CBSE Class 10 English 2026 — Set 5

Questions in this 2026 English paper (Set 5)

All 49 questions from this set, exactly as asked. Try each one, then open the question-paper PDF above for the complete paper.

1. 1.
   Read the following text: (1) Forests are often called the lungs of the Earth, and in India, they are an integral part of the country … Answer the following questions, based on the passage above: (i) In paragraph 1, what does the phrase 'Lungs of the Earth' refer to with reference to the passage?
2. 2.
   Complete the following with the correct option from the two given: Forests play a significant role in sustaining biodiversity by _______ (Para 1)

   • (a) balancing climate change and creating livelihoods for people.
   • (b) Providing wood for fuel and industries worldwide.
3. 3.
   Support the writer's idea that forests provide critical ecosystem services with textual evidence. (Para 2)
4. 4.
   What do the recent statistics on deforestation reveal about the state of India's forests? (Para 4)

   • (a) Deforestation has decreased significantly.
   • (b) Forest loss has been stabilized.
   • (c) Forest cover is rapidly declining.
   • (d) There is no significant impact on forest cover.
5. 5.
   Select the concept that best reflects the complex relationship between human development and preservation. (Para 3)

   • (a) Rapid urbanization has led to widespread deforestation depriving flora and fauna of its natural habitat.
   • (b) The introduction of initiatives like Van Mahotsav serve as compensatory afforestation.
6. 6.
   State whether the following statement is true or false: Deforestation is one of the reasons for erratic rainfall. (Para 4)
7. 7.
   List one challenge that critics see in compensatory afforestation measures. (Para 5)
8. 8.
   How do community-based conservation models benefit both forests and local communities? (Para 6)
9. 9.
   Read the following passage carefully: The Rise of Electric Vehicles in India: (1) Electric Vehicles (EVs) are gaining significant traction globally. In India, the push for EVs is driven by concerns over air pollution, rising fuel costs and government … Answer the following questions, based on the above passage: (i) Electric vehicles offer multiple benefits in India. Support the above statement in 40 words with evidence from the text.
10. 10.
    Select the option that is true for the assertion and reason given below: Assertion: EVs are gaining traction in India. Reason: The Indian government is committed to reducing carbon emissions.

    • (a) Both the assertion and reason are true, and the reason is the correct explanation of the assertion.
    • (b) Both the assertion and reason are true, but the reason is not the correct explanation of the…
11. 11.
    Justify the following statement: Despite governmental support, the initial cost of EVs remains a challenge for consumers.
12. 12.
    Complete the following with one suitable reason from the text: The silent operation of EVs contributes to better urban living because _________.
13. 13.
    "In 2023, India recorded sales of over 1.5 million EVs, a significant jump from previous years." State any one inference that can be drawn from the above statement.
14. 14.
    According to the passage, what is 'range anxiety' in the context of electric vehicles?
15. 15.
    Based on the given text, which type of EV dominated sales in India in 2023?
16. 16.
    Complete the sentence suitably: To address the challenge of charging infrastructure, various initiatives are being undertaken, such as _________.
17. 17.
    Give one reason to support why the adoption of EVs is slow in some parts of India.
18. 18.
    Complete any ten of twelve of the following tasks, as directed:

    • (i) A manager wrote a report to his seniors about his team. Fill in the blank with the correct option to complete the report: By the end of this quarter, the assistant manager _______ on this campaign for eight months.
    • (a) will be working
    • (b) will have been working
    • (c) will have working
    • (d) would have been working
19. 19.
    Read the given sentence from a sales report. Identify the error and supply the correction in the given format: Being checked all the figures twice, she was sure there were no errors. Error / Correction
20. 20.
    Read the conversation between the store supervisor and the salesman: Supervisor: "Did you switch off all the lights before leaving office yesterday?" Salesman: "Yes, I did and I also handed over the keys to the night supervisor." A store supervisor asked the salesman whether he had switched off all the lights before leaving the office the day before. The salesman confirmed _________. Report the…
21. 21.
    A school Principal addressed Board aspirants and said: "_______ candidates must carry their identification proof." Fill in the blank with the appropriate option:

    • (a) Each
    • (b) All
    • (c) Every
    • (d) One
22. 22.
    Isha said to her parents, "My mentor will always guide me, even after this programme ends." Report what Isha said to her parents.
23. 23.
    Find the error in the following sentence and supply the correction: I was disappointed to see that in the library there was less books on the subject than expected. Error / Correction
24. 24.
    Fill in the blank with correct option: My friends _______ the movie tickets before we even reached the ticket counter.

    • (a) has collected
    • (b) had collected
    • (c) collect
    • (d) will collect
25. 25.
    Select the correct option to complete the given sentence from a recipe book for students: After stirring the cocoa into the melted butter, you _______ add the eggs one at a time before adding the flour.

    • (a) would
    • (b) might
    • (c) may
    • (d) must
26. 26.
    Report the following sentence by a customer: "Did you double-check the address before dispatching the washing machine?"
27. 27.
    Complete the following sentence by choosing the correct option: If we had consulted the engineer, we _____ this mistake.

