ISC 2024

ANALYSIS OF PUPIL
PERFORMANCE
ENGLISH LANGUAGE

Research Development and Consultancy Division

Council for the Indian School Certificate Examinations
New Delhi
November 2024
____________________________________________________________________________________________

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All rights reserved. The copyright to this publication and any part thereof solely vests in the Council for the Indian
School Certificate Examinations. This publication and no part thereof may be reproduced, transmitted, distributed or
stored in any manner whatsoever, without the prior written approval of the Council for the Indian School Certificate
Examinations.
Council for the Indian School Certificate Examinations (CISCE)

MISSION STATEMENT

The Council for the Indian School Certificate

Examinations is committed to serving the nation's
children, through high quality educational
endeavours, empowering them to contribute towards
a humane, just and pluralistic society, promoting
introspective living, by creating exciting learning
opportunities, with a commitment to excellence.

ETHOS OF CISCE

Trust and fair play.

Minimum monitoring.
Allowing schools to evolve their own niche.
Catering to the needs of the children.
Giving freedom to experiment with new ideas
and practices.
Diversity and plurality - the basic strength for
evolution of ideas.
Schools to motivate pupils towards the
cultivation of:
Excellence - The Indian and Global
experience.
Values - Spiritual and cultural - to be the bedrock
of the educational experience.
Schools to have an 'Indian Ethos', strong roots in
the national psyche and be sensitive to national
aspirations.
 FOREWORD
The National Education Policy 2020 emphasises building 21st-century skills and competencies
through systemic reforms in pedagogy and assessments. It is an endeavour of Council for Indian
School Certificate Examinations (CISCE) to ensure that assessments are utilised as tools for
promoting learning and development in students rather than a mere end to the instruction year.

With the objective to provide feedback on the common errors made by the students in the board
examinations of both ISC and ICSE and to provide information on the question-wise performance of
students, CISCE releases the Analysis of Pupils’ Performance document every year. It is one of the
unique and best practice of the CISCE board, which supports the candidates in their preparation for
the upcoming board examinations.
We would like to extend our appreciation to the Research Development and Consultancy Division
(RDCD) of the CISCE for their efforts in creating this detailed document for the benefit of our
students. We also express our gratitude to the examiners who have provided meticulous feedback on
the candidates’ performance during the examinations and also suggested pedagogical interventions
for the teachers to mitigate the common errors made by the candidates.
We are sanguine that students, teachers, and parents would make the best use of this document by
going through the various sections in detail and implementing the learnings from the same for
successful performance in the upcoming examinations.

November 2024 Dr. Joseph Emmanuel

Chief Executive & Secretary
CISCE

i
 PREFACE
As you are aware, the Analysis of Pupil Performance document has been developed by the Council
for Indian School Certificate Examinations (CISCE) with the objective to provide feedback to
teachers on the performance of students in the ICSE and ISC examinations. These subject-wise
documents highlight the misconceptions that students might have related to certain topics that are
reflected as common errors made by them while answering questions in the examinations. The
document also contains certain suggestive teaching strategies to reduce the occurrence of similar
errors in forthcoming examinations by students. The criteria used for marking each question has also
been provided in brief so that the teachers and students can comprehend the scope of the question
and the correct approach to answer it. Topics in the question paper that were found to be difficult or
unclear by the majority of the candidates have also been highlighted so that teachers can lay more
stress on bringing clarity to them, along with recommendations for candidates to attempt the
examination of a particular subject keeping in mind subject-specific nitty-gritty and techniques of
answering.
The Analysis of Pupil Performance document for ICSE for the Examination Year 2024 covers the
following 16 subjects - English Language, Literature in English, Hindi, History and Civics,
Geography, Mathematics, Physics, Chemistry, Biology, Commercial Studies, Economics, Computer
Applications, Economic Applications, Commercial Applications, Environmental Science and Home
Science.
The 20 subjects covered in the ISC Analysis of Pupil Performance document for the Year 2024 are -
Accounts, English Language, Literature in English, Hindi, Economics, Commerce, Business Studies,
Mathematics, Physics, Chemistry, Biology, Elective English, History, Political Science, Geography,
Psychology, Sociology, Computer Science, Environmental Science and Home Science
I extend my appreciation and gratitude to all the ICSE and ISC examiners who have shared their
valuable comments on each question. I also acknowledge the efforts of the RDCD team of Dr. Manika
Sharma, Ms. Parul Kohli, Ms. Lyimee Saikia and Ms. Mansi Guleria, for their focused hard work
and diligence towards the preparation of this document.
We are hopeful that this document will be helpful to teachers to bring in timely interventions for the
topics required, in order to support the students in their preparation and readiness towards the
upcoming ICSE and ISC examinations. We also hope the students learn from the detailed notes on
the common errors made while answering, so as to be well-prepared with the correct answering
strategies for the upcoming ICSE and ISC examinations.

