HBSE Class 11 Sample Paper 2027 English Elective

FOR HARYANA CLASS 11 PREPARATION

HBSE Class 11 Sample
Paper 2027 English
Elective
EXAM YEAR TYPE SUBJECT

Haryana Class 11 2027 Sample Paper English

Notes · Sample Papers · Previous Year Papers · Mock Tests

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MODEL PAPER
se ENGLISH ELECTIVE
(Subject Code: 520) ag l
Time Allowed: 3 Hours Maximum Marks: 80
Class: XI Session: 2026–27

General Instructions:
1. Reading time of 15 minutes is allotted to read the question paper.
2. The Question Paper contains four sections – READING, WRITING, GRAMMAR and m
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LITERATURE.
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3. Follow specific instructions given in each section. Mention the correct question number
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while answering.
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SECTION – A : READING (10 marks)

Q1. Read the following passage carefully and answer the questions that follow:((5 Marks))

Books have always been the finest companions of mankind. Unlike the transient
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pleasures of entertainment, a good book stays with the reader long after the last page is
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turned. It opens windows to unknown worlds, encourages empathy, and sharpens
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critical thinking. In an age dominated by short video clips and social media scrolling,
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the habit of reading is gradually declining, especially among the young.
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Research suggests that students who read regularly demonstrate better vocabulary,
improved concentration, and stronger analytical skills compared to those who do not.
Reading also contributes to emotional intelligence – exposure to diverse characters and
complex narratives teaches readers to understand and appreciate perspectives different
from their own.

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It is therefore the responsibility of schools, libraries, and parents to cultivate a reading

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culture. Introducing reading programmes, maintaining well-stocked libraries, and
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setting aside daily reading time can go a long way in nurturing a lifelong love for
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books. In the end, a nation of readers is a nation of thinkers.
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a 1. According to the passage, what makes a good book different from entertainment ?
(a) It is more expensive
(b) It stays with the reader and encourages empathy
(c) It can be read quickly
(d) It is available in libraries only

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2. What does the passage say about students who read regularly ?
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(a) They score better in sports
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(b) They prefer fiction over non-fiction
(c) They have better vocabulary, concentration, and analytical skills
(d) They avoid using technology

3. What is the main concern expressed in the passage about modern youth ?
4. Mention any two ways suggested in the passage to cultivate a reading culture.
5. What does the phrase ‘a nation of readers is a nation of thinkers’ suggest ?

Q2. Read the following unseen poem carefully and answer the questions that follow: (5
Marks)

The River’s Journey

I begin as a whisper in the mountain’s heart,
A trickle shy, before I play my part.
Through pebbles bright and meadows wide I race,
Gathering voices, finding my own grace.

The valley bows as I grow wide and deep,
Carrying the secrets mountains cannot keep.
I feed the roots of trees, the thirst of men,
And pour myself into the sea – and begin again.

Do not mourn that I vanish in the tide;
The river does not die, it learns to hide.
In cloud, in rain, in every morning dew,
I return to mountains, always born anew.

1. What does the river symbolize in the poem ?
(a) Destruction and chaos
(b) The journey of life – from birth to rebirth
(c) The power of mountains
(d) The sorrow of separation

2. Which poetic device is used in the phrase ‘A trickle shy’ ?
(a) Metaphor
(b) Alliteration
(c) Personification
(d) Simile

3. Where does the river ultimately pour itself into ?

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5. In one word, describe the tone of the poem.
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SECTION – B : WRITING SKILLS AND GRAMMAR (20 marks)

Q3. Attempt any one of the following: ((5 Marks))

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(a) Write a debate in 150–200 words either for or against the motion:
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“Scientific Progress Has Brought More Harm Than Benefit to Humanity.”
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OR
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(b) Writegal debate in 150–200 words either for or against the motion:
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“City Life is Far Superior to Village Life.”

