ICSE Class 9 English Literature Half Yearly Sample Paper 2025: Download PDF for Free

Getting ready for your ICSE Class 9 English Literature half-yearly exams means having the best study resources. This practice paper for 2025 is made to be just like the real test, so you can get used to how it's set up, what kinds of questions there are, and how much time you have. Using this will help you not only remember what you've learned in English Literature but also figure out smart ways to take the exam.

Practicing with this paper is more than just reviewing; it's a great way to check yourself and get ready. By trying the questions, you can find out which topics or ideas you need to focus on more, helping you make your study plan even better. Plus, the detailed answer key that comes with the PDF will show you exactly how points are given, so you'll know what good answers look like and feel more confident about doing well.

ICSE Class 9 English Literature Half Yearly Sample Paper for 2025

Section- A

Question 1. 

1. What is meant by ‘age's yoke’ as spoken by Cassius? (a) Oppression under Caesar's rule (b) The age of burden under monarchy (c) The era of end of republicanism (d) The age of exploitation

2. ‘To all the rout, then hold me dangerous?’ What is meant by rout and who does it hold dangerous? (a) Group; Caesar (b) Enemy; Brutus (c) Mob; Cassius (d) Tribunes; Cassius

3. Brutus dissuades Cassius from asking ______ to join the conspiracy on the grounds that he never follows other's ideas (a) Metellus (b) Cinna (c) Cinna (d) Cicero

4. Which of the following is similar to the word ‘crippled’? (a) Deformed (b) Healthy (c) Small (d) Sick

5. Select the option that shows the correct relationship between Statement 1 and 2 from ‘Bonku Babu’s Friend‘. Statement 1. Even so, Bonku Babu had to come to these meetings. Statement 2. Sripati Babu was a very important man in the school committee and in the village. (a) 1 is the cause for 2 (b) 1 is true and 2 is false (c) 1 and 2 are independent of each other (d) 2 is true and 1 is false

6. Which small object did Ang show to Bonku Babu? (a) a ring (b) a pebble (c) a ball (d) a torch

7. What does ‘Everyday as he whittles back the branches’ metaphorically signify in the poem “The Work of Artifice”? (a) The confinement and opportunities kept away from the women in the society (b) Symbol of beauty (c) Gender inequality (d) Domestic violence

8. ‘Why, man, he doth bestride the narrow world like a Colossus’ Who is referred to as the ‘man’? (a) Caesar (b) Cassius (c) Brutus (d) Mark Antony

9. How does Decius Brutus say he would convince Caesar from coming to the Senate? (a) By flattery (b) By deceit (c) By persuasion (d) By showing fear

10. What does the line ‘Shuffled in a blank parade' mean? (a) Absolute helplessness (b) Agony and pain (c) Walked involuntarily as if in a trance (d) Walking like scarecrows

11. The whispering started at ______ and the signal was due at ______. (a) 11: 39pm, 11:47pm (b) 11:39pm, 11:42pm (c) 11:49pm, 11:52pm (d) 11:49pm, 11:50pm

12. Which of the following is correct about Bonku Babu? (a) He was a prankster (b) He was a storyteller (c) He was a short-tempered teacher (d) He was a day-dreamer

13. ‘I am not well in health, and that is all’. How would you describe Brutus's feeling here? (a) Enraged (b) Sorrowful (c) Confused (d) Frustrated

14. Choose the options that lists the sequence of events from the story ‘The Homecoming’ in the correct order.

    1. Makhan heard the order, and made it a point of honour to stick on.

    2. Makhan only moved to a more comfortable position.

    3. The boys began to heave at the log with all their might.

    4. He gave the word of command to roll and Makhan over together. (a) 1,4,3,2 (b) 2,3,1,4 (c) 1,2 3,4 (d) 2,1,4,3

15. Which of the following is pleasant for the passengers? (a) The passengers’ choice of morning tea (b) No one could play pranks (c) Nothing goes wrong on the Northern mail (d) The berth is neat and clean

16. Which of the given options contain the figure of speech that appears in the following line from the poem ‘Skimbleshanks: The Railway Cat’. And we're off at last for the northern part of the Northern Hemisphere’. (a) Pulling up Beattock, a steady climb The gradient's against, her, but she’s on time (b) Last week in someone's place we saw a dozen eyeballs on the floor (c) Letters of thanks, letter from banks (d) He will watch you without winking and he sees what you are thinking

Section-B Drama

Question-2:

Read the extract given below and answer the questions that follow:

