Maharashtra SSC English (First Language) Board Paper June 2026

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

(1) Identify the type of sentence : How utterly we have failed our children!

(2) Complete the following word chain of verbs : run, n............, ................., ................., ....................

(3) Form any two present participles in which the last letter is doubled.

(4) Write the root word after dropping the prefix or suffix or both : determination

(5) Arrange the following words in alphabetical order : Kindness, bunch, nation, strength.

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

(1) Pick out the verb and state its tense : She had an eager interest in athletics. (i) Verb : ......... (ii) Tense : .........

(2) Make two sentences of your own to show difference of homograph : Current (i) ......... (ii) .........

(3) Change the following sentence into indirect speech : ‘I don’t know when we’ll get another opportunity to hear Pandit Ravi Shankar,’ she said.

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

(1) Pick out the modal auxiliary and state its function : Can we give up God’s abode for such a great scientific mission ?

(2) Identify the subordinate clause and name it : There are 890 World Heritage Sites that are located in 148 countries.

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

A1. Rewrite the given statements by choosing the correct alternative : (2)

(1) Spirituality can lift one out of any kind of ........................ . (i) simplicity and divinity. (ii) confusion, misery or failure. (iii) inquisitiveness and humility.

(2) All three friends discussed on ................................. . (i) discoveries and inventions. (ii) community’s problems and solutions. (iii) science and spirituality.

(3) Dr. Kalam’s own life was nourished by ............................ . (i) comfort (ii) superstitions (iii) multiple faiths.

(4) Pakshi Lakshmana Shastrigal was the head priest of ....................... . (i) Rameswara temple (ii) Mosque (iii) Church.

Dr. Kalam was a great scientist–this is indisputable. But he was also convinced that fact and faith can, together, create a better planet. He once told me, ‘Science and faith must coexist for the human good. Science provides focus–focus helps us solve questions, discover the truth and conceive inventions. Faith provides perspective–perspective helps us see how our creations and discoveries go on to impact a combination vital for the success of societies. Science accelerates progress and faith curbs it within reasonable limitations. If the two function true to their roles, they will work together for the betterment of humanity.

Dr. Kalam’s own life was nourished by multiple faiths.

His father, a boatman, also served as an imam at their local mosque, and his two best friends were from two different religions–one was a Hindu and the other was a Christian. Pakshi Lakshmana Shastrigal was the head priest of the famous Rameswara temple and a Vedic scholar, and the Reverend Father Bodal had built the first church on Rameswara Island. Dr. Kalam recalled how ‘All three of them, in the unique attire of their religion, used to sit and discuss the community’s problems and find solutions. Throughout the nation and the world, the need to have a frank dialogue among cultures, religions and civilizations is felt now more than ever’.

When asked where he got his humility from Dr. Kalam would always attribute it to his father. In him, he saw how simplicity and divinity could go together. Even though his father was a boatman and Dr. Kalam went on to become the President of India, they shared the same values in life. Both believed that if one leads a spiritual life then that spirituality can lift them out of any kind of confusion misery or failure.

A2. Write the differences between Science and Faith and complete the table : (2) [Table with two columns, ‘Science’ and ‘Faith’; row (i) “Provides ............”, row (ii) “Helps ............” in each column.]

A3. (2) (1) Find from the passage noun forms of : (i) combine – .................... (ii) invent – ................... (2) Write from the passage the antonyms of : (i) same × ................. (ii) success × .................

A4. Do as directed : (2) (1) Rewrite the sentence using ‘not only .......... but also’. Dr. Kalam’s father was a boatman as well as an Imam. (2) State whether the underlined verbs are transitive or intransitive. Dr. Kalam went on to become the President of India. [Underlined word: went]

A5. Do you believe that ‘Science and Spirituality’ go hand in hand ? Justify your answer. (2)

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

B1. Who said to whom : (2) [Table with three columns — Sentence, Who said, To whom — and two rows : (i) “I’ll do better than that.” (ii) “You are quite a humorist.”]

