ISC 2026 English Language Improvement Examination Question Paper for Class 12

About this paper

This is the ISC Class 12 English Paper 1 (Language) from the 2026 Improvement Examination, code 1226-801A-IE. It carries 80 marks and lasts three hours, with an extra fifteen minutes for reading only. All four questions are compulsory. Question 1 is a composition of about 400–450 words on one of six subjects, covering description, narration, argument, reflection and an original short story. Question 2 asks for a morning-assembly speech on the reading habit and a proposal for setting up a Music Club. Question 3 tests sentence transformation, phrasal verbs and verb forms. Question 4 is a comprehension on a passage adapted from Guy de Maupassant's An Uncomfortable Bed, with vocabulary, short answers and a summary of about 100 words.

Exam

ISC Class 12

Subject

English Language

Year

2026

Paper code

1226-801A-IE

Maximum marks

80

Time allowed

3 hours + 15 min reading

Questions

4

Pages

8

Answers included

No, questions only

Paper pattern

• Question 1

  20 marks

  Composition of about 400–450 words on any one of six subjects

• Question 2

  25 marks

  A speech on the reading habit (15 marks) and a proposal of not more than 150 words (10 marks)

• Question 3

  15 marks

  Sentence rewriting, correction of phrasal verbs, and filling verb forms, five marks each

• Question 4

  20 marks

  Comprehension on a passage from An Uncomfortable Bed: vocabulary, short answers and a summary of about 100 words

Topics covered

• Descriptive and narrative composition
• Argument and reflection
• Short story writing
• Speech writing
• Proposal writing
• Sentence transformation
• Phrasal verbs
• Verb forms
• Reading comprehension and vocabulary
• Summary writing

Questions from this paper

1. You were cleaning your room and found a long-forgotten object. Describe the object, your reaction on discovering it, how it felt to hold it, and the memories it evoked.
2. Hobbies are a waste of time in this fast-paced world. Argue either for or against the statement.
3. Write an original short story that begins with the words: "A green flag waved in the distance and this meant…"
4. On World Reading Day, write a speech for the morning assembly on the effects of the reading habit on students.
5. As a member of the Student Council, write a proposal in not more than 150 words outlining the steps you would take to set up a Music Club.
6. What made the narrator immediately suspicious when he arrived at the country house, and how did the precautions he took against a practical joke turn out to be ironical?