CBSE Class 10 English Exam Guide: Key Literature, Writing Skills, and Grammar Topics

Literature Textbook and Supplementary Reader

1. Prose (First Flight): Understanding the themes, characters, and moral lessons of each story. Key stories may include works like “A Letter to God,” “Nelson Mandela: Long Walk to Freedom,” and “Two Stories about Flying.”
2. Poetry (First Flight): Analyzing poems for their literary devices, themes, and the poet’s message. Important poems can include “Dust of Snow,” “Fire and Ice,” and “A Tiger in the Zoo.”
3. Supplementary Reader (Footprints Without Feet): Comprehending stories and their underlining lessons. Stories such as “The Thief’s Story,” “The Midnight Visitor,” and “Footprints without Feet” are significant.

Writing Skills

1. Letter Writing: Formal and informal letter formats, including letters of complaint, inquiry, and letters to the editor.
2. Essay Writing: Techniques for writing descriptive, narrative, and argumentative essays.
3. Story Writing: Crafting stories with a clear plot, setting, and characters.
4. Notice Writing, Message Writing, and Diary Entry: Concise and clear expression of information.

Grammar

1. Tenses: Proper use of various tenses in writing.
2. Modals: Usage of modal verbs to indicate likelihood, ability, permission, and obligation.
3. Subject-Verb Agreement: Ensuring the subject and verb in a sentence agree in number and person.
4. Prepositions: Correct use of prepositions in various contexts.
5. Reported Speech: Conversion from direct to indirect speech and vice versa.
6. Active and Passive Voice: Transformation of sentences between active and passive voice.

Reading

1. Unseen Passages: Practice reading comprehension with unseen prose and poetry passages, focusing on extracting main ideas, themes, and values.

Focusing on these areas can help students build a solid foundation in English, enabling them to perform well in exams and improve their overall language skills. It’s also crucial to regularly practice writing, read extensively, and engage with various texts to enhance comprehension and analytical skills.