Solving ICSE Class 10 English Language Previous Year Question Papers ICSE Class 10 English Language Question Paper 2016 is the best way to boost your preparation for the board exams.
ICSE Class 10 English Language Question Paper 2016 Solved
Question 1.
(Do not spend more than 35 minutes on this question.) [25]
Write a composition (350 – 400 words) on any one of the following:
(a) Write an original short story that begins with the words:
“The day started off well enough, whoever thought it would …………….”
(b) Narrate an incident from your own experience when you expected to do very well, but for some reason were unable to do so. Explain what happened and why it happened. What lesson did you learn from it ?
(c) “The use of Mobile Phones must be allowed in schools. ” Express your views either for or against the statement.
(d) You walk home from school one afternoon to find the door unlocked and on entering you are shocked to see the house in total disarray. You call out but get no answer. Describe in detail what you saw, the reason behind your house being in total disarray and how you found yourfamily. Mention also how the experience ended and what impact it had on your life.
(e) Study the picture given below. Write a stoyy 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 clear connection between the picture and your composition.
Answer:
(a) Hints
- ………… it would be the worst day for the whole family
- Father fell off his scooter
- younger brother Mohit did not come home
- all ran away in different directions to find him
- news of uncle’s heart attack came
- Mother went to temple to pray
(b) Hints
- Physics paper yesterday
- had prepared well, expected to do well
- shocked to find numericals unusual and difficult
- had spent a lot of time on theory
- learnt to have extensive practice in numericals in future
(c) Hints
For :
- the mobile phones very useful
- must be allowed in schools
- contacts could be made in emergencies
- ban on mobiles a backward step
(d) Hints
- found the door unlocked, everything in disorder
- called out Mother, no reply
- in panic called father on phone
- Mother found gagged in a bathroom
- the robbers had struck, taken away a lot of cash, jewellery
- a police report
- could not take tuition, got less marks
(e) Hints
- incessant, heavy rains
- traffic jams
- still people seen enjoying
- umbrellas just flew away in strong winds
- troubles for the people living in low-lying areas
Question 2.
(Do not spend more than 20 minutes on this question.) Select any one of the following: [10]
(a) Your class wants to visit a well-known historical monument in a nearby town. Write a letter to your Principal seeking permission and say why you would benefit from the visit.
(b) Your school recently held a jubilee celebration. Write a letter to your friend who was unable to attend, giving details of the function and your role in it.
Answer:
(a) The Principal
SM Public School
Ludhiana
Sir
I am a student of X-A, Roll No. 50.1 want to request you to let our class visit a nearby town named Nur Mahal. It is about thirty kilometres away from Ludhiana. Most of my classmates are anxious to go there to see the well-known Nur Mahal Sarai (Inn) and a fort which were built by Queen Nur Jahan, Jahangir’s wife.
The visit is sure to benefit us. It will provide us an opportunity to see the old art of architecture.
I hope you will be kind enough to grant the permission. Sh. N.K. Sharma, our history teacher, is ready to guide us to the destination. We can go on a Sunday in the school bus.
Thank you very much.
Yours obediently
Mohit
X-A, Roll No. 50
May 4, 20 …..
(b) 540, Model House
Noida
June 10, 20 ….
Dear Seema
I missed you a lot on the Silver Jubilee Celebrations held in our school on Tuesday. I know you are away in Mumbai with your parents. Had you been here you would have enjoyed the function greatly. Sh. N.K. Vohra, Deputy Commissioner, presided over the function. A variety show was presented by the students. The audience appreciated the efforts. Folk songs and dances regaled one and all.
A skit entitled ‘Saviour in Old Age’ was enacted. I took an active part in it. The skit was on the theme of ‘Save the female child’ as it is she who proves to be a saviour in her parent’s old age. The audience was moved by the intense drama. You’d have appreciated the whole skit. The whole team had to work hard to make the presentation almost perfect.
The Chief Guest made a special reference of the skit in his brief, thanks-giving speech. He called upon the old people to realize the fact that there is no difference between a son and a daughter. He hoped they would do their best to stop female foeticide.