November 2024 Dr. Bhawna Taragi

Deputy Head
RDCD, CISCE

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 ENGLISH LANGUAGE (PAPER-1)
Attempt all four questions.
Question 1 [20]
Write a composition (in approximately 400 – 450 words) on any one of the following
subjects.
(You are reminded that you will be rewarded for the orderly and coherent presentation of
the matter, use of appropriate style and general accuracy of spelling, punctuation and
grammar.)
(i) Recently you attended the wedding of a close relative. It was the first family
gathering after the pandemic. Describe the excitement of meeting all the family
members, the venue of the wedding, the food that was served and the celebrations
that followed.
(ii) During the summer break, you joined a group of young people who read to the
elderly at a senior citizens’ home. Narrate your experience of reading to the elderly
and the interactions you had with them. How did this experience impact you?
(iii) Cooking should be made a compulsory subject in the higher classes. Argue either
FOR or AGAINST the given statement.
(iv) Music

(v) A person should be judged by the way they treat their subordinates. Present your
reflections on this statement.
(vi) Write an original short story that begins with the following words:
She was still on the phone giving out instructions when…

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2024 ISC- English Language -Paper 1

Comments of Examiners
(i) This question required candidates to discuss Suggestions for teachers
the wedding of a close relative during the − Train students to understand and fix the
pandemic. Many candidates failed to include context as given in the rubric.
crucial keywords such as 'wedding,' 'close − Discourage digression from the context
or topic.
relative,' and 'pandemic.' Additionally, they
− Instruct students to give equal weight to
often overlooked essential subtopics like the different sub-parts of the question
excitement, venue, food, and celebrations. A and their detailed descriptions.
significant number of candidates neglected − Encourage students to read more and
to elaborate on the chosen venue, and their comprehend the questions correctly.
− Train students to emphasize content and
descriptions of celebrations were not always improve linguistic ability.
relevant to the wedding context. Instead of − Teach students to avoid gross errors in
focusing on the joyous occasion, some tenses, structures, spelling, and
answers veered off track with unnecessary punctuation.
elaboration on COVID-19 and its effects. − Encourage students to write from a first-
person perspective, with a clear
(ii) Very few candidates attempted this question structure that includes a beginning,
and managed to score well. The question had middle, and end.
three sub-parts that candidates were − Instruct students to present their ideas in
expected to elaborate on: the experience of separate paragraphs.
− Assign essays on narrative topics.
reading to the elderly, the interactions with
− Provide training in class to help students
them, and the impact of this experience. identify keywords and points in the
Most candidates focused more on the question, and state their arguments
interactions and the impact these had on based on those.
− Encourage discussions in class so that
them. Additionally, some candidates could
students can come up with at least four
not relate to the concept of a senior citizens' to five points either for or against the
home, and several moralized about how topic.
children leave their parents in such homes. − Guide students to focus on the
(iii) Very few candidates answered this question appropriate style for writing
argumentative essays and discourage
well. Candidates were expected to take a them from writing narratives or
stance, either FOR or AGAINST the anecdotes in this context.
statement, and provide at least four valid − Train students to answer expository
arguments. Few candidates addressed topic as comprehensively as possible.
− Teach students to approach any given
cooking as a subject in higher classes and topic by answering what, where, when,
presented valid arguments on whether it why, and how of the topic.
should be compulsory or optional. Many − Instruct students to include all the
candidates discussed cooking as a general elements of a story and to write an
original narrative.
skill that everyone should learn. Some
− Encourage discussions in class on
provided ambiguous statements or moderate reflective topics.
views on the topic, and several points were − Detailed planning on relevant topics
repetitive. should be conducted in classrooms,
(iv) Several candidates attempted this question encouraging students to express their
opinions on reflective topics.
and scored well, finding it relatively easy. − Students should be encouraged to pick
Many candidates explored different genres relevant examples from life to support
of music from around the world, discussed their views.
their favourite musicians, and explained how
music connects people globally as a
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2024 ISC- English Language -Paper 1
universal language. However, a few
candidates wrote entire songs in a
Suggestions for teachers
vernacular language, copied the
comprehension passage, or summarized − Train students to include all the
elements of a story, such as plot,
‘The Singing Lesson’ or ‘We are the Music characterization, setting, and logical
Makers,’ which caused them to lose connection.
significant marks in content. − Teach students to begin the story with
(v) Very few candidates attempted this the rubric and weave the narrative
around the keywords to establish a
question, and most were not successful in logical connection.
scoring well. Candidates were expected to − Instruct students to include named
present at least one reflection or four characters, and ensure the plot builds
significant ideas, supported by anecdotes or toward a crisis or resolution. This will
help them distinguish a narrative essay
examples. This was a higher-order question, from a short story.
and not many candidates attempted it or − Discourage students from writing
succeeded in presenting their reflections stories that end in a dream.
effectively. Most candidates were − Provide ample training in plot
unfamiliar with the term ‘subordinate.’ The development in class, using the rubric as
a guide.
examples they provided often focused on − Conduct storytelling exercises
judging people and the idea of revenge, but involving the whole class.
these did not validate or support their views,
leading to significant content-related mark
deductions. The term ‘subordinate’ was outside their range of experience, and their examples
mainly involved parent-child and teacher-student dynamics.
(vi) Although many candidates attempted this question, very few managed to write a story that
fulfilled all the criteria—plot, characterization, setting, and logical connection. Some candidates
did not begin the story with the given rubric, while others wrote stories that had no connection
to the opening sentence. In some cases, words from the rubric were missing, or the story was
plagiarized. Some candidates ended the story with the character waking up from a dream or
wrote it as a narrative essay, resulting in significant content-related mark deductions. A few
wrote stories without character names or a proper setting. Some stories lacked a plot, and the
most common error was failing to establish a logical connection to the opening sentence. The
character ‘she’ and her ‘giving out instructions on the phone’ were often completely ignored.