Cassius : "Now could I, Casca, name to thee a man most like this dreadful night, that thunders, lightens, opens graves, and roars as doth the lion in the Capitol". A man no mightier than thyself or me In personal action; yet prodigious grown, And fearful, as these strange eruptions are.

i) How does Cassius interpret the unnatural occurrences in nature? State any one aspect of Cassius’
character as revealed in this scene.

ii) What is the symbolic meaning of the phrase ‘wear this dagger’? How does Cassius show that he is a zealous lover of freedom and democracy?

iii) Who is referred to as the man in the above lines? Give two incidents shared by Cassius in the play to show that the man referred to in the extract was "no mightier than thyself or me”

iv) Earlier in the scene, which other person describes the “fearful night. Mention two “unnatural sights" this person had seen. 

v) What danger does Brutus foresee if the man is crowned as a king? How is this danger expressed by referring to the “bright day" and the “adder”?

Question-3:

Brutus: You are my true and honorable wife,
As dear to me as are the ruddy drops
That visit my sad heart.
Portia

If this were true, then should I know this secret.

i) Just before this extract, Brutus claims he is unwell and Portia does not believe him. Why? 

ii) What proof does Portia give of her strength of character and power of endurance?

iii) What three things could hold Caesar back from going to the Capitol on the ‘Ides of March’?

iv) According to Brutus, who normally takes an oath? How does Brutus convince his group to uphold Roman nobility rather than depend on an oath?

v) Write in your own words the promise made by Brutus to Rome. Which aspect of the character of Brutus is highlighted here? Justify your answer.

Section C- POETRY

Question-4:

The morning stretched calm, beautiful, and warm.
Sprawling half clad, I gazed out at the form
Of shimmering leaves and shadows. Suddenly
A strong flash then another, startled me.
I saw the old stone lantern brightly lit.

i) Describe the injuries suffered by the narrator. 

ii) What were the strange things witnessed by the narrator? 

iii) In what mood was the narrator? What startled him? What did he think of it? 

iv) What was the impact of the explosion on the place and the people? 

v) What has appealed to you in the poem? Give two examples to justify your opinion. What message does the poem convey?

Question- 5:

Pulling up Beatock, a steady climb:
he gradient's against her, but she's on time.
Past cotton-grass and moorland boulder
shovelling white steam over her shoulder

i) Where is the Night Mail heading and what does it carry? ‘Letters for the rich, letters for the poor’. Comment on the significance of this line. 

iii) How does the poet personify the Night Mail and give it human attributes? Give examples to justify your answer. What message does the poet convey through the poem?

iii) Describe the various regions through which the train passes.

iv) Which different styles and colors are used to write letters by different people? 

v) What does the journey of the Night Mail symbolize? How does it help to promote human connections?

Section D- Prose-Short Stories

Question 6:

The widowed mother readily agreed. When his uncle asked Phatik if he would like to go to Calcutta with him, his joy knew no bounds and he said: "Oh, yes, uncle!" in a way that made it quite clear that he meant it.

i) Why was sending a village lad of fourteen to unknown people in an unknown place was terribly upsetting? Which theme is involved in Phatik's mother's decision? 

ii) Why did Phatik's mother agree to send Phatik to Calcutta? 

iii) How were Phatik's hopes shattered on reaching his uncle's house in Calcutta?

iv) Compare Phatik's life in the village to his life in the city. How are the ‘holidays' related to the title of the story?

v) How, according to Phatik's mother, was Makhan different in his behavior from his brother?

Question-7:

Oliver Twist was born in a workhouse. His mother, a young woman, lay ill in bed. A doctor and an old woman stood by her side. She lifted her head from the pillow.

i) What is a workhouse? What does it say about the setting of the story? 

ii) Oliver was an orphan ‘born into a world which had no love or pity for him’. Give examples from the story to show that Oliver experienced lack of love. 

iii) Who was Mr. Bumble? What did he do for the babies in the workhouse? What are your feelings for Mr. Bumble?

iv) Which offence was committed by Oliver and what were its consequences?

v) Why could Oliver not sleep at night? What does it show about the condition of the children in Victorian England?

To download the full PDF of the sample paper, please click on the link provided below. Practicing these papers will significantly enhance your understanding and boost your scores.

This ICSE Class 9 English Literature Half Yearly Sample Paper for 2025 is a valuable tool for students preparing for their exams. By working through these questions, students can improve their understanding of the English Literature, get comfortable with the exam format, and build confidence for achieving good results. Regular practice with papers like this is key to success.

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