ICSE Class 10 English Language Board Exam Question Paper 2017 with Solutions

ICSE Board Class 10 English Language Board Exam Question Paper with Solutions

Question 1
Write a composition (350 - 400 words) on any one of the following: [25]

(a) Write an original short story that begins with the words: "It was raining hard that night. In my hurry to get into the house, I didn't notice the black car parked across the road. I realized something was wrong when...............”

Answer:
It was raining hard that night. In my hurry to get into the house, I didn't notice the black car parked across the road. I realized something was wrong when I could see someone hovering around the car. I wasn't sure if it was safe to go to the car to investigate but my instincts dragged me from the gate of my building to across the road and next to the car. What happened in that half an hour is what I call my most unforgettable memory.
I could see a man pacing up and down, drenched and injured. At first when I saw him, he looked inebriated as he was losing his balance now and then. But as I went near him, I was sure it was the injury and not any substance that was causing him to tip.
"Excuse me Sir! Can I help you?" I asked him. He seemed to be in a state of shock. I tried calling out to him but he continued going round and round his car. I was not comfortable reaching out to him physically and I thought he might attack me in his condition. But there was no one I could call as my phone had switched off after getting wet in the rain. Also, if I went home, which was just across the street, my over-protective mother would panic and wouldn't let me help him. So there I was, feeling helpless and angry, because I decided to help someone without knowing what to do.
I remember standing in the rain for quite some time, staring at the man hovering around his car, feeling absolutely worthless. Then in a flash of a moment, I found myself walking towards him and reaching out to his shoulder. I must have been really stupid to do that!
"Sir!" I shouted as I grabbed his shoulder, "Can you tell me your name? Do you live around here?"
The man seemed to have lost his ability to hear or see or feel as he continued to walk around his car, only that now he was crying and shivering because of the rain.
I grabbed both his shoulders and tried to talk again.
"I will help you! Tell me what you want! Is this your car?"
I repeatedly asked him the above questions for at least five minutes before he finally looked at me and broke down. At that point, to be honest, I was scared to death, because he wouldn't stop screaming and trembling. After a while, he began to come back to his senses and began to calm down. Finally, when he stopped crying, he looked at me and told me that he was a second-year DU student who was out for a school reunion party at one of the schoolmate's farmhouse on the outskirts of the city. He had happily agreed to go for the party because obviously we are always excited to meet our school buddies and relive the happy school memories. When he entered the farmhouse, he told me that everything was fine for a couple of hours. He then said that they began playing a game which turned into an unpleasant episode of bullying him. He was majorly bullied by a school group when in school and at the party too, the group started bullying him. When he retaliated, they faked an apology and offered him a drink.
"I was foolish to assume that they were truly sorry and that they had grown up," he told me, now smiling as if recollecting what happened at the party. He told me that he doesn't remember what happened after he took that drink. He only remembers me screaming at him.
"When I regained consciousness, my head hurt and I was lying on the street, drenched, outside my car. I don't even know what part of the city I am in. They must have put me in the car and brought me here. And they must have thrown me out of my own car and thrown away the keys after locking it so that I can't go home."
The man, whose name was Kabir, thanked me for being there. He asked me which place he had been abandoned, and asked the way to the nearest police station. I took him with me and told our complex watchman to guard his car for the night. My mother calmed down as she heard the whole story and nursed his wounds. Kabir slept at my place that night. The next morning, mom and I accompanied him to the police station and lodged an FIR. Kabir said he wanted to get a blood test done as he thought he had been made to take drugs through the drink. He was right. He gave the details of the farmhouse and of his friends. The police sealed the farmhouse and arrested the friends.
Kabir and I became good friends forever after the incident. He taught me to be cautious of people, because some people can never be trusted no matter how much time has passed. He also taught me that it is okay to have a moment of fear. If you have a helping hand around, you can overcome fear and get back on your feet again.

Teacher's Note:
a) Ensure the story strictly follows the mandatory opening lines given in the prompt without altering a single word.
b) Maintain a coherent plot line with a clear beginning, climax, and resolution within the specified word limit.

(b) "School days are the happiest days of our lives." Express your views either for or against this statement.