MARKING SCHEME
Question 1
In all compositions, marks to be awarded for content and linguistic ability.

(i) This is a descriptive topic. The candidates are required to describe the excitement of
meeting family members, venue of the wedding, the food that was served and the
celebrations that followed.

(ii) This is a narrative topic. Candidates must write as themselves following the rubrics of the
question. It has to be first person narrative. Elderly can be grandparents or any elder at
home.

(iii) This is an argumentative topic. Candidates must take a clear stand for or against the topic.
At least four distinct points supporting the stance must be brought out. Sitting on the fence
is not permitted. They cannot change their stand either.
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2024 ISC- English Language -Paper 1

(iv) This is a one word or expository topic. Any type of composition, even a short story may
be written, as long as it is connected with the word.

(v) This is a reflective topic. Candidates must provide their views or reflections on the topic.
They may be for or against the given topic or even sit on the fence. Short stories are not
allowed for this question. They could, however, narrate an anecdote from their life or
others’.

(vi) The candidate must write an original short story for this question, beginning with the given
words. The story must contain all essential elements such as plot, setting, characters,
(dialogue), a logical ending and the beginning should continue logically in the story.

Question 2
(i) Write a review of a film that you watched recently, using the points given below. [15]
The review is to be published in your school newsletter and should not exceed 300
words.
Name of the film and director – lead actors and their performances – plot – setting
– description of a scene that you particularly liked – rating and recommendation.

(ii) As a Member of the Student Council of ABC School, you wish to start a Laughter [10]
Club to develop the appreciation for humour among students. Write a proposal in
not more than 150 words, outlining the steps you would take to make this club a
success.

