Solving ICSE Class 10 English Language Previous Year Question Papers ICSE Class 10 English Language Question Paper 2020 is the best way to boost your preparation for the board exams.

ICSE Class 10 English Language Question Paper 2020 Solved

General Instructions : 

  • Answers to this Paper must be written on the paper provided separately
  • You will not be allowed to write during the first 15 minutes.
  • This time is to be spent in reading the question paper.
  • The time given at the head of this Paper is the time allowed for writing the answers.
  • Attempt all five questions.
  • The intended marks for questions or parts of questions are given in brackets [ ].
  • You are advised to spend not more than 30 minutes in answering Question 1 and 20 minutes in answering Question 2.

Question 1.
(Do not spend more than 30 minutes on this question.) 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 andfeelings that you associate with yourfavourite 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 on 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.
ICSE 2020 English Language Question Paper Solved for Class 10 1
Answers:
(a) The Secret
My younger brother Rohit was in his teens. He was a very jovial types of person. Suddenly he became sullen and lonesome. He stopped talking much to family members. I was very close to him. I tried to talk to him and figure out the reason of his sullenness. He did not tell me anything. To every question his reply was ‘nothing’. I got irritated and decided to leave him to his fate.

ICSE 2020 English Language Question Paper Solved for Class 10

One night I was woken up by sudden noise. I came out of my room. Rohit’s room was in front of mine. I saw Rohit going out of the main gate of the house in the pitch dark. I called him twice, and then ran after him. It was strange that I found him simply nowhere. In a few minutes he had just disappeared. I came back and went to my room. I could not sleep for a long time. I don’t know when sleep overpowered me. Next morning, when I asked Rohit where he had gone, his ambiguous answer was ‘nowhere’. He told me nothing. If you don’t tell me, I am going to write to Father’, I said.

‘Do, what you like’, he said with a shrug.
I was flabbergasted. The night came. I was ready at the gate to stalk him. He went towards fields. He entered a small hut in a field. I saw through the chink of the door. The secret was out. Rohit and two ruffians were having puffs of something very pungant – smelling thing – some kind of drug.

I came back in a very shocked state of mind. Should I reveal Rohit’s secret to father or not? What to do and what not to do – was my problem, not Rohit’s.

(b) A family without pets is an incomplete family
It is strange that many people think that a family is incomplete without pets. The reality is that no family is at peace with pets. When we talk of pets, we think of dogs. Dogs are an endless source of irritation. They cannot let you have moments of peace. Every member of the family tries to pamper its pet in one way or the other.

Most pets have wrong habits. They continue to bark unnecessarily. They defecate and urinate wherever they like. They are a source of many diseases as they sniff at you all the time. Those who continue to pat them, hug them, kiss them, are at grave risks of catching any infectious disease. Strangers who come to your house remain in fear of a bite from your pet dog.

Pet dogs are in the habit of drawing your attention all the time. They become a nuisance at times. They do not understand when you need to be left alone. They will continue to pester you. Families without pet dogs are in no way incomplete, if they are bound together by mutual love, caring and understanding.

Pets other than dogs are also nothing but a nuisance. Cats are mysterious and thieves. They do not value your care and affection. And they are not loyal at all. Parrots and other animals respond little to your affection.

So there is hardly any need to keep a pet. You should shower your affection on humans rather than on animals.

ICSE 2020 English Language Question Paper Solved for Class 10

(c) Morning : My Favourite Time of the Day
Morning is considered to be the best part of the day. Indian saints and prophets call it a holy time to remember the creator. They want us to get up early in the morning. All successful persons in the world enjoin upon us to get up early in the morning, and utilize this time in promoting our physical, mental and moral health. Those who rise late in the day miss the indescribable charms of the morning time.

If you go out in the morning, you will be simply fascinated by a variety of beautiful sights, sounds and smells. The lush green fields welcome you. They sight of clear sky with streaks of crimson fill you with a source of awe and wonder. Beautiful wayside flowers greet you. A cool breeze that blows in the morning is invigorating.

There is a sweet smell in it. The chirping of birds in the trees charm your ears. If you are lucky and are on a beach in the morning, the light roar of the sea and its beautiful sights are simply enchanting. The view of distant snow-covered peaks in a hilly area is equally fascinating.

It is in the morning that you feel at ease with yourself. You feel calm and cool. Nothing seems to be disturbing. Thus morning is associated with feelings of joy, peace and contentment, even holiness. It is for this reason that I prefer morning to any other part of the day. Afternoon is almost always hectic and problematic. Evening is associated with a sense of dullness and tiredness. Night often fills us with negativity. So, morning is, and should be welcome. It is the harbinger of a new day, full of hopes and dreams.

(d) It is a well-known fact that sometimes an action or a few words can change your life altogether. I myself experienced this truth a few years back. My cousin Ramesh, who is five years junior to me, was an average student, rather below average. He would get just pass marks in every exam. His parents remained worried of his future. They wanted him to become a doctor. No words of theirs had any impact on him. He remained indifferent to their pieces of good advice.

