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ISC English Syllabus Class 11

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What does ISC Class 11 English teach?

The English Exam for ISC Class 11 students has two papers of a hundred marks each. The first paper covers the English Language while the second paper covers English Literature. You can download the syllabus from this page for a full list of topics to be covered. Below is a brief summary of the exam pattern and topics to cover.

Syllabus of the English Language paper

The breakdown of the English Language paper is as follows:

  • Question 1 - A Composition on one of the subjects provided. These subjects will usually cover the six main types of compositions, namely Narrative, Descriptive, Argumentative, Discussion Types, Short Story, and Reflective.

  • Question 2 - This question has two parts to it. The first part is a guided writing assignment, which is usually in the shape of a review, article, speech, statement of purpose, personal profile, or report. The second part of Question 2 is writing a Proposal based on the given directives.

  • Question 3 - Short questions on grammar and structure

  • Question 4 - Reading Comprehension


The English Literature paper has a total of five questions for 20 marks each. The first question will be based on the assigned Shakespeare text or the alternative prescribed text. Apart from the first question, all other questions will be based on any three texts, which may or may not include the Shakespeare play/alternative assigned play.

FAQs on ISC English Syllabus Class 11

1. How should I study for Class 11 ISC English?

The English paper has a lot of questions based on writing and reading comprehension. Thus, these are the two skills you should focus on mastering. To practise your reading comprehension skills, it is recommended that you thoroughly read the prescribed stories or plays. Apart from those, it would also help if you read other books to further hone your language skills and build your vocabulary. A good grasp of grammar and a large vocabulary along with the ability to precisely express your thoughts will ensure that you get good marks for the exam. To practise your writing composition skills, we recommend that you download the sample papers from the Vedantu website and practise using the questions given in those sample papers.

2. Is Class 11 ISC English a good way to learn the language?

Class 11 English in the ISC board goes beyond basic English grammar and vocabulary. It teaches you how to analyse texts for a deeper understanding of the themes and overall message. This is a critical skill that is widely used in college and beyond, so all school students must master this skill. The board also carefully decides on the prescribed texts based on age-appropriate standards. For example, Shakespeare is one of the writers whose works are often prescribed for Class 11 ISC English. This is because his work is appropriate for this age and his works are also timeless. Learning by reading through great texts is the best way to learn the language.

3. Where can I find good study resources for Class 11 ISC English?

You can find all the study resources you need on the Vedantu app or website. There are syllabi for all subjects as well as sample papers. These sample papers are made by experts in the field of e-learning and education. They study the actual exam papers thoroughly before making the sample papers, so the sample papers available on Vedantu are very similar to the real exam papers. These sample papers also have example answers written down for reference. However, we recommend that you attempt to answer the question on your own first and then use the example answer as a comparison point to make any corrections.

4. Is Class 11 ISC English a difficult exam?

While the syllabus for Class 11 ISC English might seem like a massive step up from the Class 10 syllabus, it is not an impossible paper to complete. As long as you study the material thoroughly and practise solving sample papers in advance, there is no reason to be nervous about the exam. Vedantu has the detailed syllabus available for download as a PDF file on this page, but you can also download sample papers from here to practise writing out your answers.

5. What are the most important things in the Class 11 ISC English syllabus?

The Class 11 Syllabus for ISC focuses quite heavily on composition skills and literature analysis. There are two papers for English, each for a hundred marks. The first paper focuses on the English Language and tests students on their composition skills, their grammar, and their reading comprehension. This paper is divided into four parts. The first is a composition question in which the student will be able to choose one topic from six. These will be either narrative, descriptive, argumentative, short story, reflective, or discussion topics. In the second question, students will be asked to write according to the directions given. This will be either an article, review, speech, statement of purpose, or some other specific type of written work. There is a second part to Question 2, which requires students to write a proposal based on the given directives. The third question will include a series of short questions to test grammar, while the fourth tests reading comprehension. The second paper is all about the prescribed texts, so it is important to study those thoroughly as you will not be allowed to refer to the stories during the exam.