CBSE Class 10 English Sample Paper Set 2 — Free PDF
Comprehensive English sample paper covering reading, writing, grammar, and literature. Develop communication skills and language proficiency with diverse q
TL;DR: Comprehensive English sample paper covering reading, writing, grammar, and literature. Develop communication skills and language proficiency with dive…
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Comprehensive English sample paper covering reading, writing, grammar, and literature. Develop communication skills and language proficiency with diverse question types and complete solutions. This is a shortened practice set: 30 questions worth 75 marks, following the 80-mark CBSE paper pattern. Use it for timed practice, not as a full-length mock.
Board: CBSE · Class: Class 10 · Subject: English · Total: 75 marks · Time: 3 hours
Section A - Reading Comprehension — 18 marks
Read the passage carefully and answer all questions.
PASSAGE 1
The forests, rivers and soil of a country are not an inheritance to be spent but a loan to be repaid. Protecting these natural resources, and preventing the degradation of the environment, is the only way to ensure that future generations inherit a land as liveable as the one we received.
The clearest warning is deforestation — the loss of trees from forest areas. Its effects compound one another: animals lose their habitat, unprotected topsoil is carried away as soil erosion, biodiversity is reduced as species vanish, and the greenhouse gases that trees once absorbed accumulate instead, driving climate change.
No single actor can reverse this. Environmental protection requires collective effort from government, industries and individuals together — laws that are enforced, industries that treat waste as their own responsibility, and citizens who change what they consume.
PASSAGE 2
If the first problem is what we are losing, the second is what we could gain. Renewable energy comes from natural sources that replenish themselves, and it matters for four connected reasons: it is sustainable, it produces no emissions in use, it reduces our dependence on fossil fuels, and it helps combat climate change.
Solar energy is the most abundant of these. The sunlight falling on the earth in a single hour carries more energy than humanity uses in a year, it is clean at the point of use, and it has become steadily more cost-effective as panel prices have fallen. It can be harnessed in many ways — vast solar farms, rooftop panels, water heaters, even lamps and pumps in villages far from any grid.
Wind energy contributes in much the same way. A turbine produces electricity without emissions, the wind that drives it is renewable, and every unit it generates further reduces dependence on fossil fuels.
The transition will not be effortless. But the direction is set, the technology improves each year, and there is real reason to believe the change can be made in time.
Q1. What is the main idea of the first passage about environmental conservation? (2 marks)
Answer: The importance of protecting natural resources and preventing environmental degradation for future generations
Q2. According to the passage, what are the effects of deforestation? (2 marks)
Answer: Loss of habitat, soil erosion, climate change, reduced biodiversity, increased greenhouse gases
Q3. Which statement is true according to the passage? (1 mark)
Answer: Environmental protection requires collective effort from government, industries, and individuals
Q4. What word in the passage means loss of trees from forest areas? (1 mark)
Answer: Deforestation
Q5. Write a title for the second passage about renewable energy. (2 marks)
Answer: Renewable Energy: Path to Sustainable Future or The Importance of Clean Energy Sources
Q6. Why are renewable energy sources important according to the passage? (2 marks)
Answer: They are sustainable, do not produce emissions, reduce dependence on fossil fuels, and help combat climate change
Q7. What can be inferred from the passage about solar energy? (2 marks)
Answer: It is an abundant, clean, and increasingly cost-effective source of power that can be harnessed in various ways
Q8. Find a word from the passage that means natural or organic resources. (1 mark)
Answer: Renewable
Q9. According to the passage, how does wind energy contribute to sustainability? (2 marks)
Answer: Wind energy produces electricity without emissions, is renewable, and reduces dependence on fossil fuels
Q10. What is the authors tone in discussing renewable energy? (3 marks)
Answer: Optimistic and encouraging, emphasizing the potential and importance of renewable energy transition
Section B - Writing Skills — 30 marks
Attempt all questions with clear and concise writing.
Q1. Write a formal letter to your school Principal requesting to organize an environmental awareness program. (5 marks)
Answer: Address, date, salutation, subject, body with purpose and benefits, closing with polite request
Q2. Write a short story on the theme Honesty is the Best Policy in 150-200 words. (5 marks)
Answer: Narrative with beginning, conflict, resolution, characters, dialogue, emphasizing honest behavior and its positive consequences
Q3. Write a notice for your school notice board about a health awareness camp. (5 marks)
Answer: Heading, date, subject, details about event, date, time, venue, who should attend, organized by, contact person
Q4. Describe your favorite book in 100-150 words, including plot, characters, and message. (5 marks)
Answer: Title and author, main plot summary, important characters, central message or theme, personal opinion
Q5. Write an email to your friend inviting them to your birthday party. (5 marks)
Answer: Subject line, greeting, invitation details, date, time, venue, what to bring, closing with warm regards
Q6. Write a paragraph of 100-150 words on the importance of sports in student life. (5 marks)
Answer: Topic sentence, physical benefits, mental health benefits, character development, discipline, teamwork, concluding sentence
Section C - Grammar and Language — 17 marks
Attempt all grammar and vocabulary questions.
Q1. Fill in the blank: She ____ (go) to the market yesterday. (1 mark)
Answer: went
Q2. Choose correct option: I _____ my homework before dinner. (1 mark)
Answer: have completed or had completed
Q3. Change to passive voice: The teacher taught us English. (1 mark)
Answer: English was taught to us by the teacher.
Q4. Identify the part of speech: Quickly in the sentence He runs quickly. (1 mark)
Answer: Adverb
Q5. Correct the error: Despite of the heavy rain, we went out. (1 mark)
Answer: Despite the heavy rain, we went out.
Q6. Use these words in a sentence: persevere, determination, success. (3 marks)
Answer: Through determination and perseverance, she achieved great success.
Q7. Identify and correct the tense error: She have been studying since morning. (2 marks)
Answer: She has been studying since morning. (has instead of have)
Q8. Write synonyms for three of these words: bright, sad, quick. (3 marks)
Answer: bright: intelligent, luminous; sad: unhappy, sorrowful; quick: fast, swift
Q9. Change direct speech to indirect: He said, I am going to Delhi tomorrow. (2 marks)
Answer: He said that he was going to Delhi the next day.
Q10. Correct the sentence: Neither the students nor the teacher are present. (2 marks)
Answer: Neither the students nor the teacher is present.
Section D - Literature — 10 marks
Answer questions based on the prescribed texts. Answer with reference to ANY ONE text you have studied in your NCERT textbook this year. There is no single correct answer — the model answer below shows the structure and depth an examiner looks for, not the only acceptable content.
Q1. Who is the protagonist of the story? (2 marks)
Answer: Character name and brief description of their role and importance in the narrative
Q2. What is the central theme of the text? (2 marks)
Answer: Main message or moral of the story conveyed by the author
Q3. Describe a significant moment in the text that shows character development. (3 marks)
Answer: Scene with analysis of how character grows, changes perspective, or learns important lesson
Q4. How does the author use literary devices like metaphor or symbolism? (3 marks)
Answer: Examples of devices with explanation of their purpose and effect in the narrative
FAQs
What is the exam pattern for Class 10 English?
80 marks with 3 hours duration covering reading, writing, grammar, vocabulary, and literature with diverse question types.
How many marks are allocated to each section?
Reading Comprehension: 20 marks, Writing: 30 marks, Grammar: 20 marks, Literature: 10 marks.
What are the writing tasks to practice?
Letters, notices, stories, paragraphs, emails, and descriptive pieces on various topics.
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