Answer Key of ICSE Board Class 10 English (Language) Question Paper 2025 

 

The English Language paper of ICSE Class 10 was held on 18 February 2025. Here we have given the free answer key of the paper. With this Answer key of ICSE English paper, students can calculate their score in the exam.

 

Question 1
(Do not spend more than 30 minutes on this question.)
Write a composition (300-350 words) on any one of the following:
(i) Write an original short story in which a poor tailor wins an award which changes his/her life.
(ii) Your friends once played a harmless prank on you. Give an account of what happened, your response to the prank and what you learnt from the experience.
(iii) Describe what you see and hear as you move about the corridors and compound during your school break time. How does the scene change after the bell rings?
(iv) ‘More collaboration, less competition is the need of the hour’.
 Express your views either for or against this statement.
(v) 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.

Also see: Descriptive Writing

Answers-
[Here are suggested inputs for the answer. As it is a creative writing topic, answers may vary as per the creative ideas of the students]
(i) poor tailor – works at a small shop near his house – one day, the owner alleges him of committing theft – he is thrown out of the job – tailor jobless, sad, sitting at a tea stall – buy some fritters – sees the advertisement of a lottery in the piece of newspaper on which the fritters are kept – buys a ticket with the last ten rupee note in his pocket – lucky draw at 5 in the evening – gets a phone call- wins second prize of fifty thousand – buys a sewing machine for five thousand – starts his own tailoring venture – life changes.
(ii) one-day school trip to zoo – all my friends came – got refreshments on the way – got strict instructions not to tease animals or go near the cages – naughty Raman started hitting monkeys with pebbles. Irritated a monkey and I was close to the cage – monkey held my hair in a fit of rage – timely intervention of alert teacher – bargained my release with a banana – I learnt to be alert and cautious.
(iii) lunch break in my school is chaotic and noisy – children running in corridors – some playing hide and seek – some playing hopscotch – some singing songs or taking swings – friends sharing lunch boxes – birthday songs being sung and candies distributed by birthday girl – some running after the one who got pasta / cake – discipline in-charge facing a tough time to monitor the noisy children – bell rings – sudden calm – everyone goes to the respective classrooms – pin drop silence- empty corridors.
(iv) FOR
Collaboration is the solution for global challenges – collective effort – no competition or cutting of path – better result – more hands – well-defined hierarchy – delegation of work
AGAINST
Collaboration can lead to overlooking of efforts – undermining valuable resources – imbalance in allocation of work – lack of team-work and team spirit can be a challenge.
(v) The hardworkers – Mahi lost his dad to cancer. He was the eldest sibling. The mother had now the added responsibility of earning for the family. Mahi in class 5 – siblings Shinu in class 2, Govind in class 1. Mahi and mother plan to cultivate the small patch of barren land – family owned – Mahi saw a video on improving fertility of soil with organic manure. Bought a small quantity and tilled the land. Planted brinjal plants. After school Mahi would water the plants and tend them. Hardwork paid – got a good harvest of organic brinjals. 

Question 2
(Do not spend more than 20 minutes on this question.)
Select any one of the following:
(i) Your grandmother has taught you a special skill. Write a letter thanking her. Explain how you will use that skill and why it is important to you.
(ii) There is no bus stop in your locality. Write a letter to the Municipal Commissioner of your town/city complaining about the problem. Offer possible solutions.

Also see:

• Informal Letter writing
• Formal letter writing
• Complaint letters

Answers-
[Here are suggested inputs for the answer. As it is a creative writing topic, answers may vary as per the creative ideas of the students]
(i)
Format of informal letter-
1. sender’s address
2. date
3. receiver’s address
4. Salutation
5. Body of letter
6. Complimentary close
7.  Name of sender
Suggested inputs for body – Greetings- note of thanks for the skill – benefits received after learning the skill – future plans – seek blessings

(ii)
Format of formal letter
1. Sender’s address:  Write the sender’s address on the top left side of the page.
2. Date:  Leave some space after writing the sender’s address, write the date..
3. Receiver’s address:  Then, write the address of the recipient (the Officer / Principal / Editor)
4. Subject of the letter: Mention precisely the main purpose of the letter.
5. Salutation: Write Respected Sir / Madam
6. Body:
Leaving another line, start the body of the letter. The body of any formal letter must be divided into 3 parts:
First Paragraph: Introduce who you are and the purpose of writing the letter in brief.
Second Paragraph: Explain the matter
Third Paragraph: Conclude your letter by mentioning the conclusion or request or solution sought.
7. Closing:  End your letter with complimentary regards and gratitude Use “Thanking you/
Yours faithfully/ Yours sincerely”.
8. Sender’s name/signature and designation (if applicable)
Suggested inputs for body – introduce yourself – issue of lack of bus stop – problems for commuters to work – have to walk long distance to reach the nearest bus stop – dense traffic hindrance – rains and bad roads make situation worse – request for quick response – bus stop outside locality – will help many residents – request for action.

