ISC Board Class 12 English Language - Paper I Sample Paper 2024-25: Download PDF Here

Question 1 

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) You had to go on a train journey with your family. On reaching the railway station,

you discovered that your train was delayed by two hours. Describe how you spent those two hours, detailing what you saw, the sounds you heard, and the interactions you had with the people around you. Express your feelings when you saw the train finally approaching the station.

(ii) During the lunch break, a surprising sight unfolded as a monkey entered your school campus. Narrate your experience as you took charge and guided junior students to their classrooms ensuring their safety.

(iii) Parents should not influence their children when choosing the subjects they wish to study. Argue either FOR or AGAINST the given statement.

(iv) Life

(v) You become what you read. Present your reflections on this statement.

(vi) Write an original short story that ends with the following words:

…. That is when they realised that sometimes, the most extraordinary stories begin

with the simplest of moments.

Question 2

(i) As the Head of Environmental Initiatives at school, you have to deliver a speech

on the occasion of World Environment Day on June 5th. Write a speech following

the guidelines given below:

Greeting or salutation and purpose – the importance of World Environment Day –

key issues such as climate change, and pollution – the role of students in fostering

a sense of environmental responsibility – concrete steps required towards a more

sustainable and an eco-friendly lifestyle – strong call for action.

(ii) As the school leader, you have been given the responsibility of organising a school

trip for the students of classes XI and XII to a place of historical importance. Write

a proposal in about 150 words stating the steps you would take to successfully

organise the trip.

Question 3

Answer subparts (i), (ii) and (iii).

(i) Rewrite the following sentences according to the instructions given after each of

them in brackets.

(a) I don't know Helen very much; nevertheless, I like her.

(Begin: In spite of ………)

(b) They opened the window because they did not want the smoke to go into

the kitchen.

(Use: so…. that)

(c) Chennai is bigger than most other Indian cities.

(End: ……Chennai.)

(d) He was so old that he could be my grandfather.

(Use...enough....)

(e) The judge said to the prosecutor, “Do you agree with the arguments

presented yesterday?”

(Begin: The judge asked…..)

(ii) In the following sentences, replace the INCORRECT underlined words to make

the sentences meaningful and grammatically correct. Do not copy the sentences.

(a) The teacher handed down the report cards.

(b) She handed in the business to her son.

(c) The Minister gave off the prizes.

(d) The doctor gave away hope when she fell into a coma.

(e) I had to pull over a tough situation to meet the project deadline.

(f) When will the Shatabdi Express pull up?

 (g) Some seats are set by for the handicapped.

 (h) We immediately set forth fixing the roof.

(i) He ran around problems while trying to fix the computer.

(j) He ran into President during the elections last year.

(iii) Fill in the blanks in the passage given below with the appropriate form of the verb

given in brackets. Do not write the passage but write the verbs in the correct order.

Last summer, Emily had been working tirelessly on her garden. She________ (1)

(plant) a variety of flowers, ________ (2) (envision) a vibrant and colourful

display. Every morning, she would spend hours tending to the blossoms, ensuring

they were thriving under the warm sun.

One day, while she ________ (3) (admire) her handiwork, she noticed a rare

butterfly that had landed on one of the flowers. She had never seen such a beautiful

specimen before. Excitedly, Emily ran into the house to grab her camera,

________ (4) (hope) to capture the fleeting moment.

By the time she returned, the butterfly________ (5) (fly) away. Disappointed,

Emily ________ (6) (realise) that she had missed the opportunity. However, the

memory of that elusive butterfly lingered in her mind, and she decided ________

(7) (create) a butterfly-friendly corner in her garden.

Months later, as Emily walked through her garden, she saw a familiar flutter of

wings. The rare butterfly had returned, ________ (8) (draw) by the blossoms that

had bloomed since their last encounter. Grateful for the second chance, Emily

________ (9) (capture) the moment on her camera, cherishing the beauty that

________ (10) (elude) her once before.

Question 4

Read the passage given below and answer the questions (i), (ii) and (iii) that follow.

(1) “Can I see the Manager?” I said, and added solemnly, “Alone.” I don't know why

I said “Alone.” “Certainly,” said the accountant and fetched him.

(2) The Manager was a grave, calm man. I held my fifty-six dollars clutched in a

crumpled ball in my pocket.

“Are you the Manager?” I asked. God knows I did not doubt it.

“Yes,” he said.

“Can I see you …. alone?” I asked. 

(3) The Manager looked at me in some alarm. He felt that I had an awful secret to

reveal.

“Come in here,” he said, and led the way to a private room. He turned the key in the lock.

“We are safe from interruption here,” he said; “Sit down.”

We both sat down and looked at each other. I found no voice to speak.

“You are one of Pinkerton’s men, I presume,” he said.

