident from the fact that the theme chosen by a ‘against’ and give practice in
number of candidates was the same. writing the same.
 Train students to conclude with an
One of the most common errors observed was the interesting idea or by summarizing
‘role reversal’. Some candidates gave an account the argument or idea.
of the impact of the other person’s words/ actions  Give adequate practice in reading
on them(candidates) rather than the other way the question and following the
around. Inadequate language skill was also a great sequence of guidelines given.
hindrance. Most essays lacked good vocabulary
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 and expression and therefore, failed to score good  Give adequate reading and
marks. vocabulary building exercises.
 While teaching a narrative
(e) Connection between the picture and the
composition ensure that the
composition was lacking in most cases. A few
candidates learn the importance of
candidates focused on the negative impact of
the use of all senses-visual, auditory,
mobile phones on children. Many compositions
olfactory, tactile, etc. to accentuate
lacked logical conclusion. Mere listing of the
the composition.
elements seen in the picture was the most common
 Use of adjectives, how to use the
error. In some cases, the picture was not the focus.
‘senses’ in descriptive essay writing,
Candidates mentioned a sight viewed on a
how to connect ideas may be built
journey/ trip. In a few other cases, the focus was
into discussions on the style to be
shifted to child labour. Imagination was not given
employed in descriptive essay
free rein, and a further handicap was lack of
writing.
vocabulary.
 Adequate practice in writing
descriptive essays must be given.
 Discourage the use of memorized
essays.
 Explain the difference between
narrative and descriptive
compositions.
 Train students to read the topic
carefully and chalk out a clear
image of the doer and receiver, just
as in active passive sentences! This
will ensure there is no role reversal.
 Emphasise the importance of
identifying highlights in a narrative
and following sequential pattern of
writing.
 Give sufficient exercises in picture
composition by showing different
pictures and videos to student and
asking them to write compositions
based on the picture.
 Discuss how a story, a description or
an account can be built on the
picture.

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 MARKING SCHEME
Question 1
(a) The short story must be centred around something that was kept a secret for a long time and
was later revealed. The revelation should include an element of surprise or suspense.
A touch of humour must be given merit.

(b) Argumentative essay: Views for or against the motion are to be accepted. Credit is to be
given for a cohesive, well-constructed, logical argument, ideas and reasoning based on
personal experience. Candidates must establish why pets are or are not important for the
wellbeing and happiness of the family. Examples should be given to prove their argument.
Candidates must take a clear stand and give valid reasons for their opinion. [2 to 3 points]

(c) This is descriptive composition, and the candidate must choose the best part of the day. A
brief description of the time and reasons for the choice must be given.

(d) A brief account of words or actions. The impact on the other person, the effect on the
narrator. This is a first-person account. ‘I’ must be the protagonist. [Action/impact can be
positive or negative]

(e) Picture Composition: Accept a wide interpretation. Any relevant ideas taken from the
picture should be accepted. However, a mere itemization / listing / description of the picture
is to not to be given credit.

[10]
Question 2
(Do not spend more than 20 minutes on this question.)
Select any one of the following:

(a) You have changed your school recently. Write a letter to your friend in your old
school telling him / her what you like about your new school but also what you miss
about your old school.

(b) Some taps in your locality are left open all day resulting in a tremendous waste of
water. Write a letter to the Municipal Commissioner of your town / city, complaining
about the problem. Suggest ways in which this waste of water can be prevented.

Comments of Examiners Suggestions for Teachers

(a) Most candidates attempted this question well,  Teach the candidates the correct
some common anomalies observed in this format (address, date, salutation,
question were: and subscription) and style of letter
Format: In many cases, candidates used mixed with emphasis on tone appropriate
format. to the context.