Comments of Examiners
(i) The candidates found this question relatively Suggestions for teachers
easy, and most managed to score well. This
− Train students in amplification exercises
was an exercise in amplification, where in the classroom and ensure they
candidates had to expand on each of the understand the difference between an
points given in the guidelines. Some essay and a report.
candidates struggled to amplify the − Provide ample examples of directed
writing, emphasizing the need to amplify
performance of the lead actors, or in some each point given in the guidelines.
cases, omitted that point entirely. Many − Discourage mere mentions of points;
candidates mistook the setting for the set, instruct students to avoid digressions and
writing about the movie set or theme instead. unnecessary verbosity.
− Advise students against using prepared
The description of a scene and why they liked
answers for this question, as their
it was often ignored. Several candidates responses may not align with the points
wrote a pre-prepared review and missed in the guidelines.
some of the required points. Some elaborated − Encourage students to read the question
on the plot or storyline in detail, neglecting carefully before answering to avoid
writing on completely irrelevant topics.
other relevant aspects. Additionally, some − Instruct students to refer to the format for
candidates mistakenly wrote book reviews or proposal writing.
school reviews instead of film reviews. − Provide ample practice in class to
develop two points in the heading and
two separate points in the objectives.

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2024 ISC- English Language -Paper 1
(ii) Most candidates attempted this question and
managed to score relatively well. Those
Suggestions for teachers
familiar with the format often scored full marks.
Candidates were expected to state two key − Ensure the list of measures is written in
bullet points and insist on a concluding
points in the introduction, two separate points sentence.
in the objectives, four bullet points in the list of − Train students to write complete sentences
measures, and conclude with a final line to rather than just words and phrases, and help
complete the proposal. Some candidates only them understand the different purposes of
proposal writing.
ment ioned one point in the introduction. Others
confused the list of measures with the
objectives, resulting in a loss of marks in both sections. In some cases, an entirely different format
was used, with headers and benefits featured as subheadings. The use of incomplete sentences,
words, and phrases also led to a loss of marks.

MARKING SCHEME
Question 2
(i) This is an exercise in amplification. All points must be included and amplified.

(ii) The proposal must have a short introduction about developing the appreciation for humour
among students, two objectives and four measures to be taken. It must also have a short
concluding line.
Heading/Introduction
Two objectives
Four measures
Conclusion
Linguistic ability

Question 3
Answer sections (i), (ii) and (iii).

(i) In each of the following items, sentence I is complete, while sentence II is not. [5]
Complete sentence II, making it as similar as possible to sentence I. Write sentence
II in each case.
Example:
(z) (I) The heavy showers of rain revived the plants.
(II) The plants ……..………………………………
Answer: (z) The plants were revived by the heavy showers of rain.
(a) (I) P.G. Wodehouse is the funniest author I have ever read.

(II) No other ……..………………………………

(b) (I) Michelangelo was an architect and a poet.

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2024 ISC- English Language -Paper 1
(II) Not only ………………………………………………
(c) (I) Sara said that she would come to my house the following day.
(II) Sara said to me, “………………………………………….
(d) (I) As soon as the students enter their classroom, the teacher welcomes
them.
(II) No sooner ………………………………………………

(e) (I) Only the wearer knows where the shoe pinches.
(II) None ………………………………..

(ii) Fill in each blank with a suitable word. (Do not write the sentence.) [5]

(a) We must carry _________ despite the challenges we come across.

(b) The police promised to carry _________ a thorough investigation.

(c) He is sure to appeal _________ the judgement since it was unfavourable

to him.
(d) The leader appealed _________ the public to maintain law and order.

(e) The experienced doctor found it easy to deal _________ young patients.

(f) This particular shop deals _________ organic food.

(g) The fresh college graduate jumped _________ the first offer of a job.

(h) My mother advised me never to jump _________ conclusions.

(i) The signboard in the park read ‘Keep _________ the lawn’.

(j) It is not easy to keep _________ with the rapidly changing fashions.

(iii) Fill in the blanks in the passage given below with the appropriate form of the verb [5]
given in brackets. Do not write the passage but write the verbs in the correct order.
A young man had a beautiful garden in his mansion. As he loved flowers, shrubs
and trees, he tended to the garden himself. Next to his mansion, there was a small
house in which _________ (1) (live) an old man. One day, when the young man
was _________ (2) (expect) some special guests, he took extra care in_________
(3) (tend) to the garden. He pulled the weeds, _________ (4) (trim) the shrubs,
combed the moss and spent a long time meticulously _________ (5) (rake) up and
carefully arranging all the dry autumn leaves. As he worked, the old man
_________ (6) (watch) him with interest from across the wall that _________
(7) (separate) their houses.
When he had finished, the young man stood back to _________ (8) (admire) his
work. “Isn’t it beautiful?”, he called out to the old man. “Yes”, replied the old
man, “but there is something missing. Help me over this wall and I’ll put it right
for you.”
After a slight hesitation, the young man _________ (9) (lift) the old fellow over
and set him down. Slowly, the old man walked to the tree near the centre of the

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2024 ISC- English Language -Paper 1
garden, grabbed it by the trunk, and shook it. Leaves _________ (10) (shower)
down all over the garden and formed a beautiful carpet.
“There”, said the old man, “now it is perfect!”