Answer:
For the statement: School days are the happiest days of our lives.
One of the luckiest things to have is a happy childhood. And school is an unforgettable part of our happy childhood, isn't it? There is something about childhood that no other phase of your life can replace. I believe school days are the happiest days of our lives because we are protected, loved unconditionally, and free from worldly responsibilities.
School days were the best as your mum allowed you five extra minutes in bed every second day. It was nice to be a school goer as you only had to race with your friends till the bus stop and not run to the bus depot or metro station to get to work on time. If you were late to school you could blame your school bus, or your mother who served your breakfast late, or your dog who chewed off your shoe, or your friend who pushed you into a puddle just for fun. Your parents watched over you and when they didn't you were looked after by your teachers and older siblings and even the nosy neighbours and the scary watchman of your complex. You had so many people to catch you in case you fell.
School days were better than today because no matter how many window panes we broke or tyres we punctured, we were loved and showered with affection by our parents. Our older siblings always fought for us even if we were wrong. Our grandparents pampered us to spoils in the vacations with grandma cooking delicious meals and grandpa taking us to adventure trips in the woods. No matter how bad a student we may have been at school, mum always tucked us lovingly into bed and prayed for bad dreams to go away.
School projects, impending exams, weekly tests; these were all 'I don't care' for us but nightmares for our parents. No matter how close the exam day was, we would continue to sleep for those extra five minutes in bed while mum gathered material for us to quickly revise our lessons. While we spent the evenings playing downstairs, our parents would invoke all the creative spirits and complete our projects and assignments. We got to walk gloriously in school when the assignment they completed gave us A+. We were untouched by stress and the struggles of being responsible for one's actions all the time.
In conclusion, I reiterate that school days are the happiest days of our lives because we are protected, loved unconditionally, and free from worldly responsibilities. At the end of a day in school, our feet were dirty, hair was messy, but our eyes were sparkling with a wish to have another wonderful day at school tomorrow.

Against the statement: School days are the happiest days of our lives.
For some school goers, the sun is always shiny and people around are always nice. But for some school goers, school is not the happiest memory of their childhood. It is full of peer pressure, lack of confidence and being bullied.
At school, every deficit that you have is mocked at by your classmates. You are always supposed to 'fit in' if you want to belong to a group. If your classmate got a new school bag with the photo of the latest superhero, you need that bag because otherwise you don't fit in. If pink coloured flowery stationery pouches are trending, you must have them or you will feel out of place when you are doing group studies at your friend's place. If your friends use expensive gadgets, they influence you to want that gadget because you belong to their group, and birds of the same feather flock together.
School days are the worst nightmares for introverts. You hate being a part of the full-house morning assembly. You hate being picked by your teacher for loud reading in front of the whole class. You pray that you don't have to participate in any elocution competitions. You are miserably nervous on the day your friend doesn't come to school because then you have to travel alone and face people. School is the worst for people who don't have high confidence levels.
The most miserable part of school life is being bullied by classmates stronger and more outgoing than you were. You have bad dreams about an episode of you being cornered by bullies in the restroom in school. It happens all the time. They catch you at vulnerable points and your modesty and self-respect is compromised over and over again. And because you are shy, you are too scared to go and complain to your teacher.
Students who like to be by themselves are called losers, and the whole class spares no moment to make fun of them. School is not the happiest memory of childhood for some. It is full of peer pressure, lack of confidence and being bullied.

Teacher's Note:
a) Students may choose either to support or oppose the statement, provided their stance remains consistent throughout the composition.
b) Ensure appropriate vocabulary and vivid descriptive details are used to substantiate the chosen viewpoint.

(c) Narrate an incident from your own experience when you helped a friend who was in trouble. Explain what happened. What did you do to make the situation better?