Towards the end, some meritorious students and some distinguished persons of the city were honoured. The Principal assured the gathering that the school would continue to do well in scholastic and co-scholastic activities. He thanked everyone to grace the occasion.
I’ll tell you more when we meet.
With love
Yours
Nidhi
Question 3.
Read the following passage carefully and answer the questions that follow:
For some time Mother had greatly envied us our swimming, both in the daytime and at night, but as she pointed out when we suggested she join us, she was far too old for that sort of thing. Eventually, however, under constant pressure from us, Mother paid a visit into town and returned to the villa coyly bearing a mysterious parcel. Opening this she astonished us all by holding up an extraordinary shapeless garment of black cloth, covered from top to bottom with hundreds of frills and pleats and tucks.
‘Well, what do you think of it ?’ Mother asked.
We stared at the odd garment and wondered what it was for. ‘What is it ?’ asked Larry at length.
‘It’s a bathing-costume, of course,’ said Mother. ‘What on earth did you think it was ?’
‘It looks to me like a badly-skinned whale,’ said Larry, peering at it closely.
‘You can’t possibly wear that, Mother,’ said Margo, horrified, ‘why, it looks as though it was made in nineteen-twenty.’ ‘What are all those frills and things for?’ asked Larry with interest.
‘Decoration, of course,’ said Mother indignantly.
‘What a jolly idea! Don’t forget to shake the fish out of them when you come out of the water.’
‘Well, I like it, anyway,’ Mother said firmly, wrapping the monstrosity up again, ‘and I’m going to wear it.’
‘You’ll have to be careful you don’t get waterlogged, with all that cloth around you,’ said Leslie seriously.
‘Mother, it’s awful; you can’t wear it,’ said Margo. ‘Why on earth didn’t you get something more up to date?’,
‘When you get to my age, dear, you can’t go around in a two- piece bathing suit… you don’t have the figure for it.’
‘I’d love to know what sort of figure that was designed for,’ remarked Larry.
‘You really are hopeless, Mother,’ said Margo despairingly. ‘But I like it… and I’m not asking you to wear it,’ Mother pointed out angrily.
‘That’s right, you do what you want to do,’ agreed Larry; ‘don’t be put off. It’ll probably suit you very well if you can grow another three or four legs to go with it.’
Mother snorted indignantly and swept upstairs to try on her costume. Presently she called to us to come and see the effect, and we all trooped up to the bedroom. Roger the dog, was the first to enter, and on being greeted by this strange apparition clad in its voluminous black costume rippling with frills, he retreated hurriedly through the door, backwards, barking ferociously.
It was some time before we could persuade him that it really was Mother, and even then he kept giving her vaguely uncertain looks from the comer of his eye. However, in spite of all opposition, Mother stuck to her tent-like bathing- suit, and in the end we gave up.
In order to celebrate her first entry into the sea we decided to have a moonlight picnic down at the bay, and sent an invitation to Theodore, who was the only stranger that Mother would tolerate on such a great occasion. The day for the great immersion arrived, food and wine were prepared, the boat was cleaned out and filled with cushions and everything was ready when Theodore turned up.
(a) Give the meaning of the following words as used in the passage: [3]
One word answers or short phrases will be accepted.
- peering (line 19)
- ferociously (line 57)
- immersion (line 67)
Answer:
- looking closely and carefully
- violently/savagely
- swim/the act of putting into water
(b) Answer the following questions briefly in your own words.
(i) Why did mother not join the swimming in the beginning? [2]
(ii) Briefly describeher swimming costume. [2]
(iii) What did Larry think ¡t was? [21
(iv) Which sentence tells you that Margo thought it was old fashioned? [2]
(v) What was Leslie concern? [2]
(vi) Why did mother think it was suitable? [2]
Answer:
(i) Mother did not join the swimming in the beginning. She thought she was too old to swim.
(ii) Mother’s swimming costume was made of a black, shapeless cloth. It had a lot of frills, pleats and tucks.
(iii) Larry thought that it looked like a badly-skinned whale.
(iv) The. sentence is: “Why, it looks as though it was made in nineteen-twenty.”
