The ICSE Class 10 English Literature 2026 question paper covered Julius Caesar, short stories and poetry through multiple-choice and extract-based questions. The paper was worth 80 marks, with two hours for writing and a separate 15-minute reading period. Students looking for the complete paper can use the PDF page linked below; this article explains seven selected questions and the different kinds of answers the paper required.

English Literature is English Paper 2. Its questions focus on the prescribed literary texts, including the setting of a scene, a character's response, the meaning of an image and the reasons behind an action. A correct answer often needs both the relevant detail and an explanation of why it matters in that passage.

ICSE English Literature 2026 paper pattern

The choice rule matters when attempting the paper. After completing Section A, students had to cover all three literary sections. The additional question allowed them to choose another extract from a section they knew well. Choosing all the longer answers from only drama or only poetry would not meet the instructions.

Section A asked students to write only the correct answers rather than copy the questions. The extract-based questions needed written responses. Several had more than one part, such as identifying a character's request, naming the person who opposed it and explaining what that opposition showed about the person.

What each section asked

Section A: details, tone and literary devices

The multiple-choice questions moved across the prescribed texts. They included Caesar's final words, Antony's mood, Brutus's tone during an argument and Martin's fear of the elevator. Other questions tested the order of events in a story and the figure of speech used in a poem. Remembering the plot helped, but some options could only be separated by reading the wording closely.

Section B: Julius Caesar

The drama extracts came from Act 3, Scene 1 and Act 5, Scene 3. The first dealt with Antony's response after Caesar's murder and his dealings with the conspirators. The second concerned Brutus's response to the deaths on the battlefield. Questions connected spoken words to loyalty, judgement, grief and the consequences of earlier decisions.

Section C: prose

The prose extracts were from The Girl Who Can and The Pedestrian. Adjoa's story required attention to her family relationships and the disagreements about her legs. Bradbury's story asked students to explain Mead's surroundings and the way society treated his behaviour. These questions needed details from the stories, followed by reasons where the question asked for them.

Section D: poetry

The poetry extracts were from When Great Trees Fall and The Power of Music. The questions covered images, comparisons, mood, meaning and personal response. The two poems needed different treatment: Angelou's poem deals with loss, while Sukumar Ray uses comic exaggeration. An answer about the effect of an image needed to fit the particular poem.

Some of the Questions of the Paper

Here are some questions from the paper, along with their answers and explanations. Some questions have been shortened without changing their meaning.

1. What does Caesar say as he dies? (Question 1(i))

Answer: The correct option is (b), "Et tu, Brute? Then fall, Caesar!"

Caesar recognises Brutus among the men attacking him. The first part expresses his shock that Brutus has joined them; the second marks his surrender. The answer depends on identifying Caesar's own words at the moment of his death. Other famous lines connected with the assassination belong to different speakers or later scenes, so remembering a quotation without its speaker can lead to the wrong option.

2. What did Martin dislike about the elevator? (Question 1(vii))

Answer: Its small size, option (c).

In William Sleator's The Elevator, the confined space is central to Martin's fear. The question asks for the particular feature he dislikes, so a broad answer such as "he was frightened" would leave out the requested detail. The small space also helps explain why sharing the elevator feels threatening to him. Its physical size is therefore part of the story's setting and part of the way the story creates fear.

3. Which figure of speech matches the comparison in Haunted Houses? (Question 1(xii))

Answer: A simile; the correct choice is the option comparing a woman's movement to a flower in the wind, option (d).

The question uses Longfellow's comparison of the spirit world to an atmosphere. The word "like" makes the comparison explicit. To choose the matching option, students needed another example that used the same device. Both comparisons help the reader picture something through a more familiar image. It is the form of the comparison, rather than a shared subject or mood, that connects the two examples.

4. What does Antony request, and why does Cassius object? (Question 2(v))

Answer: Antony asks to speak at Caesar's funeral. Cassius warns Brutus against allowing it because Antony's words could move the crowd. His warning shows political caution and an understanding of how people may react.

This question has several parts. Naming the funeral speech answers only the first. A fuller response also identifies Cassius, gives his reason and connects that reason to his character. Cassius understands that Antony may influence the citizens even if he appears to accept the conspirators' terms. Descriptions such as "practical", "far-sighted" or "politically alert" can express the point when supported by this warning.

5. Where was Adjoa born, and who were her two favourite people? (Question 4(i))

Answer: Adjoa was born in Hasodzi, Ghana. Her two favourite people were her mother, Maami, and her grandmother, Nana.

The answer establishes the setting and the relationships in The Girl Who Can. Both names need their family roles to make the response clear. Adjoa's affection for both women matters because she hears them disagree about her. Their disagreement does not mean she has stopped loving either of them. The phrase "two favourite people" explains why the conflict is important to the child telling the story.

6. Why is Mead's night walk compared to walking through a graveyard? (Question 5(ii))

Answer: The comparison suits the dark, quiet houses and the absence of people outside. The residents remain indoors watching television, so the streets lack ordinary human movement and conversation.

The question asks for the comparison and two reasons. A clear answer can separate the still surroundings from the residents' withdrawal into their homes. The description makes a populated neighbourhood feel deserted. Mead is physically present in the streets, noticing the world around him, while the other residents are hidden behind their windows. The graveyard comparison conveys this disturbing stillness without suggesting that the people have literally died.

7. Which three natural images show the effect of falling trees? (Question 6(i))

Answer: Rocks tremble on distant hills, lions crouch in tall grass and elephants move towards safety.

Angelou's opening presents a disturbance felt beyond the tree itself. The three images involve the landscape and two powerful animals, making the effect seem widespread. For this question, naming all three images is more useful than writing a general paragraph about sadness. An explanation can then connect their reactions to the sense of shock and insecurity that the poem develops around the loss of an important person.

What the selected questions show

The paper tested different levels of reading. Some questions asked for a direct detail, such as a place or a character's words. Others required a reason, an interpretation or a comment on character. The wording of each sub-question therefore determined how much explanation belonged in the answer.

The longer questions also rewarded connections between an extract and the wider text. Cassius's warning makes sense through his understanding of Antony and the crowd. The quiet street in The Pedestrian becomes more significant when connected with the residents' habits. These are specific links to the story or play, rather than general statements about courage, sadness or society.

Download the complete ICSE English Literature Question Paper 2026 PDF

Frequently asked questions

Was ICSE English Literature 2026 a two-hour paper?

Yes. The original question paper allowed two hours for writing. The first 15 minutes were for reading, during which students could not write answers.

Did students have to answer every extract question?

No. Section A was compulsory. Students then had to answer one question from each of Sections B, C and D, followed by one additional question of their choice.

Are solutions available with the complete paper?

The linked resource page provides a question-paper PDF, a separate solutions PDF and answers on the page. This article explains only seven selected questions.

Can a literature answer use different wording?

A written explanation can use clear words that accurately answer the question and support its point from the text. Where the question asks for a specific name, quotation or number of examples, those details still need to be included.