English Communicative Class 10 Syllabus

The syllabus consists of three sections: (i) Reading Skills, (ii) Writing Skills with Grammar, and (iii) Literature.

Exam Structure

Section Topic Marks
A Reading Skills 20
B Writing Skills with Grammar 30
C Literature Textbook and Extended Reading Text 30
  Total 80

The Board examination is of 80 marks, with a duration of three hours.

SECTION A: READING

This section will have two unseen passages of a total of 700-750 words as per the details below:

Q.1: A Factual passage 300-350 words with eight Very Short Answer Type (VSA) Questions. [8 marks]

Q.2: A Discursive passage of 350-400 words with four Short Answer Type Questions of eight marks to test inference, evaluation and analysis and four VSA to test vocabulary and comprehension (two VSA for vocabulary and two for comprehension) [12 marks]

SECTION B: WRITING AND GRAMMAR

Q.3: Formal Letter (Complaints / Inquiry / Placing order / letter to the editor) in about 100-120 words. The questions will be thematically based on the Main Course Book. [8 marks]

Q.4: Writing a short story based on a given outline or cue/s in about 200-250 words. [10 marks]

The Grammar syllabus will include the following areas in class X.

  1. Tenses
  2. Modals (have to/had to, must, should, need, ought to and their negative forms)
  3. Use of passive voice
  4. Subject – verb concord
  5. Reporting
    • (i) Commands and requests
    • (ii) Statements
    • (iii) Questions
  6. Clauses:
    • (i) Noun clauses
    • (ii) Adverb clauses of condition and time
    • (iii) Relative clauses
  7. Determiners
  8. Prepositions

The above items may be tested through test types as given below:

Q.5: Gap filling with one or two words to test Prepositions, Articles, Conjunctions and Tenses. [4 marks]

Q.6: Editing or Omission [4 marks]

Q.7: Sentences reordering or Sentence Transformation in context. [4 marks]

SECTION C: LITERATURE TEXTBOOK AND LONG READING TEXT

Q.8. One out of two extracts from prose / poetry / play for reference to context. Four Very Short Answer Questions: Two questions of one mark each for global comprehension and two questions of one mark each on interpretation. [4 marks]

Q.9. Four Short Answer type Questions from the Literature Reader to test local and global comprehension of theme and ideas (30-40 words each) [2×4 = 8 marks]

Q.10. One out of two long answer type questions to assess how the values inherent in the text have been brought out. Creativity, imagination and extrapolation beyond the text and across the texts will be assessed. (100-120 words). [8 marks]

Q.11. One out of two Very Long Answer Question on theme or plot involving interpretation, inference and character, in about 200-250 words based on prescribed novel text
for extended reading. [10 marks]

Prescribed Books

INTERACT IN ENGLISH SERIES

  • Main Course Book (Revised Edition)
  • Workbook (Revised Edition)
  • Literature Reader (Revised Edition)

EXTENDED READING TEXTS (either one)

  • Diary of a Young Girl - 1947 By Anne Frank (unabridged edition)
  • The Story of My Life - 1903 By Helen Keller (unabridged edition)