English LanguageICSE Class 10 · Chapter 5

ICSE Class 10 Comprehension and Summary: Method, Marking and Practice

Updated 14 October 2026 · Fact-checked

Question 4 of ICSE English Paper 1 gives an unseen prose passage of about 500 words for 20 marks: word meanings in context (2), an opposite (1), five short answers in your own words (9) and a summary of not more than 50 words (8). Read twice, answer from the passage and plan the summary in a grid.

What Comprehension and Summary is about

Comprehension and summary is Question 4 of English Paper 1 and carries 20 marks, as much as the composition. The syllabus promises 'an unseen prose passage of about 500 words', with 'uncommon items of vocabulary, or structure … avoided'. It tests vocabulary 'in the context in which they have been used', short answers on 'the explicit content and organisation of the passage' and the ability 'to infer information, intention and attitude', and finally a summary that tests your ability 'to distinguish main ideas from supporting details'. You are told exactly 'what [you] are to summarise and … the length of the summary'.

The 2027 specimen (a passage adapted from Ernest Hemingway's 'A Day's Wait') and the 2025 board paper use the same four parts:

Part	Task	Marks
(i)	Two words: choose the meaning as used in the passage (MCQ)	2
(ii)	Which word in the passage means the opposite of a given word (MCQ)	1
(iii)	Five short questions, 'briefly in your own words', marked 2+2+2+1+2; one asks you to quote the sentence that shows something	9
(iv)	Summary 'in not more than 50 words' of a specified part or idea	8

The draft marking scheme awards the summary 6 marks for six content points and 2 for expression. The 2027 paper tags the short questions [Understanding], [Recall], [Analysis], so expect at least one 'Why do you think…?' inference question.

Weightage: Comprehension and summary is Question 4: 20 of the 80 marks of English Paper 1 (vocabulary 3, short answers 9, summary 8). Compulsory.Source: CISCE ICSE 2027 Specimen Question Paper, English Language (T27 011), Question 4, and draft marking scheme