“Are you still hungry ?” I asked faintly.

“Oh, no, I’m not hungry. You see, I don’t eat luncheon. I have a cup of coffee in the morning and then dinner, but I never eat more than one thing for luncheon. I was speaking for you.”

“Oh, I see.” Then a terrible thing happened. While we were waiting for the coffee, the head waiter came up to us bearing a large basket full of huge peaches. But surely peaches were not in season then ? Lord knew what they cost! I knew a little later, for my quest going on with her conversation, absentmindedly took one.

“You see, you’ve filled your stomach with a lot of meat,” my one miserable little chop “and you can’t eat any more. But I’ve just had a snack and I shall enjoy a peach.”

The bill came and when I paid it I found that I had only enough for a quite inadequate tip. Her eyes rested for an instant on the three francs I left for the waiter and I knew that she thought me mean. But when I walked out of the restaurant I had the whole month before me and not a penny in my pocket.

“Follow my example,” she said as we shook hands, “and never eat more than one thing for luncheon.”

“I’ll do better than that,” I retorted, “I’ll eat nothing for dinner tonight.”

“Humorist!” she cried gaily, jumping into a cab.

“You’re quite a humorist!”

But I have had my revenge at last. I do not believe that I am a vindictive man, but when the gods take a hand in the matter it is understandable to observe the result with satisfaction. Today, she weighs twenty-one stone.

B2. Read the passage and put the following events in correct order : (2)

(1) The narrator walked out of the restaurant. (2) The narrator paid the bill but the tip was inadequate. (3) The quest jumped into the cab. (4) The head waiter came with the basket full of peaches.

B3. Match the words in Column A with their meanings in Column B : (2) [Column ‘A’ — (i) inadequate, (ii) terrible, (iii) vindictive, (iv) mean; Column ‘B’ — (a) revengeful, (b) unkind, (c) unpleasant, (d) insufficient.]

B4. Do as directed : (2) (i) Add a question tag and rewrite the sentence : I don’t eat luncheon. (ii) Rewrite as an affirmative sentence : I’ll eat nothing for dinner tonight.

B5. Personal response : (2) ‘Atithi Devo Bhava’ – Explain the concept.

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

A1. Read the words in the given clouds. Match them with what they signify. (2) [Two word-clouds: left — (1) Stage, (2) Characters, (3) Entry, (4) Exit; right — (a) story of life, (b) birth, (c) life, (d) roles of humans, (e) death.]

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 furnace, 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,
Seeking the bubble reputation.

A2. Read the extract and complete the table : (2) [Table with columns ‘Ages of Man’, ‘Role’, ‘Qualities/Actions’; rows ‘1st’ and ‘3rd’.]

A3. Identify the figure of speech in the following line : (1) ‘The whining school boy ..................’

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

Night of the Scorpion

I remember the night my mother
was stung by a Scorpion. Ten hours
of steady rain had driven him
to crawl beneath a sack of rice.
Parting with his poison – flash
of diabolic tail in the dark room –
he risked the rain again.
The peasants came like swarms of flies
and buzzed the name of God a hundred times
to paralyse the Evil One.
With candles and with lanterns
throwing giant scorpion shadows
on the mud-baked walls
they searched for him : he was not found.
They clicked their tongues.
With every movement that the scorpion made his poison
moved in Mother’s blood, they said.
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 blessing,
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.
— Nissim Ezekiel

Points : Title (½) • The Poet (½) • 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. Name the following : (2) (i) Amount of Vitamin C in one serving of Amla ............................. (ii) Nutrient in Amaranth ................................... (iii) Seeds that contain Omega-3 fatty acids .................................... (iv) The percentage by which eating local foods can reduce carbon footprint .................................................