(v) Leslie’s concern was that Mother could get waterlogged with that swimming-suit.
(vi) Mother thought the swimming suit was suitable for her sort of figure in old age.
(c) (i) In not more than 60 words describe what happened after mother went upstairs to tri’ on her costume. [8]
(ii) Give a title to your summary in 3(c) (i,). Give a reason to justify your choice. [2]
Answer:
(c) (i) Summary
Mother called us to come and see her in her swimming- suit. Roger the dog first entered the room, and unable to recognise the mother, came back hurriedly and began to bark savagely. He had to be persuaded that it really was Mother. Mother was determined to stick to her bathing-suit. A moonlight picnic at the bay was arranged for her first swim. Theodre was the only stranger to be invited.
(ii) Title : Mother in her Odd Bathing-suit
The title is appropriate as it shows how Mother looked strange in her old-type bathing-suit.
Question 4.
(a) Fill in each of the numbered blanks with the correct form of the word given in brackets. Do not copy the passage, but write in correct serial order the word or phrase appropriate to the blank space.
Example:
(0) He had been (0) _________ (sit) on the bank of a small irrigation canal.
Answer: sitting .
He was (1) _________ (gaze) at a couple of heron (2) _________ (fish) in the muddy water, when he (3) _________ (feel) something bump his elbow. (4) _________ (look) around, he (5) _________ (find) at his side a little goat, jet black and soft as velvet with lovely grey eyes. Neither her owner nor her mother (6) _________ (be) around. She continued to (7) _________ (nudge) Mukesh, so he (8) _________ (look) in his pocket for nourishment. [4]
Answer:
(1) gazing
(2) fishing
(3) felt
(4) Looking
(5) found
(6) were
(7) nudge
(8) looked
(b) Fill in each blank with an appropriate word: [4]
- There was a steep rise _________ onion prices.
- Air pollution is responsible for the spread _________ bronchitis.
- He was _________ pressure to complete the work.
- Joan jumped _________ the river to rescue the child.
- His teacher is very pleased _________ him.
- Ali took _________ his cap and wiped his face.
- The old woman could not get _________ the shock.
- He should not get _________ with such rudeness.
Answer:
- in
- of
- under
- into
- with
- up
- over
- away
(c) Join the following sentences to make one complete sentence without using and, but or so : [4]
(i) My grandfather is very old. He is very active.
Answer:
(i) In spite of being very old, my grandfather is very active.
(ii) Mala is not in the classroom. Mala is not in the library.
Answer:
Mala is neither in the classroom nor in the library.
(iii) She was so excited about her performance. She could not sleep at night.
Answer:
Excited about her performance, she could not sleep at night.
(iv) Mumbai is densely populated. It is one of the major cities in the country.
Answer:
Mumbai, which is one of the major cities in the country, is densely populated.
(d) Re-write the following sentences according to the instructions given after each. Make other changes that may be necessary, but do not change the meaning of each sentence. [8]
(i) The book was so interesting that I could not put it down.
(Begin : The book was too …………. )
Answer:
(i) The book was too interesting to be put down.
(ii) The Principal said, “All the prizes will be distributed tomorrow. ”
(Begin : The Principal said that ……………..)
Answer:
The Principal said that all the prizes would be distributed the next day.
(iii) Last night’s dinner was cooked for us by father.
(Begin : Father ………………)
Answer:
Father cooked last night’s dinner for us.
(iv) If Mary catches the first bus, she will be on time for school.
(Begin : Unless ………………. )
Answer:
Unless Mary catches the first bus, she will not be on time for school.
(v) In spite of having high fever the girl came to school.
(Begin : Despite ………………. )
Answer:
Despite having high fever, the girl came to school.
(vi) I prefer going out with friends to staying alone at home.
(Begin : I would rather ………………)
Answer:
I would rather go out with friends than stay alone at home.
(vii) Hardly had the teacher left the room, when all the children started making a noise.
(Begin : No sooner ………………)
Answer:
No sooner had the teacher left the room than all the children started making a noise.
(viii) This is the funniest movie I have ever seen.
(Begin : Never ………………)
Answer:
Never have I ever seen such a funny movie.