Key concepts

Word meaning in context: The question says 'choose the correct meaning (as used in the passage)'. Several options will be real meanings of the word, but only one fits the sentence in the passage. Go back to the line number, read the whole sentence, and substitute each option. In the 2027 specimen, 'following' had options 'running after', 'paying attention', 'distracted' and 'one after another'; in the sentence about a sick boy listening to a story, only 'paying attention' fits. The 2023 and 2025 examiners both noted candidates who interpreted meanings 'without contextual reference' (in 2025, 'satchels' was taken as 'scarves', and 'spare' as 'share').; Worked example
Passage: 'The old man would not budge from his seat, however much the conductor pleaded.' Choose the meaning of 'budge' as used here: (a) push (b) move (c) change his opinion (d) complain
Try it first, then show the solutionSolution
Substitute: 'would not move from his seat' fits the sentence.
'change his opinion' is a real meaning of budge but not about a seat.
'push' and 'complain' do not fit.
Answer: (b) move
Opposite word from the passage: Item (ii) gives a word and four words from the passage; choose the one that means the opposite. Think of the given word's meaning first ('concluded' = ended), then find the word that means the reverse ('commenced' = began). Watch the part of speech: a verb's opposite will be a verb.; Worked example
Which word in a passage means the opposite of 'reluctantly'? Options from the passage: (a) eagerly (b) slowly (c) quietly (d) firmly
Try it first, then show the solutionSolution
'Reluctantly' means unwillingly.
Its opposite is 'willingly' or 'eagerly'.
Answer: (a) eagerly
Short answers in your own words: Answer only what is asked, from the passage, in your own words where the question says so, in one or two sentences. A 2-mark question usually needs two points (the specimen's answer to 'Why did the narrator ask Schatz what the matter was?' lists shivering, pale face and slow walking). Do not copy long chunks of the passage, and do not add outside knowledge. Inference questions ('Why do you think…') need a reason grounded in the passage.; Worked example
From the specimen: 'How did the doctor reassure the family?' (2 marks) What two points does the scheme expect?
Try it first, then show the solutionSolution
Point 1: nothing to worry about if the fever stayed below one hundred and four.
Point 2: it was a light epidemic of flu, not dangerous if pneumonia was avoided.
Answer: Two separate points, each worth about a mark: the fever limit and the mild flu with no danger unless pneumonia developed.
Quoting the sentence: One item (1 mark in the 2027 specimen, 2 marks in 2025) asks 'Which sentence in the passage tells us…?'. Copy exactly one complete sentence, word for word, inside quotation marks, with its original punctuation (including a question mark). The 2023 examiners reported candidates who 'either misquoted or left out the vital question mark', 'quoted more than one sentence' or wrote the sentence 'in indirect speech'; in 2025 'Many candidates quoted more than one sentence', others quoted 'a few phrases', and a few paraphrased.; Worked example
A student answers a 'which sentence' question by writing: 'The boy did not let anyone come in because they might get what he had.' Why will this lose the mark?
Try it first, then show the solutionSolution
It is a paraphrase in indirect form, not the exact sentence.
Answer: The mark is for the exact sentence copied in quotation marks. The sentence in the specimen passage is: 'Later, they said the boy had refused to let anyone come into the room because they ‘mustn’t get what I have.’' (the draft marking scheme prints its key part, from 'The boy had refused…').
The summary: content points: Read the summary question twice: it names exactly what to summarise (in the specimen, 'how the narrator understood why Schatz was upset and how he got rid of his doubts'). Then:
1. Find the lines that deal with that idea only (not the whole passage).
2. List the main points in order in a rough grid (point number | key words). Leave out examples, descriptions and repetition.
3. Aim for six points, because the scheme gives 6 marks for content.
4. Join them into connected prose in your own words, in the order of the passage.; Worked example
What six points did the specimen scheme expect for the Schatz summary?
Try it first, then show the solutionSolution
1. Schatz asked what time he would die.
2. The narrator understood his confusion about temperature scales.
3. He explained the difference between Celsius and Fahrenheit.
4. He compared it to miles and kilometres.
5. This cleared Schatz's misunderstanding.
6. It removed his fear.
Answer: Six points in story order, each a separate idea, plus 2 marks for expression.
The summary: the 50-word limit and expression: 'Not more than 50 words' is a ceiling. Write a rough draft, count, then cut: remove adjectives that only decorate, replace phrases with single words ('in spite of the fact that' → 'although'), and merge points with conjunctions. Do not drop articles and prepositions to save words; the 2023 examiners reported that 'Many candidates left out articles to reduce the word count'. Write in full sentences (not notes), in the past tense for a narrative, and in your own words. The 2 expression marks reward fluent, connected, accurate sentences.; Worked example
Shorten without dropping articles: 'The boy, who was very frightened and worried, asked his father at what time it was that he was going to die.' (20 words)
Try it first, then show the solutionSolution
Remove decoration ('very frightened and worried' → 'frightened').
Simplify the question clause.
Answer: 'The frightened boy asked his father when he would die.' (10 words)

Comprehension and Summary in real life

Each concept, met in an everyday situation. Read the situation, answer the question in your own words, then compare with the model answer. The one-line hook is what to remember.

Meaning depends on context

Suppose your friend texts, 'The match was a wash.' You know 'wash' means cleaning with water.

How do you work out what your friend means, and how does this help in the exam?

Try it first, then show the solutionSolution

Look at the context: a match.
Test meanings: 'cleaned with water' does not fit; 'a failure' or 'washed out by rain' fits.
Ask which fits the rest of the conversation.

Answer: You choose the meaning that fits the situation, not the first one you learnt. The ICSE vocabulary question works the same way: 'as used in the passage'.

Memory hook: Words wear different clothes in different sentences.

Summarising only what is asked

Imagine your mother asks, 'What did the doctor say about your knee?' and you describe the whole visit: the traffic, the waiting room, the magazine you read.