Comments of Examiners
Suggestions for teachers
(i) (a) Several candidates wrote this answer
− Provide regular practice in transforming
incorrectly and lost marks. Some sentences and applying grammar rules.
candidates left out the word ‘ever’ in their − Familiarize students with rules governing
answers or included ‘that.’ Several specific sentence structures, such as
candidates wrote ‘funnier’ or ‘funniest’ degrees of comparison.
− Train students on the differences
instead of ‘as funny as’. Some others
between positive, comparative, and
made errors in punctuation. superlative degrees of adjectives.
(b) Several candidates made errors in − Emphasize the correct use of commas,
punctuation, inversion of the order of including their omission and inclusion in
words, and even misspelled various structures.
− Include training in both reported and
‘Michelangelo,’ resulting in lost marks. direct speech, emphasizing the rules and
(c) Many candidates provided incorrect providing several examples in class.
answers due to their unfamiliarity with the − Ensure students practice writing
rules of direct speech. Punctuation errors structures correctly, with variations in
subject and tense.
were prevalent, such as placing the full
− Teach students to distinguish between
stop after the quotation marks. The the usages of ‘No one’ and ‘None.’
comma after 'Sara said to me' was often − Focus on the following structures in the
missing, even when provided in the classroom:
rubric. Additionally, several students • Direct and indirect speech
• Active and passive voice
misspelled ‘tomorrow’ or incorrectly • Degrees of comparison
replaced it with ‘today’ or ‘the next day.’ • Structures like ‘No sooner...than,’
(d) Several candidates answered this ‘Not only...but also,’ and ‘None but...’
incorrectly because they were unfamiliar − Provide training on commonly used
with the structure ‘No sooner...than.’ phrasal verbs and their meanings.
− Instruct students on the differences in the
Many wrote ‘No sooner does’ or ‘did’ meanings of various phrasal verbs.
instead of ‘do,’ as they did not pay − Train students in specific phrasal verbs,
attention to the plural subject. such as ‘jump at,’ ‘jump for,’ and ‘jump
(e) This was the structure that most to.’
− Instruct students on the differences in
candidates answered correctly. However,
meanings for phrasal verbs like ‘keep
some students wrote ‘None other than’ or off,’ ‘keep in,’ ‘keep out,’ and ‘keep
‘except’ instead of ‘None but,’ resulting back.’
in a loss of marks. − Train students on tenses and their correct
usage.
(ii) (a) Most candidates were able to score well in
− Help students differentiate between the
this question. However, some provided simple past tense and the past perfect
multiple answers, wrote in the incorrect tense.
sequence, or filled in the blanks with − Ensure students are trained to write the
random words. correct spellings of these verbs.
− Discourage students from providing
(b) Majority of the candidates wrote the multiple answer options and from writing
answer correctly. However, some answers in an incorrect order.
candidates swapped the answers for (a)
and (b), resulting in lose of marks.
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2024 ISC- English Language -Paper 1
(c) Majority of the candidates wrote an incorrect answer because they did not comprehend the
meaning. They wrote ‘appeal for’ instead of ‘against,’ thereby changing the entire meaning
of the sentence.
(d) Several candidates answered this question correctly, as most of them understood the context.
(e) Majority of the candidates wrote an incorrect answer because they did not comprehend the
meaning. Some candidates also swapped the answers for (e) and (f), resulting in lose of marks.
(f) Majority of the candidates wrote incorrect answers because they did not understand the correct
use of ‘deal with’ and ‘deal in.’
(g) Several candidates answered correctly, as they understood the context. A few candidates
wrote random words as answers.
(h) While some candidates provided the correct answer, others were unfamiliar with the
expression ‘jump to conclusions’ and wrote random words to fill in the blanks.
(i) Several candidates answered correctly, as most candidates understood the context. However,
the expression ‘Keep off the lawn’ was unfamiliar to many candidates, and some wrote ‘in’
as the answer.
(j) This question was answered correctly by most candidates. The usage was familiar to them,
and only a very few candidates had difficulty comprehending the meaning.
(iii) Most candidates managed to score well in this question. However, some lost marks due to
spelling errors with words such as ‘trimmed,’ ‘separated,’ and ‘showered.’ Additionally, some
candidates wrote the answers in the wrong sequential order.