Answer:
She was not the best person you could have as a friend, but I liked her for her honesty and uniqueness. Kathy and I had been friends since second grade, and now as we prepared for our board exams together, she was like my sister. But she was the troublemaker whom my parents disliked a lot.
Last night Kathy called me up and said her parents had found out about her being a part of a band. Kathy loved to play the guitar, and I liked to watch her play because she burned all her negative energy while doing that. Kathy's parents are accomplished doctors and want her to only pursue medicine as a career. Kathy on the other hand barely manages to score average in PCMB. She loves studying languages and art. So when her parents got her into the best coaching institute in the city for board preparations, Kathy managed to attend those classes barely for a semester. Her love for the band drove her to steal some money from her parents' closet and bribe a poor student at the class to be her proxy.
So Kathy told me that someone from the classes had informed her father that she had stopped coming after the first semester, and that is how they found out that she was with her band and not in her class. They had locked her up in the room and threatened to throw away her guitar and cut her expenses if she didn't mend her ways. It was past midnight when she called me so it was not possible for me to go to her home. But she needed help because being away from the guitar made her sad and angry at the world. I didn't want her to hurt herself in misery. So I did what my mother always does when I am upset.
I let her continue talking. I reasoned out with her and made her confess that it was criminal to use a less-privileged student selfishly. I tried telling her that making a career as a musician wouldn't possibly give her the luxuries her parents provided her with. She would have to struggle and live on her own one day. Also, I told her why it was important to go to the classes. She was an average student, which meant if she failed her boards, she would have to pull herself through PCMB again. So it was best in her case that she apologised to her parents and promised that she'd stop going to the band until the exams got over.
Kathy did apologise to her father. She took the guitar and locked it and promised that she would practise only for an hour a day to relax after the day's study routine was complete. Her parents were nice enough to believe her, and she didn't let them down. Although Kathy didn't score well in PCMB, she topped the state in Languages and Arts. Her extraordinary score in music got her a scholarship from a leading college. Kathy's parents finally understood that the scalpel wouldn't look as good in Kathy's hands as a guitar. They accepted her as she was. Kathy is now a researcher who is studying how music can help autistic children cope with their illness. Looks like she met her parents halfway.

Teacher's Note:
a) Personal narratives must clearly outline the problem faced by the friend and the specific steps taken by the narrator to resolve it.
b) Emphasize personal reflection and a meaningful conclusion to score top marks.

(d) There has been heavy rain in your city/town. You went to school but found that it was closed because of the rain. Describe the sights and sounds near the school and narrate how you finally reached home and spent the rest of the day.

Answer:
It was just another morning of a regular rainy season in Mumbai when I woke up at 6 am to see off my father going to Bhopal for work. It was cloudy and dull with some drizzle but everything looked peaceful.
I lazed around till about 7 am and then got out of bed to get ready for school. By around 8 am, when I was ready to leave home, I realised that it had been raining heavily for quite some time now. When I looked out of the kitchen window, I watched trees swaying and the drains had begun to overflow. Should I go to school at all? But then I had to go because it was internal assignment day. And I was a student who had never skipped school. So I set out much to my mother's reluctance.
As I walked towards the main street, I saw a big traffic jam at the junction. I could barely see anything as it was now pouring badly. I waited for the signal to show the 'walk' sign, keeping my raincoat cap from pulling off, wiping my spectacles again and again. On days like these, I wished I could see clearly without my eyeglasses. It was only a ten-minute walk to my school but the rain was getting worse by the minute. By now, my school uniform was all wet under my raincoat and I had begun to feel cold. I would usually walk quickly down the lane occasionally stopping by House No 3 in the lane to spend some time with the owners' pet dog. When I reached their gate, I saw that their fence and the front side of the house had been damaged because a tree fell on their fence and on their house. I was beginning to get scared now as there was knee-deep water in front of me. I struggled to wade through the dirty water and somehow reached my school gate, only to have the worst experience of my life. A school student fell into an open drain outside my school gate right in front of my eyes. She just slipped away in front of her mother. But before I could react, the school watchman who was helping students standing outside pulled her up.
I was in tears now, and I wanted to go home to my mother. I dragged myself to the gate and asked the watchman to help me. They had closed the school for the day. I was taken to the staff room and given hot tea and something to eat. My mother was informed that I was safe in school and that they would keep all students here till the rain subsided. My teachers did their best to make us comfortable, although they too were drenched, shivering, and scared too. They had left their families and children at home, just to make sure we would be fine.
It stopped raining late in the evening and when my mother came to pick me, I was the happiest person on the planet to see her. We went home and on our way I met Percy, the pet dog from House No 3. They had decided to temporarily shift to another location and they were all safe. Back home, I was treated with my favourite dishes for dinner and was tucked into bed with some medicines for the slight cold and fever I got because of being in the rain for long. As I lay awake in bed, staring at the ceiling, I realised that I could have avoided the misadventure by thinking about the situation and staying indoors for the day. I was blinded by my stubbornness to not bend according to the situation. I learnt my lesson. Sometimes it is better to bend than to break.