What did you do wrong, and how is this like a poor ICSE summary?

Try it first, then show the solutionSolution

She asked about one thing: the doctor's advice.
Everything else is outside the question.
Give only the relevant points, in order.

Answer: You answered more than was asked and buried the main point. ICSE summaries are marked only for points from the specified part, so extra material wastes your 50 words.

Memory hook: Answer the question asked, not the story you remember.

Inference from clues

Suppose a classmate who usually chatters all through lunch sits silently, pushes her food around and keeps checking her phone.

What can you infer, and what clues support it?

Try it first, then show the solutionSolution

Collect the clues: silence, not eating, checking her phone.
Infer: she is worried about some news she is waiting for.
Support the inference with the clues.

Answer: She is probably anxious about something she is expecting to hear. ICSE 'Why do you think…' questions want exactly this: an inference supported by details from the passage.

Memory hook: Infer = clue + reason.

Topics in this chapter

Board Comprehension: Four Parts, Inference, Quotation and Summary Grid (ICSE Class 10)

How the board asks Comprehension and Summary

The question patterns to expect, and the method that works for each.

Question type	How it is asked	Method
Vocabulary in context (MCQ)	'For each word given below choose the correct meaning (as used in the passage) from the options provided' (two words, 1 mark each), then 'Which word in the passage means the opposite of…?' (1 mark).	Go to the line number, read the full sentence, substitute each option, and choose the one that fits this use. Write the option letter and the words.
Short answers in your own words	'Answer the following questions briefly in your own words.' Five parts, 2+2+2+1+2 in the 2027 specimen (2+2+1+2+2 in 2025): factual recall, a reason, an explanation, a sentence to quote and an inference ('Why do you think…?').	One or two sentences per answer; two points for a 2-mark question; own words; no outside knowledge; inference grounded in a detail of the passage.
Quote the sentence	'Which sentence in the passage tells us that…?' (1 mark in the 2027 specimen; 2 marks in 2025)	Copy exactly one full sentence, in quotation marks, with its original punctuation.
Summary (not more than 50 words)	'In not more than 50 words, explain how…' or 'summarise…', on one specified idea or section.	Locate the relevant lines; grid of six points in order; rough draft; cut to 50 words without dropping articles; fair copy as one paragraph of connected prose.

Tricks to remember Comprehension and Summary

Short memory aids. Say each one aloud once, then use it on a question the same day.

RSVP for vocabulary
Return to the line, read the whole Sentence, try each option (Vary), Pick the fit.
Use it when: Every vocabulary MCQ.
Two marks, two points
Count the marks in brackets; give that many distinct points.
Use it when: Short answers in part (iii).
Summary in five steps: B-G-D-C-F
Bracket the section, Grid six points, Draft, Cut to 50, Fair copy.
Use it when: The 8-mark summary.

Comprehension and Summary: board-level solved questions

Ordered from board level to HOTS. Cover the solution, write your own, then compare step by step.

Example 1: Meaning in context with tempting options · 1 mark · MCQBoard level

Passage line: 'The committee decided to shelve the plan until the next financial year.' Choose the meaning of 'shelve' as used here: (a) put on a shelf (b) postpone (c) cancel for ever (d) display

Try it first, then show the solutionSolution

Substitute each option in the sentence.
'until the next financial year' shows the plan will return, so not 'cancel for ever'.
'put on a shelf' is literal and does not fit a plan.

Answer: (b) postpone

Example 2: A 2-mark own-words answer · 2 marks · Short answerHarder board level

Passage: 'Meena had practised the piece every evening for a month, yet when she sat at the piano in the hall, her fingers felt like wood and the faces in the front row blurred.' Question: Why did Meena struggle to play, though she had practised? Answer in your own words. (2 marks)

Try it first, then show the solutionSolution

Identify the two signs: stiff fingers, blurred vision.
Infer the cause: stage fright or nervousness in front of an audience.
Use your own words, not 'fingers felt like wood'.

