Maharashtra SSC English (First Language) Board Paper July 2025

Q.1 (A) A1. Do as directed (any four) : (4 marks)

(1) Punctuate the following sentence : what a lot of noise you all make

(2) Identify the subject and predicate in the following sentence : I do not know anything about Bach.

(3) Arrange the following words in the alphabetical order : invention, indisputable, interaction, inequity.

(4) Fill in the blank with the proper form of the verb given in the bracket and rewrite the sentence : That news ...................... published today. (is/are)

(5) Write two past participles of any verb where the last letters are doubled.

Q.1 (A) A2. Do as directed (any two) : (4 marks)

(1) Make two separate sentences using the following homophones in each : deer, dear

(2) Rewrite the following sentence in Indirect narration : “I’m so sorry, Dr. Einstein,” she said.

(3) Name and identify the clauses : When the king arrived, the hermit was digging the ground in front of his hut.

Q.1 (B) Do as directed (any one) : (2 marks)

(1) Change the degree of comparison into positive and comparative : The IAF is one of the most potent air forces in the world.

(2) Use the given two words into one meaningful sentence : duty, discipline

Q.2 (A) Read the following passage and do the activities : (10 marks)

A1. Write true/false within the boxes provided after each sentence : (2) [Four sentences, each followed by an empty box for the answer.] (1) We have a rose plant in our garden. (2) As evening approaches, the flower withers completely. (3) We went to a rocky beach. (4) Our problems are not colossal.

We have a hibiscus plant in our garden. Every fortnight a flower blooms on it—big, bright and tender. Through the day it smiles with the sun and dances with the wind, but as evening approaches, it starts wilting. The morning after, it withers completely and by evening it falls and becomes one with the earth again. The flower comes to life only for a day, yet it does so in full splendour. What if we too lived our life, however short, to its fullest ?

We went to a rocky beach and saw the spread of the majestic ocean and the rocks alongside, carved, sculpted and shaped by the water. Water is so gentle, rock so hard, yet, as the water flows over it every day, for years, the rock gives in. It takes the shape that the water commands. Our problems are so colossal and we are so small, yet if we persist .........

We saw small bits of grass peeping through the small cracks in a concrete pavement. It left us thinking : however impossible things may look, there is always an opening.........

A2. How should we deal with difficulties and problems ? (2)

A3. Vocabulary : (2) Complete the table : [Table with four columns — Noun, Verb, Adjective, Adverb. Row 1 : brightness / brighten / .......... / .......... Row 2 : .......... / persist / .......... / persistently.]

A4. Grammar : (2) (1) Underline the verbs in the sentences below and say whether they are transitive or intransitive. It withers completely. (2) Add a question tag and rewrite the sentence. It left us thinking.

A5. Which things in nature attract you the most and how do you get motivated by constantly observing them ? (2)

Q.2 (B) Read the following passage and do the activities : (10 marks)

B1. Complete the web from passage : (2) [Web diagram: the centre oval reads “Parts of body”; four blank ovals are joined to it by arrows, two above and two below.]

One morning in a small apartment in Bombay a girl of about sixteen looked up from the newspaper and said excitedly, ‘Pandit Ravi Shankar’s playing tomorrow at the Shanmukhananda auditorium’.

‘Sh-sh,’ said her mother pointing to the figure sleeping on the bed. ‘You’ll wake him up. You know he needs all the sleep and rest he can get.’

But the boy on the bed was not asleep. ‘Pandit Ravi Shankar !’ he said. ‘Pandit Ravi Shankar, the sitar maestro ? He raised himself up on his elbows for one second, then fell back. But his eyes were shining. ‘We mustn’t miss the chance,’ he said. ‘I’ve – ‘I’ve – always wanted to hear him and see him.......’

‘Lie down son, lie down.’ His mother sprang to his side. ‘He actually raised himself up without help,’ she murmured with a catch in her throat and her eyes turned to the idols on a corner shelf. The prayer, which she uttered endlessly, came unbidden to her lips.

B2. Find the reasons for each of the sentence given below from the passage : (2) (i) The mother ‘sh-sh’-ed her ........................ . (ii) The boy’s eyes were shining ...................... .

B3. Vocabulary : (2) (1) Find out two onomatopoeic words from the passage. (2) Complete the cross puzzle in the given ladders in capital letters. (The words should be from the passage only) [Crossword: a horizontal ladder of nine squares with the letter T in the middle square, crossed by a vertical ladder of ten squares with the same T as its fifth letter.]

B4. Grammar : (2) (1) He raised himself up on his elbows for one second, then fell back. (Make it simple) (2) The boy on the bed was not asleep. (Make it affirmative)

B5. Why do you think the boy’s mother’s eyes turned towards the idols kept in the corner ? (2)

Q.3 (A) Read the following extract and do the given activities : (5 marks)

A1. Complete the sentences with words from the extract : (2) (1) The villagers prayed that the misfortunes of mother’s ................. should decrease. (2) Mother twisted through and through .................... on a mat. (3) My father was sceptic and a ..................... . (4) The poet watched the ........................... feeding on his mother.