Teacher's Note:
a) Descriptive writing should incorporate sensory details regarding sights, sounds, and atmosphere.
b) Ensure logical sequencing from the journey to school, the discovery of closure, and the return home.

(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.
[Figure: A photograph showing an elephant standing outdoors with a person standing beside it, suggesting a bond between humans and animals.]

Answer:
A man never became poor by offering kindness. So is what I heard my parents and elders saying when I was little. The other day while visiting my grandparents, I actually experienced this for real.
My grandparents live in a small village in Goa and I love to visit them every summer after school closes for the year. This year, when I reached there, the whole village was abuzz with preparations for the once-in-five-years culture fair where villages from all over come and participate. As I took a local bus home from the main bus stand, I saw colourful canopies and stalls being set up. There were villagers setting up their stalls where they would put up handicrafts, eatables, spices, earthenware, ancient herbs, and exotic pets. Yes, I saw a board advertising 'exotic pets for sale for the first time!' and I was a little surprised and excited. I was not old enough to understand that exotic pets may have been smuggled from their habitat and made to survive here under harsh conditions. Anyway, the bus kept moving and I kept thinking about the delicious food grandma was preparing for me - her famous chocolate pie and roast duck and of course, the delicious jackfruit cake!
As I was gobbling up the food in my dreams, the bus jerked to a halt throwing me out of my seat. I heard a lot of commotion and heard many passengers saying 'is it dead...is it dead!' I got up from my seat and peeped through the crowd. Our bus had crashed into a compound of a circus company. The circus was a part of the fair. We all got down from the bus and I ran ahead to see who the 'it' was. As I pushed myself through the crowd and came in front of the bus, I saw a baby elephant lying there. I could hear the mother elephant trumpeting loudly from her tent inside the circus. It was such a devastating site! How could this poor calf have possibly sneaked out of the circus and come in front of our bus? What would happen now? No one bothered to go closer to the calf and check if it was alive. Everyone was discussing about how to move it aside so that the road could be cleared. The driver and the conductor of the bus were seen offering something to the circus manager so that he wouldn't make a fuss. I was beginning to feel woeful for the little calf and the mistreatment it was going to receive.
Suddenly, I heard a little voice calling out some name, and with every second the voice got closer to the elephant calf. It was a little girl, about six years old, screaming 'Appu...Appu!!!' and hugging the calf sobbing terribly. She was the daughter of a mahout, who had a deal with the circus manager to transport unwanted elephant calves into the forest or to temples. Now I felt all the more miserable for the girl and the elephant. The calf must have been special for her, I thought. As I tried to calm myself down resigning to fate, I saw something and it was nothing but pure miracle. The calf started moving. It wasn't dead but unconscious, and as the girl called out to him repeatedly, it started moving its body vigorously. Finally, it opened its eyes and stood on all fours, hugging the girl with its plump trunk. The girl was ecstatic on seeing Appu alive. It was wounded but alive and kicking. She placed Appu's trunk on her shoulder and helped it walk off the road. The road cleared and our bus took off.
I had a wonderful time with my grandparents. Grandma had cooked and baked everything I had thought of, and we also visited the fair. On my way back to the main bus stop in the local bus, I saw the same little girl with Appu and they both were roaming at the fair. I heard the circus manager allowed the girl to have him as her pet and that her father was building a shed for their new family member. She smiled as she talked to him, as if the animal understood what she said and the calf played with her pigtails with its trunk. Maybe the animal did understand what she was saying. Kindness is a language everyone understands, isn't it?

Teacher's Note:
a) The composition must establish a clear and direct thematic connection with the visual prompt provided.
b) Ensure creative integration of narrative elements while addressing the core message of empathy and compassion.

Question 2
Select any one of the following: [10]

(a) A number of loose electric wires are hanging from a lamp post near the main gate of your school. Write a letter to the Municipal Commissioner explaining the problem, the danger it poses and suggest a quick solution.