Answer: Although she knew the piece well, she was overcome by nervousness in front of the audience: her fingers became stiff and she could not see the people in front clearly.

Example 3: Inference question · 2 marks · Short answerHOTS / competency

Passage: 'Grandfather folded the letter carefully, put it back in its envelope and went out to water the roses, though he had watered them an hour before.' Question: Why do you think Grandfather watered the roses again? (2 marks)

Try it first, then show the solutionSolution

Notice the clue: he had watered them an hour before, so the action is not needed.
Link it to the letter: he is moved or upset by it.
Infer: he wants to be alone or hide his feelings.

Answer: The letter seems to have disturbed or moved him deeply. Since the roses did not need water, he probably went out to be alone with his feelings and to keep his hands busy.

Example 4: Building a summary grid · 8 marks · Long answerHarder board level

Summarise, in not more than 50 words, the steps a town took to clean its lake, from this passage: 'First, volunteers removed tonnes of plastic from the banks. The municipality then stopped drains from emptying sewage into the water. Engineers built a small treatment plant beside the lake. Native fish were released to control mosquito larvae. Finally, the residents formed a committee to keep watch, fining anyone who dumped waste. Within three years, birds that had not been seen for decades returned.'

Try it first, then show the solutionSolution

Grid: 1. volunteers cleared plastic from the banks; 2. sewage drains stopped; 3. treatment plant built; 4. native fish released against mosquitoes; 5. residents' committee to guard the lake; 6. fines for dumping (result: birds returned).
Draft as connected prose in order.
Count and trim to 50 words or fewer.

Answer: Volunteers first cleared plastic from the banks, and the municipality stopped sewage from entering the lake. A treatment plant was built beside it, and native fish were introduced to eat mosquito larvae. Residents then formed a committee that guarded the lake and fined polluters. Within three years, long-absent birds returned. (50 words)

Example 5: Quote the sentence · 1 mark · Short answerHarder board level

Passage: 'Nobody spoke at dinner. Father kept looking at the clock. When the phone finally rang, he was out of his chair before the second ring.' Which sentence in the passage shows that Father reacted at once when the call came?

Try it first, then show the solutionSolution

'Kept looking at the clock' shows waiting, not reacting; the reaction comes when the phone rings.
Copy one sentence only, exactly, with its full stop.

Answer: 'When the phone finally rang, he was out of his chair before the second ring.'

Case-study practice (Section B style)

Read the situation, then answer every part. In the board paper this is a 20-mark question split into 1 + 1 + 1 + 2 + 2 + 2 + 1 + 2 + 8 marks.

Full solved comprehension: 'The Clock-mender's Apprentice'

Read the passage and answer the questions.

Every evening after school, Ravi walked past the narrow shop where old Mr Dastur mended clocks. The shop was hardly wider than a doorway, and its walls were crowded with clocks of every size, each showing a slightly different time. Ravi liked to stand at the window and watch the old man bend over a tiny wheel with a glass screwed into one eye.

One afternoon the rain came down so suddenly that Ravi ran into the shop for shelter. Mr Dastur did not look up. 'Wipe your feet,' he said, 'and do not touch anything that ticks.' Ravi stood dripping by the door, afraid to move. After a while the old man pushed a stool towards him with his foot.

'You come every day,' he said, still not looking up. 'Why?'

'I want to know how they work,' Ravi said. 'All of them.'

Mr Dastur put down his tweezers. For the first time he looked at the boy properly, as if he were an interesting fault in a watch. Then he reached under the counter and brought out a battered alarm clock with its back missing. 'Then you may start with this one,' he said. 'It has not rung for twenty years. If you can tell me why, you may come back tomorrow.'

Ravi spent the next hour with the clock in his lap. He did not dare to ask questions. He turned the key, watched the wheels, and finally noticed that one small spring had slipped off its peg. He pointed to it without a word. Mr Dastur grunted, which Ravi later learnt was the closest he ever came to praise.