Globalisation has allowed us to access exotic foods from around the world, all year around. For most people, if a product is expensive, it must be superior. What they don’t realise is that it costs more not because of its premium quality but because of the massive duty levied on imported food. A lot of locally sourced produce is just as good, and in some cases, even better. Eating local foods can help you reduce your carbon footprint by upto 7% and show more love for the planet. Here are some easy-to-find local heroes.

With lifestyle illnesses on the rise, everyone wants to boost their immunity, and vitamin C is essential for it. We often end up ignoring local sources of vitamin C such as amla (the Indian gooseberry). The sour tasting amla offers our daily requirement of vitamin C which is about 65-90 gm. One serving of amla contains 600 mg of vitamin ‘C’, and if juiced, its value increases. Easily available at most local grocers and vegetable vendors, the immunity–boosting fruit has a bunch of other health benefits : it balances stomach acids, strengthens the heart and lungs, improves skin and hair texture and is an anti-carcinogenic. Eat it, fresh and sprinkled with sea salt or chop it into your favourite salad for a dash of tartness.

Amaranth (rajgira in Hindi) is packed with manganese and just one serving can fulfil your daily need of this nutrient. Amaranth is also high in antioxidants, fibre, calcium, phosphorous and iron which helps in strengthening our bones. You can add ground amaranth seed grains with your flour to make rotis or bread or eat amaranth puffs as breakfast cereal.

It is so much better to use flaxseeds in your smoothies and salads. Flaxseeds (alsi in Hindi) not only contains anti-inflammatory Omega-3 fatty acids but also came laden with monounsaturated fats which are essential for your overall good health. High in fibre and low in carbohydrates these wonder seeds are also packed with antioxidants that help improve your skin and hair.

A2. Complete the web : (2) [Web diagram: a box on the left reads “Benefits of Amla”; four arrows point to four blank boxes on the right.]

A3. Write four non-English words from the passage. (2)

A4. Do as directed : (2) (i) Frame a ‘Wh-word’ question to get the underlined part as an answer. Globalization has allowed us to access exotic foods from around the world. [Underlined word: Globalization] (ii) Fill in the blank with the correct form of the verb given in bracket. Local products ............ (be) often better than imported food.

A5. Do you agree that local food is considered more beneficial than exotic food ? Give reasons for your answer. (2)

Q.4 (B) Summary Writing : (5 marks) Write a summary of the passage given in Q.No. 4(A) and suggest a suitable title.

Globalisation has allowed us to access exotic foods from around the world, all year around. For most people, if a product is expensive, it must be superior. What they don’t realise is that it costs more not because of its premium quality but because of the massive duty levied on imported food. A lot of locally sourced produce is just as good, and in some cases, even better. Eating local foods can help you reduce your carbon footprint by upto 7% and show more love for the planet. Here are some easy-to-find local heroes.

With lifestyle illnesses on the rise, everyone wants to boost their immunity, and vitamin C is essential for it. We often end up ignoring local sources of vitamin C such as amla (the Indian gooseberry). The sour tasting amla offers our daily requirement of vitamin C which is about 65-90 gm. One serving of amla contains 600 mg of vitamin ‘C’, and if juiced, its value increases. Easily available at most local grocers and vegetable vendors, the immunity–boosting fruit has a bunch of other health benefits : it balances stomach acids, strengthens the heart and lungs, improves skin and hair texture and is an anti-carcinogenic. Eat it, fresh and sprinkled with sea salt or chop it into your favourite salad for a dash of tartness.

Amaranth (rajgira in Hindi) is packed with manganese and just one serving can fulfil your daily need of this nutrient. Amaranth is also high in antioxidants, fibre, calcium, phosphorous and iron which helps in strengthening our bones. You can add ground amaranth seed grains with your flour to make rotis or bread or eat amaranth puffs as breakfast cereal.

It is so much better to use flaxseeds in your smoothies and salads. Flaxseeds (alsi in Hindi) not only contains anti-inflammatory Omega-3 fatty acids but also came laden with monounsaturated fats which are essential for your overall good health. High in fibre and low in carbohydrates these wonder seeds are also packed with antioxidants that help improve your skin and hair.

