Standard : H.S.C.

Total Marks : 200

Nature of Paper : Conventional Type

Duration : 3 Hours

1)

Essay : The candidates are expected to write a narrative or a descriptive essay on one of the given topics in about 300 words. It is intended to judge the candidate's knowledge of the topic, manner of presentation and also competence in using correct English.

(Marks : 30)

2)

Letter writing : The candidates will be asked to write two types of letters, i.e. an informal letter to parents/ to a friend and a formal letter – an official/ business letter or a letter to the editor of a newspaper on a given topic in about 100 words. The candidate will be judged for content, manner of presentation and observance of the formal requirements of letter writing.

(Marks : 20)

3)

Communication Skills : The candidates are expected to write on each of the following communicative activities (in about 100-150 words). The purpose is to judge the candidate's ability to communicate effectively in different cont1exts:

a) A report of an event or a function or official work done.

b) A notice or an appeal or a warning or a Press Release for the Media (Radio, T.V., Press).

c) (i) Dialogue writing : A dialogue between two persons or an appeal or a discussion on a topical issue.

(ii) Speeches : formal speeches – welcome / send- off/inaugural speech etc.

(d) An individual conversation with a group of people --

(1) at a Job Interview.

(2) at a Press Conference.

(3) with a delegation

(4) at a project site -- e.g.: (i) camps being constructed for cattle in a drought-affected area, (ii) temporary shelters being constructed for earthquake-affected people.

(5) at a place where some problematic situation has occurred -- e.g.: natural calamities like floods, earthquakes etc.

(e) A Group Discussion, a Meeting, a Teleconference on a topical issue.

(Marks : 50)

4)

Precis-writing : A passage of about 300 words will be given for precis-writing. The candidates are expected to reduce the passage to one-third of its original length in their own words. The purpose of precis-writing is to judge the candidate’s ability to comprehend, analyse and summarise the main ideas in the passage in their own words to one-third of the given number of words therein.

(Marks : 20)

5)

Comprehension : A passage of about 300 words will be given with a set of questions based thereon. The purpose of the activity is to assess the candidate's competence in understanding and answering questions based on the passage.

(Marks : 20)

6)

Paraphrase of a Prose Passage : A prose passage of about 300 words will be given to be paraphrased in order to judge the candidate’s ability to understand, analyse and express clearly and in simple language the ideas in the passage in his/her own words.

(Marks : 20)

7)

Grammar :

i) Transformation of Sentences, ii) Correction of Sentences,

iii) Use of Tenses, iv) Punctuation, v) Word-formation,

vi) Use of Phrases.

(Marks : 40)