Question 3
(i) Your school is hosting an Inter-School Story Writing Competition. Write a notice informing the students about the event.
(ii) Write an email to a famous person inviting him/her to be the Judge on the occasion.

Also see:

• Notice Writing
• E-mail writing

 

Answers –
[Here are suggested inputs for the answer. As it is a creative writing topic, answers may vary as per the creative ideas of the students]

(i) Format – 

(ii) Format – 

28 February, 2025
From: Anuradha Verma
To: Govind Singh
Subject: Invitation to preside over the inter-school Story Writing Competition as a judge
Respected Sir
I am Anuradha Verma, the head girl of Chanda school, Deri Road, Jamnagar. Our school is organizing an  inter-school Story Writing Competition on 10 March 2025. You are an acclaimed writer of our city and I, on behalf of the school management, request you to preside over the inter-school Story Writing Competition as a judge.  
Kindly accept the invitation and reply to this mail so that we can proceed with the required formalities.
Yours Sincerely
Anuradha Verma

Question 4
Read the following passage carefully and answer the questions that follow:

A little later, when he went to the pump to wash, he saw the school children pouring by with their satchels across their shoulders. They all wore the same clothes – grey shorts or skirts and light blue shirts or blouses faded and mended, and they all had their hair oiled and combed down very flat. Some went by în laughing, racing groups, others had to be led by their mothers or grandparents to the school building. This reminded him of his sisters in the village.

The boys in the kitchen now looked at him with less hostility. Jagu seemed pleased with Hari too, and sometimes handed him a glass of tea in the middle of the day. When he had a few moments to spare, Jagu sat down at one of the long wooden tables, drummed loudly on it and sang a song in a dialect Hari did not know. When he caught Hari listening and smiling, he smiled back. Then Hari knew that he too had a village somewhere that he called home. It was just that he was a silent, hardworking, worried man and had no time and no gift for speech.

It was the watch mender, Mr. Panwallah, who was truly a benefactor, the kindest and most helpful of all. One afternoon, during those hot, still hours when there were no customers for a change, Hari was standing in front of the eating house, idly watching the traffic because he was too tired to do anything else, and Mr. Panwallah called to him to come and sit beside him on the bench behind the counter in his shop.

“Want to help?” he asked. “Want to learn how to make a clock tick? I’m just going to open this big grandfather clock sent to me for repair — you’ll be able to see the workings plain. Don’t often get a piece like this anymore — wall clocks, yes, and electronic gadgets — but you don’t often come upon a grandfather clock like this. It’s a real piece of luck, being able to show you one of this size. Look,” he said, swinging open the door at the back and revealing the machinery to a fascinated Hari who felt as if the door had opened into a new and strange house. Mr. Panwallah showed Hari what was wrong with it, what had made it stop. “Interesting, isn’t it? How would you like to learn? Tell you what — I’ll take you on as an apprentice. You don’t have much to do between two and four, do you? Of course you will have to ask Jagu first. I can pay you a little, not much, and you can help me for two hours a day. Perhaps I can make a watch mender of you.”

                                                                                          — Village by the Sea, Anita Desai

(i) For each word given below choose the correct meaning (as used in the passage) from the options provided:
1. satchels (line 2)
(a) snatching
(b) scarves
(c) school bags
(d) sweaters

2. spare (line 10)
(a) share
(b) offer
(c) thin
(d) extra

(ii) Which word in the passage is the opposite of ‘closed”?
(a) behind
(b) fascinated
(c) opened
(d) revealing

(iii) Answer the following questions briefly in your own words:
(a) How were the school children dressed?
(b) In what way was Jagu kind to Hari?
(c) What did the song tell Hari about Jagu?

Answers-
(i) 1. (c) school bags
2. (d) extra
(ii) (c) opened
(iii) (a) They all wore the same clothes – grey shorts or skirts and light blue shirts or blouses faded and mended, and they all had their hair oiled and combed down very flat.
(b) Jagu seemed pleased with Hari too, and sometimes handed him a glass of tea in the middle of the day.
(c) Jagu sang a song in a dialect which Hari could not understand. This made Hari think of his home and his village.

Question 5 – Part 1

(i) We (1)_______(find) a dead mouse (2)______(lie) among our treasures. It (3)_________ (be) an exciting discovery. A boy took it up by its tail and (4) _____________ (wave) it in front of our faces. “What shall we do with it?” he (5) ____________ (cry).
(ii) “It stinks” someone (6)___________(shout).
(iii) “Throw it out of the window quick.” He (7)___________ (hesitate). They all (8)___________ (look) at me.

Answers-
(i)
1. Found
2. Lying
3. Was
4. Waved
5. cried
(ii)
6. shouted
(iii)
7. Hesitated
8. looked

(ii) Fill in the blanks with appropriate words.
(a) My best friend, John is named_______ his grandfather.
(b) A grey mist hung ________ the fields.
(c) The little girl spoke_______ against the bully.
(d) They accused him _________theft.
(e) The police got the lire ________control.
(f) There is a bridge _________the river.
(g) The driver jumped _______the car.
(h) I have not seen my uncle ______last summer.

