CBSE English Class XI

ENGLISH CORE CODE NO. 301 CLASS - XII 2025-26

About Class XI Course Syllabus

I Reading Comprehension through Unseen Passage

• 1. One unseen passage to assess comprehension, interpretation, analysis and inference. Vocabulary assessment will also be assessed via inference. The passage may be factual, descriptive or literary.
• 2. One unseen case-based factual passage with verbal/visual inputs like statistical data, charts etc. to assess comprehension, interpretation, analysis, inference and evaluation.
Note: The combined word limit for both the passages will be 700-750 words.

Multiple Choice Questions / Objective Type Questions will be asked.

• 3. Note Making and Summarization based on a passage of approximately 200-250 words.

Section B - 23 Marks

Grammar and Creative Writing Skills

II Grammar

7 Marks

4. Questions on Gap filling (Tenses, Clauses)

5. Questions on re-ordering/transformation of sentences

(Total seven questions to be done out of the eight given).

III Creative Writing Skills

16 Marks

• 6. Short writing task - Classified Advertisements, up to 50 words. One out of the two given questions to be answered (3 Marks: Format: 1/ Content: 1 / Expression: 1)
• 7. Short writing task -Poster up to 50 words. One out of the two given questions to be answered. (3 marks: Format: 1/ Content: 1/ Expression: 1)
• 8. Long Writing task: Speech in 120-150 words based on verbal / visual cues related to contemporary / age-appropriate topic. One out of the two given questions to be answered. (5 Marks: Format: 1/ Content: 2/ Expression: 2)
• 9. Long Writing Task: Debate based on visual/verbal inputs in 120-150 words, thematically related to contemporary, topical issues. One out of the two given questions to be answered. (5 Marks: Format: 1/ Content: 2/ Expression: 2)

Literature Text Book and Supplementary Reading Text

This section will have variety of assessment items including Multiple Choice Questions, Objective Type Questions, Short Answer Type Questions and Long Answer Type Questions to assess comprehension, interpretation, analysis, evaluation and extrapolation beyond the text.

• 10. One Poetry extract out of two, from the book Hornbill, to assess comprehension, interpretation, analysis, inference and appreciation. (3x1=3 Marks)
• 11. One Prose extract out of two, from the book Hornbill, to assess comprehension, interpretation, analysis, evaluation and appreciation. (3x1=3 Marks)
• 12. One prose extract out of two, from the book Snapshots, to assess comprehension, interpretation, analysis, inference and appreciation. (4x1=4 Marks)
• 13. Two Short answer type questions (one from Prose and one from Poetry, from the book Hornbill), outof four, to be answered in 40-50 words. Questions should elicit inferential responses through critical thinking. (3x2=6 Marks) 14. One Short answer type question, from the book Snapshots, to be answered in 40-50 words. Questions should elicit inferential responses through critical thinking. One out of two questions to be done. (3x1=3 Marks)
• 15. One Long answer type question, from Prose/Poetry of Hornbill, to be answered in 120- 150 words. Questions can be based on incident / theme / passage / extract / event, as reference points to assess extrapolation beyond and across the text. The question will elicit analytical and evaluative response from the student. Any one out of two questions to be done. (1x6=6 Marks)
• 16. One Long answer type question, based on the chapters from the book Snapshots, to be answered in 120-150 words, to assess global comp rehension and extrapolation beyond the text. Questions to provide analytical and evaluative responses, using incidents, events, themes, as reference points. Any one out of two questions to be done. (1x6=6 Marks)

Prescribed Books

• The Portrait of a Lady (Prose)
• A Photograph (Poem)
• "We're Not Afraid to Die... if We Can Be Together
• Discovering Tut: The Saga Continues
• The Laburnum Top (Poem)
• The Voice of the Rain (Poem)
• Childhood (Poem)
• The Adventure
• Silk Road (Prose)
• Father to Son

• The Summer of the Beautiful White Horse (Prose)
• The Address (Prose)
• Mother's Day (Play)
• Birth (Prose)
• The Tale of Melon City

INTERNAL ASSESSMENT

Assessment of Listening Skills- 05 marks.

Assessment of Speaking Skills-05 Marks

Project Work-10 Marks

Question Paper Design

English CORE XI (Code No. 301) 2025-26