One day I met him on the way. I talked to him just for five minutes. I remember what I said even now :
‘Ramesh, be sincere to yourself. If you are, nothing can stop you from achieving anything in life.’
‘How can I be ?’ he enquired.
‘Ask this question to yourself ? And learn to value time.’

I walked away. I forgot the meeting in a few days. I had to leave the city for a few months. When I came back, Ramesh’s father came to our house with a box of sweets. He was beaming with joy. To my astonishment, Ramesh had topped his class, and for the first time !

I met Ramesh and asked him, “What has caused the miracle ?” He said, “It is all because of you. Look at my time table.” He showed me a sheet of paper. I was wonder-struck to read that he had divided each day into hours – each hour devoted to studies, TV watching, playing a game, socialising etc. He had given maximum time to his studies.

“Do you follow it ?” I asked out of curiosity.
“100%” he replied enthusiastically.”
Then no one can beat you.”
And four years later, Ramesh was in AIIMS, one of the top-notch medical institute in India. No one could be happier and more satisfied than me.

ICSE 2020 English Language Question Paper Solved for Class 10

(e) Selfieing : A New Passion
The picture shows a boy taking a selfie with a ‘chappal’, and there are four happy children in front of the ‘camera’! Clearly, the children belong to very deprived section of society, who cannot buy a smart-phone for posting selfportrait, but they share with ‘lucky’ children the desire to take and post a selfie.

Taking and posting selfies has now become an obsession with the younger generation. Taking selfie is easy and so it accounts for its growing popularity. Whether you are rich or poor, the urge to show yourself to others is insistent. One important factor of selfie-ing is the emphasis on looks. The younger generation has always given more importance to how they look than to other matters. It is not something abnormal. People of all ages do want to indulge in self-posturing and sharing it with others. Celebrities like to take selfies with their fans.

There is, of course, the dark side of selfie-ing. Too much preoccupation with selfies reveal a lack of confidence or a sense of self that is abnormal in some way. When you continue to think and plan about selfies it is something abnormal. Moreover, when the poor children too start wasting a lot of time in thinking or taking selfies, they are bound to suffer in one way or the other. There have been reports of thefts, robberies and deaths connected with the seemingly innocent act of taking selfies.

So, the act of taking selfies has both good and bad sides. The poor children should not give too much attention to selfies, as they cannot offered this expensive and some what ‘useless’ hobby. .The rich should take selfies to highlight what they are good at rather than what they look like.

Question 2.
(Do not spend more than 20 minutes on this question.) [ 10]
Select any one of the following:
(a) 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.
Answers:
(a) 15 Swaran Park
Ludhiana
15 April, 20

Dear Ramesh
I wish to inform you that I have recently changed my school. Though I liked my old school in Amritsar very much yet on account of my father’s transfer to this city, I had no option but to change my school. My new school is situated on the outskirts of the city on the Ferozepur Road. The biggest thing that has impressed me most is the atmosphere of the school. Conducive for free expression and pursuit of studies.

The teachers here are quite learned, experienced easily accessible. They treat their students nicely and are always helpful and inspiring. They motivate us to be the best students and citizens and above all to be good persons. They inculcate in us the noble qualities of hard work, sincerity and devotion to work. I feel that I have found the right place to grow.

But this does not mean that I do not miss my old school where I had made my good friends. You being one of them. I sometimes go into nostalia when I think of the fun and frolic we used to have with our friends. In the new school I am yet to have some such friends as I had in the previous one. All the same, change is inevitable in life. We miss something of the past and learn to adjust ourselves with new changing times. How are you doing . with your studies ?

Yours sincerely
Monty

ICSE 2020 English Language Question Paper Solved for Class 10

(b) 40, Shivaji Park
Ansari Road
Ambala Cantt.
June 10, 20 ……….

The Municipal Commissioner
Ambala Cantt.

Sir,
Subject: Water taps left open

I wish to bring it to your kind notice that some taps in our locality are always left open all day resulting in a tremendous waste of water.

Water, as we all very much know, is too precious to be wasted. Its wastage is criminal. It pains to see how the taps keep on leaking or running during the hours of water supply. The negligence of the supervisory staff of the water supply department is obvious and condemnable.

People are also equally to blame for the wastage of water. It appears that the water taps fitted on some points are of inferior quality and they fail to resist the pressure of water and thus break down and start leaking.

Sir, the remedy lies with you. The staff should be deputed to check and change the leaking taps without any waste of time. The influential people of the locality should also be approached and their services sought to stop this unavoidable waste of time.

Sir, I hope you will take the necessary steps at the earliest in this directions to prevent.

