HBSE Class 9 Sample Paper 2026 English

Sample Question Paper

(2025-2026)

Subject: English Time 3 Hours
Class 9th M.M:80.

General Instructions.

1. The question paper contains four sections

(a) Reading Skill (20 Marks)

(b) Grammar (10 Marks)

(c)Writing Skill (10 Marks)

(d) Literature (40 Marks)

2 Attempt questions based on specific instructions for each part

Section A

Reading Skill 20 Marks

Q-1. Read the passage given below and answer the questions that follow. (10)

Drug addiction is a major social evil of modern times. It has transcended all barriers
of cast,colour,creed and sex. It is a problem that is eating into the vitals of society.
In the beginning a person takes a drug out of curiosity. There are some who take
drugs simply for the thrill it gives them. The tragedy is that once a person gets used
to taking any kind of intoxicating drugs it becomes addiction. His body develops
dependence on the drug.He has to steadily increase the dose. Even if at any point of
his life,he realises his folly, it becomes extremely difficult for him to give up drugs.
It is like being in the clutches of a monster.
It is pathetic to see a drug addict,when he does not get his usual dose. His whole
body writhes in pain which drives to madness.Besides,taking drugs is expensive.
Therefore,it drives drug addicts to stealing,committing petty crimes and other Anti
social activities.It is not surprising that drug addicts become anti social elements.
Drugs completely destroy the mental faculties to think clearly and to rationalize.

Questions. 10×1=10

(a) What harm is the evil of drug addiction doing to our society?

(b) Why does a person take drugs in the beginning?

(c) When does drug taking become addiction?

(d) What happens when a drug addict does not get his usual dose?

(e) Give a suitable title to the passage.

(f) What mental faculties are destroyed by drugs?

(i) imagination. (ii) intuition

(iii) perception. (iv) to think clearly and to rationalize

(g) It is very easy for a drug addict to give up drugs:

(i) True (ii) False

(iii) Not mentioned. (iv) partially true

(h) Drug addicts become........

(i) social (ii) humble

(iii) amiable. (iv) antisocial

(i) What drives the drug addicts to madness?

(i) neglect. (ii) poverty

(iiii)body pain. (iv) loneliness

(i) What makes the drug addicts to commit petty crimes?

(i) It give them pleasure. (ii) to pay for the drugs

(iii) they are stressed. (iv) not mentioned

Q-2 Read the passage jivan below and answer the questions that follow. (10)

For millions of people in India, river Ganga is the most sacred river.It is considered as
mother and goddess.It is also a lifeline to millions of Indians who live on the banks of
its course and depend on it for their daily needs. River Ganga is the third largest river in
the world by the amount of water that flows through it. It is the longest river in India.
The river water of Ganga is used for irrigation,transportation and fishing.The gangetic
plane formed by river Ganga is one of the most fertile lands on Earth.This is why almost
10% of the world population lives here and earn its livelihood.

The Ganga,in India is the most worshipped body of water.The
irony here is that in spite of being the most worshipped river, it is also the dirtiest one.It
carries metals thrown out by tanneries, waste produced by industries and urban waste
from different cities. All this has made river Ganga the fifth most polluted river in the
world.

Another major reason that adds to the Ganga river pollution
is the coal based power plants on its banks which burn tons of coal every year and
produce a lot of fly ash .This Ash mixed with domestic waste water is released in the
river. This bad situation calls for an urgent need to make efforts to reduce pollution and
revive river Ganga. To achieve these objectives the Government of India has started a
programme named "Namami Gange Programme".The main pillars of this programme are
sewage treatment,river surface cleaning, afforestation,river front development and public
awareness.The importance of the success of Namami Gange Programme can be seen
through publically.

Questions:

(a) ...............is a lifeline for milions of indians.

(i) Krishna. (ii) Ganga

(iii) Narmada. (iv) Yamuna

(b) ...................of world population lives near rivee Ganga.

(i) 30%. (ii) 15%

(iii) 10%. (iv) 20%

(c) Ganga is the................ most polluted river in the world.

(i) Fifth. (ii) First

(iii) Second. (iv)Third

(d) Ganga is the ............... largest river in the world by the amount of water that flows through it.

(i) First (ii) Second

(iii) Fourth. (iv) Third

(e) Most people in India considered the Ganga as..............

(f) The Government of India has started a programme named................ to clean the Ganga

(g) What are the main pillars of "Namami Gange programme"?

(h) For what purposes is the Ganga water used?

(i) Name two pollutants that make river Ganga very dirty.

(j). Which two purposes will be served by the program "Namami Gange"?

Section - B

Grammar

10 Marks

Q.3 Attempt any ten of the following. questions. Fill in the blanks with Correct option

(Tense)

(a) I have not met him since I .....................(leave) the town

(ⅰ ) leave (ii) left (iii) has left (iv) had left

(b) Hurry up! The train....................... (whistle)

(i) whistles (ⅱ ) is whistling (iⅱ ) are whistling (iv) has been whistling

(Punctuation)

(C) ashoka the great adopted buddhism

(i) Ashoka the great adopted buddhism

(ii) Ashoka , the great adopted buddhism

(iii) Ashoka, the great, adopted Buddhism

(iv) Ashoka, the great adopted Buddhism

(Modal)

(d) Walk slowly lest you.................... fall

(i) will (ⅱ ) should (iii) can (iv) may

Change into Passive voice

(e) He knows me

(i) He is known by me

(ⅱ ) I am known by him

(iii) He is known to me

(iv) I am known to him

Change into indirect speech

(f) The teacher said to me,"What is your name?".