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 Various combinations of friend and dear in the  Regular practice in the classroom is
salutation were used. Many candidates wrote essential.
Respected Sir. Salutation-errors were also  Drill students to understand the
observed in writing the school’s name and the formal and informal language of a
spelling of ‘Principal’. letter.
The comma was missing after salutation /  Instruct students regarding the
subscription. In Subscription, many candidates importance of reading the question
wrote Your’s sincerely, Yours truely, Yours paper carefully in order to identify
lovingly, ABC. Some candidates wrote the date the important points, highlighting
erroneously. and using specific words as referral
Content: Some candidates did not analyse the points.
question and wrote about what they liked about  Conduct classroom activities to
their old school instead of writing about their improve their language, structure
new school. Many candidates failed to mention and expressions.
what they missed about their old school.  Discourage the dependence upon the
guides and workbooks and
Change in school was not mentioned by some
encourage students to the Council
candidates. Some wrote of change in city. What
website for clarification regarding
was missed about the old school became a bald
their studies.
statement of fact - the old school was missed.
 Refer to the Council website to
Points required to explain what was missed were
not written. ensure that the structure and formats
for Formal and Informal letters are
(b) Common errors made by candidates in this part correctly understood and taught to
were: the students.
Format: No address was given; candidates wrote  Teach students the difference
either the school name or Examination hall. between formal and informal letter.
The Month (February) was spelt incorrectly. Clarify the formats very clearly to
Instead of the examination date other dates were the students.
given.  Ensure that students avoid flat,
Incorrect Salutation- many candidates did not faulty languages, SMS language,
use the word 'Sir'/'Madam'. contraction of words and slang
Content: Candidates mistook taps in the locality words.
for taps in the houses in the locality. Problems  Address adequately the importance
caused by wastage of water were not mentioned. of identifying key elements in a topic
– the premise, the problems, the
The problem i.e. wastage of water was not dealt solutions, etc.
with. Suggestions written were inadequate.  Explain the necessity of ensuring
Simply, ‘close the taps’ was written, other steps precise language such that
were not thought out. information given or required by the
In subscription many candidates wrote ‘yours’ as letter is included.
‘your’s’ with apostrophe which was incorrect.  Read out examples of good formal
Expression: Language as required in formal letters if required to give the students
letter was not used. Very casual language and a ‘feel’ of what is required.
faulty sentence construction was predominant.  Apart from grammar practice,
encourage candidates to read to
improve their language skills.

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 MARKING SCHEME
Question 2

FRIENDLY LETTER FORMAL LETTER

Address From address
Date Date
Salutation To address
X Salutation
Subscription Subscription
First name Name + surname/ initial

(a) Informal Letter: Format, Content, Expression

Body
Two or three reasons about why you like the new school.
Two or three reasons why you miss the old school.
Explanatory Note:
1. Friend’s name should be mentioned in the salutation.
2. In the content there must be a total of five points between like and dislike.

(b) Formal Letter: Format, Content, Expression

Complaints: water wastage / dirty / slippery / unhealthy / stagnant water / causes severe
shortages. (Any two complaints)
Suggestions: Call the plumber / repair / install tank / change valve / frequent monitoring /
shut off the mains / helpline/ any other suggestions. (Any two suggestions)
Explanatory Note: Designation and name of the city should be mentioned in the ‘To’
address.

Question 3
(a) Your school is organising a fete / carnival to raise funds for victims of the recent [5]
floods in your State.
Write a notice to be put up on the school notice board giving details of the event.
(b) Write an e-mail to the Principal of a neighbouring school, inviting him/ her to send [5]
their candidates to attend the fete / carnival.