Yours truly
Dhiman

ICSE 2020 English Language Question Paper Solved for Class 10

Question 3.
(a) Your school is organising a fete / carnival to raise funds for victims of the recentfloods in your State. [5]
Write a notice to be put up on the school board giving details of the event.
(b) Write an e-mail to the Principal of a neighbouring school, inviting him / her to send their students to attend the fete / carnival. [5]
Answers:
(a) NEW HORIZON PUBLIC SCHOOL, MEERUT NOTICE
10 Feb., 20

ANNUAL FETE
The school is going to organise its annual fete in the school playground on the 20th Feb. 20 ………… from 10 am to 5 pm in order to raise funds for the victims of the recent floods in the state. The students are invited to participate in the bid for stalls on 15th February at 3 pm in room no 12. The three best stalls will be awarded prizes by the Deputy Commissioner, Mr. R.K. Joshi, the Chief Guest.

Principal

(b) From: [email protected]
Date : 10:02:20 11:15:25

To : [email protected]

Subject: Request to send students for participation in fete

Sir,
Our school is organising its annual fete in the school playground on the 20th February, 20 ……… from 10 am to 5 pm in order to raise funds for the victims of the recent floods in the state. Would you be kind enough to spare some time to attend this fete along with your students to make the fete successful ? Your kind cooperation in this noble cause would surely help in raising more and more funds.

Please confirm your participation and oblige.

K.S. Paul
Principal,
New Horizon Public School, Meerut.

ICSE 2020 English Language Question Paper Solved for Class 10

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 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, 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 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.

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 Yasuki. What’s yours ?” She was so glad to hear him speak that she replied loudly, “I’m Totto-chan.”
Adaptedfrom Totto-chan

(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 4)
(ii) ideal (line 27)
(iii) independent (line 33)

(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 lesson 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 like other children ? [1]

(c) In not more than 50 words, describe how the children
were taught. [8]
Answers:
(a) (i) given
(ii) appropriate
(iii) self-governing

ICSE 2020 English Language Question Paper Solved for Class 10

(b) (i) The unusual thing about seating arrangement was that no pupil was given a specific seat. They could sit anywhere they liked.

(ii) The method of teaching helped the teacher to observe the pupil progressing to higher grades. He could easily know what the students were interested in.

(iii) The pupils enjoyed their lessons because study was mostly independent. They were free to go and consult the teacher whenever they needed his help.

(iv) The first-grade pupils too, were allowed to start witth any subject, they liked. While some of them copied the alphabet others drew pictures or read books or even did physical exercises.

(v) The following sentence tells this : “The boy dragged his leg, and his whole body . swayed from side to side.”

(c) Children in this school were taught in a different way. The teacher used to make a list of all the questions the students wanted to ask. After this each student could start with the subject of his choice and consult the teacher whenever he felt like.

Question 5.
(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. [4]
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.
Answer:
(1) studying
(2) were lying
(3) read
(4) hankering
(5) belonging
(6) learnt
(7) decided
(8) wanted

ICSE 2020 English Language Question Paper Solved for Class 10

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

  1. It has been raining __________ two hours.
  2. He just scraped __________ his examination.
  3. Mrs. Kapoor was bent __________ attending the meeting.
  4. She is proud and looks __________ on her colleagues.
  5. Rahul plays football __________ his grandfather.
  6. The mother was sitting __________ the sick child all night.
  7. Monica is learning __________ the wall.
  8. Rosie is very good __________ art and craft.

Answer:

  1. for
  2. through
  3. on
  4. down
  5. with
  6. beside
  7. against
  8. at

(c) Join the following sentences to make one complete sentence without using and, but or so. [4]
(i) Sarah and Tyra are twins. They look exactly alike.
Answer:
Sarah and Tyra who are twins look exactly alike.

(ii) Rohan does not like to play cricket. He does not like to play hockey either.
Answer:
Rohan does not like to play either cricket or hockey.

(iii) Sania pushed as hard as she could. The door would not open.
Answer:
Though 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.
Answer:
When the school bus drove through the gate, the clock was striking eight.

ICSE 2020 English Language Question Paper Solved for Class 10

(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 librarian orders books for the school library every year.
(Begin : Books….)
Answer:
Books for the school library are ordered every year by the librarian.

(ii) No one will deny that the children have worked very hard this year.
(Begin: Everyone….)
Answer:
Everyone will agree that the children have worked very hard this year.

(iii) As soon as the teacher enters, she is greeted by her students.
(Begin : No sooner….)
Answer:
No sooner does the teacher enter than the students greet her.

(iv) She is so busy that she finds no time to entertain her friends.
(Rewrite using ‘too’)
Answer:
She is too busy to find time to entertain her friends.

(v) In spite of the very hot weather, Kevin stepped out to buy some bread.
(Begin: Despite….)
Answer:
Despite the very hot weather, Kevin stepped out to buy some bread.

ICSE 2020 English Language Question Paper Solved for Class 10

(vi) Sheela will be selected for the competition only if she goes for the auditions.
(Begin: Unless….)
Answer:
Sheela will not be selected for the competition unless she attends the auditions.

(vii) I would rather eat fruit than a lot of unhealthy junk food.
(Begin : I prefer….)
Answer:
I prefer eating fruit to a lot of unhealthy junk food.

(viii) The tree was cut down ruthlessly.
(Begin: They….)
Answer:
They cut down the tree ruthlessly.