(i) The teacher said that what my name was

(ii) The teacher asked me what my name was

(iii) The teacher asked me what was your name.

(iv) The teacher asked me what was my name.

Preposition

(g) He is superior.......................me.

(i) to

(ii) by

(iii) from

(iv) than

Determiner

(h) Will you give me.................. water?

(i) any (ii) some (iii) many (iv) none of the above

Article

(I) I saw................... one-eyed man yesterday

(ⅰ ) the (ⅱ ) a (iii) an (iv) No article

Clause

(J) What have you done? Tell me

(i) Tell me what you have done?

(ii) Tell me what have you done?

(iii) Tell me what have you done.

(iv) Tell me what you have done.

Verb agreement

(K) The principal and teacher................. honoured by the Education Minister on 26 January 2024

(i) is (ii) are (iii) were (iv) was

Conjunction

(L) He worked hard................... failed.

(ⅰ ) yet (ⅱ ) still (iii) because (iv) but

Section-C

Writing skill 10 Marks

Q.4 Attempt any one of the following (5)

You are Raj/ Rani of House no -78, Model Town, Rewari. You placed an order of 20 computers for your
coaching institute. with Info Tech Computers, Gurugram. Now, due to some reasons' you want to cancel
that order, Write a letter to the manager of Info Tech Computers, Gurugram requesting him to cancel
your order

or

Write an application to the Principal of Government Model Sanskriti Senior Secondary School,
Mahendergarh for making arrangement of Computer classes in your school.

Q.5 Attempt any one of the following. (5)

(ⅰ ) You have a car. You want to sell it. Draft a suitable advertisement under "for sale "column of a local
newspaper .

(ⅱ ) You are the examination Incharge of your school. Write a notice informing the students about the
commencement of half yearly exams and their instructions.

Section D

(Literature) 40 Marks

Q.6 Read the following passage carefully and answer the questions that follow. (5)

Margie always hated school, but now she hated it more than ever. The mechanical teacher had been
giving her test after test in geography and she had been doing worse and worse until her mother had
shaken her head sorrowfully and sent for the County Inspector.

He was a round little man with a red face and a whole box of tools with dials and wires .He smiled at
Margie and gave her an apple, then took the teacher apart.

(a) What did Margie hate now more than ever?

(b) Why did her mother send for the County Inspector?

(c) Name the chapter and its writer.

(d) What had the mechanical teacher been doing?

(e) Find the word from the passage which is the opposite of " happily".

or

I inherited honesty and self- discipline from my father; from my mother, I inherited faith in goodness
and deep kindness and so did my three brothers. and sister, I had three close friends in my childhood-
Ramanadha Sastry, Arvindan and Sivaprakasan. All these boys were from orthodox Hindu Brahmin
families. As children, none of us ever felt any difference amongst ourselves because of our religious
differences and upbringing.

(a) What did the writer inherit from his father?

(b) How many brothers and sisters did Kalam have?

(c) Who were Kalam's Childhood friends ?

(d) Name the chapter and its writer.

(e) Find the word from the passage which means" the treatment and education one receives as a Child"

Q.7 Attempt any two questions. (2x3=6)

(a) When and how did Bismillah khan get his big break ?

(b) Kezia decides that there are 'different kinds of fathers'. What kind of father was Mr Macdonald?

(c) Why does the world remember Einstein as a 'world citizen' ?

(d) What two important and earth shaking decisions did the doctor take while he was looking into the
mirror ?

Q.8 Draw a character Sketch of Santosh Yadav. (6)

or

Kalam narrates two incidents that show how differences can be created and also how they can be
resolved. How can people change their attitudes?

Q.9 Attempt any one from the given stanzas (5)

I shall be telling this with a sigh

somewhere ages and ages hence,;

Two roads diverged in a wood

and I took the one less travelled by,

And that has made all the difference.

Questions:

(a) What would the poet be telling with a sigh?

(b) Where did the two roads diverge?

(c) Which road did the poet take?

(d) Name the poem and its poet.

(e) What had made all the difference?

or

Out from the earth cave,

And the strength of the tree exposed,

The source, 'white and wet,

The most sensitive, hidden

For years inside the earth.

Questions:

(a) What has the root formed under the earth?

(b) How is the strength of the tree exposed?

(c) What is the most sensitive part of a tree?

(d) Where does the root remain hidden for years?

(e) Name the poem and its poet.

Q. 10 Attempt any two of the following (2×3=6)

(a) What should we do to make friends with the wind?

(b) What does the poet like to do when it rains?

(c) How did Saint Peter punish the selfish woman?

(d) How does the poet suggest that all people on earth are the same?

Q.11 Attempt any two of the following. (2x3=6)

(a) Why does the lost child lose interest in the things he had wanted earlier ?

(b) Why does the author say," Toto was not the sort of pet we could keep for long."?

(c) In what way is Iswaran an asset to Mahendra?

(d) Why did the swallow not leave the prince and go to Egypt?

Q.12 How did the guru save the life of his disciple? (6)

or

Behrman had a dream? How did it Come true ?