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Comments of Examiners Suggestions for Teachers
(a) In writing the notice, following anomalies were  Explain the necessity of giving the
observed: required information - date, venue
and time of the event.
• The creative title was missing.  Draw up a list of events according
• Inappropriate / incorrect or a very long title to the school calendar – and think
was given, e.g. Fund, Carnival, Let us Enjoy of creative titles to go with events
Carnival. centring around these e.g., singing,
• The content details were given in a paragraph. music, drawing, dancing, elocution,
Candidates did not adhere to the format. debate, sports, swimming, etc.
Through games and interactions in
• Date of the event was either too far ahead to class, make a list of short, catchy
be relevant or the same date of the phrases/ titles that students may
examination was given as the date of the begin to use.
event, while the date of the event should have  Ask students to visit CISCE website
been at least 7 to 14 days after the notice. (www.cisce.org) to see the correct
Some candidates mistook the event for a cultural format for notice-writing.
activity / competition. In some cases, the event  Familiarise students with the
merely mentioned the fete/carnival and not the difference between an official and a
purpose for which it was being held. Position of personal email id.
 Tell students that in the opening
details was interchanged, details of time, date, sentence, only the request/
venue were incomplete. For example, in the date, invitation should be mentioned.
the year was not mentioned, the venue was not  Explain to the students the necessity
specific. of a polite closing of the mail e.g.,
Hoping for - positive reply,
(b) In writing the email, the following errors were support, etc.
observed:  Train students to write salutation
and subscription as written in the
• Incorrect Email ids were given formal letter (Refer to the Council
• Personal ids were given. website).
• Subject was not written.  Show students an actual email, id
etc. Explain to them the components
• The opening sentence was not clear and did of an email id – personal /particular
not touch upon the topic. name/etc. + @ + the provider.
• The closing sentence was missing in many  Clarify the difference between the
cases. In many scripts, the opening and role of the host and that of the
closing sentences overlapped with the invitee through demonstration or
content. role play.
 Ask students to copy the event from
• Salutation and subscription; many candidates the Notice into the Subject box.
wrote (Respected sir/ Ma'am) which was  Put up opening sentences which
incorrect salutation. demonstrate how to incorporate the
• In a few cases, date, venue, time were not request/invitation, on the board for
mentioned. Only the date of the examination the students.
was written.  Clarify that the expression and
• While the invitation was to send the details of the event as conveyed in
candidates, some candidates invited only the the notice, are to be incorporated
Principal of the neighbouring school for the into the body of the email
imperatively.
event.

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 MARKING SCHEME
Question 3
(a) Creative Title – e.g. Carnival, Fun time, Care and Share, Helping hands, etc. [English words
only.]
…School helps flood victims.
Date – Any date in March (date + month + year)
Time – accept any time - a.m./am/A.M
Venue – smaller to bigger place
Invite participation, to whom to apply to, etc. [Target audience]

(b) E-mail – id [No name to be used in the email id]

Subject: Invitation + for the event
Salutation [As in formal letter]
Opening sentence
Closing sentence
Subscription [As in formal letter]
Expression – All details of the notice are to be included in full sentences in the e-mail.
[Date/time/venue should be included.]

Question 4
Read the following passage carefully and answer the questions that follow:
Attending classes inside a railway carriage seemed unusual enough, but
the seating arrangements turned out to be unusual, too. At Totto-chan’s
previous school each pupil was assigned a specific desk. But here they could
sit anywhere they liked at any time.
The most unusual thing of all about this school, however, was the lessons themselves.
Schools normally schedule one subject, for example history, during the
first period, when everyone in the class just did history; then say, arithmetic
in the second period, when you just did arithmetic. But here it was quite
different. At the beginning of the first period, the teacher made a list of all the problems 10
and questions in the subjects to be studied that day. Then she would say, "Now, start
with any of these you like."
So, whether you started on history or arithmetic or something else didn't
matter at all. Someone who liked composition might be writing something,

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 while behind you someone who liked chemistry might be boiling something
in a flask over an alcohol burner.
This method of teaching enabled the teachers to observe — as the children progressed
to higher grades — what they were interested in as well as their way of thinking and
their character. It was an ideal way for teachers to really get to know their pupils.
As for the pupils, they loved being able to start with their favourite 20

subject, the fact that they had all day to cope with the subjects they disliked
meant they could usually manage them somehow. So, study was mostly
independent, with pupils free to go and consult the teacher whenever
necessary. Then pupils would be given further exercises to work at alone. It
was study in the truest sense of the word, and it meant there were no pupils just sitting
inattentively while the teacher talked and explained.
The first-grade pupils hadn't quite reached the stage of independent study,
but even they were allowed to start with any subject they wanted.
Some copied letters of the alphabet, some drew pictures, some read books,
and some even did physical exercises.
30
Just then the boy sitting behind her got up and walked toward the
blackboard with his notebook, apparently to consult the teacher. Totto-chan
stopped looking around the room and fixed her eyes on his back as he walked.
The boy dragged his leg, and his whole body swayed from side to side. Totto-
chan wondered at first if he was doing it on purpose, but she soon realized the
boy couldn't help it.
The boy said brightly, "My name's Yasuaki. What's yours?"
She was so glad to hear him speak that she replied loudly, "I'm Totto-
chan."
Adapted from Totto-chan 40
(a) Give the meaning of the following words as used in the passage: [3]
One-word answers or short phrases will be accepted.
(i) assigned (line 3)
(ii) ideal (line 19)
(iii) independent (line 24)