Q4. Attempt any one of the following: ((5 Marks))

Write a paragraph in about 120–150 words on any one of the following topics:

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(a) The Role of Youth in Nation Building
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OR
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(b) My Favourite Season and WhygIl Love It
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Q5. Choose the most appropriate option for each sentence: ((10 Marks))

(Modals)

1. The doctor said she _______ take complete bed rest for a week.
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(a) can
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(b) must
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2. You _______ wear your seat belt while driving.
(a) can
(b) must
(c) might
(d) could

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3. He _______ have left the keys inside – the door is still unlocked.
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(a) should
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(b) would
(c) might
(d) can

(Articles)

4. She has _______ MA degree in English Literature.
(a) a
(b) an
(c) the
(d) no article

5. We visited _______ historical monument during our school trip.
(a) a
(b) an
(c) the
(d) no article

6. _______ honesty is the most valued quality in a leader.
(a) A
(b) An
(c) The
(d) no article

(Tenses)

7. By the time the ambulance arrived, the patient _______ already.
(a) died
(b) has died
(c) had died
(d) was dying

8. She _______ in this school since she was six years old.
(a) studies
(b) has been studying
(c) was studying
(d) studied

(Voice)

9. The new bridge _______ by the Chief Minister last Monday.
(a) inaugurates

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(c) has inaugurated
(d) is inaugurating

10. _______ the letter posted by you ?
(a) Did you post the letter ?
(b) Was the letter posted by you ?
(c) Has the letter been posted by you ?
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(d) Is the letter posted by you ?
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(Narration)
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g la“I will call you tomorrow.”
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(a) He said that he will call me the next day.
(b) He said that he would call me the next day.
(c) He says that he called me tomorrow.
(d) He told that he would call me tomorrow.

12. The teacher said to the students, “Work hard and you will succeed.”
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(a) The teacher said to work hard and they would succeed.
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(b) The teacher told the students that work hard or succeed.
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(c) The teacher advised the students to work hard and assured them that they would
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(d) The teacher ordered them to work hard to succeed.

SECTION – C : LITERATURE – WOVEN WORDS (50 marks)

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Q6. Read the following extract from a short story and answer the questions that follow: (5
Marks)
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e m He had said it himself, Sohrab—that was what he was called linasthee village—had come
l as to him with great hopes and said that the fields could be saved
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ag arranged. But Baren Babu had turned his face away. He was not a cruel man by nature;
he simply lacked the courage to oppose the moneylender who controlled the whole
village. The zamindar had been kind once, but now he only sat behind his accounts.
Sohrab had come out without a word, his head bowed. His wife stood at the courtyard
gate waiting, her eyes asking what her tongue dared not.

1. What did Sohrab request from Baren Babu ?
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(a) A new piece of land
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(b) A loan to save his fields
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(c) Permission to leave the village
(d) Employment in the zamindar’s house

2. Why did Baren Babu refuse Sohrab’s request ?
(a) He disliked Sohrab personally
(b) He had no money
(c) He lacked courage to oppose the moneylender
(d) He was told by the government not to help

3. What does Sohrab’s bowed head suggest about his state of mind ?
4. How does the author convey the wife’s anxiety without making her speak ?
5. What does the phrase ‘he only sat behind his accounts’ tell us about Baren Babu ?

Q7. Read the following stanza carefully and answer the questions that follow:((5 Marks))

There is an evening coming in
Across the fields, one never seen before,
That lights no lamps.

Silken it seems at a distance, yet
When it is drawn up over the knees and breast
It brings no comfort.

Where has the tree gone, that locked
Earth to the sky? What is under my hands,
That I cannot feel?
What loads my hands down?

1. What does ‘the evening coming in’ most likely symbolize in the poem ?
(a) The beauty of sunset
(b) The approach of old age or death
(c) A sudden rainstorm
(d) The arrival of peace

2. Which poetic device is used in ‘Silken it seems at a distance’ ?
(a) Metaphor
(b) Alliteration
(c) Hyperbole
(d) Onomatopoeia

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4. What is the significance of the missing tree in the stanza ?
5. What feeling does the speaker experience in the final two lines ?
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Q8. Read the following extract from an essay and answer the questions that follow: ((5
Marks))

“The truest test of civilization is not the census, nor the size of cities, nor the crops –
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no, but the kind of man the country turns out. A creative mind is not simply one that
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produces novelties; it is one that sees relationships and connections where others see
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only isolated facts. The scientist who discovers a new element, the artist who reveals a s e
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hidden emotion in paint or stone, the poet who strikes an unexpected chord of memory
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– all are engaged in the same fundamental act: the act of seeing anew. And it is this
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capacity to see anew that separates the merely clever from the genuinely creative.”