Answer:
Gautam Bhandari
Grade 10, DPS School
36 Chourangee Lane

To
Municipal Commissioner
14 May 2017

Subject: Loose wires unattended outside school gate

Sir,
I am a tenth grade student from DPS School and am writing to inform that your team left live wires hanging from a lamp post after a maintenance check two days ago.

The wires are dangling right in front of our school's main gate, and are causing great inconvenience to the students and staff. The other day, one of our school peons got an electric shock while garlanding the school arch during a school annual day.

It would be great if you took immediate action and repair the lamp post. Any further delay could put innocent student lives at risk.

Waiting in anticipation for your prompt action.

Yours faithfully,
Gautam Bhandari

Teacher's Note:
a) Formal letter format must be strictly adhered to, including sender's address, date, designation of recipient, clear subject line, and formal salutation/subscription.
b) The body must clearly state the problem, the hazard involved, and a polite call to action.

(b) You were a part of an organizing committee for an inter-school event which was very successful. You and the other committee members were congratulated and praised at the school assembly by the Principal. Write a letter to your grandmother telling her about the event and your feelings at being recognized and praised in front of the school.

Answer:
Bumika Kiran
12/24 Karol Bagh
Delhi-6

Dear Grandma,

Hope you are going well. I am sorry I haven't been able to write to you for the last two months as I was busy organising an inter-school elocution competition for my school. I was a part of the organising committee and was responsible for managing the hospitality for the 7 guest schools. There were 16 finalists in all, 14 of which had come from schools all over the state.

The elocution competition was very successful, and our committee was praised for our courteous behaviour with the participants. Our Principal addressed the school assembly today and read out a letter of thanks from all the guest schools that mentioned all our names.

It was a proud moment for me and I was overwhelmed to have received appreciation for being a good person. Thank you for instilling these values in me. Without your pearls of wisdom, I would have never been able to take care of strangers as my own people without losing my cool under pressure. But you have always taught me to be kind to others no matter what.

I hope I can always remain a kind person even when I am as old as you, grandma.

Until next time, love you and miss you!

Yours lovingly,
Bumika

Teacher's Note:
a) Informal letter format requires a warm, affectionate tone appropriate for writing to a family member.
b) Ensure all key details specified in the prompt (success of the event, Principal's praise at assembly, personal feelings) are effectively covered.

Question 3
Read the following passage carefully and answer the questions that follow:

Every Monday, on his way back from work, Bipin Chowdhury would drop in at New Market to buy books. He had to buy at least five at a time to last him through the week. He lived alone, was not a good mixer, had few friends, and didn't like spending time in idle chat. Those who called in the evening got through their business quickly and left. Those who didn't show signs of leaving would be told around eight o'clock by Bipin Babu that he was under doctor's orders to have dinner at eight-thirty. After dinner he would rest for half an hour and then turn in with a book. This was a routine which had persisted unbroken for years.

Today, Bipin Babu had the feeling that someone was observing him from close quarters. He turned round and found himself looking at a round-faced, meek-looking man who now broke into a smile.

'I don't suppose you recognize me.'

Bipin Babu felt ill at ease. It didn't seem that he had ever encountered this man before. The face seemed quite unfamiliar.

'Have we met before?' asked Bipin Babu.

The man looked greatly surprised. 'We met every day for a whole week. I arranged for a car to take you to the Hudroo falls. My name is Parimal Ghose.'

`Ranchi?`

Now Bipin Babu realized this man was making a mistake. Bipin Babu had never been to Ranchi. He smiled and said, 'Do you know who I am?'

The man raised his eyebrows, and said, 'Who doesn't know Bipin Chowdhury?'

Bipin Babu turned towards the bookshelves and said, 'You're making a mistake. I've never been to Ranchi.'

The man now laughed aloud.

What are you saying, Mr. Chowdhury? You had a fall in Hudroo and cut your right knee. I brought you iodine. I had fixed up a car for you to go to Netarhat the next day, but you couldn't because of the pain in the knee. Can't you recall anything? Someone else you know was also in Ranchi at that time. Mr. Dinesh Mukherjee. You stayed in a bungalow. You said you didn't like hotel food. I'll tell you more: you always carried a bag with your books in it on your sightseeing trips. Am I right or not?'