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(b) Answer the following questions briefly in your own words.
(i) What was unusual about the seating arrangement? [2]
(ii) How did the method of teaching help the teacher? [2]
(iii) Why did the pupils enjoy their lessons at this school? [2]
(iv) What different things did the first-grade pupils do? [2]
(v) Which sentence in the passage tells us that the boy had difficulty in walking [1]
like other children?
(c) In not more than 50 words, describe how the children were taught. [8]

Comments of Examiners Suggestions for Teachers

(a) Vocabulary:  Point out with examples, how the
incorrect word meaning if
It was found that several candidates wrote the
replaced in the passage, would
meaning without trying to substitute the given
not fit.
word in the given passage. They failed to give
 Encourage candidates to practise
contextual meaning of the given words.
Many candidates failed to maintain the tense of vocabulary exercises and look up
words in a dictionary on a
the given words in their meaning. The ‘form’ of
regular basis.
the meaning did not match. e.g., assigned - ‘to
 Teach students to look for words
give’ instead of ‘given’.
in passages and write the
Candidates did not always read the passage with
appropriate meaning. Explain
the word meaning closely enough, so some
the difference in forms.
completely incorrect interpretations were
 Train students to write only the
observed, e.g.:
inferred answers rather than
• assigned - something registered to a
lifting from the passage.
particular person
 Ensure that analytical questions
• ideal - beneficial are a part of every
• independent – without any dependent Comprehension exercise.
Some candidates explained the meaning in  Teach students to read the
sentences. assigned extract at least 2-3
(b) (i) Many candidates wrote about the times, understand the essence,
abnormality of attending class in a railway then read the questions very
carriage, but it was not the correct answer. carefully, think logically and
A few candidates copied paragraphs from answer the question to the point.
the passage. Some candidates wrote the  How to find and then copy a
first part: could sit - and forgot the second portion of the text to be quoted
part - anywhere they liked. exactly may be taught in class.
Enough practice should be given
(ii) Most candidates wrote all the points coupled with repeated
appropriately. Some, instead of writing the instructions that if one sentence
method of teaching, wrote the schedule of has been asked to be quoted, the
the day. most appropriate sentence needs

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 (iii) Some candidates simply copied the part of to be quoted. It should be quoted
the passage without focusing on the reason verbatim (word for word).
the pupils enjoyed the method of learning.  Instruct candidates to read the
question and the passage
(iv) Many candidates committed mistakes thoroughly, highlight all the
here. That the first graders had not reached relevant points that they consider
the level of independent study and used to important and then value the
ask their teachers about everything, were most relevant points.
points that crept in, instead of the specific  Teach how to identify the key
answers required. words-Nouns/Verbs.
(v) Several candidates quoted some lines from  Teach students to see the
the passage which were incorrect. Many summary as an answer to a
candidates wrote more than one sentence specific question. For Summary
without highlighting the correct sentence, writing tell them to follow the
while some wrote incomplete sentences. steps which include:
Some wrote the answer in their own words ̵ Reading of the text carefully
instead of quoting the sentence. and attempting to grasp the
main idea.
(c) Several candidates did not keep to the word limit. ̵ Looking for words or ideas
They wrote the précis in more than 50 words. that stand out - these could be
Many candidates left out articles to reduce the naming or doing words -
word count. Some wrote the summary of the around which ideas have been
entire passage/ part of the passage. built.
A large number of candidates failed to ̵ Incorporating these important
understand the question. Many candidates were words as main points into the
able to identify and write only 2 to 3 points. They summary.
did not seem to be able to understand how much ̵ Leaving out extra words (such
of the text was to be covered. Most candidates as adjectives which may not be
did not use a Grid. required) and rewriting
sentences in simple language.
̵ Training students to put
several points together as part
of one whole and not using
elaborate explanations which
may be given in the text.
̵ Ensuring an easy flow of
thoughts, that the question is
answered and that the main
points according to the
passage have been
incorporated. Teach and insist
on Grid use.