May he sit still, they said
May the sins of your previous birth
be burned away tonight, they said.
May your suffering decrease
the misfortunes of your next birth, they said.
May the sum of all evil
balanced in this unreal world
against the sum of good
become diminished by your pain.
May the poison purify your flesh
of desire, and your spirit of ambition,
they said, and they sat around
on the floor with my mother in the centre,
the peace of understanding on each face.
More candles, more lanterns, more neighbours,
more insects, and the endless rain.
My mother twisted through and through,
groaning on a mat.
My father, sceptic, rationalist,
trying every curse and blessings,
powder, mixture, herb and hybrid.
He even poured a little paraffin
upon the bitten toe and put a match to it.
I watched the flame feeding on my mother.
I watched the holy man perform his rites to tame the
poison with an incantation.
After twenty hours
it lost its sting.
My mother only said
Thank God the scorpion picked on me.
And spared my children.

A2. Why do you think mother thanked God that the scorpion picked her, not her children ? (2)

A3. Poetic device : (1) Name and explain the figure of speech in the following line : My mother twisted through and through, groaning on the mat.

Q.3 (B) Read the following poem and write an appreciation of it with the help of the given points in a paragraph format : (5 marks)

All the World’s a Stage

All the world’s a stage,
And all the men and women merely players;
They have their exits and their entrances,
And one man in his time plays many parts,
His acts being seven ages. At first, the infant,
Mewling and puking in the nurse’s arms.
Then the whining schoolboy, with his satchel
And shining morning face, creeping like snail
Unwillingly to school. And then the lover,
Sighing like furnance, with a woeful ballad
Made to his mistress’ eyebrow. Then a soldier,
Full of strange oaths and bearded like the pard,
Jealous in honour, sudden and quick in quarrel,
Sicking the bubble reputation
Even in the cannon’s mouth. And then the justice,
In fair round belly with good capon lined,
With eyes severe and beard of formal cut,
Full of wise saws and modern instances;
And so he plays his part. The sixth age shifts
Into the lean and slippered pantaloon,
With spectacles on nose and pouch on side;
His youthful hose, well saved, a world too wide
For his shrunk shank, and his big manly voice,
Turning again toward childish treble, pipes
And whistles in his sound. Last scene of all,
That ends this strange eventful history,
Is second childishness and mere oblivion,
Sans teeth, sans eyes, sans taste, sans everything.
— William Shakespeare

Points : The title and the poet of the poem (1) • Rhyme scheme (1) • Figure of speech (1) • Central idea/theme (2).

Q.4 (A) Read the following passage and do the activities : (10 marks)

A1. Complete the web : (2) [Web diagram: the centre rectangle reads “The food of fossa”; four blank boxes are joined to it by arrows, two above and two below.]

Madagascar is not famous only for its lemurs, though the animated films might give you that impression ! The island nation off the east coast of Africa is home to interesting endemic carnivores, too. One of them is the Fossa. Though it is the largest carnivore on the island, the fossa’s habits in the wild are little known since it is so elusive.

Madagascar’s top predator looks like a mix of a monkey, a cat and a weasel ! A rich golden brown colour with a whitish belly, a fossa has paws with claws like a cat, a 65-70-cm-long thin tail like a monkey and small rounded ears like a weasel ! Its tail measures about the same as its sinuous, low-slung body.

Earlier, scientists thought that it was a nocturnal hunter because it was so rarely spotted. However, recent studies have shown that fossas hunt and sleep at any time of the day. It is a superb ambush hunter and eats small and medium-sized prey such as fish, birds, mice and wild pigs, However, its main food is lemurs.

Fossas are equally at home on tall trees and on the ground. The long tail helps them to maintain their balance on narrow branches. Retractable claws and flexible ankle joints enable them to climb down tree trunks head first !

The den is made in an old termite mound, the hollow of a tree or a rock crevice. There are two to six pups to a litter and they are born toothless and with white fur. They are dependent on the mother till they are eight months old.

A2. Describe the physical appearance of fossa. (2)

A3. Vocabulary : Find out the words from the passage and write them in the boxes provided : (2) (1) Animals feeding on other animals. (2) Turning and twisting while moving. (3) Awake and active at night. (4) Surprise attack from a hidden position.

A4. Grammar : (2) (1) The animals are solitary and silent. (Use not only .................. but also.) (2) However, recent studies have shown that fossas hunt and sleep at any time of the day. (Find any two determiners.)

A5. Describe any other mix breed animal or bird you are aware of. (2)

Q.4 (B) Read the passage given in question 4(A) and write a summary of it in a paragraph. Suggest a suitable title. (5 marks)

Madagascar is not famous only for its lemurs, though the animated films might give you that impression ! The island nation off the east coast of Africa is home to interesting endemic carnivores, too. One of them is the Fossa. Though it is the largest carnivore on the island, the fossa’s habits in the wild are little known since it is so elusive.

Madagascar’s top predator looks like a mix of a monkey, a cat and a weasel ! A rich golden brown colour with a whitish belly, a fossa has paws with claws like a cat, a 65-70-cm-long thin tail like a monkey and small rounded ears like a weasel ! Its tail measures about the same as its sinuous, low-slung body.