Bipin Babu spoke quietly, his eyes still on the books.

'Which month in Nineteen fifty-eight are you talking about?'

The man said, 'October.'

'No, sir,' said Bipin Babu. 'I spent October Nineteen fifty-eight with a friend in Kanpur. You're making a mistake. Good day.'

But the man didn't go, nor did he stop talking.

'Very strange. One evening I had tea with you on the veranda of your bungalow. You spoke about your family. You said you had no children, and that you had lost your wife a decade ago.'

When Bipin Babu had paid for the books and was leaving the shop, the man was still looking at him in utter disbelief.

Bipin Babu's car was safely parked in Bertram Street. He told the driver as he got into the car, 'Just drive by the Ganga, will you, Sitaram.' Driving up the Strand Road, Bipin Babu regretted having paid so much attention to the intruder. He had never been to Ranchi. He had an excellent memory.

Unless he was losing his mind!

(a) Give the meaning of the following words as used in the passage: [3]
One word answers or short phrases will be accepted.
(i) persisted (line 9)
(ii) decade (line 42)
(iii) intruder (line 48)

Answer:
(i) persisted - continued
(ii) decade - ten years
(iii) intruder - meddler

Teacher's Note:
a) Vocabulary questions require precise meanings contextualized to the given passage.
b) Brief, direct answers as specified are expected for full credit.

(b) Answer the following questions briefly in your own words.
(i) How did Bipin Chowdhury find time to read five books a week? [2]

Answer:
Bipin was not very good at mixing with people. Every Monday on his way back from work, he would buy five books. After having dinner at 8:30, he would rest for half an hour and turn to a book. This was a routine he had been following for years.

Teacher's Note:
a) Answers must be written in the student's own words based on the passage text.
b) Ensure both components of his routine and reading habit are captured.

(ii) How did he get rid of visitors who stayed late? [2]

Answer:
If the visitors did not leave by eight, he would tell them that his doctor had advised him to have dinner by 8:30. This would make the visitors leave.

Teacher's Note:
a) Clearly mention the specific excuse regarding doctor's orders for dinner time.
b) Keep the explanation concise and direct.

(iii) Which sentence tells you that Bipin Babu was uncomfortable? [2]

Answer:
The sentence 'Bipin Babu felt ill at ease' tells us that he was uncomfortable.

Teacher's Note:
a) Exact quotation or clear identification of the sentence from the text is required.
b) Verify that the extracted sentence accurately reflects discomfort.

(iv) What strong argument did Bipin Babu give to prove that he was not in Ranchi at that time? [2]

Answer:
The man said that he had met Bipin Babu in Ranchi in October 1958. To this, Bipin strongly argued that he had spent October 1958 with a friend in Kanpur.

Teacher's Note:
a) Focus on the specific alibi regarding October 1958 and Kanpur.
b) Ensure accurate referencing of the year and location mentioned in the text.

(v) What does Bipin Babu regret? [2]

Answer:
He regretted having paid so much attention to an intruder.

Teacher's Note:
a) Identify the exact regret expressed towards the end of the passage.
b) Keep the response precise and faithful to the text.

(vi) What are Bipin Babu's feelings at the end of the passage? [2]

Answer:
Bipin Babu is confident of his excellent memory despite all the claims made by the intruder, though momentarily shaken with doubt wondering if he was losing his mind.

Teacher's Note:
a) Capture both his confidence in his memory and the sudden creeping doubt.
b) Synthesize the concluding thoughts of the character accurately.

(c) (i) What memories of the trip does Parimal Ghose evoke to prove that Bipin Babu was indeed in Ranchi? Answer in not more than 60 words. [8]

Answer:
Parimal Ghose said that Bipin Babu had a fall in Hudroo and he had nursed him. He had fixed his car and stated that Bipin stayed in a bungalow with Mr. Dinesh Mukherjee. He also mentioned that Bipin liked to carry a bag of books during sightseeing, had tea on the veranda, and spoke about having no children and losing his wife a decade ago.

Teacher's Note:
a) Ensure the summary strictly adheres to the word limit of 60 words.
b) Include all core factual claims made by Parimal Ghose regarding the Ranchi trip.

