How is the CBSE Class 10 English paper divided?

The 80-mark paper (2026-27) has Reading 20 (two unseen passages), Grammar 10, Writing 10 (a formal letter and an analytical paragraph, 5 marks each) and Literature 40 from First Flight and Footprints without Feet. Internal assessment adds 20 marks.

Is NCERT enough for English?

For literature, yes — questions come from the prescribed chapters and poems of First Flight and Footprints without Feet. For reading, grammar and writing, practise with the CBSE sample paper, recent board papers and a grammar workbook.

Which section should I attempt first?

Start with the section you are most confident in. Many students begin with grammar or literature, where answers come quickly, and leave enough time for the two reading passages and the writing tasks. Whatever order you choose, keep the answer numbering clear.

How do I write good answers in the English board exam?

Stay within the word limit, write in paragraphs, refer to specific events or lines from the text in literature answers, and follow the format exactly for the formal letter. For the analytical paragraph, describe the data accurately and draw a clear conclusion.

English Important Questions Class 10

CBSE Class 10 English (Language and Literature) is 80 marks theory — Reading 20, Grammar 10, Writing 10 and Literature 40 — plus 20 marks internal assessment. Literature is half the paper, so every prescribed chapter and poem matters for the Board exams 2027.

Paper Pattern (2026-27)

Section	Content	Marks
A: Reading	Two unseen passages — a discursive passage (400–450 words) and a case-based factual passage	20
B: Grammar	Gap filling, editing and transformation (10 of 12 questions)	10
B: Writing	Formal letter (5) and analytical paragraph (5), 100–120 words each	10
C: Literature	Extracts (10), short answers (18) and long answers (12) from First Flight and Footprints without Feet	40

Section A: Reading (20 marks)

Discursive passage (10): read it twice; answers are in the passage, so locate the paragraph and answer what is asked.
Case-based passage (10): may include a table or chart — read every data point and answer only from what is given.

Tip: read the questions first, then the passage, and underline the relevant lines as you go.

Section B: Grammar (10 marks)

The syllabus lists determiners, tenses, modals, subject–verb concord and reported speech (commands and requests, statements, questions), tested through gap filling, editing and transformation.

Rule	Example
Tense consistency	"He went to the market and buys vegetables" → "bought"
Subject–verb concord	"The list of names were long" → "was"
Determiners	"He is a honest man" → "an honest man"
Modals	"You should to go" → "You should go"
Reported speech	He said, "I am happy." → He said that he was happy.

Practise English chapter by chapter

Super Tutor has chapter summaries, practice quizzes and important questions for CBSE Class 10 English literature.

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Section B: Writing (10 marks)

Formal letter (5 marks)

Common situations: letters to the editor (pollution, traffic, water shortage), to the principal (requests, reporting a problem) or to a civic authority (road repair, sanitation).
Format: sender's address, date, receiver's address, subject, salutation, body, closing — in 100–120 words.

Analytical paragraph (5 marks)

Based on: a map, chart, graph or cues.
Structure: what the data shows, two or three key observations with comparisons, and a clear conclusion — in 100–120 words.

Section C: Literature (40 marks)

Questions can come from any prescribed text. These are common question angles for each.

First Flight — Prose

Chapter	Practise questions like
A Letter to God	Why did Lencho write to God? What is ironic about the ending?
Nelson Mandela: Long Walk to Freedom	What does Mandela mean by "twin obligations"? What did he learn about courage?
Two Stories About Flying	How did the young seagull overcome his fear? What happened to the pilot in the storm?
From the Diary of Anne Frank	Why did Anne start a diary? How did she handle Mr Keesing's punishments?
Glimpses of India	What do the three pieces tell us about Goa, Coorg and Assam?
Mijbil the Otter	How did Maxwell care for Mijbil on the journey to London?
Madam Rides the Bus	How did Valli plan her bus journey? What changed her mood on the way back?
The Sermon at Benares	What lesson did Kisa Gotami learn from the Buddha?
The Proposal	What do the quarrels between Lomov and Natalya show? Why is the play a comedy?

First Flight — Poems

Dust of Snow, Fire and Ice, A Tiger in the Zoo, How to Tell Wild Animals, The Ball Poem, Amanda!, The Trees, Fog, The Tale of Custard the Dragon and For Anne Gregory. For each, know the central idea, key images and poetic devices, and be ready for extract-based questions.

Footprints without Feet

Chapter	Practise questions like
A Triumph of Surgery	What was wrong with Tricki, and how did Mr Herriot cure him?
The Thief's Story	Why did Hari Singh return the money? Character sketch of Anil.
The Midnight Visitor	How did Ausable outwit Max?
A Question of Trust	How was Horace Danby tricked?
Footprints without Feet	How did Griffin become invisible? Was he a responsible scientist?
The Making of a Scientist	What qualities made Richard Ebright a scientist?
The Necklace	What is the twist at the end, and what does the story say about pride?
Bholi	How did education change Bholi?
The Book that Saved the Earth	How did a book of nursery rhymes save the Earth?

For chapter-wise practice, see our CBSE Class 10 English important questions pages.

Paper pattern and prescribed texts from the CBSE Class X English Language and Literature syllabus 2026-27 (cbseacademic.nic.in). These are practice questions, not predictions.

English Important Questions Class 10 CBSE — Section Wise