Earlier, scientists thought that it was a nocturnal hunter because it was so rarely spotted. However, recent studies have shown that fossas hunt and sleep at any time of the day. It is a superb ambush hunter and eats small and medium-sized prey such as fish, birds, mice and wild pigs, However, its main food is lemurs.

Fossas are equally at home on tall trees and on the ground. The long tail helps them to maintain their balance on narrow branches. Retractable claws and flexible ankle joints enable them to climb down tree trunks head first !

The den is made in an old termite mound, the hollow of a tree or a rock crevice. There are two to six pups to a litter and they are born toothless and with white fur. They are dependent on the mother till they are eight months old.

Q.5 (A) Letter writing : (5 marks) Read the following poster about ‘Cleanliness Week’ celebrated in Talegaon : [Poster: “Talegaon announces ‘Cleanliness Week’”. Bullet points — Cleanliness keeps you healthy. Cleanliness is next to Godliness. Period of cleanliness drive : 15th Sept., 2019 to 22nd Sept., 2019. “Do this :” — always use dustbin; keep your locality clean; don’t spit on the roads and walls; plant and save trees.]

Imagine you are Nipun/Nayana Patel, residing at Somthana, Hingna Road, Dist. Akola. Attempt any one letter based on the given situation. Use the points given in the poster above. Also use your own points.

A1. Formal Letter : Write a letter to the Gram Sevak of your village to make arrangements to celebrate ‘Cleanliness Week’. (alternative to A2)

Q.5 (A) Letter writing : (5 marks) Read the following poster about ‘Cleanliness Week’ celebrated in Talegaon : [Poster: “Talegaon announces ‘Cleanliness Week’”. Bullet points — Cleanliness keeps you healthy. Cleanliness is next to Godliness. Period of cleanliness drive : 15th Sept., 2019 to 22nd Sept., 2019. “Do this :” — always use dustbin; keep your locality clean; don’t spit on the roads and walls; plant and save trees.]

Imagine you are Nipun/Nayana Patel, residing at Somthana, Hingna Road, Dist. Akola. Attempt any one letter based on the given situation. Use the points given in the poster above. Also use your own points.

A2. Informal Letter : Write a letter to your friend Anil/Alka Roy telling him/her how you celebrated ‘Cleanliness Week’ in your village. (alternative to A1)

Q.6 (A) Information Transfer : (5 marks)

A1. Read the following information and make a table on the basis of the given information. (alternative to A2)

Vitamins play a major role in keeping us fit and healthy. They are essential for the growth and development of human body. We must have vitamins regularly. There are four types of vitamins. They are Vitamins A, B, C and D. Vitamin A is found mostly in milk, butter and eggs. The sources of Vitamin B are meat and eggs. Eggs provide us both Vitamins A and B. We can get Vitamin C from fruits and vegetables and Vitamin D from sunlight and fish oil. The sun is the rich source of Vitamin D. So sit or work in sunlight.

Deficiency of these vitamins causes dangerous threat to the human body. It leads to various disease and unhealthiness. Lack of Vitamin A causes blindness. Vitamin B leads to the disorder of the nervous system. Human skin is affected due to deficiency of Vitamin C. This leads to various skin diseases, while Vitamin D deficiency makes our bones weak. So, to keep fit, take a balanced diet which provides all the vitamins.

Q.6 (A) Information Transfer : (5 marks)

A2. Read the advantages and disadvantages of solar energy in the given table and write a paragraph on it : (alternative to A1)

[Table with two columns — Advantages and Disadvantages. Advantages : 1. a renewable source of energy. 2. reduces electricity bills. 3. low maintenance cost. 4. technological development. Disadvantages : 1. high cost of development 2. weather dependent 3. lot of space is utilised 4. solar energy storage is expensive.]

Q.6 (B) Speech writing : (5 marks)

B1. It is a known fact that sports have become a hobby of the rich people. Prepare a speech on the topic “Sports are meant for the rich only.” You can use the hints given below : modern sports are very expensive • money is the main player • the poor have neither money nor recommendation • your suggestions (alternative to B2)

Q.6 (B) View-counterview : (5 marks)

B2. It is better to follow your heart than the advice of others. Write your counterviews reading the following viewpoints. Views : people find it easy to advise • not everyone is your well wisher • you are the master of your own fate • learn to take your own decisions (alternative to B1)

Q.7 A1. Expand the theme : (5 marks) Expand the following theme into 100 words : ‘Music is the medicine for the mind and soul.’ (alternative to A2)

Q.7 A2. News Report : (5 marks) Your school had organized a science exhibition which was inaugurated by a well known scientist. Write a news report of about 20 lines to be published in the local newspaper. Your report should cover the following points : the function • his speech • science exhibition • prize distribution (alternative to A1)

Q.7 B1. Developing a story : (5 marks) Develop a Story. Begin with the given line and suggest a suitable title : Before I could understand what had happened, the monkey jumped on my table and snatched the bananas from my hands .................. (alternative to B2)

Q.7 B2. Narrate an experience : (5 marks) Narrate your own experience ending with the given line. ......................., thus he/she decided never to disobey his/her teacher. (alternative to B1)