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 MARKING SCHEME
Question 4
(a) Give the meaning of the following words as used in the passage. One-word answers or short
phrases will be accepted.

(i) assigned allotted, to give for a particular purpose, given, allocated

(ii) ideal perfect, the best possible, appropriate, flawless most appropriate. most
suitable, excellent

(iii) independent- free, not needing or wanting help, separate, self-directed, without any
help, self-reliant, without assistance.

(b) (i) The children were allowed to sit / anywhere they like.

(ii) Enabled the teacher to observe / what were they interested in / their way of thinking
/ their character.

(iii) They loved starting with their favourite subject / had all day to cope with what they
didn’t like / could work independently.
[any two points]

(iv) They copied letters of the alphabets / drew pictures / read books / did physical
exercises.

(v) “The boy dragged his leg and his whole body swayed from side to side.”
(Entire sentence to be quoted exactly).

(c) Points to look for:

How the children were taught
1. Teacher makes a list
2. Children could choose to do first they liked to best/choose favourite subject/ start with
any subject. (Any one point)
3. Would do later (cope up with) what they disliked
4. Children worked independently
5. They could approach/consult the teacher when they needed help / free to go
to. (Any one point)
6. Further exercises were given as homework. /to work at (alone)

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Question 5
(a) Fill in each of the numbered blanks with the correct form of the word given in [4]
brackets. Do not copy the passage but write in correct serial order the word or phrase
appropriate to the blank space.
Example:
(0) taught
By the time she was three, Matilda had (0) ____________ (teach) herself to read by
(1) ____________ (study) newspapers and magazines that (2) ____________ (lie)
around the house. At the age of four, she could (3) ____________ (read) fast and well
and she naturally began (4) ____________ (hanker) after books. The only book in
the whole of this enlightened household was something called Easy Cooking (5)
____________ (belong) to her mother, and when she had read this from cover to
cover and had (6) ____________ (learn) all the recipes by heart, she (7)
____________ (decide) she (8) ____________ (want) something more interesting.

(b) Fill in the blanks with appropriate words. [4]

(i) It has been raining __________ two hours.
(ii) He just scraped __________ his examination.
(iii) Mrs. Kapoor was bent __________ attending the meeting.
(iv) She is proud and looks __________ on her colleagues.
(v) Rahul plays football __________ his grandfather.
(vi) The mother was sitting ____________ the sick child all night.
(vii) Monica is leaning ____________ the wall.
(viii) Rosie is very good ____________ art and craft.

(c) Join the following sentences to make one complete sentence without using [4]
and, but or so:
(i) Sarah and Tyra are twins. They look exactly alike.
(ii) Rohan does not like to play cricket. He does not like to play hockey either.
(iii) Sania pushed as hard as she could. The door would not open.
(iv) The school bus drove through the gate. The clock was striking eight at that
moment.

(d) Re-write the following sentences according to the instructions given after each. Make [8]
other changes that may be necessary, but do not change the meaning of each
sentence.
(i) The librarian orders books for the school library every year.
(Begin: Books…)

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 (ii) No one will deny that the children have worked very hard this year.
(Begin: Everyone…)
(iii) As soon as the teacher enters, she is greeted by her candidates.
(Begin: No sooner….)
(iv) She is so busy that she finds no time to entertain her friends.
(Rewrite using ‘too’)
(v) In spite of the very hot weather, Kevin stepped out to buy some bread.
(Begin: Despite.…)
(vi) Sheela will be selected for the competition only if she goes for the auditions.
(Begin: Unless….)
(vii) I would rather eat fruit than a lot of unhealthy junk food.
(Begin: I prefer….)
(viii) The tree was cut down ruthlessly.
(Begin: They…)