Answer-
(a) after
(b) over
(c) up
(d) of
(e) under
(f) across
(g) off
(h) since

(iii) Choose the correct option to make one complete sentence without using and, but or so.

1. These are fresh mangoes. I bought them yesterday.
(a) These are fresh mangoes which I bought yesterday.
(b) These mangoes were fresher when I bought them yesterday.
(c) These are fresh mangoes which were bought yesterday.
(d) These are fresh mangoes brought by me yesterday.

2. The debating teams were very happy. They were declared joint champions.
(a) The debating teams were very happy as they have been declared joint champions.
(b) The debating teams are very happy as they are declared joint champions.
(c) The debating teams were very happy as they had been declared joint champions.
(d) The debating teams will be very happy as they will be declared joint champions.

3. The rain came down. All the people ran away.
(a) When the rain came down, all the people ran away.
(b) When it rained, the people ran away.
(c) The rain had come down all the people ran away.
(d) The rain having come, all the people ran away.

4. The disciple was wise. The teacher did not trust him.
(a) Although the disciple was wise yet the teacher trusted him.
(b) Although the disciple was not wise the teacher trusted him.
(c) Although the disciple is wise, the teacher trusted him.
(d) Although the disciple was wise, the teacher did not trust him.

Answers-
1. (a) These are fresh mangoes which I bought yesterday.
2. (c) The debating teams were very happy as they had been declared joint champions.
3. (a) When the rain came down, all the people ran away.
4. (d) Although the disciple was wise, the teacher did not trust him.

(iv) Choose the correct option and rewrite the sentence according to the instruction given after each.

1. The teacher said, “Come early tomorrow, the examination begins at eight o’clock.”
(Begin: The teacher told us to … … …)
(a) The teacher told us to come early the next day as the examination would begin at eight o’clock.
(b) The teacher told us to come early tomorrow as the examination begins at eight o’clock.
(c) The teacher told us the examination will begin at eight o’clock so come early tomorrow.
(d) The teacher told us to come by eight o’clock as the examination will begin early the next day.

2. Rahul not only plays the guitar but also the drums.
(Use: ‘as well as’)
(a) Rahul plays the guitar as well as the drums.
(b) Rahul plays the guitar as well the drums.
(c) Rahul plays the guitar as well as he does the drums.
(d) Rahul play’s the guitar and the drums as well.

3. She said she would not be available.
(Add a question tag)
(a) Didn’t she say that she would not be available?
(b) She said she would not be available, did she?
(c) She said she would not be available, didn’t she?
(d) She said she would not be available, wouldn’t she?

4. This is the most beautiful painting in the exhibition.
(Begin: No other …….)
(a) No other painting is as beautiful as this exhibition.
(b) No other painting in this exhibition is beautiful.
(c) No other painting is beautiful as this painting in the exhibition.
(d) No other painting in the exhibition is as beautiful as this one.

5. I prefer aerobics to yoga.
(Use: ‘rather’)
(a) I would rather do aerobics to yoga.
(b) I would rather do aerobics than yoga.
(c) I would rather prefer aerobics than yoga.
(d) I would rather do yoga than aerobics.

6. The coach taught the children the rules of the game.
(Begin : The rules… … …)
(a) The rules have being taught by the coach to the children.
(b) The rules of the game have been taught by the children to the coach.
(c) The rules of the game is taught by the coach to the children.
(d) The rules of the game were taught by the coach to the children.

7. No sooner did the film star arrive than the crowd cheered.
(Begin: As soon as… … …)
(a) As soon as the film star arrived then the crowd cheered.
(b) As soon as the film star arrives the crowd starts cheering.
(c) As soon as the crowd cheers the film star arrives.
(d) As soon as the film star arrived the crowd cheered.

8. School bags are often too heavy for students to carry.
(Use: ‘so’)
(a) School bags are so heavy students cannot carry them.
(b) School bags are often so heavy that students cannot carry them.
(c) School bags are often so heavy for students to carry.
(d) School bags are heavy so students cannot carry them.

Answers-
1. (a) The teacher told us to come early the next day as the examination would begin at eight o’clock.
2. (a) Rahul plays the guitar as well as the drums.
3. (c) She said she would not be available, didn’t she?
4. (d) No other painting in the exhibition is as beautiful as this one.
5. (b) I would rather do aerobics than yoga.
6. (d) The rules of the game were taught by the coach to the children.
7. (d) As soon as the film star arrived the crowd cheered.
8. (d) School bags are heavy so students cannot carry them.

Conclusion

This post on the ICSE Class 10 English Language answer key provides the solutions of all questions that were asked in the ICSE 2025 English paper. Students can check the answer key and calculate their score in the language exam.