Q.5 (A) A1. Formal Letter : (5 marks) (alternative to A2) Imagine you are Prakash/Preeti residing at Shahpur, Ralegaon Taluka, Yavatmal–445001. Attempt any one letter based on the given situation. Use the given points on the notice board. Also add your own points : Save Electricity–Save the Planet
• Switch off lights and fans when not in use
• Use LED bulbs
• Maintain appliances
• Use solar energy
• Conduct home energy audits

Write a letter to the Executive Engineer, M.S. Electricity Board, requesting help to organize a ‘Save Electricity’ drive in your school.

Q.5 (A) A2. Informal Letter : (5 marks) (alternative to A1) Imagine you are Prakash/Preeti residing at Shahpur, Ralegaon Taluka, Yavatmal–445001. Attempt any one letter based on the given situation. Use the given points on the notice board. Also add your own points : Save Electricity–Save the Planet
• Switch off lights and fans when not in use
• Use LED bulbs
• Maintain appliances
• Use solar energy
• Conduct home energy audits

Write a letter to your friend telling him/her how your family is saving electricity at home.

Q.6 (A) A1. Information Transfer — Verbal to Non-Verbal : (5 marks) (alternative to A2)

Read the following information and prepare a tree diagram based on the given information :

Pollution is a serious threat to life. It endangers human and animal life. There are mainly four types of pollution. Air pollution is caused by the smoke emitted from vehicles and factories. It affects the lungs and causes various respiratory diseases. Water pollution is due to sewage and industrial waste. Many industries/factories release the sewage water into rivers which contaminate the fresh water.

Soil pollution is caused by the overuse of plastic and chemical fertilizers in farming. Long term use of the same will cause the infertility of the soil. Noise pollution is caused by loudspeakers and traffic noise. Humans and animals suffer neurotic disorders because of continuous loud noise.

[Tree diagram: top box “Pollution” branches into four blank boxes (the four types); below each type a box marked “Cause”/“Causes”, and under it the cause details — first branch one blank box, second “Sewage” and a blank box, third “Overuse of plastic” and a blank box, fourth “loudspeaker” and a blank box. Title : ............................]

Q.6 (A) A2. Non-Verbal to Verbal : (5 marks) (alternative to A1)

Observe the given Pie-chart on the time spent by the students in various activities and write a paragraph on it.

[Pie chart: Study 40%, sleep 30%, entertainment 15%, others 10%, exercise 5%.]

Q.6 (B) B1. Drafting a speech : (5 marks) (alternative to B2)

Prepare a speech on the topic ‘Climate Change : A Global Challenge’. Use the following points : Rising temperatures, melting ice, droughts • Human activities – pollution, deforestation • International co-operation and local action • Youth as environmental warriors.

Q.6 (B) B2. Views/Counterview : (5 marks) (alternative to B1)

Write your counterviews reading the following views : Artificial Intelligence is a blessing to Humanity

Views : — Enhances creativity — Easily available — Saves time — Has made life easy — Improves communication skills — Encourages use of modern technology.

Q.7 (A) A1. Expand the theme/Idea : (5 marks) (alternative to A2)

Expand the following proverb into a paragraph of 100 words : ‘Service to man is service to God’

Q.7 (A) A2. News Report : (5 marks) (alternative to A1)

Your school had organised a medical camp. Write a newsreport for your school magazine. Cover the following points : reason for setting up the camp • volunteers and NGOs involved • response from students • post-camp seminar • counselling by doctors.

Q.7 (B) B1. Develop a story : (5 marks) (alternative to B2)

Develop a story in about 80-100 words with the following beginning. Give a suitable title. Maya was excited for her vacation when she received a letter from her friend, inviting her to a mysterious place...

Q.7 (B) B2. Narrate an experience : (5 marks) (alternative to B1)

Narrate your own experience ending with the given line. Give a suitable title. ...I opened the box and to my utter surprise it was empty.