Comments of Examiners Suggestions for Teachers

(a) A large number of candidates did not perform  Give frequent practice in sequence
well in this part of the question. Some of the of tenses to assist students in
commonly occurring errors were as follows: identifying the correct use of tense in
In the first blank, many candidates misspelt the the given context.
word 'studying' as Studing.  Practice verb forms in passages, as
In the second blank, most of the candidates wrote in single sentences.
Lied instead of lay as the past tense for the word  Create tables of tenses with
Lie. examples and drill.
 Explain to the students the difference
In the fifth blank, many candidates wrote which
between ‘since’ and ‘for’ with a
belonged making it an adjective clause when the ‘specific time’ and a more ‘general
question was about tenses. period.
Many candidates answered blanks (3), (4), (7) and  Explain the importance of reading
(8) in their continuous / simple past / perfect the entire sentence before deciding
forms where the answer should have been written upon a preposition.
in another form.  Explain the rules of grammar, rules
governing the use of prepositions,
(b) Most of the candidates did not know the proper adverbs.
use of prepositions. Common errors observed in  Clarify that 'yet' is an independent
the usage of prepositions were as follows: joiner. It should not compliment,
In (i) ‘since’ was used instead of ‘for’. though or although.
In blank (ii) ‘into’/'out' was used instead of  Teach students that two clauses are
‘through’. made mutually exclusive by the use

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 ‘over’ was filled in instead of ‘on/upon’ in blank of the subordinating conjunction
(iii). ‘though’, ‘although’ etc and not
In blank (iv), the candidates couldn’t understand inter-dependent as in a causal
that pride is associated with looking down on sentence.
others.  Teach when to use ‘Neither; nor;
In part (vii) most of the candidates wrote leaning either; or’
on the wall or by the wall instead of against.  Teach the rules of synthesis of
sentences thoroughly to the students
and revise regularly. Give regular
(c) Many candidates used an incorrect approach. The
exercises to the students in synthesis
following procedural mistakes were observed:
of sentences without using ‘and’,
(i) Candidates took a causal premise or took the ‘but’ or ‘so’.
meaning to be 'since' e.g., Sarah and Tyra are  Teach the candidates to reason out
twins because/ therefore they look alike. the implications of using wrong
(ii) In this part, instead of using the coordinating words /placing the word wrongly in
conjunction ‘Neither ….nor’/ ‘either…or’ the a sentence.
candidates used-‘and’ ( Synthesis had to be  Stress on improving reading habits
done without using ‘and’). to help improve basic language
(iii) Conceptual and grammatical errors were skills and fluency.
noticed in this part; ‘even' was used instead of  Have oral practice as a regular
'though' or 'even though'. Instead of using the feature of the grammar class.
subordinating conjunction, candidates used  Teach students Logical thinking to
coordinating conjunctions (but). identify implications of incorrect
choice of words or a word
(iv) Candidate did not use adverb clause in
incorrectly placed.
synthesis of sentences.
 Stress on the importance of reading
to help improve basic language
(d) Common errors made by candidates in this part skills and fluency.
were:
(i) Some candidates did not maintain the tense
of the sentence. They used present
continuous tense instead of present simple
tense e.g., Books are being ordered........../
Books has been ordered......... (mistakes in
subject-verb agreement and in tense).
(ii) A few candidates replaced the words ‘No
one’ with ‘Everyone’, thus changing the
meaning of the sentence e.g., many
candidates used ‘Everyone will not deny…’
instead of ‘Everyone will agree….’.
(iii) Incorrect sentence construction - many
candidates used past tense, while the given
sentence was in present tense. Some

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 candidates wrote ‘No sooner does the
teacher enters, then……’
(iv) Some candidates failed to use the correct
structure-‘ too….to’ instead of ‘so…that’.
Many candidates wrote, She is too busy that
she cannot entertain her friends. (incorrect)
(v) Many candidates used ‘of’ with ‘despite’,
which is incorrect e.g., Despite of very hot
weather, Kevin stepped out to buy some
bread. (incorrect)
(vi) Candidates wrote ‘Pronoun’ (she) instead
of the ‘noun’ (Sheela) e.g., Unless she goes
for the auditions, Sheela will not be selected
for the Competition. This was incorrect.
Some wrote, Unless Sheela goes for the
auditions, she will be selected - instead of
'will not be selected'.
(vii) Most of the candidates used rather than
/than/over.
(viii) Many candidates wrote - had cut/were
cutting instead of using cut. Some
candidates omitted the word ‘down’ which
changed the meaning of the sentence e.g.,
They cut the tree ruthlessly. (incorrect).