(ii) Give a title to your summary in 3(c)(i). Give a reason to justify your choice of the title. [2]

Answer:
Title: Down the memory lane.
Reason: I chose this title because Parimal Ghosh is trying to make Bipin Babu remember things from the Ranchi trip.

Teacher's Note:
a) The title must be appropriate and directly related to the summary passage.
b) The justification must clearly connect the title to the theme of recollection.

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. [4]
Example: Answer: (0) started
My mother (0) _______________ (start) school when she (1) _______________ (he) six And (2) __________________ (stop) the same term. She was unusual in the village as ____________ she had a father and brother who (3) ________________ (encourage) her to go to school. She was the only in a class of boys and claims she was brighter than the boys. But every day she (4) ______________ (will) leave behind her girl cousins (5) ____________ (play) at home and she (6) _____________ (envy) them. There (7) _______________ (seem) to be no point in (8) ______________ (go) to school just to end up doing housework.

Answer:
(1) was
(2) stopped
(3) encouraged
(4) would
(5) playing
(6) envied
(7) seemed
(8) going

Teacher's Note:
a) Ensure verbs are correctly conjugated to match the past tense narrative style of the passage.
b) Serial order must be maintained accurately corresponding to the numbered blanks.

(b) Fill in each blank with an appropriate word: [4]
(i) She shouted angrily ___________ the disobedient boy.
(ii) I asked them to provide us __________ a guide.
(iii) The tree grew at a dangerous slant and had to be cut __________.
(iv) My daughter believes _______________ fairies.
(v) He drew a beautiful diagram ____________ the board.
(vi) She battled her way __________ the crowd.
(vii) We were asked to gather _________ the teacher.
(viii) They had to climb _________ the steep pathway to reach the top.

Answer:
(i) at
(ii) with
(iii) down
(iv) in
(v) on
(vi) through
(vii) around
(viii) onto

Teacher's Note:
a) Prepositions must fit the contextual and idiomatic usage of each sentence.
b) Double-check each preposition against standard English grammar usage rules.

(b) Join the following sentences to make one complete sentence without using and, but or so: [4]
(i) This is the hospital. I was born here.
(ii) The children have been sick for a week. They were unable to go to school.
(iii) Mrs. Kumar has been a teacher for thirty years. She will now retire.
(iv) We have had no respect for nature. Now we are suffering from the effects of global warming.

Answer:
(i) This is the hospital where I was born.
(ii) As the children were sick for a week, they have been unable to go to school.
(iii) Mrs. Kumar, who has been a teacher for thirty years, will now retire.
(iv) Having had no respect for nature, we are suffering from the effects of global warming.

Teacher's Note:
a) Ensure no prohibited conjunctions (and, but, so) are used in the combined sentences.
b) Check that the grammatical structure correctly uses relative pronouns, participles, or subordinating conjunctions.

(c) Re-write the following sentence according to the instruction given after each. Make other changes that may be necessary, but do not change the meaning of each sentence. [8]
(i) Not many people read for pleasure these days.
(Being: Few .................................)
(ii) Since her childhood Meera has been good in Mathematics.
(End: ................................ childhood.)
(iii) “We have had no rain since January”, Ramu said.
(Being: Ramu said that they ......................................)
(iv) It is dangerous as well as illegal to drive a motorcycle without a helmet.
(Being: It is not ..............................)
(v) He had plenty of wealth but he was not happy.
(Being: In spite........................................)
(vi) He was so tired that he could not stand.
(Use: too)
(vii) Every one of them was an experienced mountaineer.
(Being: There was no ....................................)
(viii) I have never seen a film as bad as this.
(Being: This is ...................................)

Answer:
(i) Few people read for pleasure these days.
(ii) Meera has been good in Mathematics since her childhood.
(iii) Ramu said that they had had no rains since January.
(iv) It is not only dangerous but also illegal to drive a motorcycle without a helmet.
(v) In spite of having plenty of wealth, he was unhappy.
(vi) He was too tired to stand.
(vii) There was no inexperienced mountaineer among them.
(viii) This is the worst film I have seen.

Teacher's Note:
a) Sentence transformations must strictly adhere to the given prompts and starting/ending constraints.
b) Verify that the original meaning is preserved without introducing grammatical errors.