(4) He had gathered from my mysterious manner that I was a detective. I knew what

he was thinking, and it made me worse.

“No, not from Pinkerton’s,” I said, seeming to imply that I came from a rival

agency. “To tell the truth,” I went on, as if I had been prompted to lie about it,

“I am not a detective at all. I have come to open an account. I intend to keep all

my money in this bank.”

The Manager looked relieved but still serious; he concluded now that I was a son

of Baron Rothschild or a young Gould.

“A large account, I suppose,” he said.

“Fairly large,” I whispered. “I propose to deposit fifty-six dollars now and fifty

dollars a month regularly.”

(5) The Manager got up and opened the door. He called to the accountant.

“Mr. Montgomery,” he said unkindly loud, “this gentleman is opening an account,

he will deposit fifty-six dollars. Good morning.”

I rose. A big iron door stood open at the side of the room.

“Good morning,” I said, and stepped into the safe. “Come out,” said the Manager

coldly and showed me the other way.

(6) I went up to the accountant’s wicket and poked the ball of money at him with a

quick convulsive movement as if I were doing a conjuring trick.

My face was ghastly pale.

“Here,” I said, “deposit it.” The tone of the words seemed to mean, “Let us do

this painful thing while the fit is on us.”

He took the money and gave it to another clerk.

(7) He made me write the sum on a slip and sign my name in a book. I no longer knew

what I was doing. The bank swam before my eyes.

“Is it deposited?” I asked in a hollow, vibrating voice.

“It is,” said the accountant.

“Then I want to draw a cheque.”

My idea was to draw out six dollars of it for present use. Someone gave me a

chequebook through a wicket and someone else began telling me how to write it out. The people in the bank had the impression that I was an invalid millionaire. I wrote something on the cheque and thrust it in at the clerk. He looked at it.

(8) “What! Are you drawing it all out again?” he asked in surprise. Then I realised

that I had written fifty-six instead of six. I was too far gone to reason now. I had

a feeling that it was impossible to explain the thing. I had burned my boats. All

the clerks had stopped writing to look at me. Reckless with misery, I made a

plunge.

“Yes, the whole thing.”

“You withdraw all your money from the bank?”

“Every cent of it.”

“Are you not going to deposit anymore?” said the clerk, astonished.

“Never.”

(9) An idiot hope struck me that they might think something had insulted me while I

was writing the cheque and that I had changed my mind. I made a wretched

attempt to look like a man with a fearfully quick temper

(10) The clerk prepared to pay the money.

“How will you have it?” he said. This question came as a bolt from the blue.

“What?”

“How will you have it?”

“Oh!”— I caught his meaning and answered without even trying to think— “in

fifties.”

He gave me a fifty-dollar bill.

“And the six?” he asked dryly.

“In sixes,” I said.

He gave it to me and I rushed out.

As the big door swung behind me. I caught the echo of a roar of laughter that went

up to the ceiling of the bank. Since then, I bank no more. I keep my money in cash

in my trousers pocket and my savings in silver dollars in a sock.

(i) (a) Find a single word from the passage that will exactly replace the underlined word or words in the following sentences. 

(1) The kind stranger went and got back the ball from where it had rolled

into the bush.

(2) I took offence at the expression on his face that was clearly meant to

insinuate I was a liar.

(3) The firm experienced a financial loss when the contract went to a

contender who had just entered the business. 

(b) For each of the words given below, choose the correct sentence that uses the same word unchanged in spelling, but with a different meaning from that which it carries in the passage.

(1) alarm (line 8)

(A) The silence from the other end set off alarm bells in her head.

(B) The pallor of his skin alarmed those standing around.

(C) I set my alarm for six o’clock but slept through it.

(D) The sound of the approaching jets caused some alarm in the

war room.

(2) wicket (line 44)

(A) The wicketkeeper was the true saviour of the day for that one

match.

(B) The team wanted to bat while the wicket was still dry.

(C) The man at the window handed us our tickets through the

wicket.

(D) The quick loss of wickets demoralised the team.

(3) reason (line 48)

(A) After the tragedy, his ability to reason is severely diminished.

(B) They reasoned they could get better seats if they arrived early.

(C) Recipients of funds were selected without rhyme or reason.

(D) We have every reason to celebrate. 

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

(a) With reference to the passage, explain the meaning of the expression of the

‘I had burned my boats’ ?

(b) Cite any two instances of the behaviour of the bank employees that indicate

the insignificance of a deposit of fifty-six dollars.

(c) Why do you think the people in the bank thought of the narrator as an

“invalid millionaire” ?

(iii) Summarise why the narrator decided ‘to bank no more’(paragraphs 6 to 10) 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.

ISC Class 12 English Language - Paper I Sample Paper 2025 Download PDF