English — Syllabus & Chapters

The complete syllabus for English — every chapter you need to study, and how the exam paper is structured.

What you will study (chapters)

Chapter 1: Composition Writing
Chapter 2: Letter Writing
Chapter 3: Notice and E-mail Writing
Chapter 4: Unseen Prose Comprehension and Summary
Chapter 5: Functional Grammar, Structure and Usage
Chapter 6: Julius Caesar: Acts I and II
Chapter 7: Bonku Babu's Friend - Satyajit Ray
Chapter 8: Oliver Asks for More - Charles Dickens
Chapter 9: The Model Millionaire - Oscar Wilde
Chapter 10: Home-coming - Rabindranath Tagore
Chapter 11: The Boy who Broke the Bank - Ruskin Bond
Chapter 12: The Night Mail - W.H. Auden
Chapter 13: Skimbleshanks: The Railway Cat - T.S. Eliot
Chapter 14: I Remember, I Remember - Thomas Hood
Chapter 15: A Doctor's Journal Entry for August 6, 1945 - Vikram Seth
Chapter 16: A Work of Artifice - Marge Piercy
Chapter 17: Listening Skills
Chapter 18: Speaking Skills
Chapter 19: Literature Assignments

Frequently asked questions

How many chapters are there in English?

The English syllabus has 19 chapters, listed in full above. Cover the high-weightage chapters first using the exam pattern as a guide.

How do I know which English chapters carry the most marks?

Compare the chapter list above with the exam pattern and the last few years of question papers — the topics that appear most often and the units with the highest marks are where to focus first. Always confirm weightage against the official syllabus for your exam year.

Has the English syllabus changed this year?

Boards occasionally revise the syllabus or remove topics for a session. Always download the official syllabus for your exact exam year from the official ICSE & ISC portal rather than relying on an older copy or a social-media list.

How can I prepare for English faster?

Begin with the most-frequently-asked topics and the last few years of question papers, then test yourself under timed conditions. If you want guided help, you can use the free AI study tutor for English — practise past-paper questions and get instant feedback — or a focused English study guide that condenses the syllabus into the topics that matter most — both are free to start.