ICSE Class 10 English Language (Paper 1) Question Paper 2026 with Solutions

About this paper

This is the ICSE Class 10 English Language (English Paper 1) question paper from the 2026 examination, paper code T26 011. It carries 80 marks, gives two hours of writing time after 15 minutes of reading time, and has five compulsory questions. Question 1 is a 300–350 word composition from five topics, including a story beginning 'It was midnight and the doorbell rang...', a debate on whether homework is a necessary evil and a picture. Question 2 is a choice of two letters, and Question 3 asks for a notice and an e-mail about an Inter House Non-Flame Cooking Competition. Question 4 is a passage from Tetsuko Kuroyanagi's Totto-chan about a farmer teaching children to plant a field, and Question 5 tests grammar, partly in multiple-choice form. Questions only.

Exam

ICSE Class 10

Subject

English Language

Year

2026

Paper code

T26 011

Maximum marks

80

Time allowed

2 hours + 15 min reading

Questions

5

Pages

10

Answers included

No, questions only

Paper pattern

• Question 1

  20 marks

  Composition of 300–350 words on one of five topics: a story, a personal account, a description, a debate or a picture

• Question 2

  10 marks

  One letter out of two: inviting a classmate to join a study group, or to the Municipal Commissioner about the drainage system in your locality

• Question 3

  10 marks

  A notice for an Inter House Non-Flame Cooking Competition (5 marks) and an e-mail inviting a famous chef to judge it (5 marks)

• Question 4

  20 marks

  Comprehension passage: two multiple-choice word meanings (2), one multiple-choice opposite (1), five short answers (9) and a 50-word summary (8)

• Question 5

  20 marks

  Grammar: verb forms in a passage (4), prepositions (4), multiple-choice sentence joining (4) and eight multiple-choice transformations (8)

Topics covered

• Composition writing
• Picture composition
• Informal letter writing
• Formal letter writing
• Notice writing
• E-mail writing
• Reading comprehension
• Summary writing
• Verb forms and tenses
• Prepositions
• Joining sentences
• Sentence transformation

Questions from this paper

1. Write an original short story beginning with the words: 'It was midnight and the doorbell rang...'
2. If you could change one period in your school timetable, which one would you choose? Why do you think it needs to be changed, and with which subject or activity would you replace it?
3. 'Homework is a necessary evil.' Express your views either for or against this statement.
4. The drainage system in your locality needs repair. Write a letter to the Municipal Commissioner stating the problems caused by this, and suggest solutions to improve the situation.
5. Why was the headmaster right in inviting the new teacher to take a class?
6. In not more than 50 words, give an account of what the farmer taught the children that day.