MARKING SCHEME
Question 5
(a) 0. taught
1. studying
2. lay
3. read
4. hankering / to hanker
5. belonging
6. learnt/learned
7. decided
8. wanted

(b) (i) for

(ii) through
(iii) on/upon

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 (iv) down
(v) with
(vi) beside / with / near / by
(vii) against
(viii) at / in

(c) (i) Sarah and Tyra who are twins look exactly alike.
Sarah and Tyra are twins who look exactly alike.
Sarah and Tyra, who look exactly alike are twins.
(ii) Rohan neither likes to play cricket nor hockey.
Rohan likes to play neither cricket nor hockey.
Rohan does not like to play either cricket or hockey.
(iii) Although / Though / Even though Sania pushed as hard as she could, the door
would not open.
In spite of/ Despite Sania pushing the door as hard as she could, it would not open.
Sania pushed as hard as she could,[yet/ however/still/nevertheless] the door would not
open.
(iv) The clock was striking eight when the school bus drove through the gate./
The school bus drove through the gate when the clock was striking eight./
When the clock was striking eight the school bus drove through the gate./
When the school bus drove through the gate, the clock was striking eight at that
moment.

(d) (i) Books are ordered for the library every year by the librarian. / Books are ordered by the
librarian for the library every year.
(ii) Everyone will agree/admit/affirm/ accept that the candidates have worked very hard
this year.
(iii) No sooner does the teacher enter, than she is greeted by her candidates. /
(iv) She is too busy to find time to entertain her friends.
(v) Despite the very hot weather Kevin stepped out to buy some bread.
Despite the weather being very hot, Kevin stepped out to buy some bread.
Despite the fact that the weather was very hot, Kevin stepped out to buy some bread.
(vi) Unless Sheela goes for the auditions she will not be selected for the competition.
(vii) I prefer eating fruit to a lot of unhealthy junk food.
(viii) They cut down the tree ruthlessly. / They ruthlessly cut down the tree.

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 GENERAL COMMENTS

Essay writing:
Topics found To compose a creative composition in 300-350 words was beyond the powers of
difficult/ many candidates. Consequently, the weaker candidates resorted to either copying
confusing by parts of the comprehension passage in the middle of the essay or copied the
candidates passage in its entirety. Many candidates found it difficult to express their thoughts
in English and therefore used words in mother tongue to express their views.

Letter writing:
In the formal letter, the consequences of wastage of water, was not understood by
many candidates. The idea/concept of waste of water was misconstrued by many.
Candidates took it for wastage of water in homes.
Notice and Email:
(i) The connection between the two was not understood by some. In some
centres, incorrect format was used.
(ii) The event/purpose behind hosting the carnival and who the host was/ who
the letter was addressed to was not understood by some candidates.
Comprehension:
− Most of the candidates got confused with the meanings of the words. They
could not bring out the sense given in the passage.
− All questions based on analysis/ understanding were not understood by many
candidates. Many of the answers in part (b) seemed to centre around the idea
of independent study - it was as if the candidates could not move past that one
main idea.
− The Summary was disappointing - candidates seemed not to have been able to
grasp which portion of the text was required to be referred to for the answer.
Grammar:
The rules of grammar were not clear to many candidates.

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 • Take up reading as a regular habit.
• Make it a practice to read newspapers, periodicals and story books. Read
journals and magazines on a variety of topics.
Suggestions • Listen to famous personalities’ oration to enhance your vocabulary. Involve
for Students yourself in debate sessions to develop your speaking skill.
• Converse in English at school and at home.
• Read the question paper well before start answering it.
• Consult encyclopaedias and the internet if this resource is available to you. Be
careful to do so under adult supervision and to only consult authenticated
resources.

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