CBSE Grade 10 English (Lang & Lit) Exam Survival Guide

Window: Board Pattern | Parts: Reading, Writing & Grammar, Literature

Must-do topics

• Reading: main idea, inference, tone; fact vs opinion; data text reading
• Writing: letter to editor/complaint, analytical paragraph/report; cohesion & tone
• Grammar: tenses, modals, subject–verb agreement, reported speech, determiners, connectors, punctuation
• Literature: prose/poetry themes, character arcs, device spotting (metaphor, imagery, alliteration), extract-based Qs

Top traps (avoid)

• “Sounds right” instead of rule-based grammar
• Off-topic writing; missing concluding request/CTA
• Quoting lines without explaining effect/device

Time split

• Reading 25% | Writing 30% | Grammar 20% | Literature 25%
• ~20–25 min for the long writing task (plan → draft → proof)

Last-48h checklist

• 1 timed reading set + 15 grammar Qs
• Writing templates (open/close + body structure)
• 2 quotes per chapter/poem with 2-line meaning

Quick frames

• Analytical paragraph: Claim → Data (table/graph facts) → Insight → Close
• Letter: Purpose in 1 line → 2 focused paras → courteous close
• Grammar scan: subject–verb, tense consistency, commas/colons

Speed tactics

• Underline directive verbs (analyse/justify/compare)
• Poetry: device + effect in first sentence of answer

Exam-day mini-plan

• Grammar first (quick wins), then reading → writing → literature
• Keep 10 min to proofread writing