From that day Ravi came to the shop every evening from five to seven. He swept the floor, sorted screws into tins and, slowly, was allowed to clean the parts of real watches. The old man paid him nothing at first. By the end of the year, however, he was trusting Ravi to open the shop on Saturday mornings, and he had begun, gruffly, to call him 'partner'.

(i) · 1 mark
(i) Choose the meaning of 'battered' as used in the passage: (a) beaten with a stick (b) old and damaged by use (c) covered in a mixture for frying (d) badly treated by people
Answer
Answer: (b) old and damaged by use
The alarm clock has its back missing; 'damaged by use' fits. (a), (c) and (d) are other meanings of 'batter/battered' that do not fit a clock.
(ii) · 1 mark
(i) Choose the meaning of 'gruffly' as used in the passage: (a) in a rough, unfriendly-sounding way (b) loudly and angrily (c) secretly (d) lovingly and softly
Answer
Answer: (a) in a rough, unfriendly-sounding way
Mr Dastur is not angry (he trusts Ravi), but his manner stays rough; 'lovingly and softly' contradicts his character.
(iii) · 1 mark
(ii) Which word in the passage means the opposite of 'quickly'? (a) suddenly (b) slowly (c) properly (d) gruffly
Answer
Answer: (b) slowly
'Quickly' means fast; its opposite is 'slowly' (Ravi was 'slowly' allowed to clean watch parts). 'Suddenly' is about surprise, not speed.
(iv) · 2 marks
(iii)(a) Why did Ravi enter the shop for the first time?
Answer
Answer: Ravi went in because it began to rain suddenly and heavily and he needed shelter; he had only watched from the window before.
Two points: the sudden rain, and his need for shelter (contrasted with his usual watching from outside).
(v) · 2 marks
(iii)(b) How did Mr Dastur test Ravi, and what was the reward?
Answer
Answer: He gave Ravi an old alarm clock that had not rung for twenty years and asked him to find out why. If Ravi could tell him, he could come back the next day.
Test (find why the clock did not ring) and reward (permission to return).
(vi) · 2 marks
(iii)(c) What did Ravi discover about the clock, and how did Mr Dastur react?
Answer
Answer: Ravi found that a small spring had slipped off its peg. Mr Dastur only grunted, which was the nearest he ever came to praising someone.
Discovery plus reaction with its meaning.
(7) · 1 mark
(iii)(d) Which sentence in the passage shows that Mr Dastur had been noticing Ravi before the rainy day?
Answer
Answer: 'You come every day,' he said, still not looking up.
Exactly one sentence, quoted with its punctuation.
(8) · 2 marks
(iii)(e) Why do you think Mr Dastur began to call Ravi 'partner'?
Answer
Answer: Ravi had proved patient, careful and reliable over the year, so the old man came to trust and value him, trusting him to open the shop alone. 'Partner' shows affection hidden behind his rough manner.
Inference grounded in the passage: Ravi's reliability (opening the shop) plus Mr Dastur's hidden warmth (gruffly).
(9) · 8 marks
(iv) In not more than 50 words, describe how Ravi became Mr Dastur's trusted helper, from the rainy afternoon to the end of the year.
Answer
Answer: Sheltering from sudden rain, Ravi entered the shop, eager to learn how clocks worked. Mr Dastur tested him with an old clock, and Ravi found its loose spring. He came every evening, swept, sorted screws and cleaned watch parts unpaid, until he was trusted to open the shop. (48 words)
Grid of points: 1. entered to shelter from rain; 2. said he wanted to learn how clocks worked; 3. was tested with an old clock; 4. found the slipped spring; 5. came every evening and did small jobs unpaid; 6. was trusted to open the shop (and called partner). Content 6 + expression 2.

Where the marks are

How a typical answer is marked: the value points the examiner looks for and the marks each earns.