    • (a) would avoid
    • (b) will avoid
    • (c) would have avoided
    • (d) had avoided
28. 28.
    Complete the following newspaper report by filling in the blank: The number of road accidents _______ increased this year.

    • (a) have
    • (b) are
    • (c) has
    • (d) were
29. 29.
    The speaker in conversation with a group of ministers said, "I feel reassured after hearing your opinions." What did the speaker say to the ministers?
30. 30.
    Attempt any one from (A) and (B) given below: (A) You are Devi / Dev Arora a concerned resident. You are deeply concerned at the overflowing garbage dumps in the city. Besides being eyesores, these dumps create environmental and health risks. They produce a foul odour and attract stray animals and other scavengers. Write a letter to the Municipal Commissioner drawing attention to the situation…
31. 31.
    Attempt any one from (A) and (B) given below: (A) The data given below shows how teenagers spend their daily screen time across different digital activities. Social media 35; Watching videos/streaming 30; Gaming 20; Online learning 10; Others (browsing, reading news, etc.) 5. Analyse the data provided and write a paragraph analyzing how teenagers allocate their daily screen time. Focus on the…
32. 32.
    Read the given extract and answer any one of the following questions (A) and (B): (A) Ausable did not fit any description of a secret agent Fowler had ever read. Following him down the musty corridor of the gloomy French hotel where Ausable had a room, Fowler felt let down. It was a small room, on the sixth and top floor and scarcely a setting for a romantic adventure. Ausable was, for one…
33. 33.
    (The Midnight Visitor, extract A) (ii) How did the hotel's atmosphere influence Fowler's mood?
34. 34.
    (The Midnight Visitor, extract A) (iii) Fill in the blank with the correct word from the bracket: Ausable's reaction on seeing how Fowler felt shows that he was _______. (observant/embarrassed)
35. 35.
    (The Midnight Visitor, extract A) (iv) In what way does Ausable defy the typical spy image?
36. 36.
    Read the following extracts and answer the questions for any one of the two (A) and (B): (A) What, what is the boy now who has lost his ball. What, what is he to do. I saw it go Merrily bouncing, down the street and then Merrily over – there it is in the water! …
37. 37.
    (The Ball Poem, extract A) (ii) How does this moment contrast the mood of the poem before and after the ball falls into the water? (Answer in about 40 words)
38. 38.
    (The Ball Poem, extract A) (iii) Fill in the blank with the correct word from the bracket: The poet uses the ball as a symbol of the boy's _______. (childhood/adventure)
39. 39.
    (The Ball Poem, extract A) (iv) The line, … (a) Words of consolation are inappropriate. (b) The boy must be left alone and play with other toys. (c) The boy should not be left alone. (d) No ball will be as expensive as the one the boy has lost.
40. 40.
    Answer any four of the following five questions, in about 40-50 words each: (i) What lesson does the poet convey about nature in 'How to Tell Wild Animals'?
41. 41.
    (Q8) (ii) How does the short structure of poem 'Dust of Snow' enhance its message about emotional renewal? Support your answer briefly.
42. 42.
    (Q8) (iii) In 'Mijbil the Otter', how does the narrator's patience contrast with the reactions of fellow passengers and local people? What does this reveal about human understanding of the unfamiliar?
43. 43.
    (Q8) (iv) In 'Madam Rides the Bus', how does the contrast between Valli's boldness and her emotional response to the dead cow shape your view of her maturity?
44. 44.
    (Q8) (v) What was Chubukov's reaction when he heard about Lomov's proposal for his daughter's hand? (The Proposal)
45. 45.
    Answer any two of the following three questions, in about 40-50 words each: (i) Why does Griffin, despite his scientific genius, end up leading a destructive life? (Footprints Without Feet)
46. 46.
    (Q9) (ii) Why does Horace Danby consider himself an honest man despite being a thief? How does this self-perception affect his decision in the story? (A Question of Trust)
47. 47.
    (Q9) (iii) In 'A Triumph of Surgery', how does Tricki's condition reflect the consequences of pampering pets excessively? What does this suggest about human attachment?
48. 48.
    Answer any one of the following two questions, in about 100-120 words: (A) How does Lencho's faith in God, as shown in 'A Letter to God' contrast with the skepticism of Kisa Gotami in 'Sermon at Benares'. Support your answer with details from the two texts.
49. 49.
    Answer any one of the following two questions, in about 100-120 words: (A) In 'The Necklace', Madam Loisel spends years repaying a debt for a necklace that was never valuable. How does this irony expose the illusion of wealth and the consequences of chasing appearances?

Prepare with

How to use these papers

1. 1Start chapter-wise early in the year — solve only the English questions from a chapter you have just finished.
2. 2Switch to full timed papers 2–3 months before the exam: one complete set in the real time limit, no notes.
3. 3Self-mark against the marking scheme, then fix every mistake with our free NCERT solutions.
4. 4Re-attempt your weakest chapters until the recurring question types feel routine.

CBSE Class 10 English 2026 paper — FAQ