At a glance
- Codes
- 184 Language and Literature, 101 Communicative
- Board paper
- 80 marks, 3 hours
- Internal assessment
- 20 marks, including listening and speaking
- 184 set books
- First Flight, Footprints Without Feet
- Second board exam
- English can be improved in the optional May exam
English Language and Literature (184): paper structure
| Section | Tasks | Marks |
|---|---|---|
| A Reading | Discursive passage of 400 to 450 words (10); case-based factual passage with a chart or data, 200 to 250 words (10) | 20 |
| B Grammar | Determiners, tenses, modals, subject-verb concord, reported speech: gap filling, editing, transformation (10 of 12 questions) | 10 |
| B Writing | Formal letter, 100 to 120 words (5); analytical paragraph on a chart, graph or cue, 100 to 120 words (5) | 10 |
| C Literature | Two extracts (10); short answers from First Flight (12) and Footprints Without Feet (6); two long answers of 100 to 120 words (6 + 6) | 40 |
| Total | 80 |
Source: CBSE English Language and Literature Class X curriculum 2026-27.
English Communicative (101): paper structure
| Section | Tasks | Marks |
|---|---|---|
| A Reading | Two unseen passages, up to 750 words in total | 22 |
| B Writing | Short application, 50 words (3); factual description, 100 words (4); formal letter, 120 words (7); article, 150 words (8) | 22 |
| C Grammar | Tenses, modals, concord, reported speech, clauses, determiners: gap filling, editing, reordering | 10 |
| D Literature | Extracts (8); five short answers (10); one long answer of 150 words (8) | 26 |
| Total | 80 |
Where Class 10 English marks are lost
- Formal letter format: missing sender's address, date, subject line or the correct closing, each of which costs marks before content is read.
- Analytical paragraph: describing every number in the chart instead of comparing trends and drawing a conclusion.
- Word limits: long answers of 100 to 120 words that run to 200 words lose focus and time.
- Literature answers without evidence: saying a character is brave without a moment from the text that shows it.
- Extract questions: answering from memory of the chapter rather than from the lines printed in the extract.
- Grammar editing: spotting the error but writing the corrected word in the wrong form, or changing words that were already correct.
How one-to-one Class 10 English lessons work
Lessons are 60 minutes, one to one, in LiveTutor's online classroom with video and a shared whiteboard. Writing is drafted live on the shared screen, so the tutor can mark a letter or paragraph line by line against the CBSE format while your child watches, then the student rewrites it. Over a term, the tutor rotates through the set texts in First Flight and Footprints Without Feet (or the Communicative reader), building a short bank of quotations and moments for each chapter.
Speaking practice is a natural part of an online lesson, and it supports the 5-mark listening and speaking assessment in Language and Literature. Before the boards, lessons move to timed sections from CBSE sample papers so that your child learns how long each task should take.
When to start
English rewards steady practice more than late cramming: one lesson a week from the start of Class 10 is usually enough, with a second weekly lesson for six to eight weeks before the main board exam. Start earlier if your child's school reports show weak written expression in Class 9, since writing habits take time to change. English is one of the subjects that can be improved in CBSE's optional second board exam in May.
Common questions
Which English course is my child taking?
Check the registration details or ask the school, which chooses the course. English Language and Literature (184) uses First Flight and Footprints Without Feet; English Communicative (101) uses the Interact in English series and has more writing and fewer literature marks.
Which chapters are in First Flight for 2026-27?
Prose: A Letter to God, Nelson Mandela: Long Walk to Freedom, Stories About Flying, From the Diary of Anne Frank, Glimpses of India, Mijbil the Otter, Madam Rides the Bus, The Sermon at Benares and The Proposal, plus ten poems from Dust of Snow to For Anne Gregory.
How is speaking assessed?
In Language and Literature, listening and speaking skills are worth 5 of the 20 internal marks. Teachers assess interactive competence, fluency and pronunciation, often through role play, presentations and discussion.
Can a tutor help with grammar if English is not spoken at home?
Yes. The tutor identifies the grammar points your child gets wrong most often, usually tenses, concord and reported speech, and practises them in the CBSE question formats until they become automatic.
How much does Class 10 English tutoring cost?
$15 a lesson, the same for every subject and level, on a weekly plan of 1 to 5 lessons billed monthly. The first lesson is a free trial, and families can switch tutor and keep their paid lessons.
Sources
Dates and figures on this page come from these official and published sources. Always confirm deadlines on the official page before acting on them.