Summary in not more than 50 words (2027 specimen: how the narrator understood why Schatz was upset and how he removed his doubts). The draft marking scheme lists six content points plus expression, with 6 and 2 in its marks column. (8 marks)

Step	Marks
Content: six relevant points from the specified part, in order (1 mark each)	6
Expression: connected, fluent, accurate prose in own words within the limit	2

Short answers (iii), as set in the 2027 specimen (9 marks)

Step	Marks
(a) factual reason, two details	2
(b) explanation, two points	2
(c) two-part question (what and why)	2
(d) quote the exact sentence	1
(e) inference ('Why do you think…'), reason from the passage	2

Where students lose marks in Comprehension and Summary

The slips examiners see most often, and what to write instead.

Mistake: Choosing a dictionary meaning that does not fit the sentence
Students pick the first meaning they know. The examiners noted 'summoned' taken as 'requested', 'aversion' as 'politeness', 'satchels' as 'scarves' and 'spare' as 'share'.
Do this: Substitute each option into the sentence and read it aloud in your head.
Usually costs: 1 mark per word, 3 marks in all for vocabulary.
Mistake: Paraphrasing or over-quoting in the 'which sentence' question
Students give a phrase, two sentences, or reported speech.
Wrong working
He told them they should not catch his illness.
Right working
'Later, they said the boy had refused to let anyone come into the room because they ‘mustn’t get what I have.’'
Do this: Copy one complete sentence exactly, in quotation marks, with its full stop or question mark.
Usually costs: The whole 1 mark.
Mistake: Half-answers to 2-mark questions
Students give one point; the 2025 examiners noted partial descriptions (only part of the uniform) and a missing word ('still') in a reason.
Do this: For 2 marks, look for two details or the 'what' and the 'why'.
Usually costs: 1 of the 2 marks.
Mistake: Summarising the wrong section or the whole passage
Students do not read the summary question carefully. Both the 2023 and 2025 examiners reported this.
Do this: Bracket the lines that match the summary question before you make your grid.
Usually costs: Most of the 6 content marks.
Mistake: Exceeding 50 words, or cutting words by dropping articles
Students write freely without a rough draft, then panic. The 2023 and 2025 examiners reported both over-length summaries and notes without articles.
Do this: Grid, rough draft, count, trim decoration and long phrases, then fair copy with the word count.
Usually costs: Expression marks, and points beyond the limit may not be credited.
Mistake: Losing the order of events
Students list points as they remember them; the 2023 examiners noted that 'Chronological order was not followed'.
Do this: Number points in the grid in the order they appear in the passage.
Usually costs: Expression and sometimes content marks.

Practice questions on Comprehension and Summary

Write each answer on paper first. Open the hint only if you are stuck, and the answer only when you have finished.

