Answer ANY ONE of the following two questions, in about 100-120 words :
Answer ANY ONE of the following two questions, in about 100-120 words :
Official answer
This is a general instruction, not a scorable question in itself: it directs the candidate to attempt only ONE of the two 6-mark long-answer literature questions that follow — Q.11.I ('A Triumph of Surgery') OR Q.11.II ('The Necklace') — in about 100-120 words. Attempting both wastes examination time, since only one response is typically evaluated as per CBSE norms.
Marking scheme
- 1.This is an instruction line carrying no independent marks; marks (6) are allocated to whichever single sub-option (I or II) the candidate attempts and answers.
- 2.Candidates must clearly label which option (I or II) they are answering so the examiner evaluates the correct response.
- 3.Answering both options does not earn double credit; only one response is assessed under CBSE guidelines.
Hint
Read both options first, then attempt only ONE — the one whose theme (thoughtful parenting vs obsession with appearances) you can evaluate with specific plot detail — within 100-120 words.
Quick oral answer
This line tells the student to answer only one of the two questions that follow — about 'A Triumph of Surgery' or 'The Necklace' — in 100-120 words.
Common mistakes
- 1.Attempting both options instead of just one, wasting valuable exam time since only one is credited.
- 2.Not labelling the chosen option clearly (I or II), causing confusion for the evaluator.
- 3.Retelling the plot instead of evaluating the theme/lesson the question stem specifically asks for.
Analysis and explanation
This is another internal-choice instruction line, structurally identical to the one before Q.10.
Concept
- Sets up a choice between two 6-mark prose-based long-answer questions: 'A Triumph of Surgery' vs 'The Necklace.'
- Both underlying options use the command word 'evaluate', demanding a moral/thematic judgement, not mere narration.
Key points
- Read both options, choose the one you can support with specific plot detail.
- Answer within 100-120 words, clearly labelled.
Common mistakes
- Attempting both options instead of one — only one response is typically evaluated.
- Writing generic, non-text-specific answers instead of engaging with the named theme.
Interesting facts
Both prose options here — 'A Triumph of Surgery' and 'The Necklace' — come from the supplementary reader Footprints without Feet, which focuses on stories with strong moral or ironic twists.
CBSE frequently pairs prose questions with 'evaluate' as the command word for these two texts, since both carry a clear moral lesson open to critical judgement.
The consistent 100-120 word guideline across both internal-choice question sets (Q10 and Q11) reflects CBSE's standardised long-answer literature format for this paper.
Question details
Q58 of 72 questions
- Board
- CBSE
- Class
- Class 10
- Subject
- English (Language & Literature)
- Year
- 2026
- Section
- Section C
- Marks
- 6
- Type
- Long Answer
- Chapter
- General Instruction (Internal Choice)
- Topic
- Internal choice instruction (Literature Long Answer)
- Bloom's level
- remember
- Syllabus topic
- Unit: Literature — First Flight / Footprints without Feet: Long Answer internal-choice format
- Author
- CBSE
- Reviewed by
- Padhantu Academic Team
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Frequently asked questions
Do I get marks for attempting both options under this instruction?
No. CBSE evaluators mark only one response as per the 'any one' instruction; attempting both wastes time.
What command word should guide the answer style here?
'Evaluate' — the answer should judge the moral/thematic significance of the chosen text, not just narrate the plot.