MARKING SCHEME
Question 3
(i) The opening word / phrase of each answer (part II) must be given as in the question paper.

(a) (II) No other author I have ever read is as funny as P.G. Wodehouse.

(b) (II) Not only was Michelangelo an architect but also a poet.

(c) (II) Sara said to me, “I will/shall come/go to your house tomorrow.”

(d) (II) No sooner do the students enter their classroom than the teacher welcomes
them.

(e) (II) None but the wearer knows where the shoe pinches.
(ii) The candidates have been advised not to copy the sentences. This is done to save time.
(a) on
(b) out
(c) against
(d) to
(e) with
(f) in
(g) at

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2024 ISC- English Language -Paper 1

(h) to
(i) off
(j) up
(iii) The candidates have been advised not to copy the sentence.
(1) lived
(2) expecting
(3) tending
(4) trimmed
(5) raking
(6) watched / was watching
(7) separated
(8) admire
(9) lifted
(10) showered

Question 4
Read the passage given below and answer the questions (i), (ii) and (iii) that follow:
(1) The Police Superintendent is walking across the market square followed by a
constable. Suddenly he hears a loud shout, “So you bite, you damned brute? Lads,
don’t let the dog go! Biting is prohibited nowadays!”
There is the sound of yelping and the Superintendent sees a dog running out of a
timber-yard. A man runs after it and tries to seize the dog by its hind legs. Sleepy 5
countenances protrude from the shops and soon a crowd gathers.
(2) “It looks like a row, your honour”, says the constable.
The Superintendent turns to his left and strides towards the crowd. He sees the
aforementioned man standing close by the gate of the timber-yard, holding his
right hand in the air and displaying a bleeding finger to the crowd. He was the 10
town’s goldsmith. The culprit who has caused the sensation, a white puppy with
a sharp muzzle and a yellow patch on its back, is sitting on the ground.
“What’s it all about?”, the Superintendent inquires, pushing his way through the
crowd, “Who was it that shouted?”
(3) The goldsmith answers, “I was walking along here not interfering with anyone 15
when this low brute, for no rhyme or reason, bit my finger. I am a working man.
Mine is fine work. I must have damages, for I shan’t be able to use this finger for
a week.”
(4) “I won’t let this pass! Find out whose dog it is and draw up a report!”, the
Superintendent commands the constable. 2020

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2024 ISC- English Language -Paper 1
(5) “I fancy it’s General Zhigalov’s dog”, says someone in the crowd.
Suddenly indignant, the Superintendent turns to the goldsmith and asks, “There’s
one thing I can’t make out. How it could have bitten you? Surely it couldn’t reach
your finger. It’s a little dog, and you are a great hulking fellow! You must have
scratched your finger with a nail, and then the idea struck you to get damages for 25
it. I know your sort!”
(6) “No, that’s not the General’s dog”, says the constable, with profound conviction,
“the General has valuable dogs, and goodness knows what this is! No coat, no
shape, a low creature.”
The Superintendent says, “You have been injured, goldsmith and we can’t let the 30
matter drop. You must be compensated for the damage.”
(7) “It is the General’s, that’s certain!”, says a voice in the crowd.
“Oh! Constable, take the dog to the General’s and inquire there. Say I found it and
sent it. And tell them not to let it out into the street. A dog is a delicate animal.
And you, you goldsmith, put your hand down. It’s your own fault.” 35
On seeing the General’s cook approaching, the Superintendent asks him, “Is it one
of yours?”
“We have never had one like this”, says the cook.
“There’s no need to waste time asking,” decides the Superintendent, “it’s a stray
dog. Chase it away!” 40
(8) “It’s not our dog”, the cook goes on, “it belongs to the General’s brother who
arrived the other day.”
“Is his Excellency’s brother here? Delighted to hear it,” says the Superintendent,
and his whole face beams with an ecstatic smile, “it’s not a bad pup. A lively
creature, indeed. Come, why are you shivering, you nice little pup?” 45
(9) The cook calls the dog and walks away from the timber-yard.

(10) The crowd laughs at the goldsmith.