1. According to the passage, what is the truest test of civilization ?
(a) The size of its cities
(b) The kind of people the country produces
(c) Its agricultural output
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(d) Its census figures

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2. What, according to the passage, distinguishes a creative mind from a merely clever
one ?
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(a) The ability to memorize facts
(b) The capacity to produce novelties
(c) The ability to see new relationships and connections
(d) The talent to write poetry

3. Name any two types of creative individuals mentioned in the passage.
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4. What common activity does the passage say all creative people share ?
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a Q9. Do any one of the following questions in 150–200 words: (5 Marks)

(a) Describe the grief of Iona Potapov in ‘The Lament’ by Chekhov. How does the
story show the pain of having no one to share one’s sorrow with ?
OR
(b) What is the significance of the title ‘Glory at Twilight’ ? How does Bhabani
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Bhattacharya use the character of Srijut Sovan Lal to explore the theme of dignity and
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the desire for recognition ?
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Q10. Do any one of the following questions in 150–200 words: ((5 Marks))

(a) How does W. H. Auden portray the helplessness and homelessness of refugees in
‘Refugee Blues’ ? What images and repetitions does he use to intensify the reader’s
sympathy ?
OR
(b) How does Dilip Chitre use the ‘Felling of the Banyan Tree’ as a symbol of cultural
uprooting and the loss of roots and memory ? Discuss with close reference to the poem.

Q11. Do any one of the following questions in 150–200 words: ((5 Marks))

(a) Explain how Bertrand Russell’s three passions shaped his life and work. Which of
the three passions do you consider the most significant and why ?
OR
(b) How does E. M. Forster distinguish between a ‘story’ and a ‘plot’ in his essay ‘The
Story’ ? What does he mean when he says the story appeals to our primitive curiosity ?

Q12. Do any four out of the following five questions in 40–50 words each:((2×4 = 8 Marks))

(a) What does Paul’s obsession with the rocking-horse tell us about the relationship
between luck, money, and love in the Lawrence story ? (The Rocking-horse Winner)
(b) How does Sherlock Holmes expose Nathan Garrideb as an impostor in ‘The
Adventure of the Three Garridebs’ ?
(c) Why does the narrator of ‘The Luncheon’ feel a sense of quiet revenge at the end of
the story ?
(d) How does Pappachi’s discovery about his moth affect his relationship with his wife
and daughter ? (Pappachi’s Moth)
(e) What impression of American society does Jhumpa Lahiri create through the
character of Mrs. Croft in ‘The Third and Final Continent’ ?

Q13. Do any four out of the following five questions in 40–50 words each:((2×4 = 8 Marks))

(a) What distinction does G. N. Devy draw between oral and written literary traditions
in ‘Tribal Verse’ ?
(b) According to John Ruskin, what are the qualities that make a book truly ‘good’ ?
(‘What is a Good Book?’)
(c) How does Mark Twain use humour to describe his experience with the watchmaker
in ‘My Watch’ ?
(d) What does Kumudini Lakhia mean by ‘bridges’ in her essay ? How can art serve as
a bridge between cultures ?
(e) How does S. Chandrasekhar classify the different types of creative minds in
‘Patterns of Creativity’ ?

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(a) What attitude does the hawk reveal about itself in Ted Hughes’ ‘Hawk Roosting’ ?
What does this suggest about power and arrogance ?
(b) How does Wole Soyinka use humour and irony in ‘Telephone Conversation’ to
expose racial prejudice ?
(c) What does Wordsworth lament in ‘The World is Too Much With Us’ ? How does
he contrast the modern world with the world of nature ?
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