Q1 · 1 mark · MCQBoard level
Passage line: 'The hikers were forced to abandon their camp when the river rose.' Choose the meaning of 'abandon': (a) leave behind (b) set up (c) clean (d) defend
Hint
Rising river → what would the hikers do?
Answer
(a) leave behind
Q2 · 1 mark · MCQBoard level
Which word means the opposite of 'scarce'? Options from a passage: (a) plentiful (b) rare (c) costly (d) fresh
Hint
Scarce = in short supply.
Answer
(a) plentiful
Q3 · 2 marks · Short answerHOTS / competency
Passage: 'The new boy ate his lunch alone on the far bench every day, his eyes on his book, though Anil noticed that he never turned a page.' Why do you think the boy never turned a page? (2 marks)
Hint
If he is not reading, why hold the book?
Answer
He was not really reading; the book was a way to hide his loneliness and avoid looking lonely or awkward in front of others while he sat apart, perhaps hoping someone would notice him.
Q4 · 2 marks · Short answerHarder board level
A candidate's 50-word summary reads: 'Volunteers cleared plastic. Municipality stopped sewage. Plant built. Fish released. Committee formed. Fines. Birds returned.' Why would this lose expression marks even though the points are correct?
Hint
Notes versus connected prose.
Answer
It is written in note form with articles and verbs dropped, not in connected sentences. The 2 expression marks need fluent, grammatical prose linked with connectors; the 2023 examiners specifically criticised dropping articles to cut the word count.
Q5 · 2 marks · Short answerHOTS / competency
Using the case-study passage on Ravi and Mr Dastur, explain in your own words what the sentence 'as if he were an interesting fault in a watch' tells us about Mr Dastur. (2 marks)
Hint
How does a clock-mender look at a fault?
Answer
It shows that he looked at Ravi with close, curious attention, the way he studied problems in his work. His whole life was clocks, so even his interest in a person was expressed like a mechanic's interest in a puzzle.
Q6 · 2 marks · Short answerHarder board level
A passage of about 500 words describes a school trip, then (lines 22-40) the coach breaking down and how the students helped. The summary question asks: 'In not more than 50 words, describe how the students helped after the coach broke down.' A student summarises the whole trip. How many marks is the student likely to get for content, and why?
Hint
What did the 2023 and 2025 examiners say about the scope of summaries?
Answer
Very few, perhaps none of the 6 content marks, because most of the 50 words are spent on material outside the specified section; the 2023 examiners reported summaries 'of the entire passage', and in 2025 several candidates 'wrote the summary from the preceding paragraph'. Only points about the students' help after the breakdown earn marks.
Q7 · 1 mark · Short answerHarder board level
Rewrite in not more than 15 words without dropping any articles: 'At that point in time, owing to the fact that the bridge had been washed away by the flood, the villagers had no other option but to cross the river by boat.'
Hint
'Owing to the fact that' → 'because'; 'at that point in time' → 'then'.
Answer
'Since the flood had washed away the bridge, the villagers had to cross by boat.' (15 words)

Test your recall

Answer in your head or on paper first, then open the card. Pulling an answer out of memory makes it stick far better than re-reading.

1.How long is the ICSE comprehension passage?Show answer
About 500 words, unseen prose.
2.How are the 20 marks of Question 4 divided?Show answer
Word meanings 2, opposite 1, short answers 9 (2+2+2+1+2), summary 8.
3.What is the summary word limit?Show answer
Not more than 50 words.
4.How are the 8 summary marks split in the draft marking scheme?Show answer
6 for content points, 2 for expression.
5.How should you answer 'Which sentence in the passage…?'Show answer
Copy exactly one complete sentence in quotation marks with its punctuation.
6.Should you drop articles to keep under 50 words?Show answer
No. Cut decoration and long phrases instead; the 2023 examiners criticised summaries that left out articles.

Quick revision checklist

The night before the exam: can you do each of these without looking?

Can you test each vocabulary option by substituting it into the sentence?
Can you find the opposite of a word by first stating its meaning?
Can you give two distinct points for a 2-mark answer?
Can you quote exactly one sentence with its punctuation?
Can you bracket the right section and grid six summary points in order?
Can you cut a 70-word draft to 50 without dropping articles?

Comprehension and Summary: frequently asked questions

Can I copy sentences from the passage in my answers?

For part (iii) the question says 'in your own words', so rephrase. The exception is the item that asks which sentence shows something, where you must copy the exact sentence.

Is the ICSE summary written in points or a paragraph?

A paragraph of connected sentences. Plan in a grid of points, but the fair copy must be fluent prose; 2 marks are for expression.

What happens if my summary is over 50 words?

The limit is 'not more than 50 words'. Going over costs expression marks and points beyond the limit may not be credited, so trim your draft before copying it out.

Should I write the word count after the summary?

It is a good habit and helps you check yourself, though the question paper does not ask for it.

How many points does an ICSE summary need?

The 2027 draft marking scheme lists six content points for 6 marks, so aim for six distinct points from the specified section.

Based on: CISCE ICSE 2027 English syllabus (Paper 1: English Language); CISCE ICSE 2027 Specimen Question Paper and Draft Marking Scheme: English Language (English Paper 1); CISCE Specimen Questions, English Language 2026: suggested formats for letter, notice and e-mail; CISCE Analysis of Pupil Performance 2025: English Language (examiners' comments); CISCE Analysis of Pupil Performance 2023: English Language (examiners' comments)