Adapted from: A Chameleon by Anton Chekov

(i) (a) Given below are three words and phrases. Find the words which have a [3]
similar meaning in the passage.

(1) faces

(2) walks purposefully

(3) precious

(b) For each of the words given below, choose the sentence that uses the same [3]
word unchanged in form, but with a different meaning from that which
it carries in the passage.
(1) row (line 7)
(A) We sat in a row at the back of the room.
(B) The vegetables were planted in neat rows.
(C) A row has broken out amongst the vendors.
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2024 ISC- English Language -Paper 1
(D) The fisherman rowed us back to the shore.
(2) left (line 8)
(A) I instructed the driver to take a left turn at the intersection.
(B) The bank is situated to the left of the library.
(C) They left the house at six o’clock in the morning to reach the
airport on time.
(D) He’s giving away money left, right and centre.

(3) fancy (line 21)

(A) He fancies himself as a serious actor.

(B) I was foot-loose and fancy-free in those days.

(C) He had some fanciful notion about crossing the Atlantic in a

barrel.

(D) He sells poor goods, but charges fancy prices.

(ii) Answer the following questions in your own words as briefly as possible.

(a) How does power play an important role in the Superintendent’s decisions? [2]

(b) Why does the goldsmith ask for damages? [2]

(c) Who does the dog belong to? How do we know it? [2]

(iii) Trace the Superintendent’s reactions from the time the initial voice in the crowd [8]
is heard till the cook takes the dog away (paragraphs 5 to 9). You are required to
write the summary in the form of a connected passage in about 100 words. Failure
to keep within the word limit will be penalised.

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2024 ISC- English Language -Paper 1

Comments of Examiners
(i) (a) While answering this question, several
candidates lost marks because they could not Suggestions for teachers
identify the correct words from the passage. − Instruct students to observe the correct
Some made spelling errors, while others wrote part of speech and word form and
discourage them from writing phrases
phrases instead of single words, resulting in instead of single words.
lose of marks. Additionally, some candidates − Ensure students are trained to read and
used the incorrect form of the word. The word comprehend passages with a focus on
‘valuable’ was misspelled by most candidates. vocabulary.
(b) Several candidates made mistakes in selecting − Familiarize students with the correct
rules for vocabulary questions and
the correct answer from the given options. encourage them to frame sentences
Some wrote down all the options without using different meanings of the same
selecting any, thereby losing marks. Most word. Provide rigorous practice in the
classroom.
students did not understand what was expected
− Warn students against using idiomatic
of them. They failed to choose the correct phrases, compound words, phrasal
sentence where the word remained unchanged verbs, proper nouns, or changing word
in form but had a different meaning. Instead, forms. Instruct them not to use words as
they either selected the sentence with the same definitions or as part of direct speech if
it does not convey the word's meaning.
meaning or with an incorrect form of the word. − Practice Question 4 extensively in class.
(ii) (a) This was a higher-order question, as candidates Make students read passages and teach
had to pick relevant instances from the passage them to answer the questions that
that demonstrated the power dynamics follow. Instruct them to select relevant
points and frame their answers
reflected in the superintendent’s decisions. accordingly.
Very few candidates, who had understood the − Discourage students from copying
passage well, could infer the correct points entire paragraphs as answers.
showing a change in his decisions each time − Encourage students to comprehend the
passage correctly and ensure classroom
the General was mentioned. Most candidates
discussions to minimize erroneous
copied entire paragraphs from the passage that assumptions.
were irrelevant. − Provide extensive practice in précis
(b) This question was well answered by most writing in the classroom.
candidates. It was a direct question, and they − Train students to list all points before
writing them in paragraph form, using a
managed to state all four points clearly. grid format.
However, some students missed the 'why' part − Avoid irrelevant details and train
of the question in their answers. students to base their answers solely on
(c) Several candidates answered correctly, the question without summarizing the
entire passage.
although some could not determine to whom − Train students to write in the correct
the dog belonged. Some justified their answers tense form with fewer linguistic errors.
with incorrect examples. In many cases, the − Teach students to write complete
cook was mistakenly thought to be the dog's sentences, placing one word per box in
the grid and strictly adhering to the word
owner because the dog goes with the cook at
limit.
the end. Some even assumed the cook to be the
General’s mother. There were also several
punctuation errors, with candidates frequently writing phrases like “general brother,” “brother
dog,” “cook dog,” etc.

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2024 ISC- English Language -Paper 1
(iii) This was a higher-order question, and students were expected to list eight points about the
Superintendent’s reactions. Most students were not successful in listing all the points. A few
candidates did not adhere to the instructions (paragraphs 5 to 9) and listed points from the earlier
paragraphs, resulting in loss of marks. Very few candidates wrote 50 words instead of the
required 100. Several linguistic errors were observed, as many candidates wrote in the first
person and used incorrect tenses. Additionally, very few candidates assembled words in the
précis that made sense.

MARKING SCHEME
Question 4
(i) (a) Candidates are required to find words, from the passage which has a similar
meaning to those given in the question paper.

(1) countenances

(2) strides

(3) valuable

(b) Candidates are required to choose the sentence that uses the word unchanged in form,
but with a different meaning from that which it carries in the passage.

(1) (A) We sat in a row at the back of the room.

(2) (C) They left the house at six o’clock in the morning to reach the airport on
time.

(3) (D) He sells poor goods, but charges fancy prices.

(ii) Candidates must answer the questions as briefly as possible and in their own words.
Candidates should draw their material only from the passage.

(a) Since the General is more powerful than the Superintendent, he changes his mind
about the action to be taken every time the General is mentioned. The goldsmith is
accused of fraud and asking for damages. The victim ultimately becomes the culprit.
(b) He is the town’s goldsmith. His is fine work which requires the use of his fingers. As
he is injured, he cannot work with his fingers for a week.
(c) The dog belongs to the General’s brother. The cook identifies it.

(iii) Summary: Special Instructions

Content: A minimum of eight points are required

Linguistic ability: Marks are awarded for the candidate’s ability to express the points
clearly.

POINTS:
1. The Superintendent says the dog couldn’t have bitten the goldsmith as it was little and
he was a hulking fellow. / He accuses the goldsmith of hurting himself and asking for
damages.

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2024 ISC- English Language -Paper 1
2. The constable is convinced that it cannot be the General’s because it was a low
creature/no coat or fur/ General will only have valuable dogs.
3. On hearing this, the Superintendent turns sympathetic to the goldsmith and assures him
of compensation.
4. When a voice in the crowd says that it is the General’s dog, the Superintendent
commands the Constable to take the dog to the General.
5. He calls the dog a delicate creature and finds fault with the goldsmith. / He asks the
goldsmith to put his hand down.
6. When the cook says that they never had a dog like this/ the superintendent calls it a
stray dog/ He asks it to be chased away.
7. The General’s cook finally reveals that the dog belonged to the General’s brother.
8. Ther Superintendent beams and calls it a nice little pup.

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2024 ISC- English Language -Paper 1

GENERAL COMMENTS
Topics found difficult by candidates

Question 1: - Reflective essay: confusion regarding the term ‘ subordinate’

- Short story: lack of knowledge about the elements of an original story and
establishing a logical connection between the opening line and the rest of the
story.
Question 2: Writing a Film review without amplifying the points in the guidelines.
Question 3: Rewrite as directed- the transformation of sentences.
Question 4: Vocabulary:
(i) (a) Failure to identify and locate the correct word
(i) (b) Failure to identify the correct use of the word unchanged in form but
with a different meaning
(ii) (a) Questions and answers- failure to answer inferential questions
(iii) Summary writing- not in a grid, irrelevant points, writing more than 100
words, not following what the question demands and not adhering to the
paragraphs given.

Concepts in which candidates got confused

• The stance to be taken in an argumentative essay and the arguments that followed.
• The concept of writing short stories.
• The rules regarding structures in Question 3.
• Inability to pick the correct answer for vocabulary or answer inferential questions

Suggestions for candidates

• Practice past years’ question papers.

• Engage in regular reading of books and newspapers. It is crucial to read classics,
newspapers, periodicals, and articles covering various topics.
• Actively participate in class discussions and debates to enhance language skills.
• Practice writing essays and reviews consistently throughout the year.
• Listen to the English news and actively engage in English conversations to develop
linguistic proficiency.
• Regularly practice grammar exercises.
• Consistently practice grammar and composition.
• Utilize the reading time wisely.
• Thoroughly read and understand all questions and instructions.
• Practice inferential questions in the classroom.
• Effectively manage time during the exam.
• Practice the sample